Conciergeing. Mask reminding. Capacity handling.

Before I quit, I'd been promoted to Trainer and had talks about an SSV promotion. I was a closer in two different Indoor Grab & Go stores. (Covered a DT store too before the pandemic).

I also spent a large proportion of time as Concierge (I was willing to do it, and I was personally passionate about wanting to be in a Covid Safe space). Mornings or mid we did Concierge from the Support role but by close we were down to 2 partners (even when we had 3, someone was on a lunch or the shift was in the back doing the pull or the count) so we did it from POS.

I didn't do Concierge perfectly, all the time, but I did go through a lot of trial and error to see what worked.

Here's what I've got in terms of advice:



1. KEEP THE ORDER COMPLETE.

Drive through style. Do not give someone their cake pop/panini/lemon loaf until their drink is ready. Do not give them one drink while you're still working on the next three. HOLD THE ORDER. Remind the other partners about this from the second you clock on. It's the single most important thing you can do to keep yourselves safe!

The biggest reason customers unmasked indoors in the stores I worked was so they could eat or drink. Some defiantly, some absent-mindedly acting on pure instinct. And the biggest reason they'd argue with me about a mask-reminder - especially tourists from other areas where indoor dining is allowed and they think that's a legit loophole.

Some of them will have brought their own food & drink from other places but you solve 75% of your masking issues by holding the order. There's still gonna the jerks who start drinking the second it's in their hands, who can't wait until they've walked out the door, but at least they'll be otw out by that point and not still waiting!

(Did you know Disneyland had such a problem with guests knowing that they could unmask in order to eat and drink and therefore eating and drinking CONSTANTLY as an excuse that they had to ban eating and drinking outside of designated places?)

[EDIT: Technically "holding the order" is Sbux corporate guidelines as it was part of the modified operations info that went out in the spring. A lot of stores have been lax about doing it and it is tough for many partners to adjust their workflow to do it. It's also technically part of the Health Code where I am as LA County requires everything to be packaged and sealed for "to go" only.]



2. CAPACITY

Handle it early. Handle it every time. If your capacity is 7, call it at 7 - not 10, not 12.

When you're sporadic with calling it, the people that you do have to call capacity on may get angry that it was inconsistent and can feel that they're being profiled or picked on. Call it every single time.

Your SM might think you can handle it without asking anyone to step outside and just making drinks faster but you can't. Not when the customers keep on coming in, not when they're ordering 5+ drinks each, not when theres a line outside. You won't catch up.

And once your lobby is over capacity, it's going to stay over capacity. People assume it's a one-in-one-out so of you let it get to 15 it will stay at 15 and people will start to fight you about it. And then bar is going to get so backed up that whoever's was multitasking as concierge is going to have all their attention on bar and you're going to have 30 people in your lobby the next time you look.

If you can't see your entire lobby from behind the bar, pop put onto the floor to get a head count every so often. Let customers notice that you're counting. Explain to them in a friendly way that you're just checking, in case. You'll get positive feedback from the ones who care. And it helps prep them for next time, if they ever show up and get asked to wait outside they wont be as surprised.

When you're at your capacity and someone else enters: "Hi, welcome! Are you here to collect a mobile order?"

- if yes: "Great! I'll check if that's ready for you! Would you mind waiting outside? It's just that we're over capacity right now. I can bring the drink to you if it's ready! Thanks!"

- if no: "Ok, we're over capacity right now- would you mind waiting outside until we have room? Thanks!"

If you missed it and you're over capacity by SEVERAL people:

- Go out into the lobby. Find the person/couple nearest the door who look like they entered last. Address them first:
- "Hi there, sorry, we're over capacity - would you mind forming a line outside?"
- If you're still over capacity, turn to the next person.
- Keep going.

It helps if you start with the last one in, otherwise their response will be "but THAT person came in after me!" In that case apologize, say its confusing, ask that whomever entered last leave first.

If other people you're not talking to are listening and start asking questions or ask if they should go outside too, you may need to start saying:

- "Our capacity limit is X, I need to ask Y number of people to please wait outside, please!"

Sometimes the customer who just entered and is arguing with you will still refuse to step outside, but others in line (or waiting for drinks) may volunteer to go outside - because they feel sorry for you or because they've suddenly realised it's a crowded indoor space and not safe.



3. MASK-CHECKING CUSTOMERS


To customers walking in unmasked:

- "Do you have a mask you could put on?" -- OK

- "Can I offer you a mask, please?" with a mask already in my hand and stretched out -- BETTER


To customers who take it off after they order and are waiting:

- Approach them in the lobby at 6ft (if you can keep that distance). "Hi there! Sorry, I just have to ask if you could keep your mask - just while you're indoors! Thanks!"

And if they were eating something or give you pushback or you already knew they were grumpy:
-"There's chairs outside! You're welcome to wait outside if you'd like - I'd be happy to bring your drink to you when its ready!"


When customers refuse to mask up but want to order:
- "Would you mind if we just step outside? I'll go with you and take your order outside!"
- grab pen & paper in case it's a big or difficult order- they're going to be picky, its important to get thr order right and not give them an excuse to escalate
- try to keep 6 ft or more while you take the order
- take their form of payment inside while they wait - if they object, offer to help them order thru the mobile app
- bring the order out to them



4. NOSE-CHECKING CUSTOMERS

Easiest when they're directly in front of you. Most important for your safety then, too. If you don't have time and labor to approach them in the lobby, make sure to at least address it at POS while they order.

Exactly what you say depends on the person and how good a read you have on them. I usually started with eye contact and a "Hi! Sorry, just have to ask if you could try to keep your mask over your nose, just while you're indoors?"

If they were visibly trying to pull it up and it kept falling, I'd economy their effort so they would keep trying:
- "Thanks for trying to keep the mask up, I know it's really tough - they like to slip, don't they? We really appreciate you trying!"

If it was a basic surgical mask sitting right under their nose deliberately:
- "Hi sir, sorry, we are supposed to ask you to please cover your nose indoors. Thank you!"

Sometimes when I could see what was wrong with the mask (too big, broken ear loop, fogging up their glasses) I'd offer some advice about the particular issue - either because they seemed open to the advice, or just as a segue into encouraging them to cover their nose.

Had some great connections with customers about nose wires, head ties vs ear loops, and more.

Also would say to some of the scarf/banana wearers when it fell right off their face while they were talking to me that:
- "if you're having trouble keeping that up, we've got extra masks if you'd like one!" If you say this in your chirpiest most cheerleader voice it usually gets taken as helpful.

[Edit - idk what's going on with the numbering of sections and can't seem to fix the markup code, sorry!]