barista

gérant de commerce de détail

store manager

administrateur de bureau

surveillant du service alimentaire

Waves Coffee House

A job to remember for the rest of your life, promise. Although management was being constantly changed, every single manager had a sort of rapport with coworkers as if they were the chill parents you've always envied your friends for having. When first introduced to coworkers, within a few seconds you attain a family environment. When I say family, I mean one you would literally give an arm for; even when differences arise in the future. Because of the environment I worked in, smack-dab in the middle of Whalley (Gateway), you will soon know what I mean by having interesting customers from all walks of life come through the door. There are customers that will make you wonder who raised them, some that will call you a "traitor to your country" for telling them to lower loud music from their phones alongside the fact that they're loitering and some that will straight up attack you. I have had instances where a "well-known" convict has threatened to "find" me after work because I didn't show him the slightest bit of fear and enforced our right to refuse service (allow entry in washroom), and a mentally unstable person throw hands when told to stop bothering customers. I know this seems like it draws the line but I have witnessed customers walk in with bloodied faces, bruised women, crying children, and overdosed addicts inside our restrooms. Do note, these violent or victimized customers almost always experienced hardships beyond imagination so keep an open mind and/or optional sympathy. Regardless, do not be scared away; I promise it builds character, resilience and discipline to embrace these challenges as well as the RCMP/Firefighters will come to your aid in less than a sec because they're really regulars. Aside from that, you will frequently meet one of the best customers in the world; some that will offer you job opportunities and some that will actually end up being life-long friends. Tips were more than enough, hourly pay being above minimum as well as high potential in promotion. That being said, I only left because of one fact: I needed to dip my feet in new waters.

On a typical day at work, I would open the store with one other co-worker.  We would both collaboratively prepare the food and drinks within the Food Safe guidelines.  I would clean the store by wiping display windows, sweep the floor, place tables and chairs in an organized way and carry the patio furniture outside before the store is open.  When it is not busy, I would find things to do such as cleaning the refrigerators, place orders on necessities for the store, interact with customers, practice my latte art and making sure the washrooms were clean.  I learned that as a barista, I am responsible in putting forth my best attitude to the customers every morning because it is my responsibility to make sure that each customer is happy, and even one smile in the morning can make their day.  From this, I had regular customers come in almost everyday, and to show that they appreciated my service, they would tip.  Management was very cooperative and understanding, as they would be flexible with my hours, due to attending school at the time.  My co-workers and I are like family because we all work collaboratively and help each other inside and outside of work.  The hardest part of the job was certainly the rushes, however my co-worker and I managed through with the rushes in a calm demeanor by using teamwork that we have developed from communicating.  If a customer complains, I would apologize sincerely and try to make them happy by offering them more than what they asked for, such as a free drink in a bigger size with a coupon so that they could come back.  The most enjoyable part of the job is seeing that the customers were happy with our service and even sometimes having them take pictures of my latte art because they're are impressed.

A typical day at Waves involved getting the store and appliances ready for the day before opening, brewing coffee, usual barista duties including making drinks and latte art, cleaning dishes, cleaning the store, clearing tables, serving drinks, cashier duties, and sales reconciliation. I had never been a barista before this job and I learned about all the types of drinks, which ones I preferred, and what I could do to improve on them (to my tastes!) I developed a much more critical pallet for coffee and espresso-drinks. For the first month the management was great, she was very helpful in getting me going and improving my efficiency, while maintaining a very positive work atmosphere. She left to pursue other endeavours though, and things fell apart after that, as the owner did not hire a new manager and instead left all of the employees to sort out the managerial tasks themselves. This became chaotic and made for a lot of in-fighting and fighting over powers and responsibilities that I tried not to involve myself with, but the overall atmosphere suffered substantially. After the manager left, many co-workers became lazy and my relationships with them suffered also, but personality-wise, I got along with everyone. The hardest part of the job was dealing with coworkers who were no longer meeting their performance requirements as employees, especially the ones who had been there longer than I had. There were, however, many enjoyable parts of the job; the atmosphere and customers were great and I learned a lot about the coffee business.

Updating the company calendar & setting up meetings
Answering the phones/door
Checking voicemail and taking messages
Faxing, photocopying, filing, scanning, etc.
Preparing mail and packages for messengers, FedEx, UPS, etc. as needed
Ordering stationary & office supplies
Maintaining all office equipment (e.g., printers, photocopier, fax, postage meter, etc.)
Preparing & binding materials for client presentations
Making coffee daily & ordering lunches
Keeping the office, window, kitchen & washroom clean. General office cleaning duties such as dusting and vacuuming required.
Emptying the wastepaper bins, coordinating recycling, moving boxes, etc.
Picking up the mail and handling incoming deliveries
Organising flights and accommodations for office travel
Assisting the account staff with account work & research
Supporting the President & CEO, Director of Operations, Operations Team and Operations General Manager
Review all Offers to Lease, Franchise Applications
Implemented Administrative Support Requests Process
Overseas Rewards Program
Answering customer concerns, sponsorships, contest winners, nutritional information requests, screening applicants for job opportunities and potential franchise applicants.
General Executive Administrative Duties
Dealing with Lawyers, Franchisees, Landlord, Accountants, and Vendors & Suppliers.
Payroll (delivering to stores and making arrangements for pick up)
Deliver payments to vendors

Working at this coffee shop was a disappointing experience. Management was disorganized and unapproachable, making it difficult to feel supported in the workplace. The online training was excessive and unpaid, which felt unfair considering the time it took to complete. Once on the floor, the training was rushed, fast paced, and left no time for a proper transition into the role, it often felt like being thrown into the deep end with little to no guidance.

The work environment itself was unwelcoming. Respect among team members was lacking, and it was clear that new employees were not valued or treated well. Scheduling was inconsistent with very few hours, making it hard to rely on this job financially.

While the dress code wasn’t too strict, the requirement to wear a name tag felt invasive and uncomfortable. On top of that, the policy against natural hairstyles and piercings was outdated and discriminatory. Despite putting in a lot of effort, there was no recognition or opportunity for a pay raise, which made it feel like your hard work went unnoticed.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this job to anyone looking for a supportive, fair, and professional work environment.

Making drinks is fun, and working in a fast-pace environment (if you enjoy such things) will make the day fly by. My coworkers were awesome. Only reason i stayed so long. I wouldn’t recommend working here full time though. It’s very repetitive and the pay is very low considering how much effort goes into the job. Don’t count on a raise. They don’t exist. Now head office is another story: Belittling, rude and cheap are the three words I’d use to describe the people who work in HO. Training is inconsistent and rules and recipes seem to be constantly changing. One day, you’re doing something right, then the next you’re getting yelled at for doing it wrong. Depending on who your manager is, scheduling can be done well. I was lucky to have a set schedule so I knew what days I worked and when I didn’t. The staff benefits are fine, but you can find better at Starbucks tbh. You get one free drink, and sometimes you can take the leftover food home that is going to waste. Unless you’re desperate for work, I’d find another place to apply tho

Working here was a nightmare. It was extremely disorganized, messy, and slow. A lot of the people who were hired couple months before me still didn't really know what they were doing. Baristas were not trained to steam milk or extract shots correctly anyone just jumped on bar. There's was no organization in roles. Everyone was kind of just doing anything. There was a lot of miscommunication amongst the management and employees. Sometimes there would be no one at cash because everyone was making drinks but there would be a line. I quit after my first shift because I didn't want to deal with the stress. Asked to try it again by a manager in head office. Did two more training shifts before quitting again. Waited nearly two months to get paid because head office kept pushing it back and wouldn't issue my pay cheque. When I threatened to take it to bc labour relations board I instantly got my paycheque. Maybe it was just that one location that was really bad but I definitely wouldn't apply here again at any location.

I found the job itself enjoyable; however the bad definitely outweighed the good due to the management. Pay and tips would be constantly late, the schedule would be put out so late–Sunday night for the next morning. Meaning you couldn't make plans with friends or family, or schedule appointments until the week of. 

Everyone was also working alone for most of their shift, spending 8 hours by yourself with a long line of customers sometimes. It was against policy as there should be two people every shift for safety, but management faked a schedule to make it look like there were always two people every shift during a visit from head office. Working alone late at night was very dangerous due to the area but management did not care.

This is by far the worst place I have ever worked at and I was only there for a few months. When I had started, most of the staff were quitting and I should've listened to them when they told me to run. Lesson learned.

a typical day at work would look like me showing up, making sure everything is cleaned, restocked, and theres no crumbs or dishes around our store. then my coworker and i would preform all our daily duties in a timely manner.
ive learned alot from waves, ive learned to make amazing spicailty drinks, and really have learned to enjoy meeting and talking to new people. 
My manager is nice. Its his first business, and he is very respectful, and helpful. 
the hardest part of my job is probably dealing with the area i work in. i am in the heart of Whalley, and there are a lot of questionable people who like to hang out around where i work. sometimes its scary, especially when i have to clean the washrooms, or ask certain people to leave the store. Theres never a dull day.
but my most enjoyable thing about my work is defintely my coworkers. we have all been there from the beginning, and all are friends now. we are like a little family. i also really enjoy the cretive side to my job. i like making my own creations with our drinks. its important to enjoy what you do at work.

Typical day:
7-8 hour shift with a half hour un-paid break.
on your feet the entire time
helping customers, making drinks, cleaning and completing items on a checklist for opening or closing duties.

What I learned:
How to do latte art!
That an assistant manager is an integral part of the staff (we didn't have one...)
constructive criticism and positive feedback are necessary for staff function

Management:
Not the best, it varies location to location.
My boss (who is the owner) is cheap and forgetful.
Constantly changes the schedule and forgets about time booked off. 
Cuts hours without notice.
Refuses to hire an assistant manager because he would have to pay them above minimum wage.

Hardest part of the job:
Dealing with customers who know nothing about coffee
Long hours on your feet all the time

Best part of the job:
Getting to hang out with your coworkers (hopefully you have good ones)
Free coffee and the occasional treat!

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Barista 14 salaries reported	$18.31 per hour
Gérant de commerce de détail 6 salaries reported	$32.58 per hour
Store manager 2 salaries reported	$19.75 per hour
Administrateur de bureau 1 salary reported	$29.42 per hour
Surveillant du service alimentaire 1 salary reported	$21.00 per hour

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