oooh! my turn!!
As a Barista and coffee geek, let me tell you how much I
love it when people tell me what such and such coffee drink is. Today, one of my coworkers was berated for making a macchiatto with steamed milk and espresso. Apparently, this person thought that they were supposed to be made with a bunch of cold milk, and couldn't accept years of experience as a defense. Pretty sure you want a macchiatto fredo, there, bub. Granted, nobody knows what fredo means in the coffee business, but you could take a bunch of confusion out of the matter and just order espresso, go over to the condiment counter, and pour some milk in, and it would even cost less! Oh well.
Speaking from the same standpoint, working at a cafe, customers moving chairs and tables around does get pretty irritating, but if they get moved back when the party leaves and aren't blocking foot traffic, I don't have a problem with it. It's very annoying having to stay late rearranging furniture. Did I mention I don't get paid past a certain time after the shop is closed? I'm pretty sure it's not legal, but I need to keep my job.
I rather enjoy serving customers after we're "closed", however. Usually I will close down the espresso machine as the last duty for the night, so I can make drinks till the moment I leave. If someone walks in after I've shut off the sign, I'll usually say something like, "Hey, we closed about 20 minutes ago, but I'd be happy to make you something to go" which is often accepted, and usually with a good tip. I enjoy it thoroughly when I can make someone's day better by bending rules to get them what they need. Seeing that they appreciate my efforts with more than just a thank you is nice, too
