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Pet Peeves

(15 posts) (11 voices)

Started 8 months ago by twinArmageddons
Latest reply from EcoUnsure

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twinArmageddons

Member
Internets:620

What are your pet peeves, either with the customers, or with your fellow baristas?

I have a whole list of them, but my main ones mostly focus on the partners.

1. At my store, apparently it's become the new /trend/ to put any caramel pouches that still have caramel sauce still in them after you've filled all of the caramel bottles into a venti iced cup. I understand that you don't want to waste it, but every single time I find that damned up, there's a layer of caramel sauce that's leaked to the bottom of the cup, creating a sticky mess.

2. PULL THE **** DT STICKERS. A few partners usually just look at the sticker, and then start making the drink, and then another partner, IE me, pulls that sticker and starts to make it. Then when I put that drink down, I hear "Oh, I already made it" which leads me into an very lengthy dialogue about how pulling the sticker reduces confusion, waste, and all that. It truly makes me livid, especially on labor day weekend, because the DT was backed up because /someone/ didn't pull any of her stickers, leading me to make drinks that didn't need to be made.

3. I'm not sure if all stores have this, but in my store we have this rinsing fountain that is used to clean our pitchers. People just.. leave them on the rinse, with the mindset "I'll clean it when I'm done", no you're not. You never do.

4. Shortcuts. Some of them I understand, like multiple frappuccinos in one blender, not standard, but useful. Others.. like not wiping off the milk from the steam wand, especially if it's a soy drink annoys me.

5. COMMUNICATION. Everyone that works for the Bux knows that communication is key to success, but you have to verbally communicate it to your fellow barista. If you have a 13 minute wait time in DT, and you need help, don't wait until someone goes over to see your wait time to go "HOLY ****".

6. Listen to me! Do not, and I mean /do not/ decide that I need help on bar if I really do not need the help, and you have something else to focus on. If I say "Hey, can you clean your mess so I don't have to?" could you at least /try/? Just, over all, just.. listen to requests...

7. If you're near the oven and it goes off, stop being lazy, take the thing out of the oven, and at least try to put it in a bag. It takes 2 seconds. Don't just open it and walk away, wtf?

8. Empty whips. If a whip cream is empty.. do not put it back in the fridge, why would you do that?

Sorry, my little pet peeves led into rants, but these things really set me off. Especially today... horrible.

Posted 8 months ago #
Marble Macchiato

Moderator
Internets:811

OMG YES WITH THE EMPTYING OF THE WHIPS!
Not sure how many stores have this, but our three compartment sink empties out to a grease trap which will fail inspection if it has "solids" in it (and that includes whipped cream!). We are supposed to empty & rinse the whips in the CBS sink before bringing them back to get sanitized, but 99% of my partners don't do that. Health department violation aside, it's way easier to empty the whip behind the bar than it is when you're the dishwasher with really wet hands.

Posted 8 months ago #
AnnaBanana

Member
Internets:303

I hear you on the DT stickers. ULTIMATE PET PEEVE (also, bc I hate working DTR anyway, and REALLY hate it when other ppl mess up the drink order b/c of not pulling the stickers).

Posted 8 months ago #
notpikespeak

Member
Internets:285

If people aren't wiping the wands they're likely not blowing them out either. In that case, your wands probably have nasty, chunky, brown bits of milk way up inside of them. That's sick. I guarantee if you show them what's up there (let it soak in hot water and cafiza tablets and then stick an unfolded paper clip up the holes and pull it out) they will start wiping the wands and blowing them out. It is disgusting.

Posted 8 months ago #
twinArmageddons

Member
Internets:620

@notpikespeak You are right, they don't blow out the wands, however I have a SS that has a legit OCD about the steam wands and deep cleans them about twice per shift if she can. It's ridiculous, but it keeps the wands exceptionally clean.

God I hate laziness...

Posted 8 months ago #
Señor Cardgage

Moderator
Internets:1,047

I absolutely f'ng hate steaming pitchers and blending pitchers left on the rinser. Or when people just toss steaming pitchers, spoons, shakers, shaker tops, blender lids and the blenders themselves into our bar or CBS sinks. It takes mere seconds to rinse them and restage them. SECONDS. DO IT. And yes, whipped creams. Empty them out in a trash can. It takes SECONDS MERE SECONDS.

I think one of my biggest pet peeves though is if I scamper behind someone while they're ONREG and I catch a glimpse of the screen and, while I marked the cups that were called by one of us, I notice that there are absolutely no modifiers (except the upcharges) punched into the register. It drives me up the wall, because every. single. modifier. in Simphony adds, albeit it in a very very small way per drink, to our labor. It also helps keep our inventory in check and stifles the variances a bit.

This has been the most difficult behavior for me to instill in my partners because yes, you ring **** up faster if you're not punching in those modifiers (and I know you just want the herpaderp mouthbreathing at you to go away), but by my insane calculations, if everyone rang as I ring, we could have an extra 27.78 hours to play with a week. That's one extra set of hands, in a store that's incredibly understaffed for the business we do. It's a short term vs. big picture battle- it's far easier to punch it in and get the customer away from the POS as fast as possible, but it's technically costing us a whole partner. Also, it basically means the bar partner is doing all of that work for a HEAVILY discounted price on their labor.

Now, my math may be very wrong since how much each customization adds to labor is kept a closely guarded need-to-know secret, but that's just my guess. I did [our average daily sales divided by 4.50 (the number I pulled out of my **** for average drink price)] multiplied by with an average of 3 seconds (0.05) of labor per drink (lowballin'). Could be very wrong, but that's my guess. I'm sure they check to make sure no one is punching in 500 coffee refills or 500 ice waters.

So, kids, remember- if they say 'HERPADERP MAKE SHUR DEY STUR THAT MOCHAR' you **** better go to Custom > More Custom and hit Stirred.

[edited to fix my math lolo]

Posted 8 months ago #
Señor Cardgage

Moderator
Internets:1,047

Oh and if management tells you 'don't worry about punching in modifiers that don't upcharge,' don't listen to them. I don't quadruple blend some tart's quad 1/4th decaf SFH SFC 1% 4B LTWC XCR CRFL and begrudgingly doublecup it in a venti cup for free.

Custom > More Custom > Double Blended In a Venti Cup and Double-cupped.

..though, I forget if there's any sort of way to account for more than doubleblended..

Posted 8 months ago #
IGLtICEBanDCCF

Member
Internets:65

Particularly with partners: Put the milk and whips back in the fridge when you're done with them! They're cluttering up the bar AND getting warm and icky.

Posted 8 months ago #
AnnaBanana

Member
Internets:303

@Senor Cardgage

OMFG everything you wrote are my peeves, along with people leaving milk, whips, whatever just sitting out instead of putting them away IMMEDIATELY. SECONDS, people. The customer can wait 2 seconds while you make sure they are not getting spoiled drinks in the future.

Posted 8 months ago #
Señor Cardgage

Moderator
Internets:1,047

YES. TWO SECONDS! PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE

Admittedly, if I'm cranking out the work of three or four people, I'll sometimes leave milks and whips on the counter, but as soon as the horrorshow eases up on me, I go back to putting them away each time every time and only having them out of the fridge for a few seconds (to pour, or whip, or sob uncontrollably). Can't say I'm perfect, but I'm .. just .. one man. one very tired man.

Posted 8 months ago #
icedtoffeenutquad

Member
Internets:58

PARTNERS
1. The modifications bother me as well. I try and ring as much of it in as I can remember. It takes but five seconds and usually the customer is fishing around for their card at that point.
2. I have partners who don't know how to properly make whipped cream or something. I come in the morning, getting ready for rush to find out that one hasn't been charged and the other four have too much liquid in them, rendering all of them useless.
3. Partners who see me getting into my groove flying solo on bar with a line of drinks and decide that that is the perfect time to help out. Where were you five minutes ago?
4. Partners who forget to ring in waters or just hand the water to the person waiting in line so they will leave.

CUSTOMERS
1. Dropping your money/method of payment on my counter. Just hand it directly to me. My hands (or any other part of me) aren't diseased.
2. Mumbles
3. Reaching over my counter, grabbing something, and saying "Can I have this?"
4. Not tipping. I know this isn't required but I have done the math. With my store if the customers tipped a total of 5% of what we earn daily, our tip rate would be close to 2.50/hr. But instead we get measly change that barely gets us over a dollar.
5. NO ICE ICED DRINKS. "Can I get an iced soy chai but no ice?" and then they ask for a cup of ice on the side. I am the only partner in my store that stands up to them and pours the milk to where it should end before I add the ice. I have asked my manager if we can tell these customers no, but he has told me no, there is nothing we can do.
6. Splitting drinks. Ordering a venti latte and asking for two tall cups on the side. You aren't fooling anyone.

Posted 8 months ago #
letsmerry

Member
Internets:67

Partners:
1. Drive thru partners who hover over me while I'm making the drink that's out the window. Sorry I'm not fast enough for you- but do you see that I'm the only one on bar while there's a line in the lobby AND DT?

2. Partners who do not pay attention when taking drive thru calls. There is absolutely no reason (unless you're deaf... in which case you shouldn't be expediting anyway) why a customer should have to repeat, in plain English, "tall black coffee" five times. Stop thinking about Pretty Little Liars and painting your toenails and listen, for God's sake.

3. Partners who ask you to go out of your way to help them... when they don't need it. I'm all for helping out my coworkers. Even if I'm on a break and I hear the oven go off, I'll take care of it so the food doesn't burn. But if I'm on a break, do not bother me for help if you do not need it. If I'm taking a DT call and carrying a bucket of ice in one hand and the milk dolly in the other, do not bother me if it's something you can do yourself.
Case in point- I was on my ten, and the front reg partner, who had no line and was just going to stare off into space, handed me a piece of trash as I walked by and asked if I could throw it away. Really?

Customers:
1. Mumbling
2. Asking for a "little green thingy" or a sleeve for a cold beverage.
3. Customers who drop their money in the DT and then blame me and make me come out to pick it up for them, even though their money never even came near my hand before they let go.

There's a lot more, but my blood pressure is rising.

Posted 8 months ago #
zaneluke

Member
Internets:223

I hate people that do not let you finish talking before they cut you off verbally.

Posted 8 months ago #
smallsizeb

Member
Internets:132

Partners:
1) People who have "milk parties" on their bar. Meaning while they are on bar they find it necessary to have every. single. milk. out. It drives me up the wall because it makes their bar that much messier. like it takes two seconds to reach down and grab a milk from the fridge, dont be messy!

2) Partners who freak out during rushes. We have a couple partners who do that and its not okay. It slows us down that much more, and freaking out isn't gonna help anything. If you can't work in a fast pace environment, why are you working at our store???

3) Partners who use soy pitchers for dairy and dairy for soy. happens far too much because they are careless.

4) When someone takes the last mocha or the last iced coffee and LEAVES THE EMPTY BOX IN THE CUPBOARD! WHY JUST WHY?!?! or worse they dont say its the last one so in the middle of a rush were out of classic or mocha...

5) laziness and standing around. There is always something to do!

Customers:
me: hi welcome....
Customer: TALLL COFFEE FRAPPUCINO!!!!
me: -_________-

Posted 8 months ago #
EcoUnsure

Member
Internets:508

I hate when people throw their lattes at me. It really sucks when they do that.

Posted 8 months ago #

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