Coffee Shop Employees

I love a good cup of black coffee, and I love coffee shops, so I've had my share of coffee-ordering experiences. One thing I have noticed as a result of this penchant for fine coffee is that, in every coffee shop I go to, without fail, be it Starbucks, Peet's, Caribou, or some of the local places like Evanston's Unicorn Cafe, there are incredibly nice employees. The order taker at the cash reigster always makes a joke, energetically proclaims your order to the barista but only after double-checking to make sure you want whole, not skim, milk. (E.g: "Tall vanilla half-caf latte whole milk"). A couple of minutes later, after speedily whipping up your drink, the barista announces the full drink order when it's ready and wishes you a nice day.

Why should these people, who probably get up when certain college students go to bed, be so kindly? How do they stay so friendly well into the day? After all, if my conjecture that their employer grants them unlimited coffee and coffee products is correct, they are probably fully caffeinated for a couple hours, but then, if they're like me, they start to crash towards the end of the morning. And why should these people be particularly friendly? They have their share of prickly customers, not uncommon among the people who can afford to get a 3.00+ warm beverage every morning demographic.

Service with a smile.

So my hats off to all coffee shop employees. Keep on doing what you're doing if you feel like it, but don't worry if you're ever in a bad mood. I'll understand.