Talking To Myself

In contrast to a PhD in listening, I quite often find people that sit on the opposite end of the chatty spectrum. Imagine the following, if you will:

*Customer walks up to the counter*

Me: "Hi there, how are you today?"
Customer: "GIVE ME A...." (barks the customer)

or

Me: "Good morning, how are you --- " (interrupted mid sentence)
Customer: "Make me three ...." (demands the customer)

Or my favourite,

Me: "Good afternoon ladies, how are you today?"
Customer: *Looks at me with a blank stare as if in my asking how they are doing today I was actually trying to sell them crack-cocaine or kidnap their first born child*

Why do people do this? I get being in a rush, trust me. Work to school to homework back to work is my usual schedule. So trust me, I get it. But what is so important in your rush or what has been so bad in your day that you cannot offer a simple, polite, common-courtesy response to the girl that is about to make your coffee. The one that controls whether you walk away with caffeinated or decaf, may I add (just kidding, I never 'decaf' a customer).

But seriously, learn some manners. Especially entertaining is when middle-aged or seniors act in the previously outlined regard because you know if their children ever did such a thing they would get smacked up side the head (or maybe not).

But say it with me people:

"Good, thanks."
"Not bad, you?"
"I'm Good."

It truly is that simple. I'm not looking for your life story. I'm not even looking for honesty if thats not the dish your serving. But I am asking to be treated like a human being not like the soul-less, emotionless robot thats sole purpose in life is to serve coffee, as some of you seem to think I am.

So, again I ask,

How are YOU today?

PhD in Listening

The other day I asked one of my co-workers, Janelle, if she agreed that much like the over-cliched role that a bartender plays, if she ever felt like people just came in to vent to us or for some unconventional therapy?

To which Janelle shared with the following....

"You know, the other day a lady came in here to get a coffee and she looked just a mess. She was stressed out and in a rush and seemed like she was just having an all-around bad day. So I asked her how she was doing [part of the job] and she didn't hold back. She told me how she had been to her son's school three times already today because it was spirit week and there were some 'wardrobe malfunctions', and then he forgot his lunch at home, and how she had been running late for work and running basically all over the city and she came in to get a coffee because she needed one - even though she really didn't have time for it."

Janelle told me how she prepared this customers order and completed the transaction in about a minute or so. But, even though this lady was in such a rush, she proceeded to stand there and let it all out to Janelle for about ten minutes or so. She shared the story of her bad day to a complete stranger. Just some young girl that was getting her coffee.

So to answer my question Janelle said: "Yes. I think a lot of the time people don't even want coffee they just come here because they need someone to talk to or talk at or just to get something of their chest."