top of page
Search

Customer Service Scripts Every Microbakery Owner Needs | Episode 59

  • Feb 3, 2025
  • 7 min read

Updated: 3 days ago

Listen on Apple Podcasts


It is 6:45 on a bake day, the pickup window closed forty-five minutes ago, and one bag is still sitting on your porch with somebody's name on it. You are trying to decide whether to text them, and if you do, what on earth you are supposed to say.


Every one of these moments feels like it needs an original answer, invented on the spot, while you are tired. That is what makes customer service feel heavy. Almost none of these situations are new though. There are four or five of them, they repeat forever, and you can have the words ready before they happen.


Years ago I worked my first grown up desk job in customer service, taking calls from happy and unhappy people all day, and my boss had us read a little book called The Customer Service Survival Guide. I still pull it out. It comes down to the same thing every time: clear policies, a calm response, and a script you did not have to write in the moment.


Late pickups

This is the one that comes up most for me. My pickup window runs 11 to 6.


I keep these saved as templates in my texting platform, so all I do is change the name. I use Project Broadcast, which gives me a local number so customers are not texting my personal phone. Whatever you use, saving the templates is the part that matters.


When the window is still open but they are running late:


"Hi Susie, it is Caroline with the Bluebird Bread Co. Friendly reminder that your order is ready for pickup today before 7pm. The address is [address]. Thank you!"


When the window has closed:


"Hello Susie, it is Caroline with the Bluebird Bread Co. Friendly reminder that your order is ready for pickup. My pickup window is normally 11 to 6, but I can leave it out for you until 8 this evening."


I name the boundary and then the one exception I am willing to make. I go to bed early and we turn the porch lights off, so 8 is my real limit and I say so. Usually I get back an apology and a car in the driveway.


When they cannot come at all tonight:


"Hello Susie, it is Caroline with the Bluebird Bread Co. I have your order. I understand life gets crazy and things come up. I will hang onto it this evening and put it back out on the porch in the morning so you can grab it at your convenience."


When it becomes a pattern with the same person, get clearer without getting cold. Something like: "If these pickup windows really do not work for your schedule, come on out to the market instead. I am there on opposite Saturdays and that might fit you better." You are giving them a real alternative instead of agreeing to bend your policy every week without ever saying so.


If this happens often, write it into your policy so you are not renegotiating one text at a time. My order confirmations say pickup is 11 to 6, and that all unclaimed orders are forfeited and donated at the discretion of the Bluebird Bread Co. Putting that in writing cut down on the late pickups and the requests to grab it tomorrow.


Custom orders you do not offer

Requests for things that are not on your menu are flattering, and they will wreck an efficient bake day.


"I so appreciate you thinking of me for this. Right now I do not offer custom orders, because sticking to my set menu keeps my baking efficient and predictable. I do take flavor requests for future menus though, so tell me what you are craving!"


That acknowledges them warmly, holds the line, and leaves a door open. When someone suggests something interesting I really do add it to my list to experiment with, so it is not a brush-off.


If they want something outside your lane entirely, a decorated cake or specialty cookies, send them to the baker in your area who does that well. Those referrals build real relationships, and that baker sends people back to you for bread.


I have a whole episode on how to decide when a custom order is worth saying yes to: When to Say Yes (and No) to Custom Orders in Your Sourdough Microbakery Business | Episode 32.


Requests for a discount

This one comes up most in the early days and fades as you get comfortable saying no.


"I totally understand wanting the best deal possible. I put a lot of care into using high quality ingredients and into pricing fairly, and that price reflects the time and skill in every bake. I do not offer discounts, but I announce occasional specials to my text list if you would like to be first to hear about them."


You do not have to offer a special. You can simply explain your reasoning: this is made by hand, in small batches, not at grocery store scale, so it cannot be priced that way.


If you want to give something without lowering your price, build a loyalty or referral program instead. Ten percent off after a certain number of orders, or a free loaf when they send someone your way, or first dibs on new flavors for your VIP list. That rewards the people who keep showing up rather than the one person who asked.


When a customer is unhappy with what they got

This is the hard one, because they are talking about your baby.


A couple of weeks ago a customer texted me a photo and said, word for word: "Hello, I am super disappointed. My loaf of sourdough is totally burnt. The bottom is as hard as a rock and the two sides on top are burnt as well."


That did not feel good. I sat with it for a few minutes before answering, and I recommend you do the same, because the defensive reply writes itself. It would have been so easy to explain that the loaf is not burnt, it is dark, and that is the nature of traditional sourdough. Every word of that is true, and all it does is tell her she is wrong.


Here is what I sent instead:


"Hello, I am so sorry you are disappointed. That loaf did bake a bit darker than my breads usually do. I would be happy to offer a replacement for free at the next market day or my next pre-order. You might prefer my sandwich bread next time, since it is baked in a tin and has a softer crust than a rustic loaf like this one."


I added a code for ten percent off her next pre-order, and I told her that if she comes to the market she can pick her own loaf, because some bake a little lighter and some a little darker.


There were clues in her message that she does not buy sourdough often, so the sandwich bread suggestion was a real fit rather than a consolation prize. She wrote back that a loaf she was given at Christmas was lighter and she loved it, and I told her plainly that I aim for consistency but there is natural variation in a residential oven. She thanked me, and that was that.


If you want a shorter version to keep in your back pocket:


"I am so sorry to hear that your order did not meet your expectations. I always want my customers to love what they receive. Can you tell me a little more about what happened? I would love to make this right."


Ask for a photo if they have not sent one. Sometimes it shows a perfectly normal loaf seen by somebody used to grocery store bread, and sometimes it shows a genuine miss that got past you. You cannot tell which without looking. When it is a real quality problem, own it plainly: that did not meet my standards, I am sorry it slipped through, and I will make it right.


Think about the last time you complained to a business and got a genuinely gracious response. You probably told your friends about it. Complaints handled well create the most loyal customers you will ever have.


If you are one to three years in

At this stage you know what to say. The trouble is that these conversations still live in your head instead of in your business.


Build the bank. Write out your five most common situations with the exact wording you want, then load them into your texting platform as saved templates. Fifteen minutes now buys back a year of deciding on the fly.


Then move the recurring ones upstream into policy. If you have written the same late pickup apology four times, that belongs in your order confirmation, not in your thumbs. Every script you send twice is a policy you have not written yet.


When a brand new situation stumps you, hand it to ChatGPT. Describe what happened, ask for a few gracious ways to respond, then rewrite it so it sounds like you. It pulls you out of answering emotionally and into answering like the owner of the business.


Final thoughts

Customer service is a muscle. It gets easier the more you use it, and most of the discomfort comes from being asked to think clearly while you are tired and caught off guard.


So take that away. Write your scripts on a calm afternoon and put your policies in your order confirmation. Then when the text comes in at 6:45 on a bake day, you already know what you are going to say.


Cheering you on,


Caroline


Keep going

If you are building systems that protect your energy, start with these.


Links to things you might like!


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page