Coffee Shops Wasting Your Time?

Have you ever ran into a coffee shop with the intentions of just grabbing a coffee on the
way to school or work and suddenly found yourself stuck? Stuck waiting, what seems an
eternity, for a drink that shouldnt take this long to make. If not, then take it from someone who
has had plenty of experiences similar if not identical to this one. Youre standing there arms
crossed, foot tapping, only taking your eyes off the clock to check the progress of your
anticipated beverage. If you take the time to wait you know youll be late for work, but if you
leave then you will have wasted $5 on a cup of coffee youll never get to drink. Its the most
frustrating position to be in and yet we all subject ourselves to such torture again and again and
again. Patience is not an easy thing to have, especially in situations as aggravating as the one I
just described. Likewise, more often than not, this impatience leads to aggravated customers
which in turn leads to a stressful atmosphere. In an excerpt from chapter 11 of the book A
Companion to Political Geography, Lynn Staeheli examines the concept of place from a unique
perspective. The chapter, entitled Place, attempts to describe place as being socially
constructed through time. Staeheli states that, a place is the result of the layering of activities
that constantly make and remake it. This can help us better understand the impact of stressful
situations, such as the one previously described, not only on the customers and employees, but
within the actual place itself.

Whats The Big Deal?

But back to the coffee shop youre waiting and waiting and waiting until you think you
just cant wait anymore when they finally call your name and you wonder if this sixteen ounce
cup of espresso, the one you just waited almost 20 minutes for, is really worth it? This scenario is
awfully familiar to regular customers of Western Washington Universitys Underground
Coffeehouse. With very few staff and only one register and espresso machine its no wonder they
have a difficult time producing coffee at a rapid pace. The other day I decided to grab a latte after
class and I was the only one there so my order was taken immediately. However, there was only
one person working so when the rush of people came in right after me, there was no one to make
the coffee. One single stress-ridden employee was expected to take orders and make coffee for
dozens of irate customers all by herself. It was ridiculous! Now this isnt usually the case, as
there is typically two or three people working; unfortunately, even with more workers it still
seems to take an incomprehensibly long amount of time to get your drink.
Think of it this way- one problem leads to the next until something that seemed so minor
has created a domino effect resulting in a tremendous financial blow to a beloved part of
Westerns community. It all comes down to this: the lack of employees and machinery leads to
slower service and longer wait times which causes customers to become frustrated and
eventually if this problem isnt solved, The Underground will experience an extreme loss of
business. Loyal customers are the driving force behind The Undergrounds success story. It all
comes back to the customers. Irritated customers are the root of the problem and without their
business it would only be a matter of time before The Underground becomes a used to be.

No Ifs, Ands, or Buts

What if I told you there was a way to fix this? A simple way to ensure that The
Underground Coffeehouse remains one of the most popular spots on campus. As someone who
has worked in an atmosphere similar to the one I have portrayed, I am aware of the stress that
accompanies a lack of staff and the immense responsibility and pressure that is put on the
shoulders of those who have to pick up the slack. The solution to this problem is simple, another
machine and more employees to handle them.
Now with any proposed changes there are always going to be skeptics and I know what
you might be thinking students are just too impatient and should learn to be more forgiving in
situations such as this. In many cases I would agree; however, as students yourselves residing on
the board of Westerns Associated Students, I would assume that you are familiar with the burden
of having to walk into class late, a class that also happens to be very expensive, simply because
the coffee shop took a considerably long amount of time to make your beverage. These
unnecessary situations are some of the most common causes of college students anxiety.
According to the article Sources of Stress Among College Students, One result [of the survey]
was that events such as missing too many classes compromised 15% of the total [student]
responses. In addition to this, the authors state that environmental stressors result from
problems in the environment, outside of academicswithin these divisions, the stressors were
identified as daily hassles... For example, new responsibilities, waiting in long line, and holding
a job, were commonly reported sources of stress [not to mention] the most potent sources of
stress are related to the varying demands on a students time Therefore, I would like to argue
that our impatience is, in fact, rational and finding a way to make The Underground Coffee
House more efficient would be in the best interest of both the AS and the students they are
representing.
One could also argue that although there are rushes at certain times, those specific times
dont necessarily give reason for hiring more employees. Nevertheless, the way I see it, its better
to have too many workers than too few. In their comprehensive examination of workplace stress,
recounted in their article entitled Psychological Capital: A Positive Resource in Combating
Employee Stress and Turnover, James B. Avey, Fred Luthans, and Susan M. Johnson define
stress as, The classic definition of stress offered by Lazarus (1966) [who states that] it
occurs when an individual perceives that the demands of an external situation are beyond his or
her perceived ability to cope with them. They continue to explain that, ever-demanding
customers make todays workplace arguably even more stress-laden than it was just a decade
ago. I have seen plenty of signs up around campus notifying students that the AS is hiring, so
my only question is, is there a reason why some of those new employees cant be assigned to
work for Kim, the manager of the Underground instead of Starbucks or the Dining Halls? She
does a great job, but she must be extremely overwhelmed trying to keep the business running,
which is a challenge in itself. It would be nice to help make her job a little easier. Inadvertently,
another effect of such circumstances is the stress levels of the employees who are working as
hard as they can to try and maintain customer morale when they are clearly just as frustrated as
the students they are serving. The article continues to discuss some major causes of workplace
stress, pointing out that A number of factors contribute to workplace stress, [including but not
limited to] heavier workloads and increased business (Hymowitz, 2007).

Furthermore, it could be said that there doesnt seem to be enough room to put a new
machine behind the counter. This is a valid point; however, if the staff were willing to shift some
things around, Im sure they could find a place to put the new machine while still being able to
store all of their other supplies. The problem isnt whether or not there is enough space to
accommodate the new machine, the question is whether the coffee shops financers would be
willing to entertain the possibility of a new machine. Flexibility is key and with the support of
their customers and management, The Underground could easily undergo a smooth transition
that could take little to no time.
Lastly, and probably most importantly, where would the AS come up with the money to
fund the purchasing of new machinery? Making space for the machine is easy, paying for it on
the other hand is a much bigger challenge. I myself have spent a great deal of time in The
Underground Coffeehouse and I know what its like to be a regular customer, to continually
patronize the local coffee shop simply because I love it and the wait is usually worth it. But there
comes a point where enough is enough. So I began thinking: if there was an effort to fundraise
for another coffee machine and customers were politely asked for a donation, I believe that those
of us who care greatly about The Underground would gladly round up our total or contribute
loose change to such a worthwhile cause. Thus I would propose fundraising as the most
important contributing factor to the acquisition of funds to pay for another espresso machine.
Think about it, the money that they raise would be directly benefiting those who helped to
donate. What better way to motivate a poor college student to donate their extra cash than to
inform them of all the ways it will improve their coffee-ordering experience?

So What?
In conclusion, Western Washington University is a wonderful school that provides
unwavering support to students of all backgrounds and identities. Over the years they have
dedicated much of their efforts to creating an atmosphere that is hospitable for all students and
one of the ways they have accomplished that has been in providing convenient places for us to be
able grab a bite to eat whenever we need. Similarly, I believe The Underground provides a place
where students can satisfy their coffee cravings at almost any hour of the day. It is an important
place to a great deal of people, myself included; however, as convenient as it may be, it is
incredibly frustrating to have to wait sometimes as much as twenty or twenty-five minutes just
for a cup of coffee. The employees are very friendly, but denying them the chance to better their
business is foolish and unfair, especially seeing how hard they work to make the business
successful.

Ellie Young
November 17, 2015
Works Cited

Avey, James B., Jensen, Susan M., and Luthans, Fred. Psychological Capital: A Positive
Resource for Combating Employee Stress and Turnover. Human Resource Management
Vol. 48 Issue 5 (Sept/Oct 2009): 677-693. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

Heckert, Teresa M., Niebling, Bradley C., and Ross, Shannon E. Sources of Stress
Among College Students. College Student Journal Vol. 33 Issue 2 (Jun99): 312-318.
Web. 17 Nov. 2015.\

Agnew, John A. Place A Companion to Political Geography. Malden, MA: Blackwell,

2003. Print. Chapter 11 written by Lynn A. Staeheli.