It's 7.00 in the morning, you wake up slowly, there's no need to be at work before 9. You'll have your long shower, wear your favourite clothes and put make up on. Then you'll go out hoping for a cup of coffee on the way to the office. Coffee that you could have made at home, but why bother yourself?
It's 8.30, you enter the coffee shop. You order your coffee, maybe a porridge too. What? What do you mean the porridge is not ready? You are already angry, so why not return your coffee saying it has too much milk, so someone has to make it again? And why not adding "it's your fault I'll be late". Late in the office where you are one of hundreads, and no-one will say anything. Finally you get your coffee and going away without thank you, even though you got your coffee free at the end.
Let me tell you how I see it.
It's 7.00 o clock. I woke up three hours ago, had 40 minutes to make myself look good with no make-up nor fancy clothes. Had to put on hideous jeans and black (polishable, but not trainers) shoes. I have to catch the bus at 4.42, otherwise I'll be late, what means no bonus for me (so I'll lose a pound for every hour I'll work during whole week). It's 5.10, I'm starting my shift in 20 minutes, but I know it already I'll start earlier without getting paid extra. Why? Because if something is wrong when the manager comes in, I'm screwed, even if it's not entirely my fault. So I'm running like crazy, and you are just having the best dream ever, right?
To make everything even better, I'm missing one team member, and one of them started two days ago. It's 5.45, shop opens in 15 minutes. It's plenty of time you say? It's not, as for "opens" I mean I must have your coffee and porridge ready for you, and I already know I won't. So half of my brain is working 300% while the other half prepares me for my manager`s anger.
It's 6.00, I managed to open on time, however I'm missing a couple of things, porridge, a team member, and three litres of sweat.
One coffee machine broke down, so I need to report it and call the maintenence. For every single missing ingredient from the kitchen I need to call other shops and eventually send people to get it. Why don't I ask for everything at the same time? That would make sense right? Well, maybe if the team in the kitchen spoke english it would have been easier..
And then you come in. When you are leaving you passing by a lady at the door.
It's my manager. She came in earlier than expected. Enters the shop with a look of an angry dragon. I already know I'm screwed. And I'm not wrong.
Why the coffee machine is not working? Why is there no porridge? Why one of the (20) lights upstairs is not working? Why is he wearing wrong shoes?
In all this craziness I missed a tiny piece-the new team member was wearing "wrong" shoes.
Why? I don't know why. But I'm not allowed to answer like this. I must know the answer for every single question she asked.
It's 9am and I'm already tired, but still have 7 hours to go. Break? Now I'm having one, my 15 minutes, not enough to eat, have a coffee and use the toilet, so you must give up one thing.