Cafe introduces sliding drinks prices to reward polite customers

2022-10-14

Chai a little tenderness! Indian cafe introduces sliding drinks prices to reward polite customers

Chaii Stop in Preston introduced rule to make sure their customers are polite
Simply stating your order will cost twice as much while adding a ‘please’ on the end will decrease it, and ordering while greeting staff will decrease cost again
Owner Usman Hussain, 29, hopes the rule will enforce ‘good vibes only’ culture

A cafe owner has a novel way of making sure his customers are polite – by charging them twice as much if they don’t order politely.

Chaii Stop in Preston, Lancashire has introduced the new rule to make sure customers don’t leave their manners at the door, and will charge customers different prices for the same drink depending on how they order.

Usman Hussain opened the shop selling chai, doughnuts, street food and desserts in March this year, and said he hopes the new rule will enforce the ‘good vibes only’ culture of his business.

The 29-year-old has put up a sign explaining the new rule. It explains that saying ‘Desi Chai’ will cost £5, while ‘Desi Chai please’ will cost £3.

A sign has been put up explaining the new rule. It explains that saying ‘Desi Chai’ will cost £5, while ‘Desi Chai please’ will cost £3 while saying ‘Hello, Desi Chai please’ will cost £1.90.

Shop owner Usman Hussain believes the new rule fits in with the shops ‘good vibes only’ culture

Going one step further, saying ‘Hello, Desi Chai please’ will cost just £1.90.

While Mr Hussain admits he has never experienced bad-mannered customers, he hopes the new rules, which were inspired by an American cafe who implemented the same rule, will encourage people to open up and be kinder to each other.

‘I think it’s a nice reminder to use your manners, because unfortunately sometimes we do need reminding,’ the soon-to-be father-of-two said.

‘We’ve never struggled with rude customers but since having the sign people are definitely coming in more open and having a laugh with us.

‘To me, the most important thing in my business is to walk through the door and be treated like you’re a welcome guest in our home. It’s nice to have that respect reciprocated.’

Mr Hussain came across a Facebook post of an American cafe trialling a similar rule and kept the post save on his phone for two years before stumbling across it recently, and decided it was time to do the same.

Staff at the shop have reported more customers and a much friendlier atmosphere as a result of the changes.

Owner Usman Hussain opened the shop selling chai, doughnuts, street food and desserts in March this year

The new rule was inspired by a Facebook post of a cafe in America which had implemented a similar rule

Staff at the shop have reported more customers and a much friendlier atmosphere as a result of the changes

And as of yet, no one has been charged £5 for their drink.

‘If a customer doesn’t use their manners I point to the sign, and they immediately ask again more politely,’ Mr Hussain added.

‘A lot of people can be quite rude in the mornings while they’re waking up but when they see the sign it makes them think.

‘At the end of the day you never know what someone is going through to make them act rude, but it helps them to drop their guard.

‘It gets them talking – like an icebreaker – and that’s what we’re all about. Any negativity gets left at the door.’

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