QASA.

Yesterday.
Work.
Oh Man.

Well It wasn't a bad day, it was just an eventful day.  I got to work at 1, which around that time it is the changing of the guards.  With in 30 minutes the whole floor is different people.  I was put on bar, which is my favorite and doing my thing.  When I look up and watch this lady try to pull a roller suitcase over the curb.  It was really amusing to watch her and I was smiling because of it.  I continued to make my drinks like the expert that I am and forgot her in 2 seconds.

Well, 10 seconds later she asks for the manager and I notice that neatly on her breast pocked is stitched QASA.  Oh CRAP!!!!  Instant Karma.  That is what I get.  She is here to make sure that we are following all of the health codes.  Great.  10 minutes into my shift.  For four years I have never been there for a QASA audit, well that reign of happiness was about to end.

Everything went out of  my head.  It took me a full 10 seconds to answer.   I couldn't even remember my managers name!  Well eventually I was able to get my thoughts all in one place and giver her an answer and tell her to just go in the back.  As soon as she turned around I was a machine.  Changing the milk carafes, even thought it was just done.  Changing the buckets.  Wiping down inside the fridges, the counters. Making drinks.  All sorts of things.

Now I want you to know that I truly believe that we (Riverstone)  are a very clean store, but some of the things that they want from you is really ridiculous. ex. We have bar towels in containers under the machines.  One for the steaming wand and one for the counter.  They want us to have an inch of water in the container with the rags, so each time we use them, (which for the steam wand is after each drink,) water gets everywhere.  It is just a mess.  That is only one thing, and I'll leave it at that.

So for the next 90 minutes I felt like I was on a chopping block.  She was walking around, looking at things. Watching.  Always watching.  Making notes on her Blackberry.  Asking questions.  Making notes.  That had to be bad, right?  Now in her defense I will say that she was very nice.  She even smiled! Well finally it was time for her to go and she had given her report to Assistant Manager who was there.  We all huddled around, looking like kids waiting to see if they would graduate.
94.5%!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HECK YES!  We cheered so loud that she was outside and looked back inside with a smile.  Pretty funny.  The customers that were in the lobby just looked at us like we were freaks, but nobody cared.  We passed.

 It is hard to get such a high score, and Starbucks has high expectations which is good.  Needless to say that was over.  Thank You Lord.  The rest of the shift went by so fast that I was almost sad to go home, almost...