Is Great Customer Service a Warm Hug?

To all the servers sprinting to the kitchen with their customer’s desires, and to all the cooks making gastronomic magic happen, I see you. Mostly because at my favorite spaces, you see me.

This is my first long form review/critique/essay on my favorite spot in the San Fernando Valley. However, most of what I have to say is more about how service adds to taste than what is on a customer’s plate.

My favorite item at Lodge Bakery in Woodland Hills is a drip coffee with milk and honey. I can’t always afford the $13 Rigotta/Jam toast, but I often treat myself to a hot cup of joe. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic I needed to escape my home. The first place I stumbled upon was Lodge Bakery in Woodland Hills.

I don’t know all of the politics of the space, but I was impressed that they were still open, and even more impressed that they had pre-pandemic staff still working. It may seem obvious that an eatery needs great customer service, but in my situation, what made their customer service exemplary was how I felt when I left — hopeful.

Servers chatted me up, made my kid laugh and moved swiftly between customers and kitchen. It was clear that the staff embodied what the owners call, “a team focused Bakery.” The weird thing is that I felt like I was on the team too.

It started when I became a regular. I know I wasn’t the only one but I felt like it and isn’t that part of the customer service game? If an employee saw me in line, they’d start my order. I would have a steamy soul filling mug in my hands before I even sat down. Servers and I would around basic topics like parenting, college, work and sometimes Covid-19. When I would leave, I believed my day could be be great, that Gen-Z had potential, and L.A. was not an urban wasteland.

I know it sounds like I am a “Stan,” for Lodge Bakery. The spot is currently one of a few favorite places I love in my neighborhood. Each place I love has engaged servers, delicious food, and smiles. I know that the pay is not enough, that customers can be mean, and the physical work can be grueling. So, I have a high level of appreciation when I feel nurtured during a meal.

Having a smile, knowing my order, and engaging in authentic dialogue is all it took to make me an intense fan. Because of great service I have been inspired to write this piece and to believe that customer service as more than getting an order right. Great service is nurturing. Great service makes my drip coffee taste like gold. Great service keeps me coming back.