Starbucks and Bad Customer Service

Buckle up, you guys. It's going to be a ranty ride.

I visited the Holy Land of Starbucks on Wednesday morning and received some of the WORST service. My experience went a little like this:

I walk up to the counter smiling as per usual because COFFEE.
Employee: "What are you getting?"
Me: (-_____-) "I'll have a grande iced caramel macchiato with one pump of vanilla and an egg and cheddar breakfast sandwich, please."
Employee: "Receipt?"

I'm sorry, WHAT? She didn't say hi. What are you getting? How about "what can I get for you?" or "what are you having today?" She didn't tell me my total. She didn't say thank you. SHE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING. I don't care if you're having a bad day. Suck it up and smile. As a barista, you have the power to make or break someone's day. YOU set the tone for their day. I'm sorry if you hate your job or spilled your Cheerios this morning, but Lord have mercy, be nice to people. It's literally your job.

My boyfriend and I always talk about how all the Starbucks we go to have terrible customer service. Not just in the same town either, we've lived in multiple places! They are't that personable. They aren't very friendly. They hardly even smile.

I've worked in customer service since I was 15. I'm 24 now. Receptionist, frozen yogurt swirler, barista, cashier, you name it and I've probably done it. I'm here to tell you IT'S NOT THAT HARD. Greet me nicely, smile a little, do something!

I know firsthand that customers can suck. They can be difficult and rude and entitled and at the end of your day, you feel exhausted and beaten down. Trust me, I've had customers THROW things at me.

Say it with me. It's not that hard. It's not that hard to be nice. It's not that hard to smile. It's not that hard to act like you like your job. It's not that hard to be a decent human.

I don't mean to generalize at all and I'm sure there are a lot of nice Starbucks employees out there (I know some!), but I just feel like the majority of my experiences are negative and this girl pushed me over the edge.

What are some of your customer service horror stories? I would love to hear them!

The Butler's Pantry // Escalon, CA

 One day, while I was perusing the explore page on IG, I came across a real gem. A house-ware boutique...and a house-ware boutique truck? Whaaaaaat. After IG drooling stalking for a few, I realized that this lovely place was located on Main Street in Escalon, which is just a short drive from my hometown. My brother in law grew up in Escalon, so I knew my sister would be up for a trip.We took my 9 year old niece for her birthday this past weekend. She is the definition of a blooming fashionista/stylista.

From the very second I laid eyes on this store, I was in love. I mean LOOK!

The door was open (which is always very welcoming) and other ladies were shopping around (which was a good sign). We loved everything. There was literally not one single piece there that I wouldn't love to have in my home. How is that even possible?

 

 

 

Confession: I spent $100. I got J his Valentine's Day gifts, stuff for his birthday party in April and a few things for myself of course. The store owner went to high school with my brother in law, so we chatted with her for awhile. SHE IS THE SWEETEST THING. She was so friendly and gave us a tour of the building. Her shop used to be the old butcher shop and a lot of the original wood/other items were still there. She had converted part into a small hair studio, another part into a nail studio, and there was still room for other fun things! The old refrigerator room is used as hair supply storage. Even the little conveyor belt on the ceiling is still there - draped with beaded light strings of course.

If you ever find yourself in the area, please stop in and see Jamie. Her shop is adorable and you'll leave with some really adorable pieces. She's getting a shipment of pineapple and cactus decor soon, so you know I'll be back!

The Butler's Pantry
1730 Main Street
Escalon, CA

6 Ways To Have A Better Commute

In case this is your first time here or you don't follow me on any form of social media, you don't know that I commute for work. I only live about 30 miles from my job. However, the fastest I ever get home is about an hour. Last Friday, it took me two hours and ten minutes. I'm pretty much always in a constant state of hangry, traffic induced depression. 

 A few years ago, I commuted with my dad and we spent a minimum of 5 hours in a car each day. Last year, I drove about 120 miles a day from Monterey to where I work. Annnnnd this year, I'm only doing 60 miles a day. (haha only 60) Sadly, I consider myself an advanced level commuter. If you want pro tips, talk to my dad!

Here's what helps me stay semi-sane out their on the roads. For tips on being the best commuter ever, read this post from February of 2015.

• Music - A good playlist/podcast can change your commuting life. My current choice is Sam Hunt's album on repeat. If you don't have Amazon Prime Music, download the app. I like it waaaay better than Pandora. You can actually listen to the songs you want! No waiting and waiting  for the song you actually want to hear.
• Snacks - If I don't pack snacks, you better stay far, far away from me. I try to keep snacks in my bag, but I ALWAYS have a granola bar stashed in my car for those times I forget. This is going to sound so lame, but if traffic is really bad I'll play games while eating - like take a bite every minute or something. It stops me from eating my snack in two seconds and it helps time go by faster for me.
• Water - I will not leave the office without a water bottle or a Redbull (for those desperate days). I need something to wash down that granola bar and for as long as I can remember, my mom would always tell me to make sure I had snacks and water in my car in case something were to ever happen. Job well done, mom! 
• Sunglasses - There's this certain spot of my commute where the sun is KILLER. Without my sunglasses, I would without a doubt go blind and crash my car. I don't really wear sunglasses any other time besides when I'm sitting in traffic, so I always have a pair in my car. 
• Dance Parties - When I commuted from Monterey, I would ALWAYS have dance parties in the morning. I was so tired. It was dark. The drive was so slow. I would dance like a crazy person to keep myself awake. This is also a good way to improve your mood and to make friends with the people sitting in traffic next to you. 
• Motivational Mantras - I have two things I tell myself multiple times a day. The first is "You can't help if you're smarter than these people" and "You can't be stuck in traffic forever. This will be over soon!" The first one might be a little rude, but seriously, the road is a crazy place full of crazy, stupid people. The second is the whole truth. Sometimes it feels like I'll be stuck in my car forever, so I have to remind myself that I'll be home before I know it.

Do you commute? What are your tried and true tricks to surviving it? I would love to know!

February Goals // 2016

Let's get straight to the point. January kinda sucked. I'm ready to start the year over on February 1st. Can I tell you how excited I am that the first of the month is a Monday? My slightly OCD heart is so happy. Even though January sucked, I pretty much killed my goals. There's the positive! My January success looks like this...

• blog more!
• comment on other blogs & become active in bloggy Facebook groups
• eat out less // cook at home more
• spend less (stop those Target trips giiiiirrrrrl)
• donate clothes at least once this month
• organize the kitchen cabinets (lawdy lawdy)
• stop being so lazy and go do things!
• mail 4 letters to loved ones

I think this is the most successful month of goals I've ever had, which is very weird since January was one of the most draining months ever. I blogged more consistently. Hallelujah! I commented on blogs more often and commented in the Facebook groups that I'm involved in. We ate dinner at home almost every night. I need to get back in the groove of packing a lunch every day, but progress is progress! I didn't shop much at all this month and when I did, it was for other people's birthdays :) I donated clothes once this month and already have a pile going for February. I was less lazy, but still not as active as I would like. I have a feeling this will be a continuous goal. We hung out with friends a lot, which was great. I'm really working on "watering" my relationships. Now I just need to be physically active! I totes met my goal of mailing 4 letters to loved ones. I love snail mail. However, I failed so hard at those kitchen cabinets. It's such a daunting task and I keep putting it off.

• keep blogging!
• keep commenting/being active on other blogs and in Facebook groups
• practice yoga
• complete the "Healthy Moments" ab calendar
• be more intentional with my time (in general and with J)
• host the best Valentine's themed birthday party for my almost NINE year old niece
• attempt those kitchen cabinets again 
• make dinner during the week/pack more lunches

How was your January? I feel like a lot of people are using February has a start over month. If you keep track of your monthly goals, leave your link in the comments. I would love to read them.