Hospitality + Experience = the Perfect Barista (Video)

Cory Stipp hires employees for their “relation-ability.” He wants his baristas to extend hospitality to each customer who comes into Quay Coffee.

What do you look for in an employee?

The first thing I look for: I want them to have experience.

But the most important aspect is relation-ability. We can train people to do coffee. I can’t train somebody to be relational, or to make that connection across the bar with the person. So I need to make sure that they’re fairly easygoing, that they’re not afraid just to talk and engage with the customer. Because that the most important aspect.

That’s how I feel we differentiate ourselves from other shops here in Kansas City. There are tons of great shops here in Kansas City. I want us to be the most friendly, the most caring shop that has a really good product.

So I look for relation-ability, how comfortable they are. And then we go through training. I have some staff that are working through our training regimen and a manual of how to train baristas and what that looks like.

They will get trained on customer care - or taking care of our guests. That’s one of the things: as opposed to referring to them as customers, referring to them as guests. Because they’re basically coming to our house, and you want to make them feel as comfortable as possible.

The quality of a cup will bring people who have never been here to come here. The quality of the relationship will bring them back. That’s how crucial both of them are.

This video is a production of Nazarene Theological Seminary. Used by permission. Click here to learn more about Nazarene Theological Seminary.

This video serves as an illustration to the TOW Bible Commentary: Hospitality (Hebrews 13:1-3).