Read this: http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/nov/30/cup-of-values/
Gasp!! I know, right?!?!?! Now read this:
Dear Busy, Multi-tasking Grad Student,
On Monday, you shared with readers your troubling experience at Vic's coffee shop on campus. To your dismay, the barista refused to serve you until you were finished with your cell phone conversation, in accordance with a sign behind her. My response to your eloquent, yet slightly misguided, piece comes from the opposite side of the counter. Currently I work as a server at a local bar and restaurant, and before that, as a grocery store cashier for two years. I have had my share of "busy" customers on cell phones and have refused every single one of them service until they can look me in the eye, give me their full attention, and take care of business.
Now, don't get me wrong...I'm a student, too. I understand all about being busy and the necessity of multi-tasking--as you said, it's like a full time job. But did you ever stop to think that maybe we service workers are busy and multi-tasking at our jobs, too, and that your trying to have two conversations at once might throw us off our schedule? We are trying to provide you with the best and fastest service possible and in order to do that, we need to have a clear line of communication. If you're not ordering a straight cup of black coffee, the picky little extras and specifics you want get lost in between the " 'Hey Mom, oh my God, I'm soooo busy, let me tell you why' stories." So if you want complete, satisfactory service, you have to throw us a bone, too.
And beyond quality of service, its about human decency. I'm not going to lecture you on etiquette--because you've already stated pretty clearly that Emily Post is no friend of yours--but I am going to remind you that we're people, too. We stand around in that coffee shop, that restaurant, that grocery store, often for eight hours at a time, serving one "busy" patron after another and all we expect is a little respect. But honestly, if you don't even have the same level value system of us lowly cashiers, that's pretty sad.
And if you can afford half an hour to write an opinion piece for the newspaper, you can afford three minutes to have a polite, cell phone-free interaction with the barista.
So pour that in a cup and drink it...after you've hung up your cell phone first, of course.
Sincerely,
Busy, Multi-tasking Waitress
AKA a lovely girl on the other side of the counter
( http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2008/dec/04/pour-this-in-your-cup/ )
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
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