the funny things people say...
So I was working at the coffee shop, you know making various beverages and sort of recollecting several conversations I have had with customers over the years and I remembered one particular that needed expounding. I don't want to "over write" this so I will share one event in the hopes of inspiring you all to share yours.
On a particularly touristy day a new face popped into the cafe but this guy was unusually chatty. We're not known to be pretentious barista's who are too cool to morph into character so I engaged with him. When he finally read through the menu out loud he got to the "truffle Mocha" we make with a special ganache and celebrated that request to me almost in song...here's the weird part and maybe where my pride was a little hurt. He came back up to the bar to bestow a compliment, "Wow, this is the best mocha I have ever had! Must be a great machine." Confused, and again just a little hurt I smiled with a "thankyou?" I think back to that and there really is no right way to turn that compliment around. Do I say, "yeah and one good barista too". Does the machine deserve all the credit?
When you go into a great restaurant and the dish is prepared to perfection to you ask for the chef and say, "Wow, great food, you must have one great oven!" or when you mum makes a great pie do you compliment the apples?
I have to say I have never read a restaurant review that credits the equipment for making such innovative dishes.
please share yours,
Sarah
On a particularly touristy day a new face popped into the cafe but this guy was unusually chatty. We're not known to be pretentious barista's who are too cool to morph into character so I engaged with him. When he finally read through the menu out loud he got to the "truffle Mocha" we make with a special ganache and celebrated that request to me almost in song...here's the weird part and maybe where my pride was a little hurt. He came back up to the bar to bestow a compliment, "Wow, this is the best mocha I have ever had! Must be a great machine." Confused, and again just a little hurt I smiled with a "thankyou?" I think back to that and there really is no right way to turn that compliment around. Do I say, "yeah and one good barista too". Does the machine deserve all the credit?
When you go into a great restaurant and the dish is prepared to perfection to you ask for the chef and say, "Wow, great food, you must have one great oven!" or when you mum makes a great pie do you compliment the apples?
I have to say I have never read a restaurant review that credits the equipment for making such innovative dishes.
please share yours,
Sarah
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sarah Dooley on
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Seriously, someone just said that to me and I didn't know weather to laugh or not...
Jesse -D-> said:4) "just stick your finger in there, swirl it around a bit, sweeten it up for me."
---barf.
maybe you should have done it to see what happened?
In the word of comic book guy "worst pick up ever".
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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yeah, they call it macchiato because it's a latte macchiato.
it's vanilla, milk, foam, espresso (though most of the baristas just plop the espresso down the center without marking anything) and drizzle a crap-ton of caramel
it makes their customers look like idiots.
most Indie customers are rhodes scholars compared to the green apron customers. and rightfully so.
while working for them i got a request for a caramel macchiato with "enough caramel to kill a small child"
Mallory said:i went to a shop once... where they said a caramel macchiato was... shoot... it was caramel sauce at the bottom of the cup... add milk... top with thick capped foam... and then pour the shots down the middle of the foam.
that was the weirdest definition.
but in so much as every other place on earth ever--essentially a caramel latte.
Eric kk said:yeah for sure, that would be my definition
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Permalink Reply by Adrian Badger on
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I was in a chain store (not big green, but another one they own) last summer and requested a Macchiato. The very nice barista informed me that they don't make them like the well known caramel macchiatos, but that they make them traditionally. I asked what she meant by that and she replied: "we fill the cup about half way with foam, then 'mark' it with the shot of espresso." I said thank you, smiled, and ordered a cappuccino.
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January that was I laughed audibly in the cafe while reading what you wrote.
january vawter said:I luuurrrv the weird hand gestures that people make when ordering. It's usually the *$ mafia.
"Can I get 2 pumps of vanilla" [followed by a serious of frantic air pumping motions]
"Can I do a half-caf" [while tilting their hand and head at an angle like a confused poodle]
On a side note, I'm eves dropping on a conversation one of my customers is having with their girlfriend about why they hate organic coffee and why they never tip.
Le Sigh.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa on
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So, I just had two very interesting questions/comments. The first lady wanted to know if we brewed our own coffee. It took me a while to realize she was asking if we roasted our own coffee.
And, the kicker and all time high, "Can I have a medium cappucino with no foam?" Huh???????
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Permalink Reply by Billy Kangas on
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This thread is making me so sad....
My question is how do you maintain sanity, and a "non-arrogant customer friendly attitude" when this stuff happens...
Also I have gotten into a number of stupid arguments over the last few years when I go to a shop and they pull some of this stuff... I don't want to be "that guy" but it just flows out of me...
I think my worst side comes out when I see a Cafe doing a bad job....
HELP!
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Permalink Reply by Cedric on
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i used to make caramel macciatos like an upside down caramel latte. Now I get tired with it and tell them that caramel lattes from us is what you want. Tastes so much better and ALOT less sugar and calories.
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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on
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Don't be sad BIlly. You just have to laugh (somtimes on the inside), unless you see the opportunity to educate the person on the other side of your argument. Not just in cafe life but real life too. I always try to make a comment that is friendly but tells the person somthing theat they might not know, and if they respond in an interested way then you have your open door to share your opinion.
Billy Kangas said:This thread is making me so sad....
My question is how do you maintain sanity, and a "non-arrogant customer friendly attitude" when this stuff happens...
Also I have gotten into a number of stupid arguments over the last few years when I go to a shop and they pull some of this stuff... I don't want to be "that guy" but it just flows out of me...
I think my worst side comes out when I see a Cafe doing a bad job....
HELP!
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Permalink Reply by rothko on
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Chris/Dale said:
3.Though i did not witness it, one of my coworkers was nearly accosted by a little old man who was insistent that his latte have "two blues and a pink" before it was handed to him.
i had a regular who always asked for one blue and one pink in her latte. it was cute, though -- she knew it was a bit strange and would ask in this slightly embarassed tone at first until she was comfortable enough with me to joke about it.
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Permalink Reply by Kevin on
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"I would like a cappuccino" - The worst is when they actually say "can you make it like the one at the gas station?
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Permalink Reply by Bre on
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starbucks marketing team actually came up with this, specifically so that when people got used to drinking them, and would go to another shop ordering a mach, they would be sorely disappointed, and thinking the barista at that shop made it wrong, head back to bucks for the mach they thought was correct. really quite genius. same for their sizing word choices. and they also don't have their 8 oz drinks on the menu because they don't make as much money off of them, even though they are there best drinks.
Jesse -D-> said:are we to interpret that a starbucks "caramel machiatto" is a latte "marked" with caramel? I have been racking my brain and that is the on GOOD explanation I can come up with. Otherwise I guess it is just to fancy up the name caramel latte. Share your thoughts
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"Hey, I overheard, you are having trouble pulling shots today. Did you try, like, changing your tamp, like, tamping more?"
"What's an expresso? (i explain) "OH! I don't think I want that. Can I just get an americano without the water?"
"Can I get an extra dry rice milk cappuccino?"
People that are super disappointed when their double espresso does not take up 5 ounces, and look at you like you totally ripped them off.
oh, and as for iced drinks, we actually have it all listed separately, which i think is silly, and people still ask if we have iced drinks. it's under the title, iced drinks.
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