today i covered a shift at a different bux.
now, i usually try to avoid working at other stores because a) i hate being in someone else's "kitchen" b) i hate having customers look me up and down, saying "oh, you must be new" and c) nine times out of ten i will be scheduled with their resident pariah.
how lucky that i experienced "a", "b" and "c" today!
because the store has a completely different layout from my own, i stayed on bar. that, of course, brought on it's own series of problems. regulars who were shocked/appalled at seeing a not-so familiar face would quiz me on drink recipes as i handed them their drinks.
"here's your grande nonfat caramel macchiato. thank you!"
"this is my caramel macchiato?" they would ask, pretending i didn't JUST call out their drink to them. "did you make sure to put nonfat milk in it?"
"yes, that's your nonfat caramel macchiato." i would repeat.
"and it has two shots of espresso in it?"
"yes, grande caramel macchiatos come with two shots."
"and you put the caramel drizzle on top?"
"yes, i put the caramel drizzle on top."
"and cinnamon powder?"
"uh, that drink doesn't get cinnamon powder." i tried my best not to sound snippy.
"yeah, i know. i was just testing you."
but the worst part of my shift was working with ms. over-explainer.
now, i thought i had it bad with the talker, but i now realize this store has it waaaaay worse.
"do you know how to work the espresso bar?" she asked me after i'd ALREADY been making drinks for an hour. "because some people don't really know. here - let me show you. this button you push for one shot of espresso. this button you push for two shots - "
"i know how to work bar." i told her and went to rinse a milk pitcher.
"oh, that's good that you rinse the pitchers because most people don't do that. i've told them over and over again that you have to rinse the pitchers but they don't. every single day there are people who don't rinse the pitchers and i tell the manager, but she doesn't really do anything about it."
at that point i just walked away from her and started making drinks again.
"you better make sure you fill the beans!" she pointed to the hopper that was still three-fourths filled. "because if you don't keep them filled you'll get a message on the bar that tells you to fill it and you won't be able to pull any shots until you fill it with beans. and then you won't be able to make drinks because you can't pull shots because there are no beans. so make sure you keep that hopper filled, ok? because if you don't you can't pull shots."
of course she didn't just over-explain bar procedure. she over-explained how to wash your hands, how to empty the trash, how to put pastries in bags, how to sweep, how to hand change back to customers and how to punch out for lunch.
i'm giving myself brownie points for not telling her to shut her trap. and i'm also making a pledge to never work at that bux again.
partner rant: it is not ok - at ANY time - to take someone's jacket without their permission and wear it while you smoke a cigarette outside. it doesn't matter that it's cold. it doesn't matter that you forgot to bring your own jacket. it doesn't matter that the other barista didn't rip you a new one when you pulled this stunt with her. don't. do. it. EVER!
17 comments:
You are an incredibly, incredibly patient person .... I would have started over-explaining to her about how silence is golden after the beans part.
Your blog really brightens up the day.. keep 'em coming!
Oh yes. The overexplainers of the world. I know them. I was born to one. Now when my mother asks me or my brother over to help put up a bookcase or re-pot some plants or be helpful in any other way we cheerfully answer yes on the condition that she GO OUT FOR COFFEE AND STAY THERE UNTIL WE ARE DONE. Having no choice, she complies. She doesn't even seem to mind. Who knows, maybe she's at your recent temporary bux, having an over-explaining fest with your new friend.
This is a conundrum. On the one hand it is annoying as hell but on the other, you come in as an unknown quantity. You could be highly competent or you could not be. They just dont know. And I am sure you will agree that the average shift is going to be a dance between the register, the bar and keeping the rest of the shop ship shape in bristol fashion.
Over time coworkers learn to dance or leave the environment.
Having said all that the annoying coworker really should have observed you and seen your competence rather then assuming you were a noob and needed training. She probably just finds power in that. The best you can do is be comfortable in your own abilities and do your job.
Cheers
Eric
I canNOT believe they took your coat! That is just outrageous - here are the first two things I thought -
1. I don't carry a purse - so I would have all manner of stuff in my pockets of my coat that I don't want the dummy touching....
2. [this is stupid I know] But what if you don't smoke? Did this person seriously think you wanted your coat to reek like cigarettes?
I find myself becoming less and less surprised by what people feel they are entitled to [there's that word again] Who in the world raised these kids?
Hugs for you!
You are waaaaaaay too kind. Patience is a virtue, and you're definitely virtuous. I think you deserve a medal for all the wackos you put up with. A badge that says Barista Brat is Numero Uno! and all mean people suck.
Randomly clicked in - love the blog! I sympathise about your overexplainer - i work with a guy who, when asked the time, tells you the history of switzerland. :)
Other than all the fodder for GREAT stories I don't know how you do it. But I'm glad you do. Although you could probably find great stories to write about anywhere you went.
Seriously - who borrows clothing without asking first!?
I had a house sitter do that once. Got home and wanted to wear my favorite sun dress. Looked high and low and thought I'd lost it in the laundry or some strange thing had happened to it. Turns out that the sitter borrowed it. To this day I have no idea how she wore it as she is MUCH larger than I am...
LMAO!..Over-explainers are the devil's minions.
They'll take an hour explaining how to pour piss out of a boot,when the directions are clearly printed on the heel..
My God, you have the patience of a SAINT! What a horrid shift. re; the smoker taking your jacket, I would have been upset too. A co-worker who smokes left her jacket hanging on the back of my chair the other day, and the smell almost made me ralph!
I come into your bux to escape those sort of people in my life! You poor thing- where do YOU go?
Is Bux some sort of franchised out-patient mental health clinic? I love this blog but I am terrified of entering a Bux!
next time you see her (if you ever do) over-explain the concept of playing in rush hour traffic... and... i'm sorry, but my obsessive compulsive arse would have come unhinged if somebody wore my jacket outside to SMOKE, i mean, in the name of mother hubbard? what is up with that?
e'gads.
:::sigh:::
Sometimes overexplaining can't be helped. If you were the only target of her explanations, I'm very sorry. If there were others who may have needed the instruction, that's a different story. I've taught chemistry labs in the past, and one thing I learned early is that you can never repeat the safety instructions too many times. Sure, 80% of the class got it the first time. Another 15% got it the second time. But that last 5%... they're just going to hurt somebody if you don't keep on it, and on it, and on it, and put it in other words, and rephrase it, and say it again, and explain exactly why it has to be that way, and explain it again. Sure, by this time the other 95% of the class wants to stab you in the eye, but hopefully you're setting a good example and wearing your safety glasses at that point. I'd rather have them hate me for my repetition than have another student taken away in an ambulance (it's happened before, it'll happen again, to me or to some other teacher, but I'm going to do my best to prevent it).
wow - thats just odd. Also, I was sure you were based in south florida for some reason or another. guess youre not cuz its been warm here for a few days.
(old post, new comment - sorry came to the party late!)
i disagree with anon above about over explaining, even for safety issues..
as a teacher, you're supposed to learn techniques that will help you check to see that your initial explanation was understood - and a secondary explanation should only come if it wasn't gotten the first time.
reminding people, and randomly checking/quizzing them on information is one thing; but you can remind people in a respectful way.
like this girl should have said:
'do you know why we fill the hoppers?'.
it would have saved time & breath and inspired confidence in the party being asked.
(can you see i teach the LC classes?)
:)
so yeah.
that's it for me for now...
until i find the next old post i wanna add too. :)
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