side comment on PBUR and pseudomochas
Dec. 12th, 2005 02:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jayMost mornings I now stop by the neighborhood coffee shop on my way to the office... ordering my espresso-and-water -and-chocolate syrup pseudo-mocha. No problem, after the first couple of times I had to explain "like a regular mocha, but with water instead of milk" (I'm on a calcium-reduced diet).
But instead of just asserting "I want this, done that way", I'd instead chat up the women behind the counter... ask how they were doing, if it had been busy, why they wore red holiday shirts on some days and not others... things peripheral to actually getting that day's caffeine ration. Not lengthy chats, just 30 seconds or so.
As a result... the baristas there recognize me, smile, wave... they start working on my drink as soon as I walk in, without my asking, and it is ready for pickup as soon as I've paid and checked-in personally in brief. Lately, a couple have stopped charging me the extra $0.30 for the mocha syrup add-on, shrugging it off when I pointed out the undercharge.
Being a regular customer undoubtedly makes a difference... but so does the business-relationship-maintenance, which the "pleasant" part conveys. I treat them as people and with their own stories and respectfully, and after awhile they extend their hand (inasmuch as the context permits). Simply ordering my coffee every day would still get me my coffee, but I'd wait longer, pay more, and I'd miss the brief social interaction.
But instead of just asserting "I want this, done that way", I'd instead chat up the women behind the counter... ask how they were doing, if it had been busy, why they wore red holiday shirts on some days and not others... things peripheral to actually getting that day's caffeine ration. Not lengthy chats, just 30 seconds or so.
As a result... the baristas there recognize me, smile, wave... they start working on my drink as soon as I walk in, without my asking, and it is ready for pickup as soon as I've paid and checked-in personally in brief. Lately, a couple have stopped charging me the extra $0.30 for the mocha syrup add-on, shrugging it off when I pointed out the undercharge.
Being a regular customer undoubtedly makes a difference... but so does the business-relationship-maintenance, which the "pleasant" part conveys. I treat them as people and with their own stories and respectfully, and after awhile they extend their hand (inasmuch as the context permits). Simply ordering my coffee every day would still get me my coffee, but I'd wait longer, pay more, and I'd miss the brief social interaction.
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no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 05:27 pm (UTC)Just on a random note... would you consider using soy milk? Would that be all right for your diet? There are soy milks which are -not- calcium fortified, and it might be an interesting flavor. Soymilk and chocolate actually work well, in my opinion...
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Date: 2005-12-17 06:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-17 06:22 pm (UTC)I sometimes enjoy it with honey in a cup of coffee, the honey and the soy seem to work well, while milk and sugar seeme to work well. I don't have a full understanding of the aromatics in soy milk, so I am not quite sure why they mix less well with sugar AFAIAC.
Hope your travel is going well and that you are having good visits!