Angela M.
Yelp
I write this with mixed feelings.
My experience was soured by a pair of really demanding, inconsiderate, and condescending people. Yes, we are still in the throes of the pandemic, but as vaccines are more and more common and protection and sanitation practices are basically required, there's little room for asshole behavior.
A customer demanded that the employee not touch any bit of the product, not even with a napkin. This customer demanded that the employee wash hands between every task. If and when employee made a mistake either in touching the product barely or skipping a wash, the customer would ask him to start over. This three times before the customer was satisfied.
But we aren't done yet, with every demand made by the customer, the employee became increasingly irritable. The customer went on to ask for the manager; turns out the employee IS the manager. Things came to a head when the employee raised his arms in frustration and desperation. Then the customer phoned someone and that someone was by their side in a matter of seconds. Two Karens against one employee -- question to LICK, why was the employee there alone?! This was all so disorienting to witness that I decided to interject because it was apparent to me that there was a language barrier. The customer and I shared Spanish and I shared English with the employee. Turns out this all could have been avoided if she'd asked him to put on gloves.
Almost there... and the rando who came in just had to have the last word. He degraded the employee by telling him, "to do his job," scoffed at him, yelled at him. I could barely get a word him to help before this rando added fuel to the flame.
Now we're at the fourth and final try on getting these folk's order complete. The rando makes it obvious that he won't leave a tip. And I'm left with an employee who is stressed out of his mind. He expressed fear about getting in trouble because, "customers like that always [formally] complain." He expressed frustration. He expressed fatigue; after I suggested he take a minute to breathe he pointed to the line snaking out the door, and with dread in his eyes, "I don't have time, gotta get to all these people." Again, question to LICK, why he was there alone?! It's not very team oriented to put all that pressure on someone. He was left to fend for himself for a job -- which I'm sure pays poorly, because, of course, food service industry.
Circling back to the ice cream itself: the Strawberry Cream Pie was exactly that with its strawberries, it's cream, and it's pie, oh so much pie. The Lemon Poppy Seed was tart on the front and terribly bitter on the back, I really felt like I'd just chomped into a lemon rind. I also tried the Texas Sheet Cake and that flavor alone is enough to bring me back!
To the couple (who I doubt will ever read this): if you wanted ice cream so badly, you could've taken your business elsewhere instead of causing everyone more stress. As a matter of fact, stress can weaken the immune system, and why risk that outcome over ice cream? Also, it's extremely rude to tell someone to "do their job." You have no idea what others are going through, just as I have no idea what you're going through. A little bit of empathy can go a long way. One more thing, there was something about the rationale of y'all that just didn't make sense: wife said she being particular about the sanitation because her husband was home and sick but then, husband came to answer her call. Smells like MANIPULATION to me.
To LICK: do better. Staff appropriately, ensure your employees feel secure, address workplace stress and toxicity.
