What Kind of Service Mindset Should Baristas Have? Is Being a Barista Hard?

The Changing Attitude of Baristas

"I used to go to a café for the barista's skill and warm service. Now when I walk into a coffee shop I have to tread carefully—if the barista is in a bad mood, they won't even acknowledge you..."

At some point, baristas stopped being approachable. Meanwhile, more and more of them like to flaunt their "personality," dressing up arrogant, impatient, or rude behavior with the excuse: "This is just how I am."

Whether a clueless apprentice or a barista with real knowledge and technique, many seem to feel that working in a coffee shop is impressive—and impressive people need "personality"—therefore baristas must have "personality."

But everyone forgets that beneath the cloak of foreign culture, a coffee shop is still the service industry, and a barista is a profession whose job is to serve customers. Perhaps because so many of today's baristas are young, most lack service awareness—or quietly dodge the reality that serving others is the job. Many of these young people grew up feeling that being served is natural, while serving others feels "humiliating" and "subservient."

That's why so many wrap themselves in "personality": only by keeping customers at arm's length can they avoid being respectful. And most importantly, as long as they're "cool" enough, nobody will call them "waiters."

Is Serving Others as a Barista Humiliating?

Is serving others humiliating? No. In any industry, at any position, service is a mark of professionalism. If you want more people to understand and love specialty coffee, service is how you spread it! What's the point of the barista profession if you have the knowledge and the skills but only enjoy them yourself, or share them with fellow "experts"?

The barista profession exists so that, through their professionalism, more people can come to understand and appreciate coffee—so coffee culture spreads healthily and correctly. Yet many of today's baristas walk the opposite direction: they chase ever more professional knowledge to stand out among novices, tirelessly teasing beginners for not understanding coffee while refusing to spread coffee culture in a positive way. Isn't that a betrayal of the "teacher" half of being a barista?

The Balance Between Personality and Service

"Then I'll open my own coffee shop, be my own boss, and have all the personality I want!" Sure—but what's your purpose in opening a café? Even if it's not for a living but truly for passion, don't you still hope that each morning when the doors open, customers walk in and, under the sunlight, you quietly and seriously brew each cup while they relax and comfortably enjoy what you've made? If you won't provide even basic service, how many will keep coming?

The Soul of Professional Service

The deepest knowledge, the finest roasting and brewing skills—without service, all of it is hollow. Knowledge and skill are the roots; professional service is the soul. Both are indispensable, and losing the soul will kill the roots. Service isn't "subservience" that lets customers take advantage—the hardest thing in the world is getting someone to willingly pay for what you provide. Everyone weighs whether the cost is worth it.

Being "challenged" by a customer isn't necessarily bad—it exposes where your professionalism falls short. Small setbacks are fuel. Don't let the expertise and skills you worked so hard to build be buried because of a few "challenges" or a reluctance to hear criticism.

Everyone has the right to drink coffee, and everyone deserves professional service in a coffee shop. Baristas—stop being so aloof!

Image source: Internet

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The best service ends with a coffee the customer actually wants to drink again. FrontStreet Coffee's picks for winning over any first-time guest start with the entry-level classics: Ethiopia's washed Yirgacheffe Guodingding—jasmine florals, lemon acidity, berry tones—or the natural Sidamo Huakui, whose berry, floral, jackfruit, melon and honey sweetness converts even the most committed coffee skeptic.

If your guest prefers no sourness at all, Indonesia's PWN Golden Mandheling—triple hand-sorted for a clean, smooth body with woody fragrance and caramel sweetness—or Brazil's Cerrado Red Bourbon with its cream, peanut and cocoa comfort will do the trick. And a gentle brew of Costa Rica's honey-processed lots—like the black-honey "Blackberry" or raisin-honey "Mozart," sweet with dried grape, blueberry, osmanthus and rose—makes the kind of impression that keeps people coming back, which is the whole point of good service.