When he went for training, he was full of self-importance and professionalism. His instructor had flown in from Starbucks Corporate Headquarters in Washington. This was a big deal to him; he was to be the only person in the whole of Kroger to be trained and not be management. He was excited.
Now I am addicted.
We can visit "the store" by which we mean Starbucks. I have graduated from $4 mochas to $2 house coffees and a delightful concoction known as an Americano. This is two shots of espresso, hot water and when they get to about 1-1/2 inches from the top, they fill it with vanilla soymilk. I add in three packets of Splenda and I am in heaven.
I mean to say, I am not all that picky. Give me a smooth, fragrant, milky and sweet cup of coffee, I am quite pleased. My son will step up to the counter and ask interesting questions. "Is the coffee of the day South American?" "Columbian?" Frown..."I'll have a white chocolate mocha, extra caramel and whipped cream". He will turn to me and say that he DID order some Gold Coast for the coffee of the day, but it isn't here. Would I like to settle for a cup of the new Anniversary blend?
He goes on to explain that anything South American is mud and anything African is far better, being a superior bean, grown under superior conditions. He can explain the way that African beans are processed in the first leg of their journey to my mouth, relative to how South American beans are processed at that stage. I receive a lecture on the fine qualities of coffee grown in various regions of the world...I just want mine with soymilk and sugar.
He is known at his Starbucks as "Mr. Legendary" for having procured two 5-star customer service awards BEFORE he was ever trained. He had to figure stuff out on his own at that point and apparently did an excellent job. His coworkers love him because he has memorized all the codes for every size and type of coffee on the menu. His home at the store is the deli, however.
Mr. L has a hard life. If he is buying coffee out of uniform, he is informed by his customers that he is on the wrong side of the counter today and they are skipping their coffee today because he isn't in to make it. When he is working, but doing deli duty and up to buy a coffee on break, his customers accost him. He can't leave till he has made their usual. Just the other day, he was in the deli when one coffee customer presented himself and insisted that Mr. L go up front to make his coffee the way he wanted it because the gal up there hadn't the first clue about a good cup of coffee. His boss was standing there and motioned him to go up and make the coffee.
His regular customers have tipped him with cards for free hair cuts, discounted meals where they work and he has been asked out on dates.
My son has been experimenting every chance he gets. He invented a white chocolate mocha frappacino, not on the menu, but one lady considers this a must have. She will step up to the counter when he is there and say: Make me that drink that is better than an orgasm.
All of this over a cup of coffee. Coffee is only roasted, ground up beans mixed with a bit of water. I mean honestly!