Free staff meals and drinks

1. The owners of franchised stores all do things however they please, changing recipes randomly and making arbitrary adjustments to SOPs.

2. Franchised stores all say they will legally enroll employees in labor and health insurance and the group insurance plan. I worked at two stores: one enrolled me only after I had worked for 1.5 months, while the second did not insure me at all.

3. Creating employee records is a basic legal requirement for companies. I believe none of them create employee records, right? At least neither of the two franchised stores where I worked did so.

4. When laying off employees, they must notify the labor bureau in advance and issue a certificate of involuntary separation. This was not done either.

5. Not paying wages if an employee works fewer than three days is completely illegal!

6. Every owner who franchises Louisa Coffee thinks the brand spirit is important, and Louisa’s brand spirit is that a group of people completes one order together. You must steam milk and take orders according to Louisa’s procedures; the scripts are rigid and unchanging. When you apply, every owner tells you, “We also look forward to having someone with your extensive experience join us. During your work, you can give us better or more efficient suggestions.” But after you actually join, the reality is completely the opposite. For example, with the sales script, upgrading to a single-origin Americano must be phrased in a specific way; if you say it incorrectly, you will be accused of aggressive selling.

Summary

If you are a newcomer considering joining Louisa Coffee, remember to protect your employment rights. Be sure to clarify employee records, labor and health insurance, and working conditions during the interview. After starting work, remember to check for yourself whether the company has actually insured you. The sugar-level and water-level settings are difficult to memorize. Usually, during the first two weeks after being hired, you will work at the counter, and only afterward will you be moved to the POS and coffee stations behind the counter. Every store has a different training method. I have encountered an owner who simply handed me an SOP manual, told me to read it at home, and taught me nothing. When you do not know something, they say, “How can you not even know this?” If you can accept all of this, congratulations—Louisa Coffee may be a decent place to work.