The Benefits of Formalized Training

TampTamp Inc. is dedicated to making great coffee. We strongly believe in formalized training for everyone, including ourselves. Anyone making coffee in a cafe setting receives some level of on-the-job training about how to make coffee, extract espresso, and steam milk. Once you become proficient in the skills needed to make coffee on a regular basis for paying customers, further formalized training is often deemed superfluous. There are several benefits to formalized training at all stages in the career of a barista that are often overlooked due partly to the time and money it takes to send someone to a class, but also because as the old adage goes “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. However, formalized barista training helps to build confidence, leads to continued growth, and allows for evaluation of skills outside of a barista’s comfort zone. These benefits are shared not only by the barista herself, but also by the cafe who employees her. How does training do these things? Why are these things good for everyone involved?

Get off the floor! Formalized training helps increase skills and therefore creates a more confident barista. On-the-job training is often abridged to save time and money in order to bring staff up to speed quickly. Training will cover what to do in order to make good drinks at a particular cafe, but often the reasons why we do and don’t do certain things in the coffee preparation process gets overlooked. Training classes outside of the on-the-job environment are often longer and more in-depth. Going over the theories and science behind good espresso extraction and milk makes more confident baristas. The barista who has the reasons and knows why certain things are good and bad for espresso will make drinks with both skills and explanations, which reinforce their behaviors. Not only that, the baristas can share their knowledge with others. The next time someone asks why they can’t have their latte extra hot, instead of replying “Because it’s against our policy”, they can politely explain what happens when milk is over heated and why it is that they don’t make lattes extra hot. So not only does the barista have a more positive, less stressful experience behind the counter, the customer also receives better service. Now the cafe owner benefits as well because customers are learning about coffee and this cafe has become a trusted source of knowledge for the consumer.

Before I took courses out of the line of sight for customers, I wasn’t very comfortable dealing with customers who wanted to talk about coffee. I was afraid that they would know more than I did and if we talked about they would find out I was faking being a barista. Well, to some extent I guess I was faking as a barista because I didn’t know a whole lot about coffee. After my first training class I realized that a lot of people know way more about coffee than I may ever know, but that is how is and I shouldn’t be afraid of having conversations, questioning, and developing my own skill set.

The great thing about formalized training courses I’ve taken is that being in a lab or classroom setting evens the playing field. Some students are more outspoken while others are more reserved, but in the end we are all students there to learn from the instructor and each other. Previously I found it intimidating to stand around the machine at work and “talk shop” with other baristas especially when there were drinks to be made, dishes to be done and things to be restocked. Being away from the customers and the minute-to-minute stresses of a busy espresso bar allowed me to open up and evaluate myself as a barista while increasing my confidence and knowledge.

Push yourself. Formalized training allows baristas to evaluate their skill set outside of their comfort zone. It is easy for baristas who are successfully serving coffee on a daily basis to think that their barista skills are pretty awesome! If they are pouring at least half-way decent latte art, they are probably getting a few compliments and feel pretty great about their skills. Or maybe they are the type of barista who gets easily flustered by a long line and tends to be overly critical of their drink making skills. Hands-on practice and group discussions will make areas for improvement more apparent to the barista who sees their skills as perfect. Hopefully with some newly found humility, baristas will take their new knowledge back to their cafe to improve the quality of their drinks and strive to keep learning.

Formalized training encourages the barista to ask questions, do research, and grow as a barista. In day-to-day coffee making, it is easy to fall into a routine. Formalized training can open a barista’s eyes to theories and techniques that she was not familiar with before. It doesn’t take a very strong push for people to fall down the coffee rabbit hole. It also a great incentive to make your employees feel supported and encouraged. A barista who is constantly learning and growing will share their knowledge and passions with owners, managers, coworkers and customers. And, by proxy, the barista’s enthusiasm is helping to grow the business of the cafe.