"I need a Venti Extra-Hot Quad Half-Caf Cappuccino, with Coconut Milk, 2 raw sugars, 2 pumps of Sugar Free Vanilla and I want it bone dry."

"Yes, ma'am. Your name please?"

"I come here at least 3 times a week and you don't know my name?!"

"I'm so sorry ma'am. That'll be $5.25."

"FIVE TWENTY FIVE. IT'S THREE DOLLARS AT THE 'OTHER STORE'."

"I'm so sorry ma'am. It's on the house, Have a nice day."

*picks up hot cup*

"WHAT IS THIS. I ORDERED AN ICED BEVERAGE. I DEMAND TO SPEAK TO YOUR MANAGER."

Welcome to the Barista Life. Whether you wear the "Green Apron", the "Grey Apron", or any other color in the rainbow you understand what I am about to detail to the general public. So sit back, relax and yell "OH MY GOD THAT'S ME" while reading this on your phone and for the rest of you - here's a guide on how to or not to treat your favorite coffee makers.

So imagine walking into an itty bitty store, throwing on an apron, and immediately jumping on to a line of 30 drinks that never seem to end with each its own customization and impatient customers berating you with comments like "That has to be decaf!" or "No whipped cream!" on drinks that aren't even their own. Sound scary yet? Add to the list that these coffee makers are there for you when you need your morning fix at 6am (they've been at work since 4am) or on Black Friday when you're getting ready to shop till you drop (and they've already been serving people for 8 hours.) These brave people that withstand Heaven and Earth are called 'Baristas' and they really aren't all that bad UNTIL you treat them like robots in a Capitalist machine.

I'm not here to vent. Honestly. I'm here to educate the general population on some things that I thought were already widely known, but maybe I was just raised differently? Being a barista myself, I can say I have seen some things that would make you want to stay in bed and never get back out again. I have heard horror stories of hot coffee getting thrown back at a barista, because that "just wasn't what I ordered." But I also have seen things that would make you smile for the rest of the day. I have seen a simple flat white make someone come back to the bar and personally thank me for an amazing drink. (Emily, yours will always rein supreme. Angela you're a close second.) This brings me to what I want to talk about. How do you treat people?

This question doesn't even just span to Baristas, but spans to all of those in the Customer Service realm. Personally, my mom always told me, "Don't EVER mess with people who make your food, or care to your body (Hair Stylists, Eyebrow Shapers, etc)." and I've always followed this to a T. Now don't get me wrong she didn't tell me to tell everyone to screw off, but she knew that those people deserved a little extra 'push' of positivity through out their day. I didn't really understand until I joined the customer service work field. I've had people scream at me, because they waited 4 minutes for their overly personalized beverage and demanded to speak to my manager and then wanted to call the corporate of my company to get me in trouble. Not once, but on multiple occasions. This begs the question.. Why are people rude? Did someone not smile at you lately? Did my hair style offend you? Were you 5 minutes late to work, because you decided not to arrive to your favorite coffee joint in time to account for a busy rush? PLEASE. Tell me. What have we done to offend you? I can't even blame it on what everyone loves to blame the 'Millennial' generation, because the worst offenders are usually(usually, but always changing) Adults in to their forties and fifties.

Have we as a society drawn the 'green curtain' (that's a Wizard of Oz reference) and just pretend that those behind the glass are just robots and deserve no respect?

Look. I love making good coffee. My friends and I actually have competitions on who makes a better flat white or latte and we love watching you walk away with a smile, because that velvety foam just hits the right spot, but why has it becoming increasingly popular to be rude to your servers who are actual human beings with actual feelings? I think my main point is this: Just don't be an asshole. Not to be blunt, but shouldn't we as human beings just be kind to others? How's that saying go? Treat others how you want to treated.

If I have offended you by the time you've finished this article you're probably part of the problem. I could rant for hours on how societal changes are just turning, specifically America, into a quick and cheap food culture, but I just want to stress the importance of kindness. That barista you're watching has probably been working for hours and is doing the work of 2 other baristas and all they want is to be treated like a fellow human being. They're not asking for a dollar in their tip jar or anything else, but just a simple smile and a 'Thank you!' for the beverage they just slaved over. This goes for anyone you encounter in public doing a service. Just be nice. Seriously.

"Can I just get a small coffee, whatever is on brew?"

"Yes, oh my god would you like all my tips, because you just made my day."