we have a rash of newbies in our store. normally one or two newbies at a time is manageable but we have four and that means unhappy customers and stressed out partners.
two of the newbies are typically overwhelmed, one of them is surprisingly adept (especially considering she is still in high school) and the other is on his way out.
seriously.
this guy has been in our store for only two weeks and already has rubbed almost all of us the wrong way.
the very first day i worked with him it was clear he was not a keeper. when he was supposed to be in the backroom finishing up the register training module, he was instead talking on his cell phone.
"are you on a break or something?" i asked.
"uh, no - just doing this boring register training thing." he answered without hanging up his phone.
"really? how far have you gotten?" i asked, still eyeing the phone against his head.
"i don't know, i can't really tell."
"hang up the phone," i told him, dumbfounded that he wasn't picking up on my not so subtle hints before. "you're not being paid to chat with your friends, ok?"
"well, no one was back here with me so i figured it was all right." was his sad attempt at an explanation.
not two days later he was caught text messaging when he should have been prepping coffee grounds and yesterday he was caught giving free drinks away to his friends. not only that he was a no show to one of his shifts last week and he still has no idea how to make a latte.
i'm sure he'll be fired soon if he doesn't quit on his own. i won't be sad to see him go, but it sucks that he's wasted our time.
barista rant: is it really necessary to spill sugar and milk all over the condiment bar when you customize your coffee? and if so, is it really so difficult to clean your mess afterwards? was the condiment bar filthy when you got there? no! so why do you feel entitled to "leave your mark" for the rest of the customers? don't be a piggie!
6 comments:
Don't you just love these kids BB? I swear we had one kid (22) who went out on a job and the client caught him peeing in the bushes on her front porch...and when I he got in trouble [by yours truly] he was angry and asked "What? Why, what did I do wrong?" Like YOU don't know? OMG! It's one of my favorite stories about our employees, he was such a doofus.
God, I remember that type from my bookstore days. And they're the ones who never understand why they're being "picked on." A**sholes.
Barista, please make another wish - that idiot is back trying to throw dirt in my face.
To save wasting your time, why don't you just text to him ?
"U R Fired"
Two questions:
1)Will Calamine lotion help with a newbie rash?...and
2)Are male partners called Baristas?...'Cause that would be creepy.
love yer blog!
skippymom - haha! that is insane! how does someone get to be 22 without ever learning that peeing on a client's front porch is a no-no?
beth - exactly! they like to play the victim but really they just terrorize everyone else with their stupidity.
lighterate - he just can't leave it alone, can he?
ben - that's perfect! i think bux should adopt that method.
bbakon - i have NO idea. i think most managers just pick people with the availability that suits them best. at least that's how it seems to be done at this bux.
sling - 1. unfortunately no, haha and 2. yep, men are baristas too! and i love your blog as well, i just can't comment on it! it always acts as if it's saved my comment but it never does. grrr!
benny - how could i not share that gem with you?!? i think you, me and beth should get matching lycra and re-enact the whole thing!
and on the application thing - yeah, i just don't know what goes through these managers heads when they interview. i've seen them pass over perfectly intelligent people because "i need only openers" or "they're over-qualified and i don't want them to leave in a few months when they find another job".
and i think miss moody who talks on the phone is so very underserving of tips. i love it when my customers tip, but you know what? i earn every red cent! don't feel guilted by her into tipping when she isn't doing anything tip worthy.
and perhaps a q&a would be fun!
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