Friday, April 8, 2011

My Starbucks Barista.....

Friday, April 8, 2011.....


Last night I met a girlfriend at Starbucks. We usually meet every couple of weeks at Starbucks, but it had been awhile since we last got together.

The last time we got together, a small snafu happened. My order was placed, but the guy making the drink didn't hear the order. After about 10 minutes, I asked where my drink was and he looked at me as if I had 2 heads. I said I had ordered a grande mocha and he said he didn't know and please don't snap at him. I laughed. I asked him why would I snap and he said a lot of people would. I explained if not getting my coffee order was going to set me off on a tirade then I had some serious issues (I wish not getting a coffee order was my biggest problem). However, I understood what he meant.

I live in an area where people are always in a rush, expect too much, forget to say thank you and are often condescending. We chatted a bit and he was a really nice guy.

Fast forward 6 weeks later.... I go into Starbucks and before I even get a chance to say: "Hi. How are you?" (in honor of my April experiment) he blurted out: "Where have you been"? It made me laugh to think he remembered me, but I guess it's rare to meet polite customers.

We chatted a bit while I waited for my friend and asked him about a new drink a caramel mocha latte (I thought that is what my sister in NJ told me it was great and how it cut the bitterness of the mocha drink)and the 2 baristas behind the counter thought I was crazy. I mentioned my sister is from New Jersey, and that sparked a very fun conversation (sorry, New Jersey). By this point my friend arrived and the barista, well, he told me the secret to cutting the bitterness from a mocha latte -- ask for 2 pumps of vanilla.

It pays to be nice to your barista. What am I saying? You should always be nice to anyone you come along -- it may just make their day and yours.

11 comments:

Brian Miller said...

be nice to every one but esp to your barista...cause they will hook you up! haha. nice.

Pearl said...

I agree entirely. I work a lot of pick-up weekend jobs (housecleaning, banquet serving) and am always astounded by rudeness.

On the flip side, the morons make the polite folk really stand out. You sound like I'd be happy to run back and see if I couldn't get a little extra something from the kitchen for you. :-)

Pearl

donnamarie said...

You have a barista of your own. Awesome. I am not a huge coffee drinker so Starbucks is not a big stop for me. I think I may just bring a laptop and sit in on some day to people watch. I wonder if I will encounter any "snappers"?

Spot said...

People are very rude in general these days. Even though the largest town close to us is not a huge city, people are still in a hurry and rude. I was pleasantly surprised by my trip to southern Alabama, they are genuinely nice and polite down there. My friend claims its "the lower the lattitude, the better the attitude".

♥Spot

Little Ms Blogger said...

Brian - LOL. I'm not a coffee drinker, but when I do go to Starbucks, I like my fake coffee.

Pearl - I think people have forgotten how to smile, say hi or thank you. I'm not sure why and it's sad.

Personally, I appreciate anyone who does something nice for me. I'm especially nice to waiters and waitresses b/c I've heard they spit in your food if difficult.

donnamarie - I rarely go to Starbucks, but it's a great place to catch up with my friends. I don't drink regular coffee - I like really fake stuff. :-)

DB said...

the new drink is a cocoa cappucino (I think you can order it hot or cold) - I screwed that up when I told you about it. It's less sickenly sweet than the mocha drink, I think.

ME said...

Thank you so much for the post. I am a bookseller at the local bookstore. As part of my job I have to backup the Cafe (Starbucks). You'd be surprised how awful people can be.

I've tried to explain that I am not an official Barista, but help in case of high traffic. They do snap. They usually tell me to get someone who knows what they're doing. Or my favorite, "Well how hard can it be to make coffee?". Have you heard of some of the ridiculous demands some people order? It is confusing to the untrained ear.

Kudos to the Baristas out there. They deserve it.

Little Ms Blogger said...

DB - I thought you told me it had caramel in it and that's probably why they looked puzzled and starting the mocking of NJ.

ME - I don't know how to make coffee even with a basic home coffee maker. In fact, I had some friends over for brunch today and my husband made the coffee for them.

Little Ms Blogger said...

Spot - I'm really surprised to hear people aren't as friendly as I imagine from your area. Personally, I'd be crankier if I lived in an area that is really hot.

Anonymous said...

Six weeks later and he remembered you.

Clearly you're unforgettable!

angelsroy33 said...

It never ceases to amaze me how rude people are now-a-days. I think everyone should be polite to everyone and NO ONE should ever 'talk down' to someone, and inevitably they do. THIS is why I dislike most people so much and have turned to only wanting to be around my furry friends. They love unconditionally, and I will FOREVER value them more than humans. Go get some good coffee and conversation!