1.28.2007

return of the butterfly

remember butterfly?
well, she's back and more bizarre than ever. apparently she believes she gained some weight over the holidays so instead of her usual 'rainbow water' she's now ordering 'diet water' - which means she wants three pumps of sugar-free vanilla, three pumps of sugar-free hazelnut, three pumps of sugar-free cinnamon dolce and five splendas added to her iced water.
she also believes she needs to burn more calories so she's been rollerblading up and down the sidewalk in front of bux while she sips on her diet water. some customers started to ask us about the homeless child outside and we explain that she's not homeless, she's just very eccentric.
"but she's asking people for spare change." one of our regulars informed us.
so out of the goodness of my perky assistant manager's heart, she went outside to talk with butterfly.

"honey, you really shouldn't be panhandling out here." perky assistant manager had her caring voice on. "it's not safe to talk to random strangers."
"but i'm bored out here by myself." butterfly answered while rollerblading in circles around my assistant manager.
"well, you know you can come sit inside the store while you wait for your mom. i think she'd like that better than you asking people for money."
"but i like asking people for money." was butterfly's answer.
"well, i think it's much safer if you just sit inside the store instead of rollerblading out here."
"can i have a free refill on my diet water - for free?" butterfly asked, ignoring the words of perky assistant manager.
"well...if i give you a free refill will you quit asking strangers for money?"

of course butterfly complied, but now she thinks perky assistant manager is her new best friend. she expects free diet water every time she rollerblades into the store and reminds us all that "the assistant manager said i could have it for free!" - even when perky assistant manager isn't working.

i'm sure it's just a matter of time before butterfly will expect free pastries and sandwiches. i'm also sure she's not quite as daft as she makes herself appear, but in fact she's actually very manipulative.
i wonder how much longer perky assistant manager will put up with butterfly's behaviour.

customer rant: believe it or not, i'm ok with the fact that you've run out of chai tea bags. what i'm NOT ok with is that you neglected to tell me this and instead gave me a cup of earl grey tea with a pump of chai concentrate. when i called you on it you said - "oh, well that's practically the same thing". after i informed that it isn't anywhere near the same and requested a plain earl grey tea instead, you muttered "are you really going to make me open a new tea bag?".
yes.
yes i am.

15 comments:

Ya Looblue said...

wow...i never did crap like that when i wad a kid...the worst thing i did was probably ignoring "do not tresspass" signs...

pilgrimchick said...

I don't know what is more interesting--the quality of the staff you work with or the customers that go through a "song and dance" like the tea bag incident. Perhaps someone should tell the "butterfly" that too much of any kind of water, including her unappealing concoction, can cause bloating that will at least create the appearance of weight gain.

Anonymous said...

how strange. that girl really has issues. or may just grow up to be an amazing character actress... or something.

i had a slightly bad experience at a bux the other day... was waiting in line and behind the woman ordering and was taking a bloody long time cos she was getting a fair bit of stuff...
and then the guy taking the order started to mill about and then proceed to laugh about the fact that they didn't make the right drink for her whilst i was standing there waiting for him to take my order. this was the first time that i actually got quite peeved and after waiting for way too long, i just started to say my order. i was actually a little short fused with the guy cos he was really quite bad.

after reading your blog, i have come to learn how to be a good customer and also what to expect from people working at a bux, even though it is on the other side of the planet.

Ceetar said...

Oh my, did that Barista actually(assumedly knowing you're one too) make up a drink for you because they were that lazy? That's pretty bad.
I can't even imagine tea with Chai concentrate even tasting very good.

Anonymous said...

hey brat, thought you might like to check this blog out.

http://waiterrant.net

he's a waiter who rants ( ok that was kinda obvious). got himself a bloggie award. and a book deal too. harper collins no less. tho' the latest ones aren't about waiting on tables, most of the previous ones are, some of them laugh-out-loud funny.

just thought you might be interested.

bored-rista, now signing in emmanuelle :)

Anonymous said...

On a particularly slow shift at work, I told my co-workers about the rainbow water and we made one. It was so nasty, I wanted to barf. Do you use a pump of every single syrup? Even the Coconut and Melon and everything? The one we made had everything except for the mocha syrups in them and it was HORRIBLE. I don't see how this kid can drink them.

Love,

Schlatko

Anonymous said...

LOVE your blogs. my friend showed me your site and i just love it. i worked at a s-bux for 5 years and reading all these just make me laugh and nod my head. keep 'em coming!

Anonymous said...

Time to call child welfare services on Rainbow. Her parents need a wake up call.

BTW I love your blog and check it all the time for updates! I used to work for bux in the early 90's, glad I got out when i could.

SkippyMom said...

Earl Grey tasting anything like Chai? Is he kidding? That would have set me off in words I cannot describe....It amazes me what some clerks assume they can get away with. How hard is it to just say "We are out." ....or is he too lazy to actually re run the order through the reg? arrrrrrr....

As for butterfly girl [who cracks me up for her audacity alone] I don't think I could ever work at bux - they are so much like swimming pool owners in their incomes to spend lavishly on non necessities but their sense of entitlement is shocking.

And if I write sense of entitlement on your blog one more time I am afraid you will ban me...giggle..

Hugs

lullaby jones said...

Dear Barista Brat,

I love your blog. As a former barista of over four years, I can relate to the sheer hilarity and unbelievable behavior you see when you are behind the counter.

I am very concerned about Butterfly and I agree with the previous commenter that suggested you call child services about her. I am in school for this sort of thing (kind of, more child development) and her behavior is indicative of something being terribly wrong, either physiologically or at home. On a more pragmatic note, if she is kidnapped from outside your bux while she is panhandling, and you all knew about it, depending on which state you live in, you could all be in trouble. Seriously, give them a call, that's what they're there for. The very worst case scenario is that they discover she is an unusual, unruly child her parents cannot control, and it'll scare the crap out of her to the point that she'll have to start behaving in public. Or, you could rescue her from a terrible situation just in time.

Not to get too heavy on you there, Brat, but I do love your blog. Your posts make my day and I hope you keep 'em coming.

Your friend,
Lisa

Anonymous said...

That girl's mother needs to get a clue and start taking care of her daughter.

Sling said...

You know,..Butterfly is beginning to sound almost likable.
In a crazy person kinda way.

Anonymous said...

but oops. just read a post by skippymom. so mebbe not.

and yea you woulda deserved a bloggie.

Anonymous said...

You should do that cop calling thing. But not so much because I'm concerned about Butterfly, I just want to read about what happens.

barista brat said...

ya looblue - i'm trying to imagine what she's like in school.

slskenyon - i think she feels "grown-up" when she orders these drinks.

marcus chan - the think i hate most when i'm waiting in line is when the baristas have no sense of urgency. that bugs me more than a messy condiment bar.

ceeter - it was pretty foul, i tell you.

emmanuelle - haha, at your second post! thanks for the compliment!

schlatko - the first time i made her a rainbow water i used all the regular syrups (excluding mochas, maple and pumpkin) but everytime after i just omitted the syrups at the cold beverage station. she never noticed the difference. and you are much braver than i for having tried it!

anonymous - thanks for dropping by!

anonymous - perky assistant manager apparently asked butterfly for her mother's number. i haven't heard yet if she got in contact with her yet.

skippymom - yeah, i have NO idea what he was thinking. and i would NEVER ban you from the blog! haha!

lullaby jones - thanks for the advice. i'm hoping perky assistant manager will (or already)get in contact with her mother.

anonymous - too true.

sling - that's the bartender come out in you!

jp - i love how you're all about the drama!