Back to the Starbucks story. I didn’t feel like posting this last night. It was late and I was busy sucking this yummy stuff before catching some z’s.
I have no idea whoever came up with the idea to ask people in Starbucks for their name to put on their coffee order. It isn’t genius but it could be worse. Last night however I went into the Starbucks at the airport a mere five minutes before they were closing down. The Airport wasn’t very busy (as you can see in the picture of the previous post) and the Starbucks there is one of the smallest Starbucks I have ever come across. I get in, give the guy my order. We are the two only people in the shop that is the size of our bathroom. Seriously it was maybe 10 square meters if at all. So he asks me for my name to put on my cup.
I turn around and not seeing anyone even near the shop I said. “Dude, we’re the only ones here” I am pretty sure I will manage to remember which coffee I ordered.” Okay I did not call him Dude but the rest is true. He did see the funny point in this and apologized, saying that it is a matter of habit. Nevertheless he asked me for my name and for the sake of it I gave it to him. He pulled out all the stops when he handed me the freakin’ Frappucino. He called out my name and the entire order before offering me an extra-long straw for my venti and wishing me a good night. I have no idea what he was on and I usually complain about the horrible customer service here and then this guy is being super nice and I still can’t appreciate it. It was a bit over the top, wasn’t it?
11 comments:
It sounds like a scene out of a movie. :) In fact, I'm sure I have seen something like that in a movie, but I can't remember for the life of me which one it was...
At least the service wasn't bad!
Sounds like it was the perfect opportunity to give someone a fake name... something about the airport and traveling makes me want to be mysterious, and wear dark sunglasses. And drink coffee drinks.
Jules
House of Jules
Melisa - Yep it certainly felt as though I was in a movie. Am I the real life "Truman Show" perhaps?
Jules - When I used to work for an airline I would travel a lot often in Business Class and we'd make up stories as to why we travelled Business and to where. My favorite story to annoy people was telling them that I lived off my rich parents money :)
That is kind of weird. I'm pretty sure I would have had to tell him I was Princess Leia. ;)
I totally give them different names each time and when they stand there calling whoever I decided to be at that moment, I'm the idiot staring blankly until I all of a sudden snap out of my fog all, "Oh! Yeah, that's me."
Caught.
A Starbucks employee was actually nice? I think my socks have just been knocked off! Are we in bizzaro world?
Hey, you won a prize, come by AnyApples to check it out!! :-)
I don't know, I think it's kind of funny that he kept on going even after you pointed it out-at first I'd do the same thing you did and tell him there was no one there-then I'd just laugh when he played it up.
:)
I personally hate the name on the cup thing, I have to spell it, then the person calling out misreads it and calls me Simon...all kinds of bad!
At first I agreed with you. Then I thought about every Starbucks experience I've had. Those Baristas (fancy shmancy name for "Coffee Boys") are like machines. I think they're on permanent auto pilot the minute those green aprons are on. So, I don't think it's over the top - I think it's programming. :)
I think when you work in a customer service industry, sometimes all you have is "over the top to keep you sane."
The workers I feel sorriest for are the one who are required to answer the phone with a long commercial, like, "Thank you for calling Pizza Hut, could I interest you in a yummy, delicious pan pizza with bread sticks on the side, and a two liter bottle of coke." I almost forget my order by the end of the spiel.
Maybe he was being observed by a hidden-camera. There are some Big Brother-type companies out there that require an automaton-like adherence to company rules.
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