1. When customers ask you for the "regular" cone. - I'm still not sure what the regular cone is but if I tell you that we only have cake, sugar and waffle cones then I have no idea what you're talking about if you insist that you're having the regular cone.
2. When customers ask to sample common ice creams like vanilla or chocolate. - We have some crazy flavors at my shop and I am more than willing to let you try any of those flavors. But when there's a line out the door of impatient customers, it would really help if customers didn't ask to sample flavors that are pretty self explanatory.
3. When customers take a whole entire stack of napkins off the counter for themselves. - I make sure I give every customer a napkin whether they get a bowl of Ice Cream or a cone.Since we're a small shop, we only have a limited stock of things like napkins, so when someone takes a stack of 20 napkins, it pierces my soul a bit because I know that someone will complain later that we don't have any napkins.
4. Complaining about the prices.- Obviously I am not the owner of the Ice Cream shop. I definitely don't control the prices of anything on the menu. People have given me a hard time about the prices and demanded refunds immediately. Hey I'm ballin on a budget too but I'm not gonna freak out on some 19 year old because gourmet cupcakes are too expensive for me.
5. Complaining that we don't have soft serve or frozen yogurt. - I don't control anything about that. And there is no place in town that serves either of those things. We all know how to access Google.com so I'm pretty sure you can figure out a place in the next town over that does have some.
6. When customers definitely said one flavor but change their mind and get mad at you because you "didn't do the right flavor"!!!!!!!!! - People will tell me to get them Butter Pecan and after I already got it they will say "That's not what I ordered. I said Black Cherry." and I'm like ooooookay I don't care at all if you change your mind I just want you to tell me and not get mad at me!!!
7. When people ask for difficult toppings on a cone. - Sprinkles and some other toppings are delicious on top of a cone of Ice Cream but it is nearly impossible to put your request of hot fudge on top of a scoop on a cone. It will fall of and probably land on the ground and I'll have to clean it up later.
8. Asking to sample more than three flavors of Ice Cream. (Part One). - Okay there's a long line of people in the store right now and I completely understand that you would like to try our flavors but we're super busy and please limit your sampling to 3!! Three is a good rule because you get to try a few important ones but not too many.
(Part Two) - When customers ask to sample more than three flavors of Ice Cream and don't get any of those flavors. I really love giving suggestions and helping people find their favorite flavor of Ice Cream but it's usually super busy and if you're wasting my time it's a little frustrating!! Obviously you can get whatever flavor you want but it's good to be respectful of the customers behind you.
8. Yelling at me or my coworkers because we don't have gluten free options. - I totally understand that there are people who are extremely allergic to gluten and have to stay away from it at any cost but why would you be rude to an employee at a cupcake shop when there isn't anything gluten free! I will definitely give you suggestions for nearby stores that carry gluten-free options but it's not that big of a deal that you have to storm out of the store and be rude about it.
9. When customers stay in the store after close. - Hey we all want ice cream and sometimes we just want to sit in the store and enjoy it with our best friends but most of my coworkers are still in high school and during the school year we stay open til 9. When customers stay in the store past close, it gives other people the idea of coming in and we can't start cleaning until you leave. Usually counting the money and cleaning takes an hour and I want customers to enjoy the store and experience as long as we are open but it's inconsiderate to stay inside and prevent people from going home because you have to stay in the store.
10. I hate when customers DON'T bring their dogs in. - Especially in those rare moments that we aren't busy. If you have the cutest, smallest puppy ever or the biggest, fluffiest doggy then I definitely want to pet them and have some sort of stress release while you decide on what kind of ice cream you'd like.
Working at an ice cream place is so much fun and I've learned a lot about customer service and I love talking to new people and learning about where they're from and why they've ended up in my small little town. Even though I have plenty of pet peeves, I love the experience and learning to bite my tongue and have patience is so important and I strongly recommend that all teenagers get a job because it teaches a lot of responsibility and plus people tip great money at ice cream shops. On some of the most tireless nights where the line is out the doors for hours, my coworkers and I will each individually make $60 in tips, and that's definitely worth it!!!!
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