Another coffee shop tale...

[Dreamstalker]

One of the local coffee places (not Starbucks, starts with a P) was having problems with their steamer/shot machine yesterday. There was a sign on the door, and as we entered one of our favorite caffeine jockeys was putting up more signs, with the following (in a font twice as large as the rest of the sign, bolded, in red and underlined twice): "There is a problem with our machines. We cannot pull shots or steam milk. We are working as fast as we can to fix this, but until then this means that we cannot make lattes, cappucinos, or anything fancy." (can you see where this is going?).

I got into conversation with her, upon which she revealed that yes, people had been (surprise surprise) ignoring the signs and the fact that the espresso machine was dormant and trying to order caps, lattes and the like.

During our short wait to get iced coffees with caramel and whipped cream, even with these signs on the door, the wall as you're in line to order, the pastry case, each register and all over the damn machine, people still asked for lattes, shots, etc. Most of the other customers were pretty cool about it (just an "oh, OK" and order brewed coffee or tea after a short pause), but as we were leaving we heard one lady starting to get assholish about the whole thing.

[SuperB]

Customers do not read signs. I say this with absolute certainty and proof to back this claim up. They are incapable of reading the most simply worded sign advising them of anything from where the bathroom is, to what the price is, what cards you accept or where the beer is.

[Dreamstalker]

We were wondering if they would have noticed the signs if they had been printed on mylar and stretched over the lighted store sign...then there probably would have been complaints of "What is your store name? There's something blocking the sign...I wanna fifty-gallon-drum-sized extra foam latte with fifteen extra shots."

[BookstoreEscapee]

That was always fun when that happened at Store2's cafe. I usually get hot chocolate so when they couldn't steam milk it made me sad. But then there's always vanilla tea or strawberry frappucinos...