911 Coffee, wtf?

hullaballoo · 28-01-2006 4:00pm #1

I just went to 911 because hilpers was closed to get a coffee. I know the coffee there is siht so, after standing there for about 20 minutes, waiting to be served, I ordered a double-strength cappucino (in the vain hope that it might be semi-drinkable).

I watched the guy make it, and noticed that most of the coffee seemed to be coming out the sides and over the top of the coffee handle. Now, having some experience in working in cafés and bars, I know that that's not what should be happening. I also noticed that he just put the one shot (or at least as much of that one shot that didn't go all over the place) into the cup. So when he gave it to me, I asked was it double-strength, to which he gave me some snotty lip about putting a full shot of espresso in (which is about half the amount you're supposed to use for an ordinary cappucino).

So, I'm sitting here looking at the "coffee" which is pretty much off-white with coffee grounds lending it a bit of a chewiness that I'd rather not.

How the fcuk do they get away with this sort of thing, and then have the fcuking cheek to give you lip when they're questioned?

I'm really fuming.

/Gripe

Dave! · 28-01-2006 4:12pm

Dunno, but I've started getting hot chicken, cheeese, and lettuce in a soft roll -- DELICIOUS!

Sorry to hear about your coffee

mike65 · 28-01-2006 4:20pm

Whys it called 911, is the food and drink so bad it needs emergency call-out or is it a celebration of the attack on the twin towers?;)

Mike.

Red Alert · 28-01-2006 4:21pm

that staff in 911 need some charm skills. some aren't interested at all, others openly hostile.

Dave! · 28-01-2006 4:25pm

Red Alert wrote:

that staff in 911 need some charm skills. some aren't interested at all, others openly hostile.

very true

tintinr35 · 28-01-2006 4:35pm

that tall guy in there acts like u have just killed his first born when u go to the tills and disturb him from doing fcuk all

daiixi · 28-01-2006 4:46pm

yet you paid for it and walked away? Why didnt you ask for your drink to be remade, correctly? try complaining to the management!

humbert · 28-01-2006 4:56pm

they completely take advantage over the weekends cuz nothing else is open, I do agree their roles are tasty though, and the queues are something else today!

Riamfada · 28-01-2006 5:10pm

I was a coffee shop manager for a while before coming back to college and the way that the coffee is made in 911 is insane. Obviously the staff dont care or know how to make good coffee. But then again the machine in hilpers is worse.

hullaballoo · 28-01-2006 5:12pm

daiixi wrote:

yet you paid for it and walked away*? Why didnt you ask for your drink to be remade, correctly? try complaining to the management!

*Stomped away.

After I posted this, I called the tall guy over for a discreet chat and remedied the situation.

There's no management in there to complain to, it's wholly run by those jokes that are in there every day. Officially, there is management, but they're never around. I'm fairly sure that the H&S standards in there are well below the legal level, so I never eat there unless it's absolutely necessary.

I'm thinking of writing to the 911 HQ but it'll never work unless there's some way of getting UCD itself to actually voice the students' concerns; and as far as I know, that's yet to happen.

irlrobins · 28-01-2006 5:17pm

Red Alert wrote:

that staff in 911 need some charm skills. some aren't interested at all, others openly hostile.

Trust me on this one, they are WAY better than the staff that were there when it was dunkin donuts. There was one guy (who always wore the dirtiest top ever) who would just openly leer at all the girl's chests. His eyes never made it above chin height.

mac_leinn · 28-01-2006 5:29pm

Maybe someone should start a name and shame thread for grumpy staff. Even better, anyone who has a camera phone could take a picture and it could be like the "Know your ucdians" thread.

irlrobins · 28-01-2006 5:33pm

I think PeachyPants might have a prob with that...

mac_leinn · 28-01-2006 5:36pm

OK, fair enough, how about a compromise...

a name and praise thread were only the good ones are mentioned.
Although if it gets no posts...

Red Alert · 28-01-2006 5:51pm

they don't have name badges anyway.

daiixi · 28-01-2006 5:59pm

What I hate is places which advertise that they have soya milk and when you ask for it they look at you blankly and state that they don't have soya milk and look at me like I'm nuts when I say that they should change their sign.

*sigh*

Umaro · 28-01-2006 6:49pm

i dont drink coffee or tea, i just get a roll and a drink when i'm in there. the only problem i have is understanding the thick eastern european accents most of them have, in order to speed up the transaction i just go "yeah" if they say anything cos "yeah" = more stuff on the roll. unless its a tricky question like, "vat-du-zu-vant-on-ze-roll?" - in that case i'm screwed.

Chinafoot · 28-01-2006 7:07pm

irlrobins wrote:

I think PeachyPants might have a prob with that...

Yes, I think you're right. I'm sure most mods would have a problem with that.

I agree the coffee is rank in there, but there are other places on campus.

Wait til they get a Starbucks.

*edit*
Also, just a note about the "grumpy" staff.....all I will say to that is, imagine yourself working there being faced with massive queues of students every day, many of whom aren't too polite themselves. I know I wouldnt be too happy.

Riamfada · 28-01-2006 7:11pm

A starbucks wouldnt be at all bad. At least they know how to make coffee like its supposed to be made.

When somone makes a coffee and the machine screams and the coffee blurts out. Thats the same as somone pouring an all head pint of guiness and handin it to you.

hullaballoo · 28-01-2006 7:13pm

I'm not sure that that's really the right way to be looking at it. The staff in Hilper's and Insomnia aren't that bad. I mean they're not happy, and I don't blame them in the least, but at least they're not proactively rude like those 911 guys. You can't just excuse that standard of service by saying that busy places have some sort of prerogative to be backstards.

Riamfada · 28-01-2006 7:17pm

I cant comment on Insomnia. Its to far away from the Arts block for me. The coffee in Hilpers is instant which is bad enough in itself.

The tall Italian guy in 911 is a rude person, busy or not. I just dont go in there anymore

humbert · 28-01-2006 7:36pm

I agree with hullabaloo, if I was working there I wouldn't be a happy smiley person but I'd still expect to get a bollocking for being deliberately rude to customers, even the ones that are complete tossers, and there are plenty of them.

pretty*monster · 28-01-2006 7:41pm

I buy coffee at the co-op when it's around. It's not great but the price is right (and the 'staff' are lovely

. Otherwise I boycott coffee on campus because it's a completely unjustifiable waste of money for the crap you get.

And the tea in the resaurant is the most awful tea in the world.

Scraggs · 28-01-2006 8:00pm

agree with you on the tea pretty! the nicest tea i've had on campus has been in the student bar.... it was delicious...

Dave! · 28-01-2006 9:08pm

I hear they do beer there too

panda100 · 28-01-2006 9:13pm

hullaballoo wrote:

I'm thinking of writing to the 911 HQ but it'll never work unless there's some way of getting UCD itself to actually voice the students' concerns; and as far as I know, that's yet to happen.

well maybe you should go to the union and ask for their help?they love a good protest!

yeah dont like 911 meself-they were the only place not to go fairtrade and are a complete ripoff-you should ask santa for a flask next year and then you can make it yourself hullabaloo

Scraggs · 28-01-2006 9:18pm

DaveMcG wrote:

I hear they do beer there too

well i asked for a hot whiskey but ur man just laughed... but he said he'd get me a tea!

mac_leinn · 28-01-2006 9:25pm

peachypants wrote:

Also, just a note about the "grumpy" staff.....all I will say to that is, imagine yourself working there being faced with massive queues of students every day, many of whom aren't too polite themselves. I know I wouldnt be too happy.

I assume that was directed at me...

I used to work in a supermarket in the city centre and Ive had to deal with a lot worse than queues of students (even served a clown once!) but I was never rude to anyone. So I was speaking from my own experience.
It was meant as a joke. In hindsight, I should have used a smiley face! Nevertheless, I never meant to incur the wrath of a moderator or offend anyone so my apologies if I broke any house rules and please delete the post if you feel it's necessary.

mac

griffdaddy · 28-01-2006 9:59pm

i get a double strength cappucino in 911 about 3 times a week and it's nicer than a lot of places, even some coffee shops in town (except for one chinese girl who works in the afternoon and appears not to know what coffee is). I always find the staff ok as well, the guys who work at the juice bar are usually a bit of a laugh as well! you people must just look really sullen or something!:D

pilson · 28-01-2006 10:09pm

Like any other thing you order, If you're not happy with what you see, you dont have to take it. If I asked for a coffee and got the crap described in the original post then I'd refuse to take it and go somewhere else or go without coffee. I remember a couple years back, I was in bewleys grafton street getting breakfast. I saw the grill chef sneeze on the f uc king eggs and then put them on the plate. Unbelievable. I did'nt eat in bewleys that morning.:eek:

Chinafoot · 28-01-2006 11:04pm

mac_leinn wrote:

I assume that was directed at me...

I used to work in a supermarket in the city centre and Ive had to deal with a lot worse than queues of students (even served a clown once!) but I was never rude to anyone. So I was speaking from my own experience.
It was meant as a joke. In hindsight, I should have used a smiley face! Nevertheless, I never meant to incur the wrath of a moderator or offend anyone so my apologies if I broke any house rules and please delete the post if you feel it's necessary.

mac

It wasn't directed at anyone. I agree that *most* the staff in 911 aren't the best...either are *most* of the staff upstairs in the restaurant.
Anyway, why not make a complaint about them, or like panda suggested go to the union.
Fact of the matter is the majority of us will do the typically Irish thing of taking the coffee with a smile as we hand over our money and then wait til we get outside to have a good rant about the bastards inside.
If there is no management there and nobody directly complains to them, then things arent likely to change in a hurry.

Just my opinion anyway.

911 Coffee, wtf?

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