1.24.2007

fight the power

i didn't realize how much of a treat my store was in for when amorous newbie was transferred to us.

i should probably refer to her by a new name because she has been anything but loving. besides continually bickering with the talker, she's also managed to piss off quite a few customers.
oh.
and yesterday she argued with a cop.

the-newbie-formally-know-as-amorous has quite a short fuse. she's either suffering from chronic pms or she's just an outright bitch. the only time she cracks a smile is when she thinks it will help her get something she wants. like when she wanted me to cover the last half of her shift so that she could get a pedicure. or when a customer mentioned he was a photographer and she wanted him to shoot her headshots for free.
NFKAA also has a bizarre sense of entitlement. she's argued more than once with perky assistant manager about being on register ("i don't feel like talking to customers today") and she's also tried to pawn off her cleaning duties on the other newbies ("you're the low man on the totem pole since you're newer than me so you have to clean the bathroom"). NFKAA believes rules apply to everyone but her - which is why she argued with the cop.

i guess NFKAA was sick of having to leave her car at the employee section of the parking lot and decided she was deserving of a better space. well, since all the spots directly in front of bux where already occupied she parked in the closest space she could find - ignoring the painting of a stick figure in a wheelchair.

not ten minutes into her shift and a cop came into our store.
"anyone here own that white civic in the parking lot?" the cop asked the customers in the lobby.
"oh, it's mine." NFKAA smiled at the cop. "i'm gonna move it when a better space opens up."
"you need to move it now. you can't park in the disabled spot unless you have a placard." the cop told her sternly. i was disappointed that he wasn't writing up a ticket for her.
"it's not like anyone ever uses that spot," she said flippantly. "i'll move it in a few minutes."
"no, you're going to move it now or you're going to get a ticket."

we thought that was the end of it until we saw NFKAA still arguing with the cop outside after she'd moved her car.
how much you want to bet she'll park in the disabled spot again?

barista rant: if you can't be bothered to quit talking into your cell phone when ordering your latte, i can't be bothered to call it out repeatedly while you're still gabbing. i won't remake it either when you complain that it's not hot enough - since you waited until your call was over to pick it up. maybe you should stick to one task at a time.

19 comments:

OldSchoolD15 said...

Hey, cool blog, I got here through Lobster Boy. Drop by sometime!

Anonymous said...

Dang ... why didn't he ticket her? Here in So CA, even if you're willing to move an illegally parked car, you're going to get a very expensive ticket. Such a good learning experience.

Amy said...

please, i'm begging you... let me know if she parks there again and gets a ticket... it has been my experience that little bitches like this ALWAYS slide... whereas if i had tried something like parking in a handicap spot (which i wouldn't have done in the first place) my freaking car would have gone way past getting a ticket... i'd have shown back up just in time to wave bye-bye to the tow truck...

come on NFKAA make my DAY

Andrew said...

Haha, that sucks that she didn't get a ticket. It would've been almost nice to see her storming out after the cop, and maybe she'd get into even more trouble.

Anonymous said...

partner rant: sure I rolled my eyes when I checked the midshift coverage report... [what? did she really schedule me with the Sullen Tart and the Flighty One??!?] but I also tied my apron and clocked in all smiles and hello's, chatting up customers at the pastry case. I didn't even mind so much that she'd extended my shift two hours into my unavailability, it happens...

Flighty One (ASM): Oh, you're here... great! I have some paperwork to finish up! y'all call me if it gets busy, ok!

[exit Flighty One, sans headset]

Sullen Tart: I'm taking my lunch now.

[exit Sullen Tart with the carafe timer]

I remind myself that she's only 18 and somehow make it through the next 40 minutes juggling R1/Bar/DT pretty smoothly considering that my ASM is nowhere to be found (and where is the Sullen Tart anyway?? have you noticed she's not back yet??!? why doesn't she get written up for taking 20 minute tens and 45 minute lunches?) I'm making it mostly on my reputation as a solid barista at this point (thank heavens for my regulars. you helped me keep my sanity and tossed me mad tips to boot, I love you all!!!) I'm taking 3, making 3, apologizing to everyone for their wait today, barely keeping my head above water... and in walks my SM.

SM: Why are you on Bar?

[I look around... nope, it's still just me back here... ahem, me and one very angry SM with her hands on her hips.]

SM: You're supposed to be R1 today.

Me [continuing to steam milk, nodding toward exceedingly patient customers]: umm... if you could just take their money... I've got their cups...

SM [huffily]: Well, you're R1 today. You shouldn't be on Bar.

Me [starting to get my feelings hurt, prepping syrups now]: I know, but I don't know where Flighty One is and Sullen Tart is still on...

Sullen Tart [struggling to get her apron and headset on straight, smiling fake bright smile]: Hi, welcome to... sorry about your wait...

SM [stomping off, presumably to find the Flighty One]: I don't have a till today. You are on register. Not bar.

[Sullen Tart is sliding me 5 more heavily modified cups from DT, 3 of which I note constitute a certain 'problem child's' usual order of three venti no whip/no foam/spoon the freakin' bubbles off the top/1 non/1 soy/1 organic/23 splendas each white mochas.]

Me [stuttering]: ... uh...

SM [glaring at me over her shoulder]: Get on your register.

so I'm just supposed to leave these 8 drinks half-finished? everyone knows that Joy *not her real name, heh, just what I call her* gets pissy if she has to wait for those mochas... what's a barista to do? I cap and call the drinks that have been paid for, drop the two in drive, bring the rest of my orders to R1 to hand off as I till them out, and finish up Joy's order for drive as I greet even more customers coming in, taking their orders and prepping their cups and starting their milk to steam as they are walking around to the register, and....

SM [exploding behind me]: WHY??! AREYOUSTILL??!? ONBAR??!?!!?!

Me [calmly turning to face her, as I'm a bit miffed by now]: I don't know, SM. Why am I still on bar?

[SM jumps in to finish the drinks, Sullen Tart becomes Model Employee, the Flighty One appears out of nowhere, meanwhile my cavalry is clocking in... I mutter, to no one in particular, as I head to the back, "yeah, I'm taking a ten..."]

This kind of shit, my dear buxers, is why partners burn their aprons. I bust my ass doing three people's jobs and covering my SM's scheduling snafu only to get reprimanded for it? and in front of our customers, no less? no. be nice and say 'thank you, barista' or stfu and leave me tha hell alone with my bottle of dolce...

[barista rant, to the one customer who was snarky to me during all this: I do apologize that it's taken me a couple of extra minutes to turn over your latte today. you'll be late to class? oh, I hope not. yes, parking is horrible on campus. yes ma'am, I'm working on yours right now. what class are you heading to? oh, you're the professor? aahhhhhh.... well you need to get your ass to bux earlier than 12 minutes 'til next time, now dont'cha?]


Thank you, Brat, for letting me borrow your space for my rant!! luv your blog, babe.

~udpw~

Anonymous said...

Absolutely ridiculous. She should have gotten a ticket. Make sure to post if this happens! You're pro at keeping your cool. =) Kudos.

nameless college student said...

a friend referred me to this blog, and i must say it's a great read. :)

sorry to hear that NFKAA didn't get a ticket for that, people like that never learn... and she'll probably park in the spot again next time. hopefully she'll get hit with the book then, lol.

mellowlee said...

NFKAA is such a f-ing jerk!!! wow, the balls on her! I hope and pray she eventually gets a ticket heehee

Cup said...

Have you considered renaming her "wh*re"?

Anonymous said...

*sigh* I always wonder how these people get hired. I had to interview four times before I got hired but somehow these jerks can fake it for the interview and *bam!* they have a job! I'm dealing with some annoying coworkers right now but it's still not half as bad as this girl.

Anonymous said...

She is a NUG pure and simple. (New Useless Girl/Guy) They always appear to be helpful when first hired but quickly reveal their true colors. As far as the cell phone thang, the pizza joint near my house has a sign up that says, "Talk All You Want...Outside" and has a little 'Cell Phone Area' sign next to the dumpster. It's hilarious.

Erin said...

If I approach a table and the guests are on their phones, I turn around and walk away until they are done. I'm not wasting my time there!

Maybe you should take out NFKAA's knees with a crowbar- then she could use the handicap space legitimately! :)

Just joking. Don't actually do it, as tempting as it may be!

Anonymous said...

Wow. She argued with the cop about parking in a handicapped spot?!?

And no ticket?

what a selfish little b*tch.

I accidentally parked in one once (no sign, pavement markings almost gone, at night in the rain) and somehow only got a note of warning from the cop and still I was mortified that I'd parked in a handicap spot.

A friend of mine who does need a handicapped spot but somehow didn't have her rearview mirror permit hanger one time actually got towed.

Anonymous said...

we cell phone users are annoying, aren't we? guilty as charged! but i always pay attention when my drink comes up!

keep up the good work, brat! and i will keep stuffing $1's in your tip jar!

Anonymous said...

Wow, it's bad enough having to serve people who think the world owes them everything, but having to work with those people too is hell.

Natalie said...

to the San Diego barista,

I think hiring comepetent people is a difficult skill to master. Most people who interview potential employees don't really know what they're doing. They don't know what behaviors to look for and they are easily fooled by people like NFKAA and then don't recognize when a perfectly good candidate walks in the door.

Just think of all the stupid people you've had to work with in your life. Someone actually hired them!!

the Drunken Housewife said...

I hate people who think that rules apply only to the rest of us. If we all took that viewpoint, we'd live in an utter hellhole. However, hearing their self-absorbed exploits secondhand is a joy, so keep the stories coming!

I used to have a friend who had a friend like this NFKAA, a sociopathic chick, and I did my best to avoid the sociopathic friend-of-a-friend at all costs, but yet I loved to hear of her horrible doings. "So long as I don't see her, she enriches my life," I used to say. The last I'd heard of her, her daughter was expelled from preschool because the director could not deal with the mother any more.

Anonymous said...

If I argued with a cop, I'd be eating pavement. Then again, I'm not stupid enough to risk that.

Some cops will occasionally be in a generous mood, and will give folks a (brief) second chance rather than immediately writing out a ticket. That's fine, but if the same cop sees a civic parked in a handicapped spot again, I doubt he's gonna give any second chances. K

barista brat said...

oldschool36 - thanks! i will!

nana - i REALLY was hoping he'd give her a ticket. guess she caught him on a good day.

amy - it really does seem like her life is filled with situations where she should be punished, but gets off scott free instead.

andrew - i'm really curious as to what she thought she would gain by arguing with him.

upsidedownponyworld - your SM sounds like a complete nightmare. i hate managers that look at the deployment map, but don't take into account who's on the floor (and whether or not they can actually be bar 1 or not). hopefully he smartens up soon.

anonymous - haha, i will post a soon as she gets her come-uppance!

nameless college student - thanks for dropping by!

mellowlee - she's one of those girls who thinks her push-up bra will get her out of any bad situation. sad thing is: so far she's right!

beth - haha, i think that new name is right on the money.

san diego barista - what seems to happen in my district is all the stores need new partners at the same time - so they end up hiring anyone with good availability and not good work habits.

evangaline - i SO want to post a sign like that!

little miss - your method is genius. serves them right, too!

glassmeow - i know, i think the cop only let her off because she's a barista. i really hope he's not so nice to her the next time.

lizzie - only annoying when they don't listen out for their drinks, haha! thanks for the tips!

the pensive penguin - i count my lucky stars that i rarely work the same shifts as her.

natalie - it's true that it can be hard to hire good people just off the interviews. but sometimes i think desperation comes before making good choices when it comes to hiring people.

the drunken housewife - omg! how sad for that woman's kid!!!

kiz - i doubt he'll give her a second chance as well. and yes - most of us aren't so stupid as to argue with a cop.