Awhile ago I was browsing the net for a new wallpaper for my desktop . . . something Christmas themed . . . but I haven’t seen anything that was cute enough for me download. Then I saw this image at one of the sites. It reminded me of the barista from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf last Monday.
Speaking of which, I was shocked and appalled at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at SM Mall of Asia! Usually Coffee Bean are jammed packed with people, so it left me wondering why the branch at SM MOA was almost deserted . . . especially the indoor cafe. Seriously, I love Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. I prefer it over other coffee shops out there because of it’s unique flavors, friendly and helpful staff and of course because of it’s cleanliness. Usually when you step into it’s indoor cafe you can smell the good coffee and the delectable food. So it left me wondering why on earth when I stepped into the MOA branch I felt like I entered the Twilight Zone where everything is the opposite of what it should really be . . . WTF!!!
Going back to the barista cartoon . . . so there we were at Coffee Bean my friend was taking pictures of the place for his school project. I’m not saying we were not at fault since we should have told the barista first that we were going to take pictures of the place for school purposes. But when we entered the cafe, there were no greetings, no friendly smiles and it was as if the staff didn’t see us enter or maybe the staff didn’t want customers to enter their cafe so that they can just chat with each other the whole day long.
So there I was ordering our drinks to the one and only cashier personnel who was giving me this “I-am-more-superior” and very “snooty” glare . . . The cashier didn’t even ask for my SWIRL card and when I told her that I have a card (for her to –duh– swipe and give me points) she didn’t even listen and continue processing my receipt. When it was all done that was the time she said “oh sorry I can’t swipe that you have, we already have finished transacting.” . . .
When my friend started snapping pictures that’s the time the “robotic and lifeless” staff came to life and wore this “annoyed” and “snooty” expression. And when I talked to the barista I got a bit of a scolding regarding the picture taking. I just apologized and mumbled some excuse which got totally blown off to my face by the barista’s expression of “so-what”. I do understand the “annoyed” expressions that stayed and played at their faces, but they should have managed this type of problem more smoothly. Honestly, if looks could kill . . . I would have died that time with the 2 man staff’s angry-mob-like stares.
I think Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf should retrain their staff. Like I said before, I’m not exactly saying that my friend and I weren’t at fault either . . . we should have asked permission from the “staff” (they should be called mannequins) that we would be taking pictures for school project (which I’m very glad to say my friend didn’t use those pictures). But dead-staff should either get retrained or get fired by their boss. They totally scare the customers away PLUS the OMG phe-eew odor . . . my gosh! This is a coffee shop, it should smell like COFFEE not garbage!!! Someone should really clean the space and detoxify it. It stinks a lot INSIDE the cafe comparatively outside where low/high-tide and pollution mix into the populace. The air inside was so terrible that I fully understand WHY the very very few (like I think there were only 3 in total) customers stayed outside and WHY the cafe at the opposite side is totally FULL of customers unlike in Coffee Bean.
For this experience I can now say . . . wow! I think I have survived the Snooty Barista and the Stinky Joe.
0