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Permalink Reply by Sarah L on February 15, 2012 at 9:05pm

The small things like warming my ceramics on top

or keeping the portafilters in the machine, cleaning the steam wand after EACH USE and pitchers kept cold in the fridge are important to me, but not everyone at work follows

my methods... drives me insane.  Just cleaning up after pulling a shot, or steaming milk should be just plain habit, when I have a few people walk in and there are half full pitchers of milk on the counter top & portafilters still full of espresso it really kills some time that I have to chat with customers.  I work in a teeny-tiny coffee house, counter space is a major problem, somehow this must not bother my co-workers.

Laurence said:

I am the only barista that keeps mugs and tea glasses on top of the espresso machine at work. every one else puts them on a shelf. they don't practice cup warming. All our tea cup crack as hot water is poured in them. I never have that problem because the cups are on a hot surface. They also brush espresso ground from the counter into the floor drain. That drain always cloggs and I am the one who cleans it.

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Permalink Reply by Jason Campbell on February 16, 2012 at 7:49am

that seems to be the one question i flinch at....i have condiment bars on both sides of the pick up counter.....and my shop is only 400 square feet.....i point folks to both of them, but scratch my head at that question and laugh to myself a bit....

Mickael said:

another is when they ask where the condiment bar is..... its not like we hide it..... turn your head around..... its the little stupid things over time that get us

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Permalink Reply by Jason Campbell on February 16, 2012 at 7:57am

the bathroom hawks are my real pain in the tail.....i see it coming from across the room...the "i just need to use your bathroom" 

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Permalink Reply by Rebeccah Ruscetta on June 1, 2013 at 12:17pm

I had a customer plop their baby down on one of our tables and change his dirty diaper. To make it worse, they asked me to throw it away.

Thomas Ervin-Ward said:

Oh and breastfeeding. I dont need to hear about that while i am pouring a latte.

1. When customer's assume a small, local coffee shop would offer cash-back.

2. Vague orders. I had a customer order a small latte "but with less." "Less what? Milk? Espresso?" "I DONT KNOW, JUST LESS!" 

3. One word: regular. "I'll have a regular mocha." "Regular?" "Grande, soy, EXTRA chocolate, no whip & make it 120 degrees. Hell, lukewarm." "Oh, that regular"

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Permalink Reply by Danny Heiss on August 13, 2013 at 3:21am

When we call out orders (with first names) and someone else comes up and just hijacks it. Yea...thanks.

We have baskets for our food. And people throw them away...constantly. Why? We have a sign ON THE TRASH CAN that says, "Please don't throw away baskets". And yet...they're always being thrown away. 

When someone asks for a latte with "no foam". When people ask for a caramel white chocolate Cappu. I understand that ignorance is bliss. I usually make a wet cappu with flavor and make a recommendation on delivery for a different beverage. But still. It's more when my staff just makes it traditional with those flavors...and the customer is pissed because it's too bold.

This morning I made the wrong size of a mocha latte. I did the right thing and told her I would make another. This particular customer demanded that the beverage be at 120 degrees exactly...which I'm not sure why? It's difficult to focus on a nice texture if I'm wigging out about 120 degree's. I make her the second beverage and ask her for the other one. "Oh. I thought I could keep it! I drank it all." Yes. I was going to throw it out. But dang! I made that drink in 90 seconds and she KILLED that first latte.

When my smoking customers leave cigarette butts on my patio....AROUND my butt tower. Yea, thanks.

When customers use a stack of napkins to stabilize a table when all they need to do is adjust the legs. Or ask me to fix it. Petty? Napkins cost money too.

When customers snarl at me when I charge them for whipped cream that I make here in house. Or when I charge them for more flavor. Or when I charge them for chips. Or when I charge them for extra dressing. Or when I charge them for extra condiments. Or when I charge them 25 cents for a pickle spear that costs me 14 cents. If anyone can tell me where I can get this stuff for free.

When customers bring in a full meal from another restaurant, and eat it in my store. And use my internet and chairs and bathroom. And don't buy ANYTHING. And then they don't understand why I ask them to leave.

And best of all, when my customers continually tell us we have slow service because we don't have their food minutes after they order it. Average time is 6-10 minutes an order for food. We make everything to order, and everything is fresh. Who exactly are they comparing us too? If someone orders 4-8 specialty drinks, that also takes time if it's going to be done well.

No one complains about the quality. I love my customers. But it's going to a little while before they get used to how we do things. 

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Permalink Reply by James Perini on September 5, 2013 at 2:38am

1. Cell Phones, espessially when they just come up and ask for a latte without specifying size, sugar, here or to go ect and when you ask them they are so engrosed in their phone conversation that they ignore you and there are people waiting behind them

2. sunglasses indoors  

3. people who get to the counter and haven't decided what they want even though they have been in line for a while and have people behind them

4. people who just ask for coffee yeah its a cafe no shit you want coffee which coffee?

5. customer: "latte to have here"

me: "sure would you like small or large"

Customer: "medium"

me: *facepalm* 

 

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