I always like surprises at work. And today was no exception. Let me explain…
At Starbucks, I usually know what to anticipate while working the closing shift. It’s a nice ebb and flow of people who need an afternoon and evening treat to make their day a little brighter…or maybe they need a quaint place to use the WIFI to do some “work” on their computers…either way, it’s a good crowd of interesting people that make the café a fun place to work. But it’s usually not the biggest “tipping” crowd as these aren’t the kind of people that are exactly expecting exceptional service, they just want their drinks delicious and their service quick.
Well, we had a couple of random rushes due to some large orders from individuals (which always causes a back-up of drinks and a “slight” panic in the barista on duty…mainly because it causes the shift to jump over to the bar, literally, in my case as I like to “jump” while I am on the job…jump meaning wreck chaotic havoc on the bar supplies and create a mess…). So, the barista is hurrying away on drinks and thinking in her head, “Great. Kara is going to ‘hop’ over here and start messing with all the drinks…in order to offer her ‘help’” and true to form, I did! I tried NOT to meddle too much in the already busy barista’s order of precision, but I offered a couple random quotes about efficiency that I felt were adequate given the circumstances, some of which included, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” And “To be or not to be…that is the question that is never asked.”
Needless to say, the customers must have noticed the tornado that I was causing behind the bar on their behalf and when I came back over to the register area, I noticed that on both occasions of busy-ness, two very large bills had been left in our tip jar. And by very large, I mean, large enough to know that people were greatly rewarding our work! Or at least they were entertained by the scene we were creating to keep them distracted!
Now, while tips aren’t a HUGE thing (to make a living off of, I mean, as they are divied up between us all), they are a good indication of satisfied customers, and that’s the key at Starbucks…if people are happy, the “store” in general is a happy place to work! And it means that they received above and beyond service! I couldn’t have done good work without good co-workers and tonight, I had two of the more “fun” baristas with which to perform above and beyond service! It always makes for a good day to know that people were entertained and, maybe even, enlightened about what great customer service really entails!
Even though we did have one guy that wanted the music turned down…I just assume it’s because he wanted to better hear my singing that was going on behind the bar…as I do a great Louis Armstrong “What a Wonderful World” rendition complete with scratchy bass voice followed by, “Thanks and I will be here all week…”
On that note, I’m hitting the sack for the day...a couple large bills richer! haha.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
A game of chicken with a computer geek.
A few interesting things have happened since I last posted. I will try to be brief while recounting these instances; however, be patient, as I am greatly inspired after standing on my balcony inhaling the cool fall air. I stood out there tonight, pondering the arrival of autumn…I looked into the dark, September evening sky…the air was brisk in a way that only an author can appreciate, full of smells like damp dirt and the smokiness that cookouts bring, the aroma of barbequed sacrifices offered by hamburger devouring carnivores…
I love this time of year. I love to stand on my balcony and realize that I am living in the heart of one of America’s greatest cities, I am “in the mix” and living in an exciting time- a time amongst a generation of movers and shakers, when people have lofty ambitions and high goals of successes to change the world.
On a different note, a much less ambitious note- Last night, when the barista and I were trying to close the store, there was a lady that had been at Starbucks for about five hours using the wireless internet. She was on her computer in the corner. She had purchased a tall drip coffee and had been nursing that same coffee for the past five hours (which had to be slightly disgusting and cold at the point of store closing time).
I politely asked her to leave with about 1 minute left until 9pm…this is after having told her 30 minutes ago that we were closing in 35 minutes. She hadn’t budged a muscle…nor had she made any indication that she was closer to leaving than when she arrived 5 hours before. In fact, even after I told her she had a minute…she motioned with her hand that she had heard me, but STILL didn’t pick up her belongings or turn off her computer. Finally, right before I went to collect the outdoor furniture, I walked towards her table to pull up the blinds, I looked towards her computer screen. She was playing a GAME on her computer…some bejeweled game that I think I have seen my mother play, but I am not going to make any accusations, as I don’t want my mother categorized with this woman. Anyway, I become frustrated that she was holding ME up from cleaning tables, but I couldn’t really “kick” her out, so I once again, forcefully said, “Ma’am, we are CLOSED. I am picking up the furniture outside, then I locking the door. You need to leave as soon as possible…” (like five minutes ago).
As I was picking up the furniture, I kept glancing at the lady and then at the barista (who was also watching the lady) and then I would make eye contact at the barista and we would both laugh. This was CRAZY!! I mouthed, “She’s playing a GAME!” and then we laughed even harder. I was delirious at this point. And I couldn’t believe this lady was so enthralled with this game, she couldn’t even speak. I wanted to tell her, “Lady, you don’t WANT me to take off this apron and get REAL on you…because if the apron comes off, the beast comes out…” haha…not really, but that’s how I felt.
Finally, when I was done gathering furniture and about to lock the door, the lady had stood up at this point, but was still on her computer. I said, out loud, “This is getting a little ridiculous…ma’am, you can get the wireless if you park your car outside our store…” And, FINALLY, she offered, “Well, I can’t just SHUT it down…” and I wanted to say something about, “You could have shut it down 30 minutes ago!” but I didn’t, I just said, “Welp, I’ll hold the door open for you and you can walk out the door right about now…” and the barista was cracking up behind the bar while she was quickly trying to do all her cleaning duties. She didn’t want to miss this spectacle though…it was a stand-off and I was losing.
As the lady gathered her stuff into her arms…I stood in the doorway, holding the door, shaking my head. 9:15 and I was just locking the door so some 40 year old lady didn’t lose her standing in a bejeweled game…heaven forbid I have a life outside of Starbucks. Not that my life is incredibly EXCITING but seriously…a little respect for my time would be nice. Maybe I want to go home and play computer games. haha.
Today, I had a nice surprise…my parents stopped by the store and caught me in some good rush action. I was whipping out drinks (after a full day of working on the bar and getting in some good practice on our drink making routine!) and I had just enough time to make them two of our newest and most special drinks. There’s not a greater feeling than serving two of the people who have been gracious enough to give of their entire lives to make mine better. I try to always remember that when I am making drinks- serve every customer like I am serving my parents. And when I made those two drinks today, you better believe, I made Starbucks standards as proud as they could be- the whip cream couldn’t have been twirled better and the caramel was drizzled to perfection. What a nice treat to serve two of the coolest people I know- my parents! (and that comment reminds me of an SNL skit where a girl was at a high school dance and kept standing by her mom, who was the chaperone, and talking about how "cool" her mom was...she was the dorky kid...) Great. I'm the dorky kid. Now back to my computer games.
I love this time of year. I love to stand on my balcony and realize that I am living in the heart of one of America’s greatest cities, I am “in the mix” and living in an exciting time- a time amongst a generation of movers and shakers, when people have lofty ambitions and high goals of successes to change the world.
On a different note, a much less ambitious note- Last night, when the barista and I were trying to close the store, there was a lady that had been at Starbucks for about five hours using the wireless internet. She was on her computer in the corner. She had purchased a tall drip coffee and had been nursing that same coffee for the past five hours (which had to be slightly disgusting and cold at the point of store closing time).
I politely asked her to leave with about 1 minute left until 9pm…this is after having told her 30 minutes ago that we were closing in 35 minutes. She hadn’t budged a muscle…nor had she made any indication that she was closer to leaving than when she arrived 5 hours before. In fact, even after I told her she had a minute…she motioned with her hand that she had heard me, but STILL didn’t pick up her belongings or turn off her computer. Finally, right before I went to collect the outdoor furniture, I walked towards her table to pull up the blinds, I looked towards her computer screen. She was playing a GAME on her computer…some bejeweled game that I think I have seen my mother play, but I am not going to make any accusations, as I don’t want my mother categorized with this woman. Anyway, I become frustrated that she was holding ME up from cleaning tables, but I couldn’t really “kick” her out, so I once again, forcefully said, “Ma’am, we are CLOSED. I am picking up the furniture outside, then I locking the door. You need to leave as soon as possible…” (like five minutes ago).
As I was picking up the furniture, I kept glancing at the lady and then at the barista (who was also watching the lady) and then I would make eye contact at the barista and we would both laugh. This was CRAZY!! I mouthed, “She’s playing a GAME!” and then we laughed even harder. I was delirious at this point. And I couldn’t believe this lady was so enthralled with this game, she couldn’t even speak. I wanted to tell her, “Lady, you don’t WANT me to take off this apron and get REAL on you…because if the apron comes off, the beast comes out…” haha…not really, but that’s how I felt.
Finally, when I was done gathering furniture and about to lock the door, the lady had stood up at this point, but was still on her computer. I said, out loud, “This is getting a little ridiculous…ma’am, you can get the wireless if you park your car outside our store…” And, FINALLY, she offered, “Well, I can’t just SHUT it down…” and I wanted to say something about, “You could have shut it down 30 minutes ago!” but I didn’t, I just said, “Welp, I’ll hold the door open for you and you can walk out the door right about now…” and the barista was cracking up behind the bar while she was quickly trying to do all her cleaning duties. She didn’t want to miss this spectacle though…it was a stand-off and I was losing.
As the lady gathered her stuff into her arms…I stood in the doorway, holding the door, shaking my head. 9:15 and I was just locking the door so some 40 year old lady didn’t lose her standing in a bejeweled game…heaven forbid I have a life outside of Starbucks. Not that my life is incredibly EXCITING but seriously…a little respect for my time would be nice. Maybe I want to go home and play computer games. haha.
Today, I had a nice surprise…my parents stopped by the store and caught me in some good rush action. I was whipping out drinks (after a full day of working on the bar and getting in some good practice on our drink making routine!) and I had just enough time to make them two of our newest and most special drinks. There’s not a greater feeling than serving two of the people who have been gracious enough to give of their entire lives to make mine better. I try to always remember that when I am making drinks- serve every customer like I am serving my parents. And when I made those two drinks today, you better believe, I made Starbucks standards as proud as they could be- the whip cream couldn’t have been twirled better and the caramel was drizzled to perfection. What a nice treat to serve two of the coolest people I know- my parents! (and that comment reminds me of an SNL skit where a girl was at a high school dance and kept standing by her mom, who was the chaperone, and talking about how "cool" her mom was...she was the dorky kid...) Great. I'm the dorky kid. Now back to my computer games.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Spills Happen...
Not many people know that over 50 words exist in the English language as an equivalent for “walk.”
Saunter, stroll, barrel, swagger, totter, amble, and so on... In contrast, in Portugese, there are only 3 words for walk.
This is similar to the coffee phenomenon at Starbucks. For the most part, the available choices for coffee are: decaf and regular. Unleaded or leaded.
Not at Starbucks. The choices here are limitless…I think my dad told me once that he researched and found that over 7 million different combinations exist for drink choices at Starbucks. Okay, so I’m exaggerating, but I forgot the exact amount and I know it had a 7 in it.
The point is, a person can get a drink made with regular drip coffee, with espresso shots, decaf, extra-hot, with milk (2%, whole, soy, nonfat…), tea (green, black, or passion), blended….shaken…stirred or all three and served in a cup size bigger than the drink so that we can put in extra ice! It’s a wonder that someone can even make a decision when they walk, saunter, stroll, or RUN through the door!
I bring this up because in class the other night we were talking about words for “walk” and someone made that point about Portugese. I thought it must be overwhelming for people who don’t frequent Starbucks when they see the menu.
When we did the event at the assisted living center again yesterday, I was told by one of the ladies in attendance that my “cookies” were hard and cooked too long (they were biscotti, so hardness is a desirable feature)…and when I was telling the women about the pastry selection that we served, one of them said, “I thought you just served coffee…” and I really didn’t feel like going into the whole “7 millionish” combinations of drinks explanation with her, so I just said, “Yes, we do serve some other food…” and she said, holding up the “hard” biscotti cookie, “Well, tell them, don’t quit their day job, this food isn’t gonna make you famous…” Always good for a laugh, that place.
Saunter, stroll, barrel, swagger, totter, amble, and so on... In contrast, in Portugese, there are only 3 words for walk.
This is similar to the coffee phenomenon at Starbucks. For the most part, the available choices for coffee are: decaf and regular. Unleaded or leaded.
Not at Starbucks. The choices here are limitless…I think my dad told me once that he researched and found that over 7 million different combinations exist for drink choices at Starbucks. Okay, so I’m exaggerating, but I forgot the exact amount and I know it had a 7 in it.
The point is, a person can get a drink made with regular drip coffee, with espresso shots, decaf, extra-hot, with milk (2%, whole, soy, nonfat…), tea (green, black, or passion), blended….shaken…stirred or all three and served in a cup size bigger than the drink so that we can put in extra ice! It’s a wonder that someone can even make a decision when they walk, saunter, stroll, or RUN through the door!
I bring this up because in class the other night we were talking about words for “walk” and someone made that point about Portugese. I thought it must be overwhelming for people who don’t frequent Starbucks when they see the menu.
When we did the event at the assisted living center again yesterday, I was told by one of the ladies in attendance that my “cookies” were hard and cooked too long (they were biscotti, so hardness is a desirable feature)…and when I was telling the women about the pastry selection that we served, one of them said, “I thought you just served coffee…” and I really didn’t feel like going into the whole “7 millionish” combinations of drinks explanation with her, so I just said, “Yes, we do serve some other food…” and she said, holding up the “hard” biscotti cookie, “Well, tell them, don’t quit their day job, this food isn’t gonna make you famous…” Always good for a laugh, that place.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Moving Mountains with a Coffee Bean...
I’m a believer. A believer in miracles, that is. I know that God works small miracles every single day, I’m not a skeptic …just since Jesus left the Earth doesn’t mean that God doesn’t heal a wound, multiple a couple fish, or cause the blind to see anymore. We don’t always do a great job of celebrating His miracles, but they are there.
Today, for example, I had a small miracle occur. It was more a chance for me to slow down and remember that I don’t have to control everything, and asking for help is usually the best alternative when we feel a heavy burden.
I’m not being melodramatic, as a Starbucks rush is as good a place as any for a “writing on the wall” miracle, but I was healed today, at Starbucks. I was working register, and the barista was busting her tail, whipping out drinks during a rush (a rush constitutes four or more people in line as that is four or more drinks that have to be made by one person…since there were only two of us, that meant I was taking names aka money, and the barista was doing the drinks- steaming milk, espresso…and I was watching coffee brewer status, condiment bar, café area, pastry case, etc…). In other words, we were busy and I didn’t have time to much less think about anything outside of the present moment. Disaster struck…tiny disaster…I obtained a small scrape when I was cutting open a 5 lb bag of espresso beans and I inevitably started to bleed.
As per Starbucks- if we have a cut, we are supposed to gracefully “bow out” of our duties to take care of said injury (and we are required to wear not just a band-aid but plastic gloves which is akin to wearing a white t-shirt with a scarlet letter B for Blood on it…might as well be written in blood because who wants to give their money to someone with plastic GLOVES on their hand?? I mean a BANDAID is bad enough…basically screams GERMS!!! And someone making drinks with gloves on is not allowed because that is a fire hazard waiting to happen…as I am picturing plastic melting from the steam wands and having boiling milk and plastic all over myself and my pristine apron…)
So, I am contempla
ting this dire situation while the barista is slaving away…I take a very QUICK inventory of the situation in the back room and I pray, “God, I don’t need you to part the sea of coffee, but I need a quick healing of my finger…I need to not be bleeding and I need to REALLY not have a cut on my hand…I need Your Power to stop the blood flow in my body, not to the point I am dead, but just from flowing so fast to my extremities…because these Sunday church people will be incensed with the spirit that is NOT of You if they don’t have their coffee” (Okay, so my prayer wasn’t that long, but you get the gist…)
And when I walked to the front, I was blood free, a small band-aid had rescued the cut that was not even visible to the naked eye from harming any customers. I was healed…and coffee was served. Church was attended by all…and people were awake with the spirit of God…and caffeine.
This evening, I had the pleasure of watching an incredibly interesting show that consists of CEOs of major corporations (7Eleven, Hooters, etc…) to step down and join their “workers” undercover in the field… They basically monitor the everyday happenings of their companies from the bottom up. It was fascinating because they discovered some great (and not-so-great) facts about their usually hard-working employees. In one situation, a manager was later reprimanded for doing a horrible job with his morale in the store…in other situation a factory worker was given a promotion and money to buy a franchise. How cool is that to know that just by doing a good job, great dividends can transpire?
It makes me want to change everyone that comes through those doors at Starbucks. I know I have said that I try to make everyone feel special and I get especially frustrated when someone leaves unhappy or not completely satisfied with their experience. I know that not everyone comes in there to be welcomed or to even have to chat with the workers, but I feel like if I can pull something out of them that makes them smile or makes them appreciate their day or their situation (or plight) in life, then I have done a good job.
I know that I don’t have a lot to offer. I say this humbly, not self-consciously. I am very confident of my gifts and abilities only because I know what lies underneath the surface is a foundation built in Faith in God for small and big miracles and built in a good company and good co-workers. If I was working in a bitter environment, I would be probably become a bitter employee. But I work with employees that I would love to see blessed by a CEO with some big gift. I get teary eyed (much easily in my older age) as I think about lives being changed by the more fortunate. I work with a couple single moms…and to think that one day someone would come in and tell them- we are paying for your child’s college or we are buying you a new car or we are building you a house or we are giving you a check. It makes my heart explode with happiness for them. I work side by side with some of the most amazingly kind people.
Watching the CEOs get “down and dirty” tugged at my heart because they were seeing the small, mundane tasks that are done (for the most part) without grumbling by some of the most underappreciated people. It made me happy to be a part of a good team. A team that is blessed by the accolades of a lot of appreciative customers! Touché, baristas…touché.
Today, for example, I had a small miracle occur. It was more a chance for me to slow down and remember that I don’t have to control everything, and asking for help is usually the best alternative when we feel a heavy burden.
I’m not being melodramatic, as a Starbucks rush is as good a place as any for a “writing on the wall” miracle, but I was healed today, at Starbucks. I was working register, and the barista was busting her tail, whipping out drinks during a rush (a rush constitutes four or more people in line as that is four or more drinks that have to be made by one person…since there were only two of us, that meant I was taking names aka money, and the barista was doing the drinks- steaming milk, espresso…and I was watching coffee brewer status, condiment bar, café area, pastry case, etc…). In other words, we were busy and I didn’t have time to much less think about anything outside of the present moment. Disaster struck…tiny disaster…I obtained a small scrape when I was cutting open a 5 lb bag of espresso beans and I inevitably started to bleed.
As per Starbucks- if we have a cut, we are supposed to gracefully “bow out” of our duties to take care of said injury (and we are required to wear not just a band-aid but plastic gloves which is akin to wearing a white t-shirt with a scarlet letter B for Blood on it…might as well be written in blood because who wants to give their money to someone with plastic GLOVES on their hand?? I mean a BANDAID is bad enough…basically screams GERMS!!! And someone making drinks with gloves on is not allowed because that is a fire hazard waiting to happen…as I am picturing plastic melting from the steam wands and having boiling milk and plastic all over myself and my pristine apron…)
So, I am contempla
ting this dire situation while the barista is slaving away…I take a very QUICK inventory of the situation in the back room and I pray, “God, I don’t need you to part the sea of coffee, but I need a quick healing of my finger…I need to not be bleeding and I need to REALLY not have a cut on my hand…I need Your Power to stop the blood flow in my body, not to the point I am dead, but just from flowing so fast to my extremities…because these Sunday church people will be incensed with the spirit that is NOT of You if they don’t have their coffee” (Okay, so my prayer wasn’t that long, but you get the gist…)
And when I walked to the front, I was blood free, a small band-aid had rescued the cut that was not even visible to the naked eye from harming any customers. I was healed…and coffee was served. Church was attended by all…and people were awake with the spirit of God…and caffeine.
This evening, I had the pleasure of watching an incredibly interesting show that consists of CEOs of major corporations (7Eleven, Hooters, etc…) to step down and join their “workers” undercover in the field… They basically monitor the everyday happenings of their companies from the bottom up. It was fascinating because they discovered some great (and not-so-great) facts about their usually hard-working employees. In one situation, a manager was later reprimanded for doing a horrible job with his morale in the store…in other situation a factory worker was given a promotion and money to buy a franchise. How cool is that to know that just by doing a good job, great dividends can transpire?
It makes me want to change everyone that comes through those doors at Starbucks. I know I have said that I try to make everyone feel special and I get especially frustrated when someone leaves unhappy or not completely satisfied with their experience. I know that not everyone comes in there to be welcomed or to even have to chat with the workers, but I feel like if I can pull something out of them that makes them smile or makes them appreciate their day or their situation (or plight) in life, then I have done a good job.
I know that I don’t have a lot to offer. I say this humbly, not self-consciously. I am very confident of my gifts and abilities only because I know what lies underneath the surface is a foundation built in Faith in God for small and big miracles and built in a good company and good co-workers. If I was working in a bitter environment, I would be probably become a bitter employee. But I work with employees that I would love to see blessed by a CEO with some big gift. I get teary eyed (much easily in my older age) as I think about lives being changed by the more fortunate. I work with a couple single moms…and to think that one day someone would come in and tell them- we are paying for your child’s college or we are buying you a new car or we are building you a house or we are giving you a check. It makes my heart explode with happiness for them. I work side by side with some of the most amazingly kind people.
Watching the CEOs get “down and dirty” tugged at my heart because they were seeing the small, mundane tasks that are done (for the most part) without grumbling by some of the most underappreciated people. It made me happy to be a part of a good team. A team that is blessed by the accolades of a lot of appreciative customers! Touché, baristas…touché.
Monday, September 13, 2010
"Would you like that super-sized??"
Today was funny on every level. Not just “this job is fun” level but on “people are FUNNY” level.
I had a great “I don’t know what’s worse” conversation with two customers- driving while caffeinated or driving while NOT caffeinated. Unfortunately, the McDonald’s “I-got-burned” customer lawsuit ruined the “normalcy” of drinking a hot beverage in a car by throwing a not-so-private tantrum at her own idiocy (dropping hot coffee on her lap and burning herself). Now, it feels like a felony to drink coffee in a car with all the “alerts” and “cautions” and “at your own risk” warnings on the lids of these beverages. One would think they’re about to take a sip of liquid nitrogen…I’d venture to guess for most of our consumers the risk is worth the effort, as coffee sales are doing just fine. With the sleeve covers and splash sticks and all the precautions we take to protect the delicacy of human error, it’s a shock that people STILL get burned on a daily basis. I mean, are these people just THAT clumsy or is it God’s way of showing them that maybe they need to try our ICED beverages.
Seriously, WE baristas are the ones risking our life and limb by steaming the milk to Hades-like temperatures (with steam blowing on everything from our hands to our legs to our faces…) and handling the metal pieces that brew that hot coffee. Not to mention, the coffee that is passed to the customer is stored in a cardboard blend, wax-lined cup and wrapped in a sleeve that is double layer thick, yet I still encounter grown men who act like I am trying to hand them a small fireball if I forget to put on a sleeve. They jerk their hand away and I want to say, “it’s really not going to cause any permanent damage, princess…” (which would probably be a Starbucks lawsuit waiting to happen…so I just bite my tongue and put the coffee in a sleeve…nevermind that I’ve been holding the cup the WHOLE time WITHOUT a sleeve…)
Something that is making me laugh today every time I think of it: I had a guy come in, he was Indian. No matter how I knew he was Indian, just trust me that it’s akin to if someone had a conversation with me they would probably come to the (correct) assumption that I am American. Plus, I think we discussed that one of my roommates in college was Indian once when we were talking about the origin of his name… He is a TI guy…Texas Instruments…I have talked about our TI people in a previous blog for you newbies…
Anyway, he was looking up at the menu and taking his sweet time. I kind of wanted to encourage him to make a quick decision, so I suggested a drink that a guy had ordered just a few minutes earlier. I suggested an earl gray tea latte.
“It’s very good, especially with a little sweetener,” I said nicely to him.
He crinkled up his nose and made a gagging face by sticking his tongue out…
He said, incredulously, “Yuck…isn’t that like tea with milk?!?”
I stood there, dumbfounded for a second. Really? Correct me if I’m wrong, but your CULTURE (India) is the one that BIRTHED this drink, brought it to America??? Us Americans are relatively new to this divine creation! What’s your problem…identity crisis? I thought, maybe he needs a reminder…
“It’s like a chai…?” I offered. As though, surely he knew what a chai was! I mean, if he wanted to reject his Eastern culture, that’s fine, but come on! Throw me a bone here…it’s like India’s national drink! I don’t LOVE hamburgers, but I know what they ARE…and I certainly wouldn’t make gagging faces if someone in Burger King offered me one.
He ended up ordering a pumpkin spice latte with caramel syrup… Wow. “Gross,” I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut and just mumbled, “Great choice…”.
When he asked to have it double-cupped I just about fell over laughing.
“Sure, princess…”
I had a great “I don’t know what’s worse” conversation with two customers- driving while caffeinated or driving while NOT caffeinated. Unfortunately, the McDonald’s “I-got-burned” customer lawsuit ruined the “normalcy” of drinking a hot beverage in a car by throwing a not-so-private tantrum at her own idiocy (dropping hot coffee on her lap and burning herself). Now, it feels like a felony to drink coffee in a car with all the “alerts” and “cautions” and “at your own risk” warnings on the lids of these beverages. One would think they’re about to take a sip of liquid nitrogen…I’d venture to guess for most of our consumers the risk is worth the effort, as coffee sales are doing just fine. With the sleeve covers and splash sticks and all the precautions we take to protect the delicacy of human error, it’s a shock that people STILL get burned on a daily basis. I mean, are these people just THAT clumsy or is it God’s way of showing them that maybe they need to try our ICED beverages.
Seriously, WE baristas are the ones risking our life and limb by steaming the milk to Hades-like temperatures (with steam blowing on everything from our hands to our legs to our faces…) and handling the metal pieces that brew that hot coffee. Not to mention, the coffee that is passed to the customer is stored in a cardboard blend, wax-lined cup and wrapped in a sleeve that is double layer thick, yet I still encounter grown men who act like I am trying to hand them a small fireball if I forget to put on a sleeve. They jerk their hand away and I want to say, “it’s really not going to cause any permanent damage, princess…” (which would probably be a Starbucks lawsuit waiting to happen…so I just bite my tongue and put the coffee in a sleeve…nevermind that I’ve been holding the cup the WHOLE time WITHOUT a sleeve…)
Something that is making me laugh today every time I think of it: I had a guy come in, he was Indian. No matter how I knew he was Indian, just trust me that it’s akin to if someone had a conversation with me they would probably come to the (correct) assumption that I am American. Plus, I think we discussed that one of my roommates in college was Indian once when we were talking about the origin of his name… He is a TI guy…Texas Instruments…I have talked about our TI people in a previous blog for you newbies…
Anyway, he was looking up at the menu and taking his sweet time. I kind of wanted to encourage him to make a quick decision, so I suggested a drink that a guy had ordered just a few minutes earlier. I suggested an earl gray tea latte.
“It’s very good, especially with a little sweetener,” I said nicely to him.
He crinkled up his nose and made a gagging face by sticking his tongue out…
He said, incredulously, “Yuck…isn’t that like tea with milk?!?”
I stood there, dumbfounded for a second. Really? Correct me if I’m wrong, but your CULTURE (India) is the one that BIRTHED this drink, brought it to America??? Us Americans are relatively new to this divine creation! What’s your problem…identity crisis? I thought, maybe he needs a reminder…
“It’s like a chai…?” I offered. As though, surely he knew what a chai was! I mean, if he wanted to reject his Eastern culture, that’s fine, but come on! Throw me a bone here…it’s like India’s national drink! I don’t LOVE hamburgers, but I know what they ARE…and I certainly wouldn’t make gagging faces if someone in Burger King offered me one.
He ended up ordering a pumpkin spice latte with caramel syrup… Wow. “Gross,” I wanted to say, but I kept my mouth shut and just mumbled, “Great choice…”.
When he asked to have it double-cupped I just about fell over laughing.
“Sure, princess…”
Friday, September 10, 2010
Et tu, Brute?
Sometimes people can be really predictable…
Let me elaborate- Several of the baristas will claim to know a person’s drink simply by their ethnicity. Now, I don’t want to cause any HR issues, so I am going to steer clear of any stereotyping…but I will say that 3 out of 4 times, we are right when we “predict” their drinks (that’s 8 out 10 for you math majors, not a bad percentage)…haha!
It doesn’t hurt that 95% of our clientele prefers caramel frappuccinos…for good reason, those are the most delicious, decadent treats for which one can use $4. However, I think it goes even further than that… For example- people with kids will usually get the blended beverages or chocolate and vanilla milk…as kids aren’t “supposed” to have caffeine (and we DO have kids that break this rule, see previous posts for verification)…and ladies that wear a lot of jewelry (that come in around noonish) usually opt for the “skinny” beverages…men that have been at work all day (the afternoonish grab and go bunch) usually go for something “heavy” (aka- sweet) to tide them over during rush hour traffic…and workaholics that are on their phone or on their computer in the café (aka- dwellers) will ask for espresso drinks (extra shot of espresso, no room for cream)…
I am sometimes proved wrong when people come in and knock my socks off by ordering by the menu (heaven forbid!!)…but I always like the adventurous people that go for something “seasonal” as that is why we exist! To offer the “get-away” drinks that can’t be purchased anywhere but at the store that started this trend of pumpkin and toffee deliciousity (not a word, don’t google it….)…
Today, a man came in…he usually gets an Americano (a very straightforward drink, simple…) and he ordered a pumpkin spice latte… I asked if he was getting it for someone else…. He said, “nope” and didn’t elaborate… I was confused, but made the drink anyway. He picked it up…and took a sip. He shrugged and said, “I wanted to see what the fuss was about…” and then he asked for an Americano and I told him, “Don’t worry…it’s on us…did you not like the latte?” He said, “yeah, it’s great, but I want to take a nap now…” and I completely understood.
Sometimes people can be really unpredictable…
Let me elaborate- Several of the baristas will claim to know a person’s drink simply by their ethnicity. Now, I don’t want to cause any HR issues, so I am going to steer clear of any stereotyping…but I will say that 3 out of 4 times, we are right when we “predict” their drinks (that’s 8 out 10 for you math majors, not a bad percentage)…haha!
It doesn’t hurt that 95% of our clientele prefers caramel frappuccinos…for good reason, those are the most delicious, decadent treats for which one can use $4. However, I think it goes even further than that… For example- people with kids will usually get the blended beverages or chocolate and vanilla milk…as kids aren’t “supposed” to have caffeine (and we DO have kids that break this rule, see previous posts for verification)…and ladies that wear a lot of jewelry (that come in around noonish) usually opt for the “skinny” beverages…men that have been at work all day (the afternoonish grab and go bunch) usually go for something “heavy” (aka- sweet) to tide them over during rush hour traffic…and workaholics that are on their phone or on their computer in the café (aka- dwellers) will ask for espresso drinks (extra shot of espresso, no room for cream)…
I am sometimes proved wrong when people come in and knock my socks off by ordering by the menu (heaven forbid!!)…but I always like the adventurous people that go for something “seasonal” as that is why we exist! To offer the “get-away” drinks that can’t be purchased anywhere but at the store that started this trend of pumpkin and toffee deliciousity (not a word, don’t google it….)…
Today, a man came in…he usually gets an Americano (a very straightforward drink, simple…) and he ordered a pumpkin spice latte… I asked if he was getting it for someone else…. He said, “nope” and didn’t elaborate… I was confused, but made the drink anyway. He picked it up…and took a sip. He shrugged and said, “I wanted to see what the fuss was about…” and then he asked for an Americano and I told him, “Don’t worry…it’s on us…did you not like the latte?” He said, “yeah, it’s great, but I want to take a nap now…” and I completely understood.
Sometimes people can be really unpredictable…
Monday, September 6, 2010
Free Frappuccino Fridays!!!!
So, my idea for Free Frappuccino Fridays isn’t the best marketing plan for making money, but I’m convinced that alliteration can play a KEY role in getting people to believe that they are getting a good deal. For example, Triple Toffee Mocha Tuesday (where Starbucks could charge triple price for Toffee drinks on Tuesday) might work because people like “specials”… I guarantee everyone reading this has bought something on special, when, in fact, it’s not the “best deal” available. I have news- nothing in life is free. Everything comes at a price…even if it is advertised as free…something is going to be compromised or sacrificed for that “special.” So, if you hear about a special…know that you are being scammed, more than likely…unless of course, you are using a treat receipt from Starbucks, in which case, you are receiving a wonderful deal on a delicious drink. Trust me. I drink coffee, I know things.
Today and yesterday, the focus is kids. Screaming, yelling, “don’t talk to stranger” kids… I love it when a parent comes into Starbucks and is battle weary from their child…they are SO grateful for a couple minutes when we entertain the child, letting them have little cups of whipped cream with caramel swirls or a bite of a cookie…the look on the parent’s face is priceless…almost like they are ENJOYING their child again, proud of the little munchkin for being so in awe of a simple pleasure…oh, the bliss of ignorance, to be a child again with childlike simplicity!
Today’s story occurred when a little boy of about four had his neck tangled on the stretchy seatbelt-like cord that constructs the line formation for Starbucks. I was paying particularly close attention to him because I didn’t need a lawsuit on MY watch…much to my happiness, the mother was also watching him closely and said, “Get away from that noose…” (Pause here to inform reader, there was no such thing as a noose in our Starbucks and I was just as confused as you probably are by the use of the word “noose” by a mother to her toddler son…), “Get away from that noose before you get yourself killed…” (a flair for the dramatic, I guess..) to which the son replied, “Well, I’m just going to DIE anyway if I don’t get a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino soon!” I did a double take to see if that really had come out of the little boy’s mouth! The mom looked at me, looking at him, and said, “Yeah, I know…” (and I thought she would comment on the audacity and drama with which he made the statement) but instead, “Yeah, I know, he drinks a whole Venti by himself!” Who cares about the Venti, lady, this kid has issues…and I think it starts with the one holding the credit card! Haha!
On that subject…it is amazing to me, how many times in the last few days, I have witnessed kids under the age of 10, stand in the line, look up at the menu, and at the prompting of their parents, (“Come on…what do you want??”) order a coffee-based drink.
Now, don’t get me wrong…it keeps me in business…support the cause, start ‘em young and get ‘em hooked! But even I have my limit. Under 10? Ordering espresso drinks?? Not that I think it would do any harm (“it’ll stunt your growth!”)…but I can’t imagine being at home with a child who has been hopped up on caffeine.
The best part is when the mom or dad asks the child what THEY should order… “So, you’re going to have a pumpkin spice latte? What should I get?” or “Do you want to share a Venti White Mocha Frappuccino?” (two conversations of which I overheard…) and I mean, the parents are taking the advice of a child that is, obviously, mind altered by extraneous substances! Haha.
I mean, it’s one thing for a parent to take the advice of a toddler on something like a necktie or necklace. But to start asking your child what YOU should order?!? I can just imagine existing on a diet of Ringpops and bubblegum at the prompting of my five-year-old niece. Because if the kids had their way, parents, I can pretty much assure you, the sugar content in your diet would probably triple.
Hhhhmmm, maybe we need to rethink our marketing team target audience. Forget about alliteration- we need to just start making “Happy meal” type drinks with free little plastic toys aimed at making sure that kids are addicted and addicted hard to our product so that they will badger their parents to drink more Starbucks! Haha!
Today and yesterday, the focus is kids. Screaming, yelling, “don’t talk to stranger” kids… I love it when a parent comes into Starbucks and is battle weary from their child…they are SO grateful for a couple minutes when we entertain the child, letting them have little cups of whipped cream with caramel swirls or a bite of a cookie…the look on the parent’s face is priceless…almost like they are ENJOYING their child again, proud of the little munchkin for being so in awe of a simple pleasure…oh, the bliss of ignorance, to be a child again with childlike simplicity!
Today’s story occurred when a little boy of about four had his neck tangled on the stretchy seatbelt-like cord that constructs the line formation for Starbucks. I was paying particularly close attention to him because I didn’t need a lawsuit on MY watch…much to my happiness, the mother was also watching him closely and said, “Get away from that noose…” (Pause here to inform reader, there was no such thing as a noose in our Starbucks and I was just as confused as you probably are by the use of the word “noose” by a mother to her toddler son…), “Get away from that noose before you get yourself killed…” (a flair for the dramatic, I guess..) to which the son replied, “Well, I’m just going to DIE anyway if I don’t get a Vanilla Bean Frappuccino soon!” I did a double take to see if that really had come out of the little boy’s mouth! The mom looked at me, looking at him, and said, “Yeah, I know…” (and I thought she would comment on the audacity and drama with which he made the statement) but instead, “Yeah, I know, he drinks a whole Venti by himself!” Who cares about the Venti, lady, this kid has issues…and I think it starts with the one holding the credit card! Haha!
On that subject…it is amazing to me, how many times in the last few days, I have witnessed kids under the age of 10, stand in the line, look up at the menu, and at the prompting of their parents, (“Come on…what do you want??”) order a coffee-based drink.
Now, don’t get me wrong…it keeps me in business…support the cause, start ‘em young and get ‘em hooked! But even I have my limit. Under 10? Ordering espresso drinks?? Not that I think it would do any harm (“it’ll stunt your growth!”)…but I can’t imagine being at home with a child who has been hopped up on caffeine.
The best part is when the mom or dad asks the child what THEY should order… “So, you’re going to have a pumpkin spice latte? What should I get?” or “Do you want to share a Venti White Mocha Frappuccino?” (two conversations of which I overheard…) and I mean, the parents are taking the advice of a child that is, obviously, mind altered by extraneous substances! Haha.
I mean, it’s one thing for a parent to take the advice of a toddler on something like a necktie or necklace. But to start asking your child what YOU should order?!? I can just imagine existing on a diet of Ringpops and bubblegum at the prompting of my five-year-old niece. Because if the kids had their way, parents, I can pretty much assure you, the sugar content in your diet would probably triple.
Hhhhmmm, maybe we need to rethink our marketing team target audience. Forget about alliteration- we need to just start making “Happy meal” type drinks with free little plastic toys aimed at making sure that kids are addicted and addicted hard to our product so that they will badger their parents to drink more Starbucks! Haha!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
No bees were harmed in the making of this blog!
I’ve mentioned this before, so obviously, I’m trying to get a point across. I hate to sweep. I do think it is a necessary evil and I like the way swept floors look, but I hate doing it. I think it makes a nice punishment, and come to think of it, I remember, some of the times I was being punished during basketball practice in high school, instead of running, I faintly recall having to push that long broom up and down the court, as it teetered and tottered sideways, impossible with that dirty thing to really establish any kind of level of cleanliness. Basically it was a form of torture…and it worked, because I hate it to this day.
Also, Starbucks is beginning to spoil me as far as cleaning is going. For example, as far as sweeping, the dustpan is attached to a long handle, so that we don’t even have to bend down to pick up the dust and trash. I love that, and I want one for my house now. At home, I get all the dust into a neat, little pile, ready to be picked up, and I just stand there and stare at my short-handled, sorry-excuse-for-a-dustpan…and it’s like a game of chicken, me looking back and forth between the pile of dust and dustpan…a standoff…until I finally give in and bend over to pick it up. I hate losing, but I hate having dirty floors more!
The other thing Starbucks has is premixed water and soap, so that when we’re washing dishes, we just fill the sink with the water and the soap is already in it. It’s like that for the mop bucket, the sanitizer sink, and a lot of the other cleaning supplies. I decided it would be amazing if my shower was like that and all I had to do was push a little button to dispense shampoo, conditioner, or body wash in small increments into the spray of the water. Anyway, just an idea for another invention, for those of you keeping track, that’s three inventions so far in the process of my whole blog. Three inventions and two book ideas. I need to quit my day job and start patenting this stuff.
So, I had class the other night after work. It was amazing and interesting, and I can already tell it’s going to be a great semester. I’ll write more about that later.
The last couple days that I have worked, a problem has occurred. The presence of bees. I tried my best to think of them as fuzzy little pollenaters. I even tried remembering that little bee character that Tom Hanks voiced in the cartoon. But, try as I might, all I could picture was this swarm of stinging, angry, aggressive killers of Macaulay Culkin from My Girl. The bees are everywhere, around the trash cans, around the door, around the outdoor tables… And let me say something about bees- they aren’t one of those animals that your parents tell you, “They are more scared of you than you are of them…” Because these bees sure weren’t scared of me. These bees just attack harder when I swung my arms and legs wildly. I found what works best is to yell. I think the sound waves shake them up, because when I was screaming (as I was being mauled from every direction), they dissipated immediately. So, of course, I was left standing there, screaming at nothing with my arms and legs flailing…officially weird, and definitely not a great “welcome” sight for people walking up to come get coffee.
The funny part of this story is that when a guy noticed me doing this crazy dance screaming and yelling, he came over and started jumping around, too. Haha. I looked at him and said, “okay, funny guy, there WERE like 400 bees over here flying around…” (well, maybe not 400 but those 3 bees were flying really fast, so it looked like there were more…) and then another, older guy that was sitting at a nearby table said, “I remember once, a movie about a boy that was killed by bees because he was allergic…” and I told him, “You’re thinking of My Girl…” and the younger guy said, “That was a great soundtrack…” and I said, “yeah…” and we all stared off into space, remembering what a great soundtrack that was…until a bee landed on the arm of the younger guy and he started screaming like a girl…
Well, hopefully, on my days off, someone else takes care of the bees and I won’t have to deal with them when I get back. Alls well that ends well.
Also, Starbucks is beginning to spoil me as far as cleaning is going. For example, as far as sweeping, the dustpan is attached to a long handle, so that we don’t even have to bend down to pick up the dust and trash. I love that, and I want one for my house now. At home, I get all the dust into a neat, little pile, ready to be picked up, and I just stand there and stare at my short-handled, sorry-excuse-for-a-dustpan…and it’s like a game of chicken, me looking back and forth between the pile of dust and dustpan…a standoff…until I finally give in and bend over to pick it up. I hate losing, but I hate having dirty floors more!
The other thing Starbucks has is premixed water and soap, so that when we’re washing dishes, we just fill the sink with the water and the soap is already in it. It’s like that for the mop bucket, the sanitizer sink, and a lot of the other cleaning supplies. I decided it would be amazing if my shower was like that and all I had to do was push a little button to dispense shampoo, conditioner, or body wash in small increments into the spray of the water. Anyway, just an idea for another invention, for those of you keeping track, that’s three inventions so far in the process of my whole blog. Three inventions and two book ideas. I need to quit my day job and start patenting this stuff.
So, I had class the other night after work. It was amazing and interesting, and I can already tell it’s going to be a great semester. I’ll write more about that later.
The last couple days that I have worked, a problem has occurred. The presence of bees. I tried my best to think of them as fuzzy little pollenaters. I even tried remembering that little bee character that Tom Hanks voiced in the cartoon. But, try as I might, all I could picture was this swarm of stinging, angry, aggressive killers of Macaulay Culkin from My Girl. The bees are everywhere, around the trash cans, around the door, around the outdoor tables… And let me say something about bees- they aren’t one of those animals that your parents tell you, “They are more scared of you than you are of them…” Because these bees sure weren’t scared of me. These bees just attack harder when I swung my arms and legs wildly. I found what works best is to yell. I think the sound waves shake them up, because when I was screaming (as I was being mauled from every direction), they dissipated immediately. So, of course, I was left standing there, screaming at nothing with my arms and legs flailing…officially weird, and definitely not a great “welcome” sight for people walking up to come get coffee.
The funny part of this story is that when a guy noticed me doing this crazy dance screaming and yelling, he came over and started jumping around, too. Haha. I looked at him and said, “okay, funny guy, there WERE like 400 bees over here flying around…” (well, maybe not 400 but those 3 bees were flying really fast, so it looked like there were more…) and then another, older guy that was sitting at a nearby table said, “I remember once, a movie about a boy that was killed by bees because he was allergic…” and I told him, “You’re thinking of My Girl…” and the younger guy said, “That was a great soundtrack…” and I said, “yeah…” and we all stared off into space, remembering what a great soundtrack that was…until a bee landed on the arm of the younger guy and he started screaming like a girl…
Well, hopefully, on my days off, someone else takes care of the bees and I won’t have to deal with them when I get back. Alls well that ends well.
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