I am so sick of coffee

[Food Lady]

So you all know that in the mornings my store has the mall walker bunch in for coffee at the cafe. It seems the group has gotten really big now; they push together at least 8 small tables. Now, that's not sucky in and of itself, but it's all I can do to be a notch above rude at this point. The last Friday I worked back there I learned to run four carafes at once: 2 decaff and 2 regular. It's getting colder and people other than this group want regular now. Hey; that's cool and I can do it. But apparently it's not enough. I guess I should just list all the stuff that drove me nuts today, as that would be easier:

--Entitled CW just plunked his change down on the counter and reached behind the register to get a cup 20 minutes before opening, as he always does, and it annoys me no end.

--I have a tiered carafe display, but today I put the second decaff on the counter next to the original one. It's easier to see that way, easier for them to reach, and easier on my neck to pick it up from there. In short, I had a reason. It was different than usual, and one of the nice ladies offered to move it to it's usual place, but I said "It's ok; I want it on the counter." No problem with her, but all morning the rest of them kept moving it from where I put it to the top of the display and I mentally considered taking the thing apart. They probably didn't know, but after the first time I put it back on the counter where I wanted it, they should've figured it out. Stop moving stuff and just take the coffee you paid for!

--Bringing the empty carafe to the front of my counter, dripping coffee on my paperwork because they couldn't see the second carafe of decaff right next to it, in front of their eyes. OK, again--STOP MOVING STUFF!! I was literally just about to go get it when another customer walked up and the old people pulled this one.

--Some lady trying to chat me up (for lack of a better term) as I was rounding the corner to get the coffee and yet again make more. It's not bad to be friendly, but can't you see me running? Of course not. And I feel bad because she probably remembered me from cashiering and I didn't remember her and couldn't really chat because I was being pulled in so many directions that when she asked "How's your day going?" I just said, "OK." Not the best answer, but on 5 hours sleep, I can only process so much mentally. My mall walkers run me as if I were the mom and they were toddlers.

It all boils down to impatience and the fact that apparently I need to make not 6 but EIGHT pots of coffee to get through the first 1.5 hours. Come ON! I'm by myself, trying to deal with them and clean the oven and make sure I have everything on the menu available shortly after 8:00 am after opening only about 25 minutes after I got there. (That's another thing: MODs always open five minutes early.) Next time I am making 6 pots right away--2 on bottom, 2 on top, and 2 on the sides. If they tell me I'm out of coffee at that point, then I don't know what to say. I'm not a Starbucks!

[dalesys]

...epoxy bungee cords thru holes at the coffee pots assigned locations...

[Food Lady]

That wouldn't get me put on probation! I at one point had two half-empty pots when they were saying I was out. I thought about taking the pump out of one and pouring it into the other, right in front of them, to make a point. They'd probably complain.

[notalwaysright]

--Entitled CW just plunked his change down on the counter and reached behind the register to get a cup 20 minutes before opening, as he always does, and it annoys me no end.

Wow, that's not okay. I would be pissed too. I hate when people want to get in early. No! We have posted hours, you impatient wackado. The idea of "mall walkers" kinda confuses me, since I spend as little time as possible in malls.

[raudf]

They are the group of people, usually elderly, who walk laps around the mall proper before any stores open. I usually am cool with this because the temp inside is usually stable and there's very little rain to speak up. Unfortunately, this crowd does tend towards being very entitled.
Drove one of my friends batty when she worked at a food joint in the mall that opened earlier to cater to this crowd. Demands, demands, and "Meeeeeee" chorus.

[EricKei]

On the 20 minutes guy -- That may be a liability, as your attention is very much diverted elsewhere, and he could get hurt. Will the manglement at least try to get him to stop?

[LillFilly]

They are the group of people, usually elderly, who walk laps around the mall proper before any stores open. I usually am cool with this because the temp inside is usually stable and there's very little rain to speak up. Unfortunately, this crowd does tend towards being very entitled.
Drove one of my friends batty when she worked at a food joint in the mall that opened earlier to cater to this crowd. Demands, demands, and "Meeeeeee" chorus.

Yep, that sounds like that crowd I used to get. There is really NO changing them. They will be that way as long as they go to their location. Nothing you try or do or say to get them to change the way THEY want things done will get them to change. Sorry, but that's what I had to come to accept. And their excuse is always "I'm old and I've done it this way for X years!" Yep, because it's always ok to do stuff as long as you don't get caught...

[notalwaysright]

Omg, I just looked the mall near me, and there is blurb which says "Local Mall opens its door to you Monday - Saturday from 7:00am - 9:30am with a safe, year-round, climate-controlled fitness opportunity." Holy crap, how did I not realize that was a thing? I had a vague idea that sometimes people "walk the mall" but I thought they were talking about window shopping. You know, browsing. So this is just using the mall like a gym.

The mall near where I used to live (Tacoma) regularly had shootings, so I wouldn't consider that particularly safe.

Edit: Okay, maybe it was just that one attempted mass murder but it's still not my favorite place!

[sylvier]

Ahhh, self-entitled cranky seniors, gotta love 'em! Your group of mall walkers are obviously regulars, wouldnt it be nice of management to schedule in some help for you on those days? No wait, the bean-counters up in corporate know how to run a store.

[Food Lady]

Yeah, it would have to be every day, and corp won't pay for that. These people were coming long before I worked there and will be long after. The only way they stop is when they die. Eric, management doesn't care. It's open; I have no gate to stop anyone.

[EricKei]

nar - This plague phenomenon has been around for a loooooooong time

I suppose the theory is, that people walking the mall will hang around and spend lots of money at a bunch of shops, all the time, after they're done. It's been my experience, rather, that they just want somewhere air-conditioned to get their exercise done in. Once the mall opens, you hear this great sucking sound as they flee to the doors to catch a ride home...

[emax4]

I'd suggest intentionally showing up late to keep them waiting. If they complain, remind them that they can get a job and work there since they are at the mall before you are.

[Marmalady]

I'd suggest intentionally showing up late to keep them waiting. If they complain, remind them that they can get a job and work there since they are at the mall before you are.

I think you may have hit on the solution, emax. From what I see, you can only get away with telling rude / cranky / entitled seniors where to get off if you yourself are a rude / cranky senior. So, give an elderly person with attitude the job of making the coffee in the mornings, then they can fight it out between them.

(PS My own father (82 yrs old) would be perfect for this - he was the one who, when a woman tried to push in front of him and a few others at the checkout saying 'Excuse me, I'm in a hurry' told her 'So am I, and so are all these other people, so you can just wait your turn!')

[sms001]

she asked "How's your day going?"

I just said, "Hectic!"

Not the best grammar in the world, but effective.

Sorry 'bout your EWs, Food. I've dealt with "I was a custy before you got here, and will still be one after you've gone" folk at a couple of locations, and they are def among the worst to stay patient with.

[eltf177]

I suppose the theory is, that people walking the mall will hang around and spend lots of money at a bunch of shops, all the time, after they're done. It's been my experience, rather, that they just want somewhere air-conditioned to get their exercise done in. Once the mall opens, you hear this great sucking sound as they flee to the doors to catch a ride home...

A friend of mine from high school got a job as a public relations person for a mall we used to hang around in while we were in school. The stories he told me about the mall walkers (before they were finally tossed out) were freakin' legendary!