A Remedy For A Case Of The Mondays

Today was such a Monday. Hard to wake up. Hard to get out of bed. Hard to get ready. Hard to leave the house in time to get to work. Hard to be at work.

It happens.

Honestly, I just wanted to be curled up in bed while I watch movies all day. Yessir.

The summer is winding down and I'm pretty okay with it because that means I get to go back to school and go back to my routine. But the end of summer always comes with the annoyance of monotony for me. It kind of wears on me.

But tonight I'm going to get to work on some things for this next semester. And while I do that I will be listening to a playlist I made for this summer. It's a pretty good one if I do say so myself. And I thought I'd share it with you all just in case you are also having a bad case of the Mondays or if you just love good music.

Enjoy!

Avery

Lessons Still Learning: Coffee Shop Knowledge Part II

In my last post, I gave you a broad overview of the things I have learned while working in customer service. In this post, I would like to be a little more specific. I want to talk about two different categories: The Better Server and The Better Customer.

The Better Server

The past two summers I have collected mental notes about how to deal with customers. Much of this was trial and error, if I’m honest. But these are just a few of my tried and true methods of loving customers better:

Remember Names

This is the simplest of the techniques. The coffee shop I work in is located inside of a metroplex that holds different businesses. This is where we get most of our customers. Because most of our customers work in our building, almost all of them come in multiple times a week if not every day. I learned some of their names right off the bat and they just stuck with me for some reason. Some of them took me a little longer to remember. And, sadly, there are still a few that I don’t know or remember. But I try my hardest to remember the names of the ones who come in the most.

The reactions I get when I call someone by name are awesome. Some are weirded out because they’re not sure how I know their name. Others are surprised that I have such a good memory (which I don’t). And even some have tipped me just for remembering their name. They were that impressed.  It makes them feel good though. I can tell. They feel like they’re getting special treatment, and most of them are. It’s a simple gesture, but it really does make all the difference for people.

Smile

I know it sounds stupid, but the happier you are, the nicer the customers are going to be to you. When they see that you are smiling and making jokes, they’re more apt to do the same instead of yell at you for getting their order wrong.

And let’s just be honest, when someone smiles at you, it’s really hard not to smile back.

Make Conversation

Get to know the people that you’re serving. Find out where they work, what they enjoy doing, how they’re feeling that day. If there’s one major thing I’ve learned while working at a coffee shop it’s that baristas are underpaid therapists. For some reason everyone feels like they can vent to me. It’s a very strange phenomenon, really. But you know, maybe I am the only one they feel like they can vent to. If that’s so, then I’m okay with it.

There is a fine line between making conversation and being obnoxious. You have to tread that line very carefully. Don’t pry. Don’t talk too much. In fact, let them do most of the talking. Be a good listener. People appreciate it, even if they don’t say so.

Compliments

If you notice something new, appealing, or attractive about a customer, tell them! Compliment their new haircut or their shirt that you like. Don’t be awkward about it. Just be genuine.

Lately, I’ve been trying to make an honest effort to give more compliments. I think way too much about myself and not enough about others. So, I’ve been trying to be more attentive to people. I don’t just give out compliments if I don’t mean them. I want them to be genuine. (I hate when people give compliments just because they feel awkward or because they feel like they have to or if there’s a lull in the conversation. And you can totally tell when people do this.) Just be genuine. That’s all I can say.

The Better Customer

I’ve also learned a lot about how to be a better customer. Here are some things I’ve learned and try to do more actively in my daily life as a customer:

Tip Well

This is something I have never been good about until now. It’s really hard to shell out extra cash for what feels like nothing. But, let me tell you, it’s not nothing.

Tipping is really important. Especially if someone does a really good job. Let them know. If you can write something on the receipt, do that too! It really changes someone’s whole day to be told they’re great.

If everyone just tipped a dollar everywhere they went, can you imagine what a difference that would make?

Be Understanding

Baristas, waiters, cashiers, cooks, employees everywhere are just people. They make mistakes. Lots of them. Just like you do. If the person that helps you makes a mistake, just let them know nicely and be patient. It’s a lot harder said than done, but it’s really not helpful to give people an attitude. If it takes a little longer to get your order, there are other people waiting on orders too. If they forgot the cheese on your cheeseburger, they’ve probably got more important things on their mind. In the end, it’s going to be okay, so just chill.

Constructive Criticism

On a very similar note, when someone does make a mistake, you should let them know. It’s not helpful to let things go. But it’s also not helpful to tell someone that they made a mistake in a rude tone. Just be nice. They’ll fix it. They’ll work harder to not let that happen again. And you’ll be happier for saying something. Customer feedback is very important to businesses. Both the bad and the good kind. So give both.

Also, you can incorporate tips from The Better Server too! Like remembering your server’s name, smiling, and making conversation. All of those things are important too.

All of these thing have helped me while working and being a customer, but they are also helpful tips for dealing with people in general. If everyone used these simple tips in their daily life, man, there would be a lot of change a’happenin’.

Show some love.

Avery 

Lessons Still Learning: Coffee Shop Knowledge Part I

I’m standing at the food table at work and I’m rolling meat before the lunch rush and I’m thinking, “What am I doing with my life?” I am an extremely passion driven person. I have goals. I have dreams. I want to go live in new and exciting places. I want to do things I’ve never done before. I want to learn new languages, climb mountains, sweat, and eat exotic food. But most importantly, I want to change people’s lives. And what am I doing with my summer? I’m making sandwiches. I’m making coffee. I’m rolling meat.

As I’m standing there, methodically and meticulously rolling the meat, I think to myself, “How are you living out any of your dreams right now?” Sure, I’m a poor college student who is home for the summer and my only real goal is supposed to be to make money, but still. You can’t just live life with your only goal being to make money. I’ve never been that kind of person and I never will be. I love people so much. I want love to be the outcome of what I do. I want to be able to reach out to people and change their lives for the better. I want to bring light to people. And then it hit me…

You’re an idiot.

My job, what I’ve been paid to do for the past two summers, customer service, is all about people. It’s all about serving. I mentally scolded myself immediately and began to think of all the things I’ve learned about people and how to love them by working in customer service. And then I realized what a great blog post it would be, because let me tell you, I have learned A LOT. So here we are. This will be a two-part post because of the amount of information I would like to share with you. I hope you gain something from it.

I would like to begin this topic like I like to begin most topics: from a missional and an anthropological standpoint. There is a quote from one of my favorite movies, Elizabethtown, that has been my life motto:

“I don't know a lot about everything, but I do know a lot about the part of everything that I know, which is people.”

I have had a knack for people my whole life. I can relate. I can connect with them. I have a sick sense of empathy. I can see through them. I can see the best in them. All of these things are gifts given to me by God, but they’ve also oftentimes been curses. Because people are broken and hurting and that brokenness can wear on you. I’ve learned that the hard way many times.

While working at the coffee shop/café that I work at, I have met many different kinds of people. I grew up in middle class suburbia and to be honest I only saw a handful of blacks and Mexicans in my town. The coffee shop I work at is only about eleven-ish miles away from where I grew up and yet the amount of diversity I encounter there is off the charts comparatively. Whites are sometimes the minority (which is not a bad thing in my opinion). I deal with at least two to three, sometimes more, customers a day that do not speak English very well. And I’ve seen some very sad, poor, lost, and broken people.

There are two groups of people that make up the majority of the customers that come through the shop: the obviously broken and the broken behind a mask. The obviously broken come in many different forms; some are dirty, disheveled, and disillusioned. Others look just like me but don’t really have proper social skills. And yet others sit in the shop for hours and talk to themselves. These are the ones that are the hardest to watch and the easiest to love, in my opinion. They are almost always grateful and easy to please. They’re the ones I want to go above and beyond for. They’re the ones who thrive on your light because all they know is darkness.

The other group, the ones behind the mask, are the ones who are the business men and women who work in the building we share. They get up, go to work, hate work, go home, maybe hate home, get in bed, think about how much they hate work and home, and then get up the next morning only to start the day all over. Sometimes this group is the hardest for me to study (because let’s face it, I’m always studying) and serve. Most of the time they are angry and they usually take it out on me. They are rushed and sarcastic. They act like they have everything together and you don’t just because you messed up their white chocolate mocha. But really, they’re so incredibly broken inside. They are always working so hard to hide whatever piece of their life that has fallen apart. They are the ones that most people, including myself, don’t want to show love to because they don’t seem to want or need it. But I’m learning that sometimes they’re the ones who need it the most.

So, what does this all mean?

I’m sure if you’re reading this you are or have worked in customer service sometime in your life. It’s one of the most underrated and least appreciated jobs there is. It also makes up the majority of jobs out there. We all need groceries, gas, coffee, etc. We all have to go buy things and eat dinner. And all of those things are at places where people work. They’re job is to serve you. And if you’re like me, you’re the one doing the serving. It’s a hard job sometimes. But it is one of the most important mission fields there is. When I hand people their coffee, remember their name, or strike up conversation with them about how their day is going, I am sharing the love of God with them. Because God and I both know I couldn’t share love with them on my own. Just by doing these small things with a joyful heart and a willingness to love them, I am bringing a light into their life that they may not see the rest of the day. It may sound overdramatic, but it’s true.

I’ve learned so much about people and how to love them better by working in customer service. I have also learned a lot about how to be a better customer to others working in this field. I will discuss these things practically in my next post. But for now, I challenge you to see people a little differently than you usually do, especially if you work with customers, or heck, if you have co-workers or a boss. Because everyone is fighting a battle. That is one of the biggest clichés in the book, but it’s also one of the truest.  The people we encounter in our daily lives can make or break us.

Which kind of person are you for others?

Avery

When The Going Gets Rough

I took this photo on Tuesday morning. The caption was, "My avenues to success: top knot, bison necklace, and Belle and Sebastian." The day before this I had a very rough day. On Tuesday I woke up early, made myself breakfast, and spent some time in the Word before going to work because I was DETERMINED to have a great day. I was in such a good mood and I was ready to face the day. I had no idea the kind of day that was coming. I won't get into the details because that's not the point of this post. But I will say that it was just a REALLY bad day. And the rest of the week has followed suit.

This week has been the hardest week I've had all summer. And to be honest, it's really bringing me down. I'd like to say first that I am not one that airs my private matters all over the internet. Mostly because I don't want everyone knowing my problems and negative feelings. I try to not post tweets or statuses that are negative because that's not what I want to be known for. And also because I know you probably don't care anyway.

But that is not what this post is.

It is more of a wake up call for myself. And maybe for anyone out there who needs it.

This week, I have been defined by things that I am not by other people. This doesn't happen to me very often.  I am very aware of myself in general. I try very hard to be pretty genuine and honest about my strengths and weaknesses, and let me tell you, I am VERY aware of my weaknesses, and I can honestly tell you that the things I have been told that I am are not true. Everyone has dealt with this problem. And everyone knows how hard it is. I've taken it particularly rough this week and it has affected the way I deal with almost everything. I feel very sensitive. I feel very angry. I feel very sad.

I do not want to let this rough time define me. Because I know it does not. There is a reason for this, and it will only make me stronger. I must choose to learn from this, even though it seems almost impossible. But I know that God is with me. He has been very near to me throughout this week, whispering in my ear and guiding my every action. He has calmed my fears. He has slowed my anger. He has redefined me. Because after all, He really is the only opinion that matters in the end.

This week could have been worse. It always can be worse. But it was bad. And it did hurt. But all I can do is fight my way through it with the Spirit on my side. He always sees me through.

Hope all is well with you.

And if it's not, I hope you know that He will sustain you.

Avery