Who's making the coffee?

Let’s be honest, anyone can pour a coffee! I don’t know about you, but I’ve had varied experiences in hospitality. These are the three versions I tend to bracket them in:

The flapper.

This staff member at the cafe is clearly a hard worker and keen to do their job well, but wow they seem to be going 100 mph and getting no-where fast. The till won’t work for him, the tap is still running, they knocked the coffee and it’s in the saucer, now the spoon is on the floor! I feel sorry for him so say I don’t need a spoon and I ignore the rings of coffee I’m making from the bottom of the cup, catching the drips in my hand. I’m not sure they’ve been shown everything they need to feel empowered.

The functional:

This girl is here to just make drinks. She’s efficient, and the coffee is lovely! The place is tidy and she’s busy checking he has everything he needs. She remembered enough milk on the way to work and everything is as precise and predictable as always. I haven’t a clue what her name is though, and I recon there’s been eye contact once when paying. As lovely as it is, it’s a bit functional and I just feel like a cog in the business plan.

The host:

Introducing the people person! There’s a chance they fall somewhere between the 2 above in terms of efficiency. They make make an occasional mess, or forget some of the detail, after all, while they’ve been trained to do the function of making coffee, they’re really here to chat and meet people! If they do get your drink wrong, you can forgive them because they’re not afraid to apologise and correct it. They’re warm and welcoming, pleased to see you, seem to love what they’re doing. In a short space of time they’ve seemed interested in your day, and you’ll likely be back in the future.

The above are examples from cafes, we’ve employed people in each bracket, and all the variables in between! 

In a good team, you can have a range of skills and cover each other but it is key to have someone who is a host/gifted at hospitality. 

This is true for church too. 

Several people will be willing to fill flasks, top up milk and so on, but the drinks station is a perfect opportunity for an extra welcome and friendly face. Having someone who has the gift of hospitality and a smile, is key. 

Volunteers for rotas can be like gold dust I know, and as church, we need to go with people who are willing. For some people, it’s good to give them a role and a purpose even if they’re not the most helpful at the task. If you were to pair them up with a gifted host, they would also benefit from learning some new skills. So I’m not saying everyone needs to be extrovert, organised and super welcoming, but do think about one or more people like this, to help give the best welcome to people coming through the door.