Well, don’t I just feel so special? In the midst of a global pandemic that threatens the entirety of our lives and has put countless people out of work, I, a 16-year-old student, am officially marked as “Essential Personnel.” I am right up there with police, medical, and all other emergency first responders. Apparently, it is essential for people to need to not cook at their own houses and to have someone else make their coffee for them.
Get a grip, people. Pull yourselves together.
I am normally a very irritable employee. I told my boss in my job interview that I hated people, but I could fake it for him. Truth be told, I really do fake it for him. A lot. During normal times I’m always fake and use my service voice non-stop and still want to go home and faceplant into my bed. Of course, there are opportunities to break character when it’s someone you know. I always capitalize on them and wipe that fake smile off my face and take the time to sigh and scowl. I find my sass levels go through the room during these short breaks. All that built up venom I just need to release. I once told one of my regulars that I only guessed his flavor (caramel) because he was a blonde caucasian. Customer service during times of peace is already a nightmare from a nightmare. Customer Service during a time of crisis is definitely an experience. For starters, have you ever tried to work a Dunkin Donuts drive-thru alone with absolutely no milk in the store? Manning the store alone is hard enough, but having to work at a coffee shop that doesn't have any type of milk whatsoever during the $2 latte sales is something else. Our supplies always meet our demands. Now that everyone is asked to please stay home and not go out for stupid things like donuts, we run out of stock faster than we can get it in. One week I ran out of large iced cups. I almost ran out of caramel syrup. We run out of donuts 2 hours before we close, and never have the kinds people ask for. Our normal busy day supplies are not meeting our busy pandemic demands.
My theory is that these ignorant, incompetent, panicked people are so scared that we might close and not open up the next day, that they order 5 drinks just to get them one last time. Then they do the same thing every single day. These people are so afraid of getting sick that they come to Dunkin Donuts in full protective gear and order 6 drinks and 3 sandwiches like we are going to be the safest bet. When I work, it is mostly me by myself in the drive-thru. I handle money and make drinks. I wash my hands all the time, but if someone with the virus comes and pays in cash, I now have it, the next drink I make has it, everyone who gets change now has it, and it will spread like a wildfire. Drive-thrus are not as safe as these places are claiming to be. Even wearing gloves, you will still spread the virus. Drive-thrus spread the virus quickly and silently. We need to be closed to take this virus out as soon as we can, but we won’t do that if everyone keeps buying things non-stop.
What really upsets me is the actual essential personnel who come through. They are actually still working and risking themselves for us, but they can’t even get their coffee because we have no supply and our lines are way too long for them to waste time in. One of my customers works for 911. She used the app to order 2 lattes, one hot one iced. The hot was for now and the iced she was going to put in the fridge and save for 3 am when she was working the 911 emergency hotline. I had to wait for her to tell her that I can not make any of the drinks she already paid for on the app because there was not a drop of milk in that store. The crazy people used it all before with their 6 iced lattes each. I wrote on her receipt that she is owed her 2 lattes and gave her a free large iced coffee because she probably needs it more than most people.
My overall observation is that fear is controlling people and in the panic of this outbreak, they are indulging themselves in luxuries because they don’t want to go without them. As harmless as it sounds, it is actually foolish and kind of selfish because it is actually making the problem worse. Working customer service during a pandemic is not an experience I would like to ever have to have again. People are panicked and see this as an excuse to be extra rude and extra demanding. Dunkin Donuts needs to close down. We are not essential. People can cook for themselves and make their own coffee. It isn’t fun, but I don’t care in the slightest.
Pull yourselves together and learn how to use a coffee pot.
https://youtu.be/ZpBlgWDQVU0
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