The 9 Struggles Every Coffee Shop Barista Has to Endure

Working in a coffee shop can have its highs and lows, like any job. There are customers you love and certain orders that you hate but it’s money in the bank after all.

 

However, sometimes being a barista can really test your limits.

 

 

1. Asking what size a customer would like their drink and getting the response of ‘normal’.

Yes, coffee shops tend to use different names for small medium large but the concept is still the same. Normal, however, is not a size so don’t sigh at me like I’m making this hard for you. PICK ONE.

 

 

2. Calling out a drink you’ve made, then three drinks later having a customer come up to you pointing at a drink and saying “is that mine?”

Believe it or not, random stranger, I don’t know if that drink is yours given that I don’t know your name nor do I know what you ordered. I also don’t know what is wrong with you.

 

 

3. Using the left hand side till throughout the entirety of their order, only to have the customer try and put their card in the right hand side machine.

I know you’ve not had your coffee yet but please try and function for just a few more seconds.

 

 

4. Having your mood crushed instantly as the singular customer at your till pulls out a list of 20 drinks for them and their colleagues.

5. Getting the response “we can still sit upstairs though right?” when telling people they can only have their drinks to take away as you’re shutting the store.

Yeah we like to just shut one side of the store and leave the rest open for people who have nothing better to do with their evening. LEAVE.

 

 

6. Having a customer approach your till whilst on the phone to someone and act like you’re unreasonable for attempting to take their order.

They say “Sorry about that” but are talking to the person on the phone. Oh.

 

 

7. Getting customers that take the wrong drinks and wonder how they managed it.

They have ordered a cold iced drink but somehow mistakenly picked up a boiling hot one instead and wondered off without noticing their mistake. Or taken one that says ‘Emily’ on the side of it despite them being a 40-odd year old man. They come back complaining their latte tastes funny when they’re clearly drinking a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top. You don’t need coffee, you need help.

 

 

8. Having change slammed down on the counter in front of you after they’ve counted it all out in their hand.

You’ve politely reached out to get their money as they’ve leant forward yet they still feel the need to slam it all down on the counter for you to pick back up coin by coin. Just take the moral high ground, smile and hand them their 5p change… by putting it on the counter.

 

 

9. People don’t understand the difference between a latte and a cappuccino.

Latte = espresso, lots of milk, some foam. Cappuccino = espresso, some milk, lots of foam. When you ask for a Cappuccino with less foam, you’re just ordering a latte. If you ask for a latte with extra foam, you want a Cappuccino.

 

Hang in there.

Sourced from thedailytouch.com