I used to think speed was everything until a regular customer in Phoenix set me straight.

I was rushing through a coffee order last Tuesday, trying to get our drive-thru time under 2 minutes. A man I see every morning held up his cup and said, 'This tastes like you're mad at the beans.' I realized I'd been pulling shots so fast they were bitter and weak, just to hit a number. Has anyone else had a quality check from a customer that actually made you better at your job?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_morgan82mo ago

It's the whole "move fast and break things" culture.

davis.dakota2mo ago

That "mad at the beans" line is brutal, but he's not wrong. My old manager was obsessed with our window time, like we were in a NASCAR pit crew. I was slamming out lukewarm lattes in 45 seconds flat. One lady finally said it tasted like warm milk with a coffee rumor. Slowed down, actually steamed the milk right, and the time barely changed. Turns out doing it wrong fast is just wasting good product.

taylorb9416d ago

@davis.dakota that "coffee rumor" line got me good. But here's what I wonder - did the manager ever actually clock the difference in time, or was it just about the appearance of speed? I've seen bosses who'd rather have a fast wrong thing than a slightly slower right thing because it made them look efficient to their own bosses. Did your store's numbers actually take a hit when you slowed down, or was it all just theater?