Alright, so you, as a typical American consumer, have your morning routine. Well I, as your typical American barista, have mine as well. If our routines can work together, we can all get our caffeine much more quickly and efficiently. Here are some tips for getting your morning cup of joe from the mouth of someone who makes your said cup of joe!
1. Always be 15 minutes early
I don't care if your appointment is right next to the coffee shop's building--get to your coffee shop early! This is absolutely crucial in case there is a longer line than you may have expected. If you're in a rush, then your barista is in a rush to get you your beverage and out in time. We feel horrible if we accidentally make you late, so we try to make your drink as fast as possible and that could lead to a mistake in making the drink. Also, 15 minutes earlier can give you more time t drink your coffee and take a breather before you have to run to that class which is always a god thing. To make a long story short: get to your coffee place at least 15 minutes earlier than your appointment.
2. Know what you want
Whip or no whip? Use your time in line to decide exactly what you want. Do NOT wait until you are at the register to decide, especially if there is a long line. Not only do you hold up the line, but the barista wants to make sure everyone gets their drinks ASAP. It doesn't help them if they have to wait 5 minutes for you to make a decision. Be clear in what you order as well so there are no misshaps in your order.If you want whipped cream, then say so. If you want skim milk, then say so. Also, DO NOT CHANGE YOUR ORDER AS YOUR BARISTA IS MAKING IT. Not only does that cause extra wait time, but it's a waste of product for whatever you had previously ordered. If you are really stuck between two choices, ask your barista their opinion, or get one option today and the other tomorrow.
3. Have your money ready
Don't be that person that has to fumble in their bookbag, grab their wallet and then continue fumbling for loose change. Get a good knowledge of the price range of your drink, and already have your wallet out ready to give the barista the money. Not only do you save your time, but the barista's.
4. Know when the rushes are![]()
Everyone wants to get their coffee at the same time--KNOW WHEN THOSE TIMES ARE. Try to find a pattern in when you see the longest line of customers. If you can afford to get there earlier than the rush, DO IT. If you can afford to get there after the rush, DO IT. Not only does it cut down on the workload for your barista, but it also gets you your order quicker. There is nothing more annoying than standing in line and then being in a rush to get to class. If you absolutely cannot avoid a rush one day, go for the easiest drink (which is probably a normal coffee). You still get your caffeine, and you get to your class on time. Everyone is happy. Rushes are pretty avoidable in the long run, so try to catch one earlier or later.
5. Learn to compromise
In case your coffee house of choice doesn't have what you want in stock, or the barista who "makes your coffee just right" isn't there, learn to compromise and compromise quickly. If you can't get a blueberry scone, try a blueberry bagel or muffin. If there is no whipped cream, then go without the extra calories one day.If your fav barista is out sick, just know that the other baristas are trained the same way and they know how to make the same drinks. There is always another option and sometimes you have to sacrifice.
6. Don't complain about the price to the barista
Chances are, we aren't happy about the prices either. However, you should NOT blatantly argue with a barista on something that they have no control over. Not only does it cause unnecessary conflict and stress, but by the time you finished yelling about how high the prices are, you could've paid and left already, and the line wouldn't be held up.
7. Know when there are special deals
It's always a plus when you don't have to pay full price for your beverage. I'm not sure if every single coffee shop does this, but for my particular place of work, we have what we call "Happy Hour" where a large normal coffee is $2, and a refill for travel mug is $1 at certain times in the morning and at night. Ask your barista if there are any special deals!
8. Be Patient
Happy Barista=Happy Coffee. Our main goal as baristas is to satisfy customers as best as possible. This being said, we struggle very hard to always be polite in the (even when we had a really bad day) and alert (even if we haven't gotten our own caffeine fix). If you see that there are a lot of people in line, chances are your baristas are stressed and running around trying to make drinks. Please do not make things worse by complaining about the wait (because we will apologize for it anyway) or arguing about wait time. Everyone is at the coffee shop for the same reason and is in the same situation as you are.
Please do not be that person who goes off on a barista if they accidentally make your drink wrong or give you the wrong drink. This is common curtesy. The barista will fix your drink ASAP, there's no reason to lose your cool because of a mistake.
If you are getting a food item or a fruit smoothie at a COFFEE house, the wait time will naturally be longer. Do not expect your order of a toasted bagel with cream cheese and jelly, and a chocolate-peanut butter-banana smoothie to be done before a small black coffee. That's just common sense.
If your barista is in the middle of a rush and accidentally forgets one of your items, kindly remind them what you ordered. Do not be snippy about it. That doesn't help anyone.
A little bit of patience can go a long way.
9. TIP YOUR BARISTAS!
This is THE MOST important tip I can give you. Just like how you would tip a waiter or waitress (and I hope that you do), you should tip your barista. We work just as hard as a waiter does to get you your order correctly and as quickly as possible, while getting paid minimum wage. Customer service is not as easy as it looks, especially if you had to pull an all-nighter for an exam that morning. Don't be that one customer who orders three drinks plus food during a rush, and then doesn't leave at least the 30 cents in change they were given. Not only do tips boost our morale as workers, but it lets us know that you appreciate our service to you and that we satisfied your needs as a customer. Also, take time to give us a quick chat if you're a regular and there's no one else in line. The costumer and employee relationship is a give and take. If you're a horrible customer who always makes a scene and never tips, I can guarantee you that your coffee won't taste half as good. However, if you take some time out of your day to chat with us and get to know the people who serve you coffee in the morning, I'm telling you, that coffee will taste 10000x as better.
