I've already expressed my opinion on the subject, but to clarify and expound, I offer a list of suggestions for all involved in the franchise--passers-by, customers, drones, management--to maximize enjoyment of the Coldstone experience.
Passers-by
Yes, that is the proper plural. Go in. Try some ice cream.
Customers
As I've mentioned before, pay and tip with a credit card to avoid humiliation. (Not tipping is also an option, but your servers might sing different songs in that instance.)
Employees
Practice creative resistance to corporate vacuity. If someone tips, sing only if the boss is watching. Ask if the customer wants you to do your song-and-dance; chances are, they'll decline. Mask the clinking of small change by banging loudly on the cash register and announcing, "Darn this computer, it never works right." Teach your coworkers new lyrics to corporate tunes that, like their spiritual predecessors, are code for your escape to the freedom of a better-paying job. (Do not contemplate the strong possibility that you might have to trade liberty for salary.)
Management
Take the bus home from work, and sit next to the guy who boisterously sings with his iPod, and note the reactions of your fellow travelers when you join in. Take your significant other to Red Robin for a birthday treat, and watch closely as delight, horror, embarrassment, and existential angst cross your partner's face in rapid succession. Sit in the outer reaches of your local baseball stadium, in the non-family-friendly bleachers, right behind Drunk Guy who belts out the national anthem, otherwise known as "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
Ready to reconsider your tipping policy?
[fifteenth in a series]
36 comments:
Management:
It's bad enough that these kids have to work for $8 an hour. It's bad enough to spend any time in a service industry. Why add humiliation to the mix?
"It's bad enough that these kids have to work for $8 an hour. It's bad enough to spend any time in a service industry. Why add humiliation to the mix?"
In Richmond we only get $6.00 an hour + tips...
But, its not humiliating at all, I rather enjoy it.
Even if you're not humiliated, other workers might be--and, more important, some of your customers hate being the center of attention. (I'm one of them.)
A tip is supposed to be a subtle act of thanks and generosity, not an attention-grabbing "look at the guy who tips!" moment.
i work there in tampa, i love it. if you don't want to be thanked for leaving a tip, maybe try going to a baskin robbins?
I agree. We wanted to work at Coldstone. We auditioned for it. Yes, we audition. We think it's fun. Come and will sing for you, we love doing it! It doesn't embarrass us and if it does than we probably shouldn't have a job there and the ones that dont like it quit fast! Some people enjoy it... it's fun for kids to watch us, it's a way for us to thank you, and if you aren't in to any of that, just laugh at us... we don't mind that either.
yeh i work at a coldstone in houston and i absolutly love it! i only get 6 bucks an hour but i dont work for money i do it cuz i enjoy helping people and making them happy. and seriously who doesn't get happy when they get icecream. but yeh singing is freaking awesome. we went to the rodeo yesterday and we where running around for about an hour through the carnival singing and bringing people to our stand. we raised almost $2000 yesterday.
i work at coldstone in south carolina, and even though i only get 5.50 an hour, it is the best job anyone could ask for, people don't tip very much, but the songs are awesome!! i love when someone comes in for the first time, leaves a tip and gets the surprise of a song for their dollar. but the most important thing is that it is so much fun!! i love what i do, and i wouldn't work anywhere else!!
LOL obviously working at Cold Stone isn't as bad as you think considering we all seem to love it...I manage one in Colorado, and its tons of fun. It really goes to show you that provided the right management, and hiring you really can find quality labor and customer service without paying out the wazoo for it.
Tip for the author...next time you go try saying I'll tip you guys not to sing. Hopefully, it'll work for you because at my store I know we honor that request! =D
Actually just got home from work a while ago and found this page because we got so many tips tonight that we kept running out of songs so I figured I would see if I could find some more or at least material to write some more new ones!
I have an audition tomorrow at four and I can't wait. Seriously, it's a fun job for teenagers. If we didn't want to be embarassed or what have you by singing the songs, we wouldn't apply and work somewhere else.
To follow up on the above, I now work at Coldstone and today was my first day. The pay for me is also $6 an hour + tips.
It's not humilitaing in anyway. We're a fun-loving bunch of energetic kids. I really didn't want to work anywhere else--it would have seemed so bland.
umm $8 dollars an hour, man if i got that much the singing would not be as bad
I love singing at coldstone, it’s not as bad as people say! And the customers love it!!! When we start singing they begin to smile!
I work at a Cold Stone in the suburbs of San Antonio. Part of working at Cold Stone is having fun and Cold Stone is a big as ocean liners and Hooters when it comes to customer service.
Hey, i work at a cold stone in NJ. The pay isn't that bad, and you get tips. and the singing isn't embarassing at all. If it was, we wouldn't take the job! we ask if they want us to sing, some people dont, we respect that. but seriously. is it THAT bad to thank you for your tip? and so what if we all thank you, with song. it's fun, and makes working there a LOT more fun than just sitting at a cash register for hours on end.
Ok well i love cold stone i work at one in elkhart IN and its the best i love singing if u dont want us to sing then dont put a tip its really not that bad u should try and tip us we made your ice cream and we have fun doing it and then when we are done we like to sing u a song that we made up for you guys im serouis people that make fun of cold stone u really should stop cause i bet u still go get ice cream from there
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i work at coldstone and i get 5.50 and hour.i've been working there for almost 3 months...and sometimes people hate us singing and sometimes they love it.honestly,when i applied for the job,i didn't know anything about coldstone and having to sing..do i like singing at coldstone for tips??not really.
I just got a job at a new coldstone in New Jersey, we had an opening night last night for friends and family and it was awesome our crew is completely energetic and we had a great time. Most people laughed at us, but they were smiling and making anyone smile is worth while. 8 dollars an hour plus tips is great considering what most of us made previously. It's not like we have to work here we do it because we love it. It's the best job I've had yet.
i started wrokin at coldstone in march. I didnt have to audition. I get paid 7.65 per hour and tips which is usually like 10-20 bucks a night. i love workin there.
yeah, i work there too, and really the singing isnt that bad and most people really enjoy it, especially the younger kids, and it helps us get more tips which is a plus
i just sent in an application and what exactly do they make you do in the audition? I am a horrible singer but i am willing to make fun of myself and try.
well I work at the one in Fayetteville for 7.15 an hour...(yes Fayetteville...the so called "number one coldstone in the nation" and it's really not that bad...although I doubt other stores get visted so much by Karen the store owner...but we also have the best manager momma Faith! =P
For an audition, what do you do? I have an audtion in an hour.
I work at the one i dayton ohio..
Here's my thoughts on it.
Tips are great.
And granted.. it my humilate some of the customers.
But we're one of the busiest ones in ohio.
And not a lotta people tip.
Some people like to hear us sing.
and others tell us not to if they dont wanna hear it.
But if people hear us sing.. they know that when they tip.. they get something for it.
It's an opinion thing i guess.
I work at a Coldstone and I love my job, there is nothing humiliating about it, and everyone I work with feels the same. We do have people coming in not wanting a song, they usually put hte tip in the jar and say "you don't need to sing" with which we say thank you, alot of people go in and tip because they like the songs.
I OPERATE a Cold Stone Creamery in Rockford, IL and I love the singing. The customers have every right to tip and ask us not to sing. Besides, what else is supposed to set us apart from the rest of those ice cream places out there?
i have an audition wednesday at 5. any tips?
ahh! hearing so much about cold stone makes me want to ace this audition even more!
aw man i have an audition on friday at 5!!! I'm sooo excited and really hope i get the job cuz first off, i need money, n second it'll be a place where i could express my crazy self instead of hide it like other jobs. I want to sing for people. I think people enjoy getting coldstone's ice cream and hearing them sing if not coldstone wouldn't be all over the place. They're opening one up near my house in the bondocks of queens lol and if i dont get the job, i'm gana be going there like every week. Man i'ma get fat lol
I love my job at a Toledo Ohio store..the Second leading gross-sales store in the surrounding four states... i`m a manager and i only make $8 ..... people can find a min. wage job anywhere ... if you don't like to sing don't work at a coldstone.... nuff said.
At the store I work at, we only sing if the tip is large enough. If the tip is from .01 to a dollar, we normally just go "tip tip hurray" like hip hip hurray. But we like singing anyway, and we just sing when we have too much energy or if the tip is big. We're not required to sing if we get a tip, but even if we were, we wouldn't be humiliated. Everyone loves working there. :D
I work currently in a coldstone in miami... its fun to work in yes but we get payed 5.50 an hour + tip and now i got a raise so hurray for me .25 more =D
i work at coldstone in new york, and no one sings, only one girl does because shes the only one who knows the songs. and most people dont want us to sing when they tip us anyway =]
Singing songs is the best. I work at a Cold Stone in Houston, Tx, and i wouldn't be caught dead singing. But for some reason at work its just fun. We toss around the ice cream, preform some fancy tricks, get tipped, and then sing.
Its really fun. Now if i sing by myself i get alittle nervous but then i choose a short song.
omg i LOVE the singing, thats half the reason I applied :) my audition is on wednesday at 4! im so excited :) i always tip so I can hear the song, they brighten my day :)
I have an audition tomorrow!? is there anyway to prepare for it? come on...this question has popped up at least 3 times and everyone ignored it. help me out, what do I have to do for the audition? what kinds of songs? and is it solo or do you sing in a group?
It's a crazy audition, but if you put yourself all out there and don't be shy it can be fun! At my store everyone said their name and something about them selves. Next, they had us do something to remember us by. Basically, they want you to make a fool of yourself. ;) I danced around (got the job so i guess it worked), some ppl sing, others tell a joke, your choice... For the next part we got together in a group and picked a song to sing from the coldstone song book. You don't have to be a good singer, just relax and let yourself have a good time! For the final part, we did individual interviews that were 1-2 min long. It really isn't anything to worry about, just be yourself!
I have an audition at 315 tomorrow. Any tips ?!
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