The Director of Business Development at my company came to my desk today to ask me to help him edit a proposal. He stood in my cubicle for about three seconds before pointing at a picture of Paul and I that was tacked to my wall and stating, “I know that guy. He used to work at Starbucks. THAT’S where I know you from!”
I stared blankly. He knew me? And Paul? From Starbucks?
We discussed the logistics of his recollection and realized that it was quite possibly true that he had been a regular customer at my old Starbucks back in the day. The reminiscing was all good and happy until he mentioned that the last time he saw me there, he had ordered three drinks and I had messed one of them up.
“Oh, come on. Are you sure that was me?” I asked skeptically. I figured it was years ago and maybe he had his baristas confused.
“Well,” he replied. “You were supposed to make it with soy milk and you didn’t. When I brought the drink back to be remade, you did it, and then slammed the new drink down on the bar in front of me without saying a word.”
“Oh. Right. That was definitely me.”
I had no idea that you and Paul were a proudct of what we used to call the Starbucks vortex.
I worked for them for almost two years, in various states. To this day when I go in and some yuppie is screaming at the barista because their soy isn’t hot enough, or cold enough, or they didn’t stand on their head and cough nickels while they made it, I feel nothing but pity and empathy.
HAHAHA oh my. That always sucks when you see people who “know” you in unexpected places. Thats when they come up with horrible and embarrasing stories that you wish never happened 🙁
i went to the same starbucks in carlsbad, ca for 2 years and i could pick out those three baristas anywhere probably for the rest of my life. on the other hand, when i meet clients and work with them for two weeks, exchange tens of emails and speak on the phone, i will forget their name. selective memory. that is just sad.