You see them all the time. You go to your local Starbucks or coffee shop to try to get some work or studying done and all of the tables with electrical plugs are taken. So you go order your coffee and wait around until someone leaves. Then you notice 2 of the people don't even have a drink and they've never ordered anything. They are just sitting there taking up space that a paying customer could use! I'm sure we've all spent our few hours at the coffee shop with free W-Fi, taking advantage of our gracious host, but society needs to get their manners back in this new age of cell phones and Wi-Fi. So, lets learn a few cyber-manners today:
- Don't be "That Guy"
"That Guy" is the guy (or gal) who always does annoying things in public places. This is just a general rule, basically like the Golden Rule. Do unto others in the coffee shop... Don't yell, yip yap on your cell phone for extended periods of time, give up your seat to ladies, don't bring your army cot and tent to the coffee shop so you can stay there for 4 and 5 hours... - Order something!
Being an employee in the restaurant industry for almost 10 years now, my work peers and I are experts in culinary etiquette and can tell you that coming into a place that only serves food or beverages and not ordering something is probably the worst cardinal sin of etiquette that you can achieve. You are basically stealing the time, table and resources of the restaurant and the employees. In essence when you come to a coffee shop or restaurant, you are "renting" a table to use for a reasonable amount of time (45 minutes - 1 hour is considered reasonable). Staying anywhere past that time implies that you plan on buying more product or tipping your server more. - Shhhh!
Everyone hates a "shhhush-er", but what more people hate is annoying loud noises in a place where people are trying to talk to family and friends or trying to concentrate and get some writing or work done, so keep your personal noise down to a minimum. Its not necessarily a library but just practice common courtesy. Turn your cell phone on vibrate. Nobody wants to hear your knock-off Britney Spears ringtone five times a minute. Mute your laptop, or use headphones if you need to listen to music or watch videos. Also, if you need to have a long involved business conversation on your phone, take it outside. - Befriend you barrista
Take the time to get to know that guy or girl behind the counter that is there every day serving you your drink. Create relationships. Most employees are authorized to give "free samples" (of various sizes) to their patrons and if you know them, you'll be the first in line to reap the rewards or to be overlooked for staying a little too late. The hope of a free latte isn't the only reason to get to know your barrista. There are alot of interesting people out there. Don't be a hermit. Meet someone, find out how their day has been.
What other annoying things do you see that people do at coffee shops or restaurants? Disagree? Leave a comment!
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