I didn’t see it coming. I’d been sitting there for about ten minutes. Using the free wifi. Sipping a tall Americano with hot milk. Happy.
And then a voice says “How much per hour?”
Me: Freeze. Is this guy talking to me?
Him: “How much, you know – as he slips in a wink and points at my coffee with his eyebrows – per hour?”
Me: Yip. He’s talking to me. Is my bra showing?
Him: Looks at me expectantly and then says R-E-A-L-L-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y as if I speak foreign, “I’m. Doing. A. Survey. On. Coffee. Shop. Etiquette. Maybe. I. Can. Interview. You.”
Me: Maybe not, mate. I’d rather stand outside a carwash in a chicken outfit.
But it did get me thinking. And doing a few interviews myself. For the longest time I’ve worked in coffee shops and common sense tells me there’s a right way and a wrong way to get on the good side of the barista.
Curious? Here’s my list of dos and don’ts.
Do
- Spend money
- Order something every hour or so
- Eat a meal if you’re there at mealtimes
- Keep your voice down if you take a call or have a meeting
- Build a relationship with the staff. Get to know their names.
- Wear headphones if you have to take a Skype call or listen to audio
- Be gracious
- Say thank you
- Tip well. Even if you’re all coffee’d out and only have water.
Don’t
- Hit on the anyone
- Take your own food
- Take up more space than you need
- Plug in without asking
- Ask for extra mints
- Expect the staff to watch your stuff
- Let your cables languish all over the floor
- Stay the whole day, or after closing time
- Download big files on their wifi
- Steal the Oryx salt cellars. Really people.
- Oh, and when your partner pops in to see you at your “office”, don’t smooch.
Did I miss anything? What are your top tips for working in a coffee shop?
