Be Kind to Service Workers

We are all tired of COVID-19. Tired of hearing about it. Tired of talking about it. Tired of living through it. I can confidently say that the world is ready to see COVID-19 in the rearview mirror–never to be seen again. I believe all of these tiring feelings and opinions are valid. However, what is not valid is the lack of patience and compassion for service workers. I do not have the experience of being a front-line worker, and I do not even want to imagine how anyone could be disrespectful or impatient to them.

I do, however, have experience as a barista in a little coffee shop in downtown Kingston. I will begin to say there are some kind people. There are people who say thank you for doing what you do. People who do not argue when told a COVID-19 protocol and who do not complain about needing to wear a mask.

Except on the other end of the spectrum is the large number of people who can be unbelievably rude, impatient and entitled to believe their way is the right way. These are the people who take “the customer is right” to a whole new level.

When I first was hired as a barista, I was thoroughly excited. I was ready to live out my own Rachel Green fantasy and be one with the Central Perk vibe. Except, my biggest worry is no longer making sure my cappuccino foam is fluffy enough. Instead, it is ensuring that customers are following health and safety regulations. My once job as a barista has now turned into a policy enforcer, and in some ways, a babysitter.

It is exhausting to be defending policies, which I did not put in place, but am constantly having to reinforce. In fact, everything is exhausting: receiving eye rolls, the attitudes, the snarky comments and so forth. I cannot begin to express how many times I have gotten backlash when I ask a customer to ‘please put on a mask’ when walking into the building. It is almost as if the customers think that I, Erica Labriola, have made the rule to wear masks inside. It could not possibly be a nationwide law, that would just be absurd.

Do not even get me started on the arguments and constant attempts to persuade us differently when a customer is informed that we do not do ‘for here, cups’. It is truly DEVASTATING for some people. People react to this news as if pigs are literally flying in the air and that it’s just been announced that gravity is no longer real. I understand, I am a coffee addict myself. We all enjoy sipping out of a large mug with the detailed leaf art on top. However, we are living in a pandemic and there are honestly worse circumstances in our current state to be upset about. Your lack of latte art is not one of them.

I respect that customers are frustrated. Their coffee shop experience is no longer the same, and we all miss the good ol’ days of the way things used to be. Believe me, I miss the days where I received my chai latte with a leaf made in the steamed milk, too. I miss being able to sit with all my friends, not socially distanced, at a table. Or simpler yet, to just walk into a store without a mask. Except, that is not our current reality and despite what everyone else believes, it is not the service workers who are making the rules.

So my only request is, next time you are frustrated at a coffee shop (or any other service workplace), just remember you are receiving your luxury because of the service provided by the workers. Remember service workers do not get paid extra to deal with complaints on COVID-19 policies, which they have no power in changing. Remember that service workers are following and enforcing the laws that are expected to be followed by everyone. Remember that service workers are people too and deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. Thus, be kind to service workers, because we are trying our best too.

 

• coffee shop
• COVID-19
• customer service
• pandemic
• relations
• respect