Communication over coffee

One of the most interesting things about work is the customers. Most people come just for coffee, some come to hang out with other people, but a lot are regulars who get the same thing and who know all the baristas. I'm still trying to learn all of the regulars' names; there are a lot of them. Some of my favorite customers, though, are not the people who come every day but the ones who show up once and provide a bit of entertainment. For instance, there are the ones who come through the drive through and make funny faces when ordering (they don't know that we can see them). Sometimes people ask silly questions, like if the oatmeal or the sausage sandwich has more calories. Something funny is always guaranteed to happen.

Wait for it...

Once, a lady came through the drive through while talking on her cell phone. I'm never quite sure whether to be annoyed when people do this or not. I usually try to find things to chat about with people, whether it is the dog they have in their lap, our new drink, or even the weather, but when they are already having a conversation, then even politely asking them how they are feel like an intrusion. At least this lady wasn't one of the annoying ones who hold up the line to finish her conversation. Instead, she handed me her card, and, as I took it, she held the phone away from her head and said, "And I'd like to pay for the car behind me, too."

I smiled, wondering if this would turn out to be another of those Pay-it-forward things, where the whole line of cars would end up paying for the order of the stranger behind them. After swiping her card, handing her her drinks, and wishing her a good day, I excitedly waited for the next car to pull up. When it did, I explained to the woman, who was also on her phone, that her bill had already been taken care of. I thought she would exclaim how nice that was or ask if I knew why or say that she would then cover the cost of the next set of drinks. What I did not expect was for her to sit back exasperated and say into her phone, "I hate you, Misty. Stop doing that."

Apparently, those two women were friends and the way they got coffee was by going to the drive through in separate cars while talking to each other on their phones. My hope of an afternoon of watching strangers perform a kindness for others was immediately shattered and replaced by a touch of disillusionment that two friends would not even get out of their cars for a few minutes to enter a coffee shop together. But perhaps they had just been shopping at the nearby mall and the coffee run was spur of the moment. At least these kinds of "getting coffee" with someone are not the majority.