[MBTI General] Ask Your Barista

[Duke]

It's amazing the ideas you'll get lighting a bong.

So here's what I'm trying to do here. I work at a Starbucks somewhere in or around Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Since people watching is something I'd imagine everyone in here is really into, this is the perfect kind of job to talk about. It's an awesome get to know people kinda job. You have to get information from them, when they don't even know exactly what it is half the time. I have to talk to them at the window, so I start and have 100+ mini-conversations a day with all sorts of people. Plus there is the team of people who work there and how their personalities work with each other. Plus, I'm a 21 year old guy about to go to school, so there will probably be a few other interesting side adventures I'll take y'all on.

Yeah! Woot! I'll write something of substance when I feel like it.

 

[TopherRed]

Dear Duke,
I am a 24-year-old entrepanuer from the West Coast and I'd like to open up a coffee house that would be competitive with Starbucks. I know there are ways to make the place even MORE personable so that people will want to stay, chat, and buy more coffee/foodstuffs, but I am unsure what personal touches I should add apart from the basic model. What gets people to buy more?

Signed,
Fuzzy in California

 

[The Decline]

A few really comfy chairs, a bathroom, free wifi (w/ wall electrical sockets), relatively secluded study areas, a few larger tables w/ at least 3-4 chairs, nice warm-toned ceiling lamps, plenty of pastries and snacks (a good variety for every fancy), maybe some meal-caliber sandwiches, and of course a personable staff.

 

[Kilgore]

It's amazing the ideas you'll get lighting a bong.

Just be wary of the distinction between ideas and good ideas.

Dear Duke,
I am a 24-year-old entrepanuer from the West Coast and I'd like to open up a coffee house that would be competitive with Starbucks. I know there are ways to make the place even MORE personable so that people will want to stay, chat, and buy more coffee/foodstuffs, but I am unsure what personal touches I should add apart from the basic model. What gets people to buy more?

From my novice understanding, people hanging around in coffee shops don't spend more money, but will disproportionately use up resources such as electricity, paper towels/toilet paper and square footage. The idea is to create an environment that seems comfortable over a short term. Chairs that are uncomfortable after 30 minute, cranking the A/C way up so people are refreshed when they walk in, but cold when they stay, etc.

A few really comfy chairs, a bathroom, free wifi (w/ wall electrical sockets), relatively secluded study areas, a few larger tables w/ at least 3-4 chairs, nice warm-toned ceiling lamps, plenty of pastries and snacks (a good variety for every fancy), maybe some meal-caliber sandwiches, and of course a personable staff.

A large variety of perishable foodstuff and fancy sandwiches sounds expensive, unless there is high traffic to keep these items turning over and not going bad.

Then again, perhaps you NEED all of these items to carve out a niche and divert people from starbucks.

Oh.. and a coffee shop up the street from me has wooden tokens that can be redeemed for a drink. Kind of a cool novelty. I haven't bought any yet, but was thinking of having some around as tips for people in the area and whatnot.

 

[Bowie]

Dear Duke,
I am a 24-year-old entrepanuer from the West Coast and I'd like to open up a coffee house that would be competitive with Starbucks. I know there are ways to make the place even MORE personable so that people will want to stay, chat, and buy more coffee/foodstuffs, but I am unsure what personal touches I should add apart from the basic model. What gets people to buy more?

Signed,
Fuzzy in California

Go visit the Naked Lounge in Midtown. It caters mostly to the Hipster type, but the place itself has a very nice atmosphere. It's incredibly popular.

Did you live in Sacramento when True Love Cafe was still around? I don't know why they went out of business, it had to be the best coffee house in Sacramento.

 

[Gewitter27]

Dear Duke, my mental illness list is climbing. Can you please give me a panacea, or tell me where to find one?

 

[Duke]

Just be wary of the distinction between ideas and good ideas.

That one always gets me in trouble.

Oh and in true EXXP fashion, I totally forgot I had this here. I knew this was going to happen too, but that's not going to change anything. I'm actually going to use this thread for it's intended purpose......after I go up to Oxford, Mississippi for a football game this weekend.

 

[Duke]

Go to Hell LSU! I love beating some corndog ass.

Anyway, I'm going to lay out the types (as I have guessed them) of my fellow partners. You know, to give some context of the personalities at play. I'm going to alter a few names to protect the innocent, even though the odds are really slim of any of you knowing any of these people.

The store manager goes by Michelle. She's ESTJ all over. It's her way or the highway. She has the softness that only dom Te can provide. By that, I mean she's as caring and nurturing as a cannibal who just got poison ivy on the balls. I took me a while to get comfortable around her for a couple of reasons. The first being how scary intense she is. Always moving super duper fast. Always on your ass about something you're not doing "the right way." The second was, I kind of developed my own way of doing things. You know, not like making stuff wrong, but I just have a different system to get through rushes and stuff in how I make stuff. She'll just take over and you do it that way. Tough for me to adjust to. I love her to death though, now that I've made it a point to try and understand how she ticks. Plus she's done a hell of a job in making our store go from being awful when she got there to what is turning into one of the better stores in the area.

The ASM, we'll call her Dainelle. She's ENFP, which is probably why I communicate with her the best. Generally if I go to explain something, I'm going to confuse somoene by going off on some tangent to try to explain it. She just gets it. Makes it easy to relay stuff when we get slammed. She's also been instrumental in the development of everyone there. You have the freedom to do what you do, she just gives advice on how to do it better or just ideas to try and see if they fit you. That's awesome. Plus she's always saying something silly or singing something random to make you laugh. Great to work with, but struggles in the stuff Michelle is good at. Had to stop letting her order stuff because she forgot to order important things like enough espresso and white mocha. I'd so the same thing. They really balance each other well though. ESTJ + ENFP = Great success

Carson is probably my favorite person there. She's a shift supervisor and her type seems like INFJ. One word to discribe her is chill. I never feel in a hurry when she's running things, even when it's crazy. The funny thing is, we get more done when she's there than anyone else. Maybe it's because she's too nice, and I feel bad if I don't do enough to help. Who knows? Anyway, it's awesome too because I feel like we're on the same level. Generally when she wants something done, I'm about to go to do it. Many a time I've asked "hey, should we break down this bar?" and the reaction I've got was "I was just about to ask you to do that." We just have always really clicked. She does struggle with not having too much thrown on her by Michelle. I mean, she's too nice and passive aggressive to actually stand up and say "not going to happen." Most importantly, she's enjoys a good play on words, and that's my forte. Personalities just mesh.

I'll edit more in later...the spirit is willing but damn it waking up at 4:30 in the morning is not good for the brain.