Would you pay nearly N1400 for a cup of coffee ?

Most Nigerians are not lovers of coffee like the French people. We prefer tea or a good chocolate drink to a cup of Nescafe. During my secretarial course at AFPA, I remember I was the only one who wasn't taking coffee on arrival, at every break, and after every lunch. Most Frenchies cannot start their day without a cup of coffee, you can imagine how important cofffee is to them.

At a particular cafe in France, that's how much a cup of coffee will cost you -- unless you say the magic words: "Hello" and "please." According to a sign posted in La Petite Syrah, the French cafe charges extra for rudeness.

A reporter for local newspaper Nice-Matin spotted the humorous sign and shared a photo of the various coffee prices on Twitter. A typical cup of coffee with a "Bonjour" and "S'il vous plaît" runs €1.40, but customers must fork over nearly €4.25 more if they skip the greeting, or about €7 more if they skip both.

La Petite Syrah manager Fabrice Pepino told France's The Local that the elevated prices started as a joke. Employees of the French cafe apparently noticed an increase of customers who were in a rush to get their caffeine fix during the lunchtime hours.

"I know people say that French service can be rude but it's also true that customers can be rude when they’re busy" Pepino told The Local.

The rude French waiter

After they posted the sign, the French cafe's clientele started to play along. However, Pepino said he's never had to enforce the rule.

While La Petite Syrah is not the first cafe to implement the idea, we give them credit for using a creative method to get customers to remember their manners. Culled