Sociology

Male: "Okay, so I'm going to record it but your face isn't going to be in it and it's gonna be·· anonymous."

Interviewee: Okay.

Male: "Um, First question: Does the amount of customer traffic, like the number of people in your line, like at your station, impact the amount of eye-contact you make...with the customers?"

Interviewee: “Uh..yeah, I guess so..uh, like if there’s more people in line, I won’t look at them as much… I’ll be like, more focused on what I’m doing..”

Male: “Ok, so you make less eye-contact the more people are in line?”

Interviewee: “Yeah..”

Male: “ok, and then uh..just that same question, but how does it impact your verbal interactions, which would be like, greetings, like- hey, hi how are you, and saying like your welcome if they say thank you to you? How does…how does the student traffic impact that?”

Interviewee: “Mhm.. I talk to people less when there’s more people in line…Generally, just ‘cause it’s like, so much busier I don't have time to have conversations, and like--”

Male: “Okay so like-- less- less verbal interactions?”

Interviewee: “Yeah.”

Male: “Ok..Uh, how about smiling, just the same-- question? Like do you-- do you smile normally or do you-- does- does student traffic impact the amount of uh-- amount of time you smile?”

Interviewee: “I guess I could-- when it get’s busier, I like-- smile less, because I’m like more focused on what I’m doing…”

Male: “Ok, so you smile less when it’s busy?”

Interviewee: “Yeah..”

Male: “Okay, does the age of the customer impact the way you present yourself, like the amount of eye-contact, verbal interaction, smiling..?”

Interviewee: “Yes. it does..like if someone-- if someone is older, if they’re a professor or parent. ”

Male: “So somebody who looks like a lot older--just like.. Non-student?”

Interviewee: “Yeah..”

Male: So what about-- what about the gender? Does the gender of the customer impact the way you present yourself at all?

Interviewee: No

Male: Okay, all right.Do you tend to socialize like equally with your co-workers or do you socialize more with the ones that are closer to your age?

Interviewee: I don't know. It really depends like on who's working.

Male: Okay, and like what about gender do you tend to socialize with coworkers of a certain gender more than others like man or women.

Interviewee: No, it doesn't really matter...

Male: How do you feel like when you're working and it's busy, but you see your co-workers talking or socializing?

Interviewee: It's get's really frustrating.

Male: Do you feel like a general shift in the workplace atmosphere when like the line gets longer?

Interviewee: Yeah, everyone gets a little more stressed...like we talk less...

Male: talk less..? What about when it's not busy, but you see like like a supervisor or manager?

Interviewee: Try to look busy.

Male: So just to be clear like when it's busier when the managers or supervisors around you had to tend to socialize less.

Interviewee: Yeah..or we'll keep socializing, but we'll do other things as well.

Male: Do you feel like uncomfortable at all? If the line gets long or how do you do you feel like more stressed when there's more people or is it just--

Interviewee: Eh...slightly...

Male: Okay. Up to some tough questions. Like how do you feel when students ask for like extra service like double servings or like ask you to I don't know like whole food from it-- Like like put out fresh food, even though this food already out. Like how do you feel when students ask for like special services?

Interviewee: It's fine.

Male: Do you still feel that way if it's like busier like the student if there's a long line behind them and they stop and ask you for something.

Interviewee: If they're like not rude about it.

Male: Okay, what do you do when there's kind of not a lot of students in line or around

Interviewee: What do you mean?

Male: like if your station isn't busy if it's just completely empty..? Do you socialize you do tend to just focus on preparing for students?

Interviewee: No like prepare for when people come.

Male: So if you if if you're fulfilling your job, we get your specific station, but you see another co-worker kind of busy at their station where you like leave your station to go help them?

Interviewee: That depends...

Male: If you like who the person is there. If you know them like you station, there's two serving, okay? sorry, I'm just...So, is there any specific routine on serving and preparing food to students, that you have?

Interviewee: Yes, there is a specific routine. We always have to wash our hands and dry them thoroughly before I put on gloves and then we can serve food.

Male: Okay, and then how do you prioritize things when you serve?

Interviewee: It can be difficult. Usually I prioritize trying to serve as many people as possible. Especially if there's a long line or someone has been waiting for a while.

Male:Okay, and then how do you feel when the lines actually do get like long? Do you feel any form of anxiousness or any--?

Interviewee:Yeah, I always feel really like overwhelmed and stressed out.

Male: Okay, and then how do you usually manage your tasks? And there's like multiple things coming up?

Interviewee: I would say that I usually try to like pause for a second to think about what's going on and what needs to be like done first. And then if it's too much for just me alone, I try to ask other co-workers to help me if they have time.

Male: How do you do-- just ask any of the workers or is there anyone you particularly like go to or anything?

Interviewee:I usually ask co-workers that are kind of like your my station unless I'm really not comfortable with them, but that doesn't happen often. So just anyone that's kind of like near and I know that they would kind of have an idea.

Male: Do you help different workers based on their gender or anything like that?

Interviewee: No, I feel like it doesn't really change. I helped them about the seem like there's no difference in attitude really unless it's involves the one person specifically but you know, it's just all the same. \

Male: How do you react when a student asks what we request for more food on their plate?

Interviewee: So sometimes I just try to remind them that we have like rules in place to just serve a certain amount of portions; but if they're persistent, I might add a little bit more or otherwise, like I tell them to just go to the back of the line and come back, because like if there's a long line that way, at least we make sure that other people get at least their one portion. Yeah, come back after.

Male: Are there different serving styles based on like the number of students that you see like back to the line?

Male: Like if the line is long as they're like you just like quickly serve or do you like actually like still do like the proportions? Yeah, so take that it gets really difficult to measure everything accurately. As it's going faster. I feel like it's not as close to the accurate proportion more because it's kind of just like sloppy and fast, but I try to improve on it because I know that that's like an area of weakness for me.

Male: And then how do you manage like emergencies that happen while you're working? Like let's say like you forget where the spoon is and then you see like the line is picking up again or anything like that.

Interviewee:I usually try to like check where I am first to see if like it is somewhere like if it fell on the floor or something just to know like what happened to it or like retrace my steps to see if I left it in another spot like your by and if I can't find it I usually will have to like run to find more because I know where there's extra supplies and extra food.

Male: What do you usually do, um what's the first thing that you do when the previous person passes their shift on to you?

Interviewee: I just try to quickly communicate with them to see if there were any changes that I should be aware of and I look at the station really quickly and if I don't find an item that's supposed to be there. I make sure to ask them like where it is or why that is what happened and then just try to-- that's pretty much it.

Male: Do you actively communicate with students or prefer like little to no interaction with the students unless they have like certain requests.

Interviewee: Sometimes there isn't a lot of time to interact with people unless it's like a slow day.

But even then most people just want to eat and they don't really care to interact. They just kind of want to get the food and you know, go sit down and be with their friends. But if they're-- I mean if they come up like we’ll make small talk. And they usually a very they're usually pretty nice about it and they're not rude but some dude just passed by.

Male: Okay, do you tend to maintain a neutral face or do you smile at students?

Interviewee: I try to smile students, but if I'm feeling overwhelmed my face probably looks more neutral

Male: and then do you have a preference as to why you like to smile more towards students or is it just natural for you just to be like smiling.

Interviewee: I think it was like a customer service representative. It's important to kind of like relay the message that like your they're like happy to help them and serve them not you're not being like punished or you know, because it doesn't make it as enjoyable like you want to be welcoming. So try to do that.

Male: Okay, do you, recall making a lot of eye contact, little eye contact, no eye contact with the people that you serve.

Interviewee: It's mostly a little eye contact except if they ask for like specific requests, then I have to kind of be more active in like looking at them to make sure that were understanding each other because it requires more of my attention.

Male: Um, how often do you like actually pay attention to like the line picking up? Like are you in your own Zone when you're working or is it like you'll take a quick glance? And then you're like oh a line or is it like

Interviewee: usually like when it's low right, and then it starts to pick up. I can see it happening.

But if it's like been long for a while, I won't notice if it gets even longer like because I'll just be so overwhelmed trying to get those people and then, like yeah will notice if if at that moment gets longer.

Male: Who are you more likely to interact with at least in regards to like we're working with?

Interviewee: mostly anyone as long as they're nice and if they make jokes (laughter) because I like-- like I made friends with also like cooks there and then I also talk to like my coworkers so I kind of like just got along with everybody for the most part.

Male: How do you feel do you get responses of thank you so long.

Interviewee: Usually people are pretty nice. If I'm close enough to the station. They'll say like, thank you.

Male: Mm-hmm. and then. how do you feel are what do you think about when the student asks would double the amount and the and the lines are already versus when the lines are like empty and then they ask for more.

Interviewee: I'm definitely more willing to give them a second portion if there's no line behind them, but if there is like-- if you know if they just take it, I can't really do anything about it. But I try to stop them or try to tell them, you know, like let's make sure that everybody gets one. So just you know, go to the line again or come back later when it dies down.

Male: Sorry, let me just look through more of the questions. Do you tend to socialize more when with your co-workers if it's a man or a woman or is it also just like how you said earlier just depending on like them and their personality and everything?

Interviewee: Yeah, I would say it just depends on the person honestly. Yeah, I would say they’re about equal.

Male: How do you feel when like the boss ends up walking around while you're working. Do you feel like there's a certain way in which you interact differently or act..? Interviewee: There is definitely a lot of pressure. I feel that you know, they're watching to see that we're doing everything accurately and if it's like very busy and I'm like doing everything really fast like I do worry that they're going to see that I'm maybe not being super like

accurate but it does kind of also help me to like slow down, and like actually focus on what I'm doing.

Male: Okay, do you feel like there's a shift in the atmosphere when the boss is around.?

Interviewee: I think so. I think everybody feels that way (laughter), but that might just be me.

Male: Um, do you feel like there's been to shift an atmosphere when the line gets longer?

Interviewee: Yeah, I feel like people are pretty stressed out and they're just kind of like yelling everywhere asking for more of this or more of that. You know, like more supplies or like to come help. So it's pretty crazy.

Male: Do you think that the age of the customer impacts the way that you present yourself when serving your food like the eye contact you have verbal interaction smiling so like because I know sometimes like families end up going. So there's like little kids versus like the actual students like do you feel like you have a different way you present yourself?

Interviewee: I mean, I don't think so. But if there are little children like with families, I'm probably like really well like be really welcoming to them and yeah, probably families in general probably smile a little bit more and be more respectful because they're you know need of the campus and or you know, they don't frequent. They're often. They don't really know everything

Male: How do you feel when you see other co-workers socializing while you're working? Interviewee: If it's low I don't really mind but if there's kind of a lot going on and they're not getting work done. It kind of gets frustrating to watch

Male: Do you tend to socialize equally with all your co-workers or do you tend to socialize more with people in your age group?

Interviewee: I think like more more frequently with people in my age group. That doesn't mean I don't talk to people that are older. I think I just have like less interactions with them because the people that are my age are usually like my co-workers and stations nearby, but the older people are usually like Cooks, you know, so they would be in the kitchen and I won't really be interacting with them as much.

Male: And then do find yourself having different interactions with workers might be older versus younger.

Interviewee: Sometimes because they are older and they usually been there a lot longer than I have. Hmm. So I try to like be more Mindful and respectful of what they have to say. Whereas if it's like some of my age it's a little bit like also be mindful, but I feel like the level of like intimidations a little different.

Male: And then do you notice yourself getting interacting differently when you use see just one student getting in the line versus like a group of friends.

Interviewee: Yeah, I would say I'm more willing to interact with like one person that's coming in versus like a group of people because they're all kind of in their own group talking amongst themselves, and I don't want to interrupt the conversation or the flow of it.

Male: Okay. Well, yeah, I think that's all the questions. So thank you.

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Interviewee: My name is Interviewee

Female: Since how long have you worked in the dining hall..?

Interviewee: I've been here since five years ago, since they opened Brewing.

Female: Okay, and what stations do you usually work the station?

Interviewee:The stations I usually work is freshly both and Gloria. Okay. Awesome.

Female:Okay. Awesome. Do you--which station do you feel like you can socialize more? Involved in both Yeah, because I am a full service..Yeah, so when I give you for example when a student come and we serve the plate, I'm always-- eye-contact, like I say Hi, how are you? How you doing? I mean --

Female: okay under so do you tend to initiate that coming up or do you feel like the students like reciprocate or I have to initiate and so you-- yeah…

Interviewee: you feel like this is like when you come to my house.

I have to give you a warm welcome. I mean, welcome their see you-- it is- this is like my house. Okay, so you invite to my house to have a dinner. For example. Yeah, I have to say.

Female: Do you feel like the students usually like respond to you? And you do like--

Interviewee: yeah, they love they when we when we say something like Hi, how are you?

Because I know I understand that the students they are they coming from- from school.

Female: Yeah

Interviewee: They come here to eat and relax see and have some relationship with your attitude. Female: Yeah, Does like-- it changes when the line gets busy. Like when it gets really long. Okay. Interviewee: Once the line is is long. Sometimes we don't have time to have a conversation. We only say hi enjoy right? I mean just like hi, enjoy. Okay. Yeah, sometimes I would like to start a conversation but it's hard because I know we have some let the big guy.

Female: Yeah, so you when there's not as much of a line like you feel like you have conversations and stuff like that?

Aveline: Especially when I’m working the salad bar.. ... have more time over there over there because we have different things.

Yeah, like the soup, where we have the bagels, with the cream cheese, and the (inaudible) salads, and we have the toppings. So there I have more chance to

Female: yeah because it's more open

Aveline: with that, there is no line over there..

Female: When your working with like your co-workers, do you talk between your co-workers in the back while you guys are like we have some we have communicated.

Interviewee: That's very important. When you work in the station, we need to have uh.. good communication because it's like that-- when you-- for example on the grilll, I'm making pancakes today...

Female: Yeah,

Interviewee: So I have somebody thats serving the pancakes and the other person serving the chicken. Yeah, we have to communicate each other when you're done.. I mean when your-- you finish, I have to give you more so I have to-- “hey, let me know!”let me know when you're done with the tray or something so we have to communicate, yeah.

Female: So do you feel like you guys get to the joke around around in the back or at all-- and just be like

Interviewee: Noo..we’re not supposed to joke around, yeah because we have to respect each other. Okay, but only on breaks.. We can make a joke or something but there we have to be like very professional. Okay? Yeah, you have to wear a hat, gloves, you know, things like that.., yeah, we don't have that much time to joke when we are working because we are so busy. Yeah...

Female: Yeah, you're focused on what your doing. Yeah, are there rules against it or is it just like you just kind of don't? Are there rules against you guys talking to each other or is it just like you just don't know--

Interviewee: no it’s... common sense.. Okay. Yeah, it's gonna but we don't we don't have a line and we're not that busy but most-- most of the time we are very-- that's especially here. Yeah, like today we serve like more than 2,000 students. So we open the station at 10 until to 2:05. Yeah, so sometimes we are so busy. Sometimes we don't have time for to drink water. Yeah, we are so busy. Yeah, there's no brakes and that made somehow only on the 30-minute wait and wait out that we have. For us I mean for me yeah, the students are first. yeah, no they are first..

Female: do you feel like do you see a difference between the people who have like worked in work with you like for a long time versus the people who are kind of younger and trying to like trying to get it trying to understand like--?

Aveline: yeah. It[‘s difficult. Okay because I can tell you I have five years working here.

Yeah, so I feel like I have more experience, you know, it's people that come from the that agency; student will help students to working part-time and we have-- I have to be very patient here then because they don't know. Yeah, so I have--we have to teach them in a good way. We have to do it like this because we cannot just throw the plate we have to give them the played it in their hands. Yeah with a big smile and eye contact I have to make eye contact with the students because they come here and they deserve the best. So that's why when we serve a plate, especially when-- When you guys-- I mean when the students come okay, it's good for them to see or eye contact and give you the plate in your hands. So you feel more like welcome. See ya. See

Female: Made with love.

Interviewee: So always a big smile and eye contact and say something. Yeah, I want because we never know how you feel.

Maybe you have problems. You have a lot of study. You have a letter. It's definitely this coming week from the yeah finsalsand all that-- that's what we need to-- you know, like a big smile. Yeah, you smile extra to have a good day because they are like, I think they're more hungry because there were nervous..

Female: Like there's people that are like easier or harder to like get along with or talk to do you feel like you like evenly get along with all your co-workers and not like that type of stuff. Yeah listening.

Aveline: Yes, because nobody's perfect. Some people they have their own problems, especially. The new-- the new co-workers. Okay, sometimes they stronger than me. They avoid this lady gonna tell me what to do with that. They already try me-- Yeah, so that's what-- they don't- they don't want us to tell them what to do. They feel like they are especially have like more. Study

Female: so it's like the younger ones do they do feel like they make as I guess we're to talk about that but they make like the same amount of efforts for like eye contact and all that type of stuff like smiling and all that-- you feel like the students interact with them the same versus maybe how they would like I don't know interact with you or do you feel like it's kind of the same.

Interviewee: Yeah for me, I treat the students how I treat my kids. I feel like for example when we prepare that's what here. I feel like this is my house and I'm gonna prepare the food for my kids that you can then gonna invite their friends.

So what I want that I feel like that. Okay like you're here. And you gonna invite your friends? I mean, you're my daughter and you invite your friends to my house. So I have to give the best of me so they say oh man, this is the best. I mean you your mom cook it is every day. Bring another student from the other maybe they never come here before like--

Female: off-campus

Interviewee: and they said hey, I bring my friend. mOkay. Good. Welcome. I hope you enjoy. I hope you like my pizza whatever we serve. So I feel like that so that's why I put my my best effort to cook and give the best me sterile. My daughter. For example, the student said. Hey your mom. Your mom is awesome. This place is good. I mean it is I know I brought my friend once and they were like, what is this?

That's so beautiful. You take so much pride in that as yeah so that I feel like that. So when this is my second house, this is my second family. So the students are like my kids. Yeah. That's why I treat them like I would like to pay my kids created outside.

Female: I feel like we feel it. I feel like it's students.

Interviewee: They are very appreciative. We yeah. But yeah, there's no line.

I can give like two or three pieces. Whatever. Yeah sometimes they are suprised when I see that I go “Yes! I did a good job!

Female: Do you feel like it's hardest to kind of manage like. Figure out the time would you feel like it's harder to kind of manage like this Grill station or like--

Interviewee: when we don't have enough people to work. Okay like that when you know, sometimes we are sure of co-workers the stuff. Yeah, you have to make like double work. Yeah, that'd be hard but it's like get real busy and he's very hard especially on. Saturday and Sunday that is 1 CH branch is not respectful to yeah the four hours. Yeah. It was a lot of people that come in for Brunch; many like the pancakers and over there; the omelets... that line goes out and goes in all you know, what other station that is very busy. The salad bar, cause with the avocado. Oh, yeah. With the avocado. Oh my God. Avocado is like.. yeah. I know. I thought I was like, oh people we feel like yeah, I guess uh, yeah.

Female: Yeah, would you say you get like two people working like omelets back there when it's really busy or how many--

Interviewee:I think they're like three or four people there for and I need three or four people, right? Yeah. You surely would have to work with 4 people when you work only with three people is hard because as far as they have to wait more and I don't like the students wait more than they supposed to wait.I feel like they were there--

Female: everything gets messed up.

Interviewee:Yeah, because you pay for a service as you pay for something and your not getting what you paid.

Female: Yeah, I feel like we learned to be patient...

Female: some like we have to you have to is some sort because he's because we made it at the moment the omelet that's true.

Interviewee: Yeah, the omelets; we made it as a moment to so it's not like- we have the pancakes aren’t for the whole day, you know know right?

Female: like they should be warm and everything--

IntervieweeT: everything’s fresh. Yeah, we have four pillars when we start fresh. I mean nutritious, delicious, satisfied, and impression.

So that's all four pillars of growing plate. So that's why I love this place...