The People Behind Cameron’s Always Smooth Coffee – Quality Assurance
Once again, we welcome you back to another installment in our series about the people who make “Always Smooth, Never Bitter” Cameron’s Coffee a reality. For those following along so far, we have met Bill, our lead coffee buyer; Patrick, our Roastmaster and certified Q-grader; Paige and Jose, two of our roasters; Tom, who trains our roasters; and Margarita, one of our packaging machine operators.
Today we sit down with Dora Vazquez and Sheila Franchuk from our Quality Department. They play a critical role in making sure every package of coffee that leaves our facility is worthy of carrying the Cameron’s brand and our “Always Smooth, Never Bitter” message.
“Without a quality product,” Sheila says, “we have no future. Our future as a company is dependent on how our customers experience our coffees.”
A very big part of their role is providing the information everyone involved in producing our coffee needs in order to do things right every time. Dora spends much of her time preparing and updating specifications and clear instructions regarding every step in the process. “By providing clear direction we give the operators what they need to do their jobs and make sure our coffee is the best possible,” Dora says. “That’s how we prevent problems before they happen.”
But mistakes happen occasionally, so they also do a lot of testing, constantly checking samples of roasted coffee and packages coming off the end of the packaging line. “But testing isn’t just about making sure we don’t let any bad product get out the door,” Sheila says. “It’s also about continuously improving our processes and getting everyone involved in it so they’re knowledgeable about their role in a great finished coffee product.”
But it all starts with our customers, both in consistently sharing what they love about Cameron’s Coffee, as well as telling us when something isn’t quite right. “We read what our customers say, good and bad, and learn from it,” Dora says. “We want them to be satisfied, and we also want to learn from any disappointments so that we get better.”
Dora and Sheila have been with Cameron’s for six years and nearly three years, respectively. It’s easy to see that they love what they do and why they do it. “I find everything about making great coffee to be fascinating,” Sheila explains. “But I also love the people here. It’s like family because everybody cares about each other. They have fun, but they also pay close attention to detail. They’re proud of their role in making quality coffee.”
“First of all,” Dora says in explaining why she loves working at Cameron’s Coffee, “I really love coffee!” She goes on, “Most of the people here have been here a long time. They take their jobs seriously. And they love being here. It’s like a second home.”
“Our role really boils down to getting everyone on the same page,” Sheila says. “When everyone knows exactly what to do and how to do it, the right things happen, and outstanding product is the result.”
“And then they’re excited about what they do and the results they achieve,” Dora adds. “It’s rewarding to know we’re helping our customers enjoy a really great cup of coffee each day. Always Smooth, Never Bitter is everything we do.”
