Good coffee. Better stories.
Practical coffee know-how, equipment notes, recipes and everyday stories from behind the bar.
Latest stories
10 publishedHow do you handle a handleless bag?
Different customers approach this task differently. Some pick up the bag from the top. Some grab the bag from the side, often squeezing the bag contents. Some will clutch the bag underneath.
Read article →Timewaster Walks Off Red Faced
One of the patterns you notice working in a customer-facing role is how some human behaviour is designed to slowly chisel away at you. This is an example of a rather insignificant interaction which just becomes too much when done en mass by members of the public, that don't know each other and haven't conspired together against you, but often feels like a group attack.
Read article →TooGoodToGo: what bakery items to avoid
Not only does this apply for TooGoodToGo bags, but I'd avoid all bakery items within the "best avoided" group for purchase in late afternoon and evenings, and only consider them in the mornings or midday.
Read article →Customer waited 5 minutes to pay
Picture the most standard of transactions with good interaction and communication between customer and barista, only for the customer to freeze and go unresponsive when asked for payment.
Read article →Too Good To Go Karen
Karen ordered a Too Good To Go bag. Tried to collect it when the unit was temporary closed for my break. Correctly didn't swipe in advance and cancelled the reservation. Yet decided to wait around to try to wing a free Too Good To Go bag. Had a full temper tantrum when I was unwilling to give her a free bag, after she declined the option to repurchase the last bag remaining.
Read article →Do you do cashback?
Someone coming in and asking if we do cashback.
Read article →Funny looks when swirling frappe pitcher with water and ice
This always gets me. Why is he filling the pitcher up with cold water and ice? Can he not just make my god damn frappe!?
Read article →Can... Trolls
I am good at determining who is ordering and who is window shopping, so although I am always ready and alert, I don't go out of my way to communicate with people I am pretty confident is just going to rudely walk off without responding having given eye contact and acknowledged an attempt to speak with them.
Read article →Stolen Bacon Roll... eventually returned
I just served a couple their coffees who were absolutely dumbfounded to witness an old guy rob a bacon roll from the fridge. 'Did he just take.. ?'
Read article →Adult rage swears due to no ice
How could someone be so well mannered, yet so vulgar immediately upon being politely informed with an apology about the ice machine being non-operational?
Read article →