The Cellar  

Go Back   The Cellar > Main > Nothingland

Nothingland Something about nothing - game threads, diversions, time-wasters

View Poll Results: Does your office provide free coffee?
Yes. I work at a decent place. 13 65.00%
No. I'm forced to bring in my own/buy from the cafeteria/vending machine. 7 35.00%
Voters: 20. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-15-2007, 09:20 AM   #1
Kitsune
still eats dirt
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 3,031
Free Coffee?

I'm curious if the office you work at provides free coffee or not. Every place I've worked at until this recent job considered it a worker right as common as providing light and flush toilets. Is this a disappearing phenomenon?
Kitsune is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:25 AM   #2
Shawnee123
Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya?
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 21,206
We have coffee pots for caf and decaf...with a mug to throw money in if you want or can. It's pretty much free. I throw in dollars here and there.

There are the inevitable spoiled people who like to drink the last of it, don't make another pot, and leave the switch on so the coffee pot burns to a crisp.

But it's nice to have the coffee available!
__________________
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice.
--Bill Cosby
Shawnee123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:27 AM   #3
Sundae
polaroid of perfection
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
I've worked in places where it's free and where it isn't. I was surprised when I started here because tea, coffee and real milk was provided, despite this being publicly funded (Primary Care Trust - local healthcare).

Then the PCT realised it was in financial difficulties and it was the first thing that went. We now have a tea & coffee fund for the floor (£2 per person per month) although I buy my fruit teas myself because I like to know exactly what I've got left - it would stress me out to really fancy a Peppermint Tea and find someone had left the box empty...
__________________
Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac
Sundae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:35 AM   #4
lumberjim
I can hear my ears
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 25,571
yes, but it sucks. i have a coffee maker and some starbucks for emergencies. usually i have dunkin donuts coffee brought to me by a minion.
__________________
This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality
Embrace this moment, remember
We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan
lumberjim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:41 AM   #5
Kitsune
still eats dirt
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 3,031
Quote:
Originally Posted by lumberjim View Post
i have a coffee maker and some starbucks for emergencies.
I have a pot at my desk, too, which will remain until someone from the facilities group sees it and demands the "fire hazard" be removed from the building. The stuff that comes from our cafeteria is usually burnt, has grounds mixed in it from the filter breaking, and is so weak as to resemble heated brown water from the river. They even recently raised the price of the real coffee (the brewed stuff) to ninety-five cents and installed machines that mix heated water with syrup that charge what we were used to.

The last place I worked for had free coffee, free sodas (all the machines were set to "free vend"), and lunch was catered on Fridays.

Yeah, I miss the dot com era.
Kitsune is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:56 AM   #6
Elspode
When Do I Get Virtual Unreality?
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Raytown, Missouri
Posts: 12,719
We have coffee provided, not just to the office staff, but to the field guys as well via their own brew station in the Production area. We spend about (rummaging for the invoice I got yesterday) $350 per month average on coffee, sweeteners, creamer (Internation Coffee portion control packs, no less, although we have tons of the powdered stuff as well), stirs and cups.

Elimination of this benefit would probably result in revolt. If it ever does go away, though, I will absolutely get my own coffeemaker and coffee for my office on my own dime.
__________________
"To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog
Elspode is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:56 AM   #7
lumberjim
I can hear my ears
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 25,571
ah, coffee is on it's way. gotta love the minions.
__________________
This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality
Embrace this moment, remember
We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan
lumberjim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 09:58 AM   #8
Shawnee123
Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya?
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 21,206
lumberjim ALWAYS gets the minions, why can't I have a minion? I want a minion and I want it now.

(What's a minion?)
__________________
A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice.
--Bill Cosby
Shawnee123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 10:02 AM   #9
Sheldonrs
Master Dwellar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Posts: 4,412
Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawnee123 View Post
lumberjim ALWAYS gets the minions, why can't I have a minion? I want a minion and I want it now.

(What's a minion?)
Would you like fries with that minion?
__________________
Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and the world laughs AT you.
Sheldonrs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 10:02 AM   #10
lumberjim
I can hear my ears
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 25,571
a salesman that is willing to run for stuff like coffee and lunch in hopes that the good karma will help him with gettting deals approved and billed quickly. it works.

this guy is even buying. looooooooooove the minions
__________________
This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality
Embrace this moment, remember
We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan
lumberjim is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 10:03 AM   #11
Sundae
polaroid of perfection
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 24,185
Back in the 80s I worked for an Life Assurance company that provided free lunch as well as all drinks. And I'm talking 3 course meal every day - choice of hot meal and/ or salad bar.

There was even an option to have a packed lunch if you wanted to go into town rather than sit with your colleagues in the restaurant.

SIGH.
__________________
Life's hard you know, so strike a pose on a Cadillac
Sundae is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 10:05 AM   #12
Cloud
...
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 8,360
ah, coffee--a subject dear to my heart. Yes, my workplace provides free coffee, but I often bring my own anyway. I like the way I make it.
__________________
"Guard your honor. Let your reputation fall where it will. And outlive the bastards!"
Cloud is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 10:13 AM   #13
Spexxvet
Makes some feel uncomfortable
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,346
The staff buys the coffee maker, coffee, and fixings. The doctor buys the electricity - he doesn't drink coffee at work. When the supplies get low, we take turns buying. Always Maxwell House and Coffeemate powdered.
__________________
"I'm certainly free, nay compelled, to spread the gospel of Spex. " - xoxoxoBruce
Spexxvet is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 10:47 AM   #14
DanaC
We have to go back, Kate!
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
At the TownHall, we have tea, instant coffee etc in our Group rooms. When attending an official meeting, everyone in attendance has the opportunity to go to the little restaurant downstairs (restaurant glorifies it, it's a canteen with waitress service in the evenings) and have a meal and either tea or coffee. The meals are......good hearty homecookin....in other words, they're usually under or over cooked by a very large lady in a white smock, who sounds exactly like the dinner lady at my old school and most desserts come with lumpy custard.

If attending a training session, or council organised seminar a buffet is usually provided.
DanaC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2007, 11:18 AM   #15
Clodfobble
UNDER CONDITIONAL MITIGATION
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 20,012
Every place I have ever worked provided free coffee. I don't drink coffee, but I'm told that in all the places it was crappy and in one place several people joined together into a little paid co-op to purchase better coffee for themselves.

In addition, the pawnshop IT department and the videogame company provided subsidized sodas (25 cents each), the construction company where I temped for awhile provided a wide array of free drinks and snacks, the educational software company provided subsidized sodas and catered lunch once a month...

but my husband's current employer provides an obscene smorgasbord of free food, including milk/cereal, microwaveable meals, fruit, and a freaking convenience store's worth of snack foods. They're living large over there.
Clodfobble is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:22 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.8.1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.