So last Sunday morning, I’m in a Starbucks in lower Manhattan with my friend Tyson. We’re in line because there are a ton of tourists in this particular location since we’re pretty close to the 9/11 Memorial. I’m ahead of my friend in line. I get to the front and the barista takes my order and asks for my name. As many of you know, in such situations I default to the name “Bob”. My friend heard this and I guess curiosity got the better of him because when he got to the front of the line, his conversation with the barista went like this:
“And may I have your name?”
“Erwin”
“What?”
“Erwin.”
“Irving?”
“No, Erwin.”
“Oh Erwin.”
As we moved over to the waiting area, I shot my friend a “I told you so” look and he said he now understood why I do what I do in those situations. It’s quick and simple. If you don’t believe me, try it yourself. When someone in the food or beverage industry asks for your name, try it with my mine.