When Life Gives You Limes, Make Lemonade

(We’ve just started selling a new line of iced drinks for the summer. My usually stingy manager has been pushing hard to get sampling out, going so far as telling us to make free drinks for customers if they want to try more than one sample.)

Customer: “Hi, could I get a green tea lemonade?”

Me: “Sure thing! What size?”

Customer: “I’d like—”

Manager: “HEY THERE! Have you tried the new lime cooler yet? I bet you’d like it better than the tea! Hey [My Name], make one up for him, will ya?”

(The customer looks embarrassed but seems too polite to decline a free drink. He mumbles a thank you as I set to fixing up the new drink. As soon as my manager goes into the back room, I switch ingredients and make the original order.)

Me: “Here you go, green tea lemonade. It’s on me today; I’m sorry about that. My manager’s a bit… excited about the new product. I figured you’d ask if you wanted a sample.”

Customer: *looks relieved* “Oh, thank you so much! I just didn’t know what to say to him!”

Me: “We usually just smile and nod, too.”

(The customer left me a fiver in the tip jar!)