11.17.2006

change for the worse

it always sucks to hear a great partner has turned bitter. there are many reasons why a good partners sour. sometimes they just don't want to put the effort into their job. sometimes they're putting 110% in, but getting zero recognition for it. manager changes deeply affect each store, and nit-picking by higher management can make bux almost unbearable.

when i first started working for bux i'd heard about an assistant manager in the district who was known for always being upbeat, welcoming and fun to work with. when he was transferred to my bux i found everything that was said about him to be true. he was a blast to work with and always pulled his weight. customers loved him, partners loved him - and he really seemed to enjoy his job. it wasn't surprising at all when he was promoted to manager and given his own store.

a few months after settling in to his own bux i'd hear stories about his moodiness, which really surprised me because my experience with him had been so great. then rumors started flying around that his partners were looking to transfer because it just wasn't fun to go into work anymore. and just the other day a partner i know (who also used to work with him when he was an assistant manager) went to his store to drop off product only to be asked "why the hell did it take you so long?" by this manager. no "hello", "thanks for bringing this by" or "how's it going". only a grunt and a bad attitude to thank her for wasting her own gas.

it's no wonder his staff is ready to jump ship, and really - it's sad. the partner i remember working with apparently doesn't exist anymore. and if his moodiness and bitterness continues, it's clear he won't be with the company much longer.

shots happen at bux. and it sucks when things go wrong, but it still isn't an excuse to get growly with your partners and customers.

barista rant: my bux is a small bux. so when you're talking to the barista at bar - the register partner can still hear you. so don't be surprised if you get caught in a lie. as i handed you your drink today you informed me i had it all wrong. that you were supposed to get four extra shots, as well as soymilk and extra caramel. when i informed you that the cup markings did not indicate your drink was anything other than a latte, you put on a show and said the register partner must be an idiot because you told him five times exactly what you wanted. how stupid did you look when the register partner made a copy of your receipt and brought it over to me. once caught in your lie, you accepted your latte (as ordered!) and quietly made your exit.

10 comments:

Cup said...

That's too bad about your formerly cool partner. Wonder what happened?

Anonymous said...

Sometimes, change is definitely for the worse. To share my part, this is how my store manager marks her cups.

Vanilla bean frappuccino: VB
Green tea latte: GTL
Chocolate milk: CM
Extra foam: fm

She expects you to know it. WTF?

Just today there was also a non-English-speaking lady walking into Starbucks to order her drink by giving her cellphone to the barista on register and have the person on the phone order for her. After that, she took three to four minutes to get her money to pay, searching all over her purse. After she hands over her money and the register partner gives her the change, she goes berserk, claiming she had given the girl a $100 and demanded more change!

The SM counts the girl's till and finds no hundreds. The old lady remains firm that she had handed over a $100 bill. I don't remember what happened exactly, because I was occupied with loosening up the line that was forming, but the old lady ended up charging something to her credit card. Because the total was $10, she didn't have to sign anything. When she asked if she needed to sign something, the manager explained to her that it was unnecessary, but the lady didn't understand. So the manager said, "There's nothing to sign, but if you'd like, you could sign on this piece of paper." She presses out a sheet of blank receipt paper straight from the printer and hands it to the lady. The lady signed it. That was that.

I thought it was hilarious how my manager gave her a piece of blank receipt paper and told her to sign on that if she wanted to. My manager is so klutzy sometimes it's funny.

Anonymous said...

I think I know a barista who may be going bitter and looking to transfer, I would hate to see him leave my store but I want him happy. I wish I knew how to help him smile again :-) Maybe over my next Venti Black/White Peppermint Mocha I'll let him know that he can tell me what is going on

Anonymous said...

'When Good Partners Go Bad' is something I hate to see. It's nice to see I'm not the only one. And for the rant: Right on!

Anonymous said...

am a barista all the way from malaysia and love reading ur blog tho' being in msia we dont really get too much to rant about.which is good i guess :) but i was just wondering ( nothing to do with blog post), do you guys have something like a customer-coffee- passport over there? as in its the customer's own passport and they get their own stamps and stuff? would appreciate answer very much. thanks!

tangle said...

I was in bux this morning, listening to manager and barista scream at each other while making my drink ... something about following rules and who did and who didn't and who could tell who to do so ... reminded me of your "how to make a macchiato ... they must have changed the recipie" situation. LOVE YOUR BLOG. I used to sling coffee, and I'm a helpless addict now on the other side of the bar. Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

I'm always amazed by how well connected all your Buxes are to each other!

jay lassiter said...

i am a part-time NJ barista and reading your stuff rings sooooooo familiar to me.

amazing how much common ground there is between all of us!!! the stories are almost identical.

Ah, life in a green apron....
(i am working on my tea master, so i'll be a brown apron soon, but the tales still ring true!)

Tom said...

Sudden personality change like that can be more than just buxitis. Could be medical or mental or, you know, sometimes the meds just kind of stop working the way they used to.

barista brat said...

beth - i have a feeling his bitterness has to do with upper management and he's just taking it out on whoever is nearest to him.

anonymous - wow, that's annoying about the cup markings, but hilarious about the signature!

trisha - it's really sweet that you care about your fellow barista! hopefully he'll open up to you.

ryan d. - it's true, good partners going bad is heartbreaking.

anonymous - a looooong time ago there was a coffee passport for customers, and when they completed it they could turn it in for a free pound of coffee. as far as i know there hasn't been anything like that again. glad to hear you have cool customers!

maria - barista tantrums SUCK! thanks for the comment and hopefully your bux learns to love one another, haha!

benny - you have NO idea, haha! really, it's because no store is capable of ordering properly and we always have to transfer product back and forth.

jay lassiter - thanks for the comment! good luck with certification!

tom - true. if that is the case i hope he gets treated soon.