3 Things Baristas, Don't Want to Discuss & 9 Brighter Topics of Conversation:

When I'm on the clock, it's all about the job. Who I am, what I think and believe,has to fall away. I need to provide a premiere experience for my guest. Of course, there are topics my guests should know are off limits. These things include:

1. Saying hateful things about other races, religions, or sexual identities. I'll try not to be a jerk, but silence is tacit agreement.

2. Trying to convert me to another faith. There is literally no polite way to tell someone “No”. Even if I personally appreciated the injection of faith into my work day, I'm responsible for other employees who may be uncomfortable with this.

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3. Trying to sell makeup, jewelry, or any direct sales item to me or my co-workers. Why are you pressuring someone who has to be nice to you to buy something they probably can’t afford?

Friendly reminder: please avoid the above three subjects with hospitality, food service, and retail staff.

Now you know, we don't want to hear about controversial subjects particularly when our jobs prohibit us from contributing to the conversation. Some suggestions I have when you want to make conversation with your serving staff:

1. Keep it light and breezy with some smooth weather conversation.

2. Talk about you. I like hearing about your kids/grand kids/ nephews or nieces /pets. I like hearing you have a promotion or that your friend is visiting .

3. Tell me about a trip you took. This is especially popular if you did something on a thrifty budget I might be able to mimic.

4. Tell me about your new diet, sugar substitute, milk substitute, or update me on how your pursuit of gluten free is going. Personally, I know a lot about healthy eating and different dieting techniques, but more generally, service people are always running into special diets and allergies. Most of us are interested in hearing more about why we're making drinks a special way. If it's a diet we want to know if it was effective. Hearing about your allergies or struggles can help us deliver a safer allergy free food to you.

5. Talk about a food or product you like. I'm in retail/food service. Stuff like that is kind of my wheel house.

6. Tell me about a book, movie, or TV show. We're all watching popular media, chances are good I've seen it or heard of it. Even if I don't know it, you might be introducing me to something new I could be enjoying.

7. Tell me about something local that's going on. There's always a farmer's market, fair, play, or some other local flavor I'd like to know more about.

8. Feel free to talk about your holiday plans. This is a way to positively share your faith and include us in a way that doesn't pressure us to make any statements about our faith. We all want to hear about a fun party! Graduations, weddings, and birthday parties are fun celebrations we also like hearing about.

9. Give us a complement. I love recommending my hair stylist (Cost Cutters all the way!), telling you where I got my $1.50 eyeliner, or how I like my brand of khaki pants. My one caveat is to be careful NOT to slide into hitting on us. Personally, I've never enjoyed this kind of attention, though the jury is out on whether this is generally welcome in the industry.

Finally, please look for your best opportunity to speak with us. There's quite a few regulars I enjoy talking to, but no matter how curious I am about their trip to Alaska or how long it's been since I've seen them, I'm way too stressed/busy to chat with them if there is a line. When traffic is heavy please refrain from starting a conversation with us. If you're enjoying a chat but new guests arrive: please understand if we have to cut you short. It's not you, it's the job.

Join the Conversation:

-Has someone ever said something inappropriate to you while you were working and what did you do?

-Are there any places you visit regularly to say “Hi” to the team? What did they do that created that feeling of connection for you?

-Did I miss another fun light topic you like to bring up with service workers?

Enjoy this post and want to read more like it?  Try: The Dumbest Question You Could Ask Your Barista

The Dumbest Question You Could Ask Your Barista

If you've ever asked a barista, waiter, bartender, or cashier if they “like their job”, you may be stressing your server out for no real reason. Exactly how do you want your service person to answer the question and what do you really want to know

“Yes” is probably a lie. I've never met someone who's fulfilled by working the bottom tier service industry. In a roundabout way the job might make them happy. It might provide the schedule to do something creative/educational in the background. Maybe, it’s an opportunity to make connections that they are hoping to leverage into a better career or a better living space.

“No” is a whole other dangerous can of worms. What if your boss overhears you? It sounds dumb. The boss shouldn't care if you're happy so long as you do your job, but they care. Every guest complaint is your fault because you're giving out the vibe you're not happy here. And you need to be more grateful you have a job and are getting paid.

If you're a manager, it's even more deadly to tell a guest you don't like your job. All your employees will hear you and think to themselves “Well my boss doesn't even like this job, so this place is just terrible and I should leave” or “My boss doesn't even care so I don't have to do a good job.” Yeah, being happy and caring about a job are not the same thing, but you'd be surprised how often the two are confused.

Saying “no, I don't like this job” could be seen as a backhanded expression of “no I don't like serving you”. A guest might be offended, ascend offending a guest is about the worse thing you can do.

Why do you care if we like our jobs? Are you going to leave your career and join the minimum wage service industry?

Honestly, do people come to where you work and randomly ask you if you like your job? How would you feel if a random stranger entered your work space, had you do a bunch of tasks which you did as cheerfully and effectively as you could and mid way through asked “do you like working here?” Does it sound mildly like a threat to your security no matter the inflection?

Next time, ask what you really want to know like “is it fun to work the espresso machine” or “it must be nice to know so much about wine pairing” or whatever the heck it is that you thought made this job fun/cool. It's kind of nice to be reminded of the sweet parts of the gig and it's always makes my day to hear that someone else has an appreciation for the way I handle part of my job.

If you're looking for work for your teen, then just open with that. Most people will let you know the minimum hiring age for their store and are often TOO open about whether or not it's realistic for a teen to work their job. There is a lot to consider when hiring teens, but I do find that often my employees will chase away possible candidates based off what THEY do on the job that a teen legally couldn't do. As a manager, I'd make space for a teen to work a shift. The right teenager brings a bubbly enthusiasm, speed and friendliness to guest service that can rejuvenate the rest of the staff and can be hard to find in a more seasoned worker.

For the record, I hesitate to hire teens whose parents or family are job hunting for them. It signals to me that the teen doesn't really want the job or the teen isn't competent enough to handle the job.

If you're using “do you like your job” as a segway to offer us a job, just present the opportunity. Don't play games with us about whether or not this is all we see ourselves doing with our lives. Remember, everyone in the service industry is underemployed. We all have skills and talents that go way beyond filling your order, taking your money, making wine suggestions, or scanning items. Give us the credit that you would a chimp and acknowledge we're at minimum bored and frustrated. Just like you wouldn't bang on the glass in the monkey house, don't waste our time with a stupid invasive question.

Opening Up the Conversation:

-Have you asked people in the service industry if they like their jobs and if so why?

-Have you ever seen a skill in a service person that made you think, this person could do more than this?

-Have you ever offered a job to or hired someone who was serving you?

-If you work in the service industry, have you ever been asked if you like your job and how did you handle it?

-If you don't work in the service industry, has anyone asked you if you like your job and what was the context?

-Do you love your job or industry and if so what do you do?   

6 Steps to Slim Down White Mocha Without Ruining the Experience

 A medium white mocha made to recipe is 470 calories hot, 450 calories iced, and 440 calories blended. For reference, there are 36 items on McDonald's menu you can enjoy for under 400 calories. These include a hamburger for 240 calories, cheeseburger for 290 calories, 6 piece chicken nuggets for 280 calories, or a medium fry for 340 calories.

Obviously, anyone is entitled to have a treat once in a while. If you're enjoying a white mocha less than once a week or if you are very physically active, then these calorie counts probably don't matter one whit.

If you're indulging in a white mocha a little too often, don't despair! I have 6 barista secrets that can help slim down your white mocha and still leave you feeling satisfied.

1. Hold the whip cream. I know, the little kid in some of us is crying at losing the whipped topping. Who didn't eat so much of this stuff they got sick at some point in childhood? Seriously though, super simple and saves 70 calories.
2. Use Nonfat aka Skim Milk instead of the standard 2%. I honestly can't taste the difference in most hot beverages between the skim milk and the 2%. For most people, this is the most palatable of changes, though it only cuts 50 calories.
3. Get a smaller size drink. The difference in which size you order can be as great as 120 calories or as little as 80 calories. Going from a medium to small on average saves 90 calories.
4. Put less pumps of the syrup in the drink. Finding out how much each pump of syrup costs you is a little tricky. Sure the most logical thought is to see what the calorie difference between each drink size. There is one additional pump per each cup size in the recipe, so the difference in calories between sizes should tell us how much calories are in one pump of syrup.

The problem is the proportion of coffee to milk is not uniform, which plays some havoc with learning how many calories are in a pump. Best guess is that each pump of white mocha averages 97 calories.

It's probably best to reduce the syrup levels of the drink just one less pump at a time. Since there is both milk and sugar in the white mocha syrup, reducing the amount of syrup too quickly is going to make a huge difference in the taste of your drink. If you reduce the syrup pumps over time, it gives you time to adjust and feel satisfied with less sugar.

Sugar is a tricky ingredient because it effects taste and also the brain. There are studies that show our bodies react to sugar in alarming ways. For example: our brains release dopamine, a chemical that makes us feel happy, in response to sugar which can lead to us craving it. Also, our bodies develop a tolerance for sugar, so we need more to get the same effects. While science seems very clear that sugar and fatty foods are not drugs, it can still trigger some alarming tendencies that make it best to reduce our consumption slowly.

5. Stir your drink. None of the drinks are stirred unless you ask for them stirred (and even then no guarantee anyone is actually stirring like you asked). This means a lot of the sweet taste in the drink is just collecting at the bottom of the cup. This is VERY true for thick syrups that include white mocha, regular mocha, pumpkin spice, and caramel brulee. You might be surprised how more balanced your drink tastes stirred. Stirring your drink does not reduce calories but a lot of people find that the drink is sweet enough when stirred they can more easily reduce the amount of syrup in the drink.
6. Don't make all these changes at once. The number one mistake people make on the way to a healthier life is to try to change too many things about their lifestyle too quickly. If you want to health up your white mocha pick one of the above suggestions (the one you hate the least) and follow it. Get used to the ordering your white mocha that way, and after as week or two pick a second suggestion and add it to the one you're doing. It could take you a few months to be comfortable with your drink optimized for both taste and health. This step doesn't reduce calories, but it might help you keeping your drink slim and satisfying in the long run.

Do you have a coffee monkey on your back but it's not a white mocha? Don't fret! All fancy coffee drink calories can be reduced following these 6 steps! If you drink vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, cinnamon dolce, peppermint, or mocha you may be able to reduce calories further by asking for sugar free syrup. Just be aware that the sugar free syrups have sucralose in them currently has a 'caution' rating on it due to some studies where rats developed leukemia while consuming it. Also, the artificial sweetener taste is different and tends to leave a terrible after taste. I don't personally recommend sugar free syrup, but if you like diet soda then you may also like sugar free coffee drinks.

Above all else: enjoy your coffee! If it wasn't fancy and fun, you could just be drinking coffee at home.

5 Ways Better Than the Coffee Line to Pay it Forward

Locally there is a growing movement to “pay it forward”. For those not familiar, “Paying it Forward” is performing a random/spontaneous act of kindness for someone else with the goal to make this at minimum a weekly practice. While I like the slogan, there is a growing practice I see in the coffee shops related to “paying it forward” that concerns me.

People are giving between $5-$20 to a barista and telling her they want her to use the money to “pay for the next few guests' coffee.” I know there's good intentions.

My primary concern is that no one buying a $5 coffee really needs more money. I know everyone has his or her own struggles. Most people in this world could use more kindness. Money is not the best way to create community or provide kindness.

My second concern is more practical. The donor is giving money to a minimum wage employee to pay for another person's luxury goods. It seems cruel to hand someone who is most likely financially struggling money and tell them “this is not for you, this is for other people like me with disposable income”. I am certain no person offering to pay for someone's coffee means it like this. Still, the act of “paying forward” goes from being an act of reaching out and creating bridges to one that reinforces wealth barriers.

So what's a kind  generous person to do? Someone might have the money but not the time or the time but not the money. Fear not! I present you 5 simple ways to pay it forward on a budget.

1.Strike up a meaningful conversation with a stranger. People feel isolated. Next time you're shopping or milling about with other people get off the phone and talk to one of them! It can be as simple as opening a discussion on the weather. You might have observed some piece of clothing or product that you have in common with them or are curious about. Perhaps the person looks distressed and you can show concern for them from the start just by asking “Is everything ok, you look upset”.

You will be surprised how quickly the conversation may turn personal. This person may just need an objective perspective and who knows, you might have some applicable meaningful advice. Ask yourself this how many times could you have used no strings attached listener or even a friendly compliment? I know there are plenty of days I could use a kind word.

What's great about this idea is that it takes ZERO research and NO money. All you need is to have a few minutes to spare.

2. Spend a half hour to an hour a week organizing part of your home and donate the clothes, food, or other items to charity. This is the ultimate win win situation. I have so much stuff that I'm not using and probably never going to use.

On a related note, offer to help someone you know sort through stuff. Its more fun when there is someone to talk to while cleaning. Plus, I find I give away more things because a second person will say things like “I've never seen this before” or “when will you use this?” These questions when asked neutrally help me realize that no, I'm not using something and I'm not going to use said thing. So far, I've never regretting donating a single item, and I've always enjoyed the extra space.

This suggestion takes some research, donating items means there has to be a local charity that will take them. I've had great results googling for good places. There are also a ton of facebook yard sale and give away groups. Just take pictures, say it's free stuff, and set times for people to pick it up. You'll have a clean house and your items will have a second life with someone who needed them.

3. Follow a more hands on route and go to a local nursing home or a soup kitchen Sign up to work with underprivileged kids, sign up to help at the local unemployment office, offer to help at the local Veteran Administration, or offer to help at an animal shelter. This suggestion is by far the most labor intensive. First you would have to look up local programs, second you'd have to make contact to see what kind of help the group needed , and then you would have to show up. This kind of volunteering is not for everyone. Still, if you have a target group you want to help or a target skill you want to offer a little research will show you the best way to give back.

4. Give that money to charity. My favorites include Kiva, Doctors Without Borders, and Teach forAmerica.

I like Kiva because it only takes $25 to help someone create a business that should sustain themselves. The best part about Kiva is that the $25 is a loan/ When I get it back, I can invest it again. It feels amazing helping people become independent. I know by helping that one person, I'm helping a family and community too.

I like Doctors Without Borders because they provide relief to those in immediate need. They are often first responders to world disasters. They risk their physical safety, their quality of life, and go to some of the most desperate places in the world to help elevate the quality of life for the local people.

Teachfor America is dedicated to giving our most vulnerable students a lasting and meaningful education. This is an institution that changes lives. It gives kids both the skills to find their own opportunities and a path to a better quality of living. Children are some of our most exposed members of society. The best thing we can do to help them is provide the tools they need to learn and make informed decisions in the future.

Of course there are thousands of amazing charities and worthy causes your money could go to. This is a very easy way to make a difference and it can be as global or local as the charity you choose.

5. Put half the money you are offering in free coffees in the tip jar. I admit, this is my least inspired idea, but if you're really attached to buying someone's coffee as a random act of kindness then helping the minimum wage person by making an equally large tip is probably the best compromise. It doesn't solve the division between minimum wage and disposable income but it's a reasonable start.

What On Earth is That Barista Doing Instead Of Talking To ME?!

I've recently had feedback from my manager through my boss that some guests are unhappy with my service because I always seem preoccupied and I always seem to be doing more than one thing at once. First I was outraged: of course I was preoccupied, there is a never ending laundry list of cleaning, food preparation, restocking, and learning company updates. Now, I realize how clouded my own vision is. I have six years in food service, and eight years under the retail/hospitality banner. My main volunteer platform as a kid was planning and preparing events—I have a wealth of experience in what else someone might have to do to to be prepared for a guest that a lot of the world doesn't have.

If you have ever wondered why your barista is so busy when there are no guests or why she seems distracted, stressed, or overwhelmed when you just wanted to know what is in the samples, then this is your article!

First let's talk physical numbers. The Corporate owned otherwise known as Freestanding stores require that at least two baristas work together (which means there are always three so that someone can cover breaks). Corporate does this so someone can be ready to talk you a guest through an order, make small talk, or answer questions.

However, in contract stores like mine, there is often only one barista. When I work, I am both the barista and the acting manager.

Whether there are a million people or ten people coming through the shop there is a base level of work that needs to be completed so the station is clean, stocked, and ready to receive guests. One person is barely able to do that base level of work on his or her own. That one person is even less able to do this work when guests come in and not only want something but also want to chat.

Of course the barista is graded and reviewed based of his or her ability to “amaze and connect with” guests. This means that he or she is going to try to give you that personal experience even if it is wildly difficult. Attempting to give you the same experience you'd get in a store with three to five people catering to you is actually the first stress I want to bring up. Most baristas know whether or not he or she is failing to give you the service you want and even if he or she doesn't know how to fix it he or she feels pressured to try.

He or she may truly want to talk to you. A random conversation is a great way to relieve the monotony of work, but with the sink water running, the oven humming, and possibly an espresso machine steaming, it might be legitimately hard to hear you. Two of my baristas have a hearing difficulty. They often have to ask the guest to speak up or repeat something and I've seen guests get frustrated.

Of note as opening lines go “How are you or how is your day” are bad conversation starters for most food service people. I can promise you that working in food service is dirty sticky work. Your barista is minimally physically uncomfortable. There are at least three and upwards of seven timers running ready to constantly beep and scatter the barista's attention. If you've placed more than one drink order or if you have more than two adjustments to a regular drink, your barista is mentally preoccupied trying to remember it all and order it for maximum efficiency.

Also your barista is required to be perky and cheerful with you, which is probably the opposite of how things are really going, asking “how are you” and having to lie about it to maintain the illusion of perky joy the company wants can be exhausting and taxing.

While it's not your fault, he or she may have interrupted a delicate cleaning procedure where proper timing makes the difference between a clean shiny area or a dull chemical mess that needs to be cleaned and redone. Cleaning steaming pitchers, sinks, and floor drains for example often takes a noxious chemical compound at a very high temperature and a lot of scrubbing. As soon as the chemical goes from near boiling to unpleasantly hot, it significantly decreases in effectiveness, which means more scrubbing and more time.

Also remember, the whole time the barista is working with this cleaner there is the potential for splashing that may burn since the water is hot, or slowly be destroying his or her skin because the chemical is caustic. He or she is wearing gloves for protection, but each guest is another time to take the gloves on and off that risks fluid in the gloves or fluid from the gloves splashing onto exposed skin.

There are a lot of products with 24 or 48hr shelf lives. The barista has to go through make sure he or she has enough for the day, all of which has to be done are the right time. Too late and her or she will run out, too soon and he or she will throw the work away. So a guest coming in or deciding on a drink five minutes earlier or later will play a big role in the barista's life.

I can't speak for all stores, but mine has a storage at the right place problem. For example, I have a walk in fridge that has milks for drinks. I need to restock those milks from the back, which happens a least once a day. The goal is to restock just once a day after closing because there is only one team member working and it takes 10mins to get the milks and put them in the fridge. If a barista has to make a run while open, they have the added stress of knowing with certainty there will be at least one upset guest.

There is a lot going on before a single guest steps on the scene. Your barista appreciates that you want an A+ experience and they really want to provide that. Assuming the person behind the counter is doing something else when you step up to place an order and assuming she never actually insults you, maybe you could find it in your heart to be more understanding if she's flustered or clearly stressed.