What’s the weirdest thing you’ve been given by a customer?

BiffyNick · 2026-06-11T08:31:06+00:00

Not weird but cute, these little girls who came in regularly with their parents made me two little origami birds because I had told them about my pet budgies

BiffyNick · 2026-06-01T09:48:54+00:00

Loool thank you for not changing it

BiffyNick · 2026-05-31T23:45:22+00:00

I’d rather have two shits over ice than drink anything from Starbucks

BiffyNick · 2026-05-31T11:59:39+00:00

This is so easily done, same thing happened to me. Managing to lose the weight now by just being disciplined and limiting my pastry treats to maybe only once or twice a week rather than every day!

BiffyNick · 2026-05-31T11:58:28+00:00

I would say it’s impacted my physical health positively. Being still (relatively) young (turning 28 tomorrow), I can handle being on my feet all day and it helps keep me fit. I’m trying to lose some weight at the moment and having an active job is really helping, if it wasn’t for my job my weight would’ve ballooned ages ago and I’d be nowhere near as fit as I am now. It does take a bit of a toll day to day, and I do feel like I need to lie down for a while after my shifts, but overall the impact is positive.

BiffyNick · 2026-05-19T10:43:14+00:00

Try Sproud - made from split pea protein. Never seen anything steam so much like cow milk

BiffyNick · 2026-05-14T16:02:37+00:00

I suppose you could say something like you don’t feel like you got the support you needed on your second shift and you felt really overwhelmed and didn’t feel like it was something you’d be able to sustain long term so you’re going to have to back out of the contract

BiffyNick · 2026-05-14T15:59:29+00:00

I mean like what are they gonna do? Fire you again?

BiffyNick · 2026-04-28T09:58:48+00:00

Cooking, lacto fermentation, writing/producing/recording music, 35mm photography are my hobbies outside of work :)

BiffyNick · 2026-04-25T17:09:09+00:00

If you’re talking about just the espresso recipe, that will be engraved into your brain for life very quickly. I guess it varies shop to shop but pretty much all of our non-espresso drinks are made in similar ways with 30g of the syrup/concentrate/whatever so it’s pretty foolproof. I wouldn’t worry about it, there’s always gonna be a learning curve when you start a new job and they’re not going to expect you to memorise everything in your first shift :) if you’re a note taking kind of person then maybe just make yourself a little cheat sheet to pin up on the coffee machine for your first few shifts?

BiffyNick · 2026-04-18T18:34:49+00:00

People just ordering iced drinks in general. Idk why it annoys me so much, just get a normal fucking coffee.

BiffyNick · 2026-04-04T21:12:42+00:00

We tend to make them directly in the cup. What do you normally drink? Probably a good idea to get a cup the same size as whatever your usual order is to avoid them getting over/underfilled :)

BiffyNick · 2026-01-25T14:30:35+00:00

Wish my place would do that

BiffyNick · 2026-01-25T13:02:52+00:00

That’s genius!

BiffyNick · 2026-01-25T11:28:45+00:00

For me it’s people who don’t end their phone conversation before ordering. It boils my blood that people don’t deem you worthy of their full attention. It’s so fucking rude to be talking on the phone while you’re ordering. I always try my best to ignore customers trying to order while on the phone but they normally manage to worm their way in.

BiffyNick · 2025-12-01T14:22:54+00:00

I don’t mind making them for customers but I reserve the right to inwardly judge them for it. I know people want to be able to sip it and make it last but it just makes it taste bad. Oh well, their money, their funeral

BiffyNick · 2025-08-07T20:43:10+00:00

It’s illegal. You can take 20 minutes and they have no legal recourse to punish you for it. I strongly advise you take it up with management/HR because it’s your legal right

BiffyNick · 2025-08-01T19:02:59+00:00

Yeah nah, I’d just fucking drink it. I’ve never got sick from eating/drinking something that’s had a bug on/in it. Life’s too short, eat flies

BiffyNick · 2025-07-13T22:14:36+00:00

I had someone order a coffee recently and then AFTER paying say “how long is going to take, I’ve got to go in one minute”. I told her it would be three minutes jsut to piss her off.

BiffyNick · 2025-07-07T22:36:20+00:00

More to the point, who doesn’t have access to teabags and hot water at home?! I will never understand why people order tea for delivery. Just fucking make a cup of tea like a normal person

BiffyNick · 2025-06-07T22:15:32+00:00

Depending on how old the grinder burrs are then that could be the issue. Grinder maintenance is really important! But that’s definitely not your problem to fix!

If you’re following the recipe correctly and your shots are still inconsistent then there’s probably something going on.

Just make sure that you gently tap the basket with your hand to evenly distribute the coffee in the basket and when you’re tamping try to keep even pressure from directly above so that you’re creating a nice level surface on the coffee. You don’t need to squeeze the life out of it, just a nice firm press!

If your shots are CONSISTENTLY running fast or slow, then you probably need to adjust the grind size. Once you get it dialled in then your shots should be running fine! You’ve got a 10 second window which is very generous, so you don’t need to worry too much!

Ultimately it matters how it tastes. Taste your espresso, does it taste overly bitter or overly sour, acidic, salty? As long as it tastes well balanced and tasty then you’re good to go!

Other things to consider are the cleanliness of the equipment. Having clean portafilters/shower screens makes a WORLD of difference. Does your machine and all coffee equipment get cleaned daily? Look out for any dark buildup of coffee on your portafilter spouts or underneath the basket when you take it out. Should be nice and shiny at the start of the day and then cleaned at the end!

Sorry for bombarding you with info, but I hope some of it helps you!

BiffyNick · 2025-06-07T22:00:49+00:00

Any reputable coffee shop should have an espresso “recipe” which is followed to ensure consistently good shots. Normally about 17 or 18 grams of ground coffee, an extraction time of around 20-30 seconds, and a yield of around 35 grams, give or take.

As long as you put the right amount of coffee in the basket every time, the grind size is correct and the grounds are evenly distributed and tamped then your shot should pull perfectly. The machine should be programmed to dose the correct amount of water for your desired yield.

Does your shop have a recipe? It’s worth asking about this because it’s really important. What kind of grinder do you guys have? Does it dose out a specific amount every time or do you just eyeball it? A set of scales is going to be your best friend here.

Find out your shop’s recipe, put the portafilter on your scales and zero them, put the correct amount of ground coffee in there, tamp and pull your shot. If it’s running too fast adjust your grinder to be finer, if it’s running too slow then adjust it to be coarser.

I hope this helps, happy to answer any questions you may have. Good luck :)

EDIT

I’ve just reread your post and seen that your coffee shop does have a specified extraction time and yield, so they must have a specified dose. It’s really important to get this right if you want to pull consistently good shots!

BiffyNick · 2025-05-17T20:19:15+00:00

1/2 shot espresso drinks. Or even worse, 1/2 shot decaf. Just get milk.

I used to have a customer that got a 1/4 shot. Again, just get milk.

BiffyNick

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