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Home > Work woes - I got the java blues!

Work woes - I got the java blues!

January 27th, 2008 at 03:00 am

Pardon me while I vent!

Tonight I was so frustrated. I worked at the register for 3.5 hours then worked at the java joint for 4.5 hours. But they're only scheduling me there a few hours a week and I'm simply not 'getting it'. I dread working there and each time I have a shift there coming up I am almost in agony from it.

Tonight one of my co-workers got frustrated with me and got an attitude. I was almost in tears myself so I took a break, went outside, and walked in the cold air.

It's just not working for me and the java. I don't have enough time there to learn all I need to learn. I'm scheduled to work there about 26 hours in a couple of weeks and hopefully that will ease my pain but in the meantime I feel just stupid when I'm working there. I'm too slow, I still get confused over 'simple' things and it's just not pleasant for me and certainly not 'fun' which is what it should be.

Oh well, hopefully things will improve quickly the week I work there more. I just needed to vent a little...

Posted in Just Life | 7 Comments »

7 Responses to “Work woes - I got the java blues!”

  1. thriftorama Says:
    January 27th, 2008 at 03:10 am 1201403415
    1201403415

    Don't beat yourself up. Making coffee drinks is a lot like bartending-- there's a lot to remember and it takes a lot of hours and repetition to really get good at it. Everyone was new once. You'll get it.

  2. denisentexas Says:
    January 27th, 2008 at 03:19 am 1201403997
    1201403997

    Well, there really is a lot to remember and I'm not getting much practice at all. Today I did much better with the cups but still didn't get every single one correct. Some of it is just confusing to me but I think it will get better. Hopefully the week I work there 26 hours will make a huge difference. I'm tired of feeling stupid and slow. I might be slow but I am NOT stupid!

  3. Nic Says:
    January 27th, 2008 at 01:48 pm 1201441693
    1201441693

    Don't beat yourself up over this. This whole coffee bar biz is hoity toity bs. Why can't people just drink a PLAIN cup of coffee? It's latte this,chocolate that,de-caf baloney....hold this,extra that,heavy on the other.
    But really, if you aren't happy there, look for something else. Something you enjoy where you'll be valued for your input and contribution.

  4. denisentexas Says:
    January 27th, 2008 at 02:42 pm 1201444978
    1201444978

    Oh yeah, its hoity toity and not something I'd normally get into. But since the pay is better I wanted to try it. I'm not happy there now but I think I can be once I learn it so I'll stick with it and give it a fair try. I just hope my nerves can handle it. Thanks Nic!

  5. Ralph Says:
    January 27th, 2008 at 03:06 pm 1201446399
    1201446399

    I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be any good at that job - it seems too memory-intensive and time-pressured. And if they aren't giving you enough hours I would seriously consider a different job. But if you stick with it I'm sure you will get the hang of it.

  6. denisentexas Says:
    January 27th, 2008 at 03:09 pm 1201446595
    1201446595

    Ralph, that's why I'm stressing over it. There are cheat sheets here and there that tell us how much of this and how much of that to put in a drink but first I have to know what goes in it to know how much! And I haven't gotten that down yet. Also, the guideline is we have three minutes from the time a customer shows up to get their drink to them. Three minutes? That includes taking the order, calling it out, and preparing it.

    I can do it if there's just one customer but if there are a lot of people in line and you don't have a third person to do the calling that's where the trouble comes in. And last night the line was usually 4 to 8 people long. It was pressure, plain and simple, and I just don't handle that well.

  7. ceejay74 Says:
    January 28th, 2008 at 09:21 pm 1201555282
    1201555282

    I feel your pain. Last year I did tax preparation part-time, and even though I felt my training was thorough, when I actually started doing it there were all these details I realized I didn't know. I lived in terror of messing up someone's taxes, or of looking like I didn't know what I was doing while they were sitting right there.

    If it's a matter of remembering the ingredients for each drink, is there a way you could give yourself quizzes on your off-time?

    Are there any sympathetic coworkers you could ask for tips on remembering (pneumonic devices, crib sheets, etc.)?

    I don't switch jobs very often precisely because I hate that slow, stupid fumbly feeling I get for the first few weeks or months (depending how hard it is to learn).

    Good luck and keep at it. I'd find it hard to take this advice myself because I'm conscientious like you and don't like stress or anger, but: If they get too mad at you, let them fire you. Otherwise, don't worry about what they think. Just do your best and feel good about that.

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