I would like to apologize to the Starbucks employee who had the bad luck to get me for a customer this morning. When I said "May I have a non fat latte, please", I wasn't even thinking about how taxing it is to be an urban hipster at a suburban Starbucks. So I totally understand why you had to glare at me like that. Then, when I added "Grande please", I wasn't even thinking about how already occupied your mind is with thoughts of, well, contempt for one, but also your own goatee and piercing management, or the beat poetry you may have been writing in your head at the time. My behaviour was simply beyond the pale when I added, "Not too much foam please", so mea culpa, and I see now why you had no choice but to sigh heavily when I presented you with my Starbucks card. How thoughtless was I to even buy one of those!
By that time I wasn't even thinking about you at all; I was just so obsessed with the idea that you may get some of your existential angst on my sweater (which, in my own defense, is a real bitch to get out of cashmere).
So, Mr. Barista, I am sorry. The next time I go into your store, I will not be so worried about getting myself a cup of coffee, and instead, I will, you know, show a little respect for the guy who has to interact with moms in velour track suits all day.
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21 comments:
From a former service industry manager (recently self-removed to start my own consulting biz)...customer service is dead! Any business that decides to put the customer first will win by a landslide. How many times a week do you have to start the conversation with a store clerk while they just stare at you?
Trish,
Thank you! Incidentally, I happened across one of those blogs that have the "mommy blogs are bad!" posts (I guess they are de rigeur for people looking for a lil' street cred) in which they said something about how moms are always saying how moms say "I love your blog" "No, I love yours more!", so since I am a mom, lemme just make their point for them and say "I love your blog!". I really do, btw. You made me laugh out loud, which is not something I do that much while I am reading weblogs.
Thank you for the kind comment, you "rawk"!
Jack,
So, so, so very true. Thanks for the comment!
I can relate to the Starbucks post. I moaned about foam in an old post on my blog.
Velour track suit, my butt's too big for those. Green.
They have Starbucks here in Japan. Imagine trying to order a grande non-fat latte with no foam and an extra shot to some poor Japanese kid that can hardly understand you! Starbucks uses English menus or at least the coffee names are spelled in Katakana, the alphabet used to sound out foreign words so when I order I have to make it sound like, "Gulande non-fato latte, no foam to (sounds like toe and means 'and') ekusutula shoto." Half of the time they look at me like I'm crazy but amazingly enough they get it right every time! Even when I come in and rattle 6 orders off at once! :)
Lynne a.k.a. American In Japan
Trish,
Thank you very much!
SJ,
Well, mine's too big for a velour track suit too, doesn't stop me from wearing them though! Kidding--I actually don't. I am off to check out your post about Starbucks now! Thanks for the comment
Trisha,
You really do rawk, sister. Thank you
Jenny,
haha I will take that tip, thanks! Actually my post was intended to be humourous...guess that doesn't always come across. C'est la vie.
Lynne,
That sounds kinda cool actually. All things considered, it's very impressive that they do always get your order right. Thanks for commenting.
Did you complain? Why didn't you complain? If I'd been with you I'd have complained. But then I'm a complainer see. Apparently I expect far too much from service assistants these days!
Were you really wearing a velour tracksuit? Like a J-Lo one?
I probably would have made a rude comment about a butt piercing and how it must be affecting his customer service... that is just me though politely rude to the core. Ive been enjoying your blog and i'm not just a mama luvs all blogs kinda gal.
Ms. Mac,
No, I did not complain; I just do that here! And I swear on my life I was not wearing a velour track suit; I do not even own one. There are a few moms at that particular Starbucks who do wear them though (our local Costco got in a big shipment!) Thanks for your comment!
Hi Fidget,
My first reaction was "haha butt piercing!" then my second one was "ewww butt piercing!" Maybe he has one..gah. And thank you for your kind comment.
Hey! Thanks for stopping by my humble blog.
On a related note, I went to Starbucks like 2 times in my life, and on the second I discovered that the fuckers discontinued my beloved Coconut Syrup. Meh.
The nerve! lol
Chana
www.bunnyburrow.com
pre-caffeine bitch-titude towards attitude. i can relate.
sarah
http://www.tabulas.com/~shireen
I always keep a little spittle spritzer handy for such occasions, and people like you get an extra huge have-a-nice-day smile with your saliva.
have a nice day.
Really, I don't think you would spit in my coffee, (and that is really the point of the story) because I was standing there, being very Canadian, sheepishly smiling and nodding and being polite to someone who was being rude to me. And instead of saying something about it to him directly, I chose the more passive aggressive route (something you, my friend, with the spittle bottle and the anonymous comments might know about) and complained about it behind his back in my anonymous weblog.
It's intended to be a funny story, not to validate the two current cultural mom archetypes of "insipid" or "bitch".
Well just for the record if anyone of you "comes to FLorida, U.S.A." make sure you buy your groceries at "Publix"...I guarantee you will be impressed with their Service Assitants or as we call them here in America, Cashiers...and by the way I thought it was suppose to be comical.
Hi Gloria,
If I ever do get to Florida, USA, I will be sure to stop by the Publix and check out the excellent service there. Thanks for the tip. As for the "comical" aspect; I write about things that are funny to me, but I guess everyone has their own opinions on what is funny and what isn't. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Hi Chickflick,
I have nothing against velour track suits! I put the line in the post in an ironic way, so in truth, I meant I don't think it's hard to deal with moms in velour tracksuits; I think, on the whole, moms in velour track suits are a very pleasant group of people. Thanks for the comment about my blog; I am off to check out yours.
Well if you're a bitch for thinking that you can walk into a Starbucks, spend YOUR money and actually be treated like a human being, then I'm a bitch too. Power to us bitches. You go girl.
Melinda,
gah! Sorry, I didn't see your comment until now....yes, thank you, you are right. But the funny thing is, I wasn't a bitch. I said "Hi, (smiling) may I have a nonfat latte, please?" "Oh, and not too much foam please" handed him my starbucks card and said thank you when he returned it. The entire transaction, at least on my part, was attitude free.
Thank you so much for your comment!
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