I was at “The Cup” cafe in Christchurch at the weekend trying to enjoy some brunch. I say ‘trying’ because they were piping in diabolical music from a surf-punk-alt-rock station called “The Edge.” We asked the waitress to change the music, but she said that their music server was down.

Seventy years ago she would have said that the pianist was ill.
Fifty years ago she would have said that wireless wasn’t working.
Twenty years ago she would have said that the record was stuck.
Five years ago she would have said that the CD jukebox was skipping.

Rather than drive customers away, they could have turned it to their advantage by ringing around and finding a sax player, a violinist – in fact any professional who could play an instrument without needing the space of a piano. Then when people asked why they had live music, they could say the server was down but they didn’t want to radio on.

It would have created positive conversations among their customers, not negative ones.