Make them wait

It's a cafe not an ER. They won't die from waiting.

nah i make people sweat all the time, politely. i can’t prioritize every new thing that comes at me and that sometimes means just communicating and being transparent that they aren’t the only customer in the world and honestly it teaches them patience for next time.

make them wait. my store is so busy and so many people want just water that (unless they already ordered) we make them get on line to order water and put it into the queue. we've had people argue with us over it occasionally but if all you're getting is water and i've got 10 customers who have already waited on line and paid for their drinks the least you can do is get on line and wait for it. like they don't even pay bc it's free water. i'm not putting that above someone who is waiting patiently for something they paid for. (unless it's like an emergency like someone's about to pass out )

I say “give me a moment to grab that for you! just so you know those items are free even though we keep them behind the counter now if you request them at the register we can get them in your drink next time”

If they can’t handle waiting for a few seconds while you do your job, that’s their problem. Don’t feel bad.

No, I ask them to wait a sec!

Nah I say, “ you have to wait.”

I tell them to wait and then they go and bother another barista

As long as you ask politely, I don't see a problem.

I mean if you’re almost done the drink i’d finish and get the item to the customer but if you just started i might just drop what i’m doing to give it to them

I always tell them to wait because they should order water at the front not with me . You don’t get pushed to the front just cause you ordered water lol wtf

No, I politely tell people this all the time. We are there to serve everyone and multitask, so most people understand that we cannot drop everything right away to grab them a sugar packet. Some people, though, are just assholes about it.

Saying just give me a sec is fine as long as it’s in a friendly tone. I do it a lot. It’s important to acknowledge them and help them when you get a free hand. But you don’t have to drop what you’re doing.