10 Things Baristas Wish Customers Would Stop Doing
By Josh Ward
1. Talking on the Phone While Ordering
One of the rudest and demeaning things a customer can do is to carry on with a conversation while trying to complete their order. Sorry, sir, but would it kill you to treat your barista like a human being and order. Or, Miss, there is a line, and you only have one mouth, so use it to speak to us. We are not robots, and pointing to the menu usually results in you not getting what you want. Here’s the solution: Put the phone down. It’ll be easier and faster for everyone.
2. Getting Upset When Your Name is Misspelled
We understand that everyone wants things to be a certain way, especially when it comes to their name. But, please don’t get overly upset when Sarah, really should have been, Sara. Or if Jordan was supposed to be spelled as Jordon, Jordanne, Jorden, Jordin, Jordyn, Jourdyn, Jourden or any other combination. We really don’t mean it.
3. Leaving Pennies as Tips
One of the biggest frustration as baristas is when you leave the three cents you found in your cup holder and think that that is a viable tip. If the average cost of a drink is $3.63, then your tip could, should, and would be approximately $0.54.
We’re thankful for the pennies; Because every 100 is a dollar that goes to our gas tanks or college textbooks. Tips really make a difference in the life of a barista. Just because you might pay a higher cost for your daily coffee, it doesn’t mean baristas see that extra coin.
4. Being Demanding
You want a triple, iced, decaf, nonfat, 1 pump caramel, 1 pump toffee nut latte, light ice that’s shaken? Yea, that’s a real drink. And that’s no problem. It goes back to how you tell us. Please, treat us like normal people. Not some robotic machine that just spits out your drink like some sterile machine. We have feelings and can discern between a sense of entitlement and genuine manners.
5. Assuming We Will Remember Your Drink
This is a daily struggle for baristas. And we apologize in advance. As much as we’d love to remember your name, spouse’s name, your three kids and their kids, plus what kind of dog you have, it is nearly impossible. It’s hard enough to remember our name sometimes, let alone, the average 268 customers that we’ll see in an 8-hour shift.
We’ll most likely remember your face – that’s a start! Perhaps if you come in often enough, we will even remember that your name starts with a ’T’, and when that happens, you’ll understand our excitement.
6. Backseat Barista
We all have that friend that looks both ways for us when we’re driving -or who even has the nerve to point in the direction that we were planning on turning. It’s frustrating. No one likes a backseat driver. Same goes for coffeehouse personnel. Yes, your drink is decaf. Yes, that macchiato will be made with nonfat. How do we know this? Because it’s on your cup. And we make what is written on the cup.
Trust the system. And when we make it wrong, simply ask, be understanding, and let us remake it for you. Baristas will be more opt to happily help you when they don’t feel micromanaged.
7. Being Impatient During Rushes
This shouldn’t need any explanation. To keep it brief: when you see a line of cups and only one of us making them, understand that we have two hands. We will do our best to get your handcrafted beverage to you at a timely manner. In the mean time, be patient. Please, it make everyone’s day a little sweeter.
8. Getting Hit On Over the Counter
People might think that this is an organic, fun way to meet new people. And indeed it is refreshing to actually not have to keep swiping on an app to find someone. But when we are wearing apron, or have our name tag on, things turn professional.
Sometimes you will sit at the counter and hold up the line thinking that you are being cute by stalling. When really you are just holding up the line – that’s annoying. Hanging over the bar and making pointless conversation is hard to sometimes engage in. Because even if we wanted to flirt back, it would be inappropriate. However, you’ll known if we’re interested – we’re human – so when we’re on break or walking out the door, let’s talk. Then we don’t feel trapped behind a counter.
9. Pouring Coffee into the Garbage
You might think that this is not a huge problem. But that’s because you don’t take out the trash at the end of the night, and then get unwanted wet, stained feet in uncomfortable temperatures.
So, please, just stop.
10. Complaining
Are you seeing a tiny scarlet thread? We are. Customers who treat us like dirt might want to make us throw their beverages at them. Maybe we need anger management classes. Or maybe we need more courteous, friendly customers. Nothing makes work worse when you have that one person who wants to make everything a new ending of the world. We know you have bad days, but have you ever thought that we might have those too? And you might be the cause.