Good manners never cost anyone anything- not until a French café decided it should hike up its prices when customers come in rude and order their usual without a hint of politeness.
Petite Syrah café, which is located in Nice, just around the French Riviera, charges customers 7 euros ($9) for a regular coffee but if customers say "please", the price drops to 4.25 euros ($6). If they go the extra mile and ask for their coffee by saying "Good morning, a coffee, please," then the price falls to a whopping 1.4 euros ($2).
The rest of the world found out about the manners 101 when a local journalist posted a menu of the café, which caused a great stir in social media. The manager of Petite Syrah, however is more than delighted to have started it.
"It started as a joke because at lunchtime people would come in very stressed and were sometimes rude to us when they ordered a coffee," Mr Pepino tells The Local. "It's our way of saying 'keep calm and carry on'. I know people say that French service can be rude but it's also true that customers can be rude when they're busy," he continues.
Mr. Pepino and wife Renee started the café three years ago and he relays that he finds it funny that they've put in such hard work to keep Petite Syrah going and after all those years, what gave them a buzz was a few words scribbled on the blackboard.
The manager further relays that customers actually appreciate the gesture. While they come in stressed and worn out and are in dire need of coffee, they remember to keep calm and relax as they order. Mr. Pepino says that his regular customers are having a knack out of it, exaggerating their politeness, which is amusing.
The sign was put up last summer and former minister Christine Boutin dubs it as an 'excellent idea', which she told local papers.
"The world is too fast," Mr Pepino imparts "We are too stressed by this world. That's the same as how this Internet has reacted to this sign."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
