Questionable Content XVIII: "That's only sort of good news"

[Wraith]

This is in fact how it works when a coffee shop has two people working behind the counter and it's not super busy. You've never worked in one, I'm guessing?

Specifically in a coffee shop, no; in customer service, behind a counter, serving foodstuff to people, I have. Maybe it's just a different ethic, but its really weird to me for a customer to ask one person for service, and for that person not to serve them - otherwise someone is taking orders one after the other (the "easy" part), while the poor sod at the other end is preparing and bagging stuff frantically and unable to keep up.

Even the coffee shops that I go to, on the rare occasion that I use them, the barista serving me will take my order and then prepare it, going round-robin with the other baristas who are doing the same thing to make sure that one order gets finished before piling up another.

Then again, it was also very normal for me to be serving customers and for a colleague to be stood 5 feet away having an unrelated chat with their friend, not at all unlike Hannelore and Marigold. Claire isn't usually passive-aggressive, but a similar tiny hint of "hey, stop screwing around and do your job" wouldn't be out of place where I worked....

[The Glyphstone]

Though for all we know, its in their training. Terrible service is part of Coffee of Doom's branding and always has been.

[Rodin]

I was at a Starbucks where this happened literally an hour ago. One person handling the drive through orders and working the till, the other person making drinks. It's also a regular occurrence at other coffee shops I frequent - especially if you are with a group. Barista #1 takes the orders, passes on a couple of drinks to Barista #2 while they sort out any food and payment, then once the customer no longer needs direct service they'll go and make any extra drinks. In busy Starbucks locations they will often have someone specifically manning the till with a multi-person staff focusing on making drinks.

Also keep in mind that it's almost certainly not just Claire and Hannelore there - Penelope, Cossette, Emily, and possibly Dora will also be there "just off panel" like the gag we've seen previously.

[DavidSh]

I thought it was a bit more sanitary for one person to be handling the money, while another person handles the food & drink preparation. That seems to be a common recommendation.

And Aurelia was ranked #516 in female baby names in 2021 by the US Social Security Administration. Claire was #59. Clinton was #915 among male baby names. Neither Marigold nor Hannelore was in the top 1000 of female baby names.

[Gnoman]

2021 babies aren't ordering coffee. You'd have to work out the set for 1970-2007 or so to get a worthwhile answer.


Though in this case, it isn't that Marigold thinks "Aurelia" is a strange name, just that she suspects that this is the Aurelia she's just exchanged contact info with.

[DavidSh]

2021 babies aren't ordering coffee. You'd have to work out the set for 1970-2007 or so to get a worthwhile answer.

I was figuring that QC was set some time in the future, what with Station and all of the robots. Is there any indication when?
And "Aurelia" was less common back then -- it doesn't show up on the top 1000 list at all until 2012.

[Willie the Duck]

I was figuring that QC was set some time in the future, what with Station and all of the robots. Is there any indication when?
And "Aurelia" was less common back then -- it doesn't show up on the top 1000 list at all until 2012.

In the beginning, the strip was pretty clearly current-time, as the music references were not-just-current, but with brand-new/up-and-coming bands being such in-comic. It quickly became similar to Marvel comics or the Simpsons, in that it had a sliding 'now,' in that the characters didn't age appreciably, but it stayed current in real-time references. Other than Marten having a walking, talking PC, there weren't many sci-fi elements in it. Those have been retroactively added as they've been introduced. Best guess is that the strip is either 'now*, but with...,' or an MST3K-ish 'Next Sunday, A.D.'
*Exception -- there does not seem to be any references to the Covid-19 pandemic.

[Traab]

One thing that wasnt brought up but would be an issue for most cashier type businesses. Generally speaking one person operates on cash register and is responsible for taking payments and giving change, because at the end of your shift you have to make sure everything adds up and if three people are all using the same register, it is a lot harder to identify who is screwing up at best, stealing at worst. Probably a less important issue here as its a small shop run by friends, not just random employees.

[theangelJean]

One thing that wasnt brought up but would be an issue for most cashier type businesses. Generally speaking one person operates on cash register and is responsible for taking payments and giving change, because at the end of your shift you have to make sure everything adds up and if three people are all using the same register, it is a lot harder to identify who is screwing up at best, stealing at worst. Probably a less important issue here as its a small shop run by friends, not just random employees.

Not that I've worked this kind of customer service, but ... 1) as a customer, I see this happen all the time - multiple people working the one register, where the receipt comes out saying "you were served by X" implying that some kind of register sign-in was required. Quite often the name on the receipt matches the name-tag of a staff member who didn't serve me. So it looks like many businesses ignore this issue.
2) from what I read on Not Always Working, it quite often is an issue.

[Gez]

So Aurelia repeatedly stressed how important it is to maintain anonymity, but her real first name is known enough that when she is recognized, her first thought is "must be a random fan" and not "must be the person I just told my name to, who actually lives in the same town".

[Cikomyr2]

So Aurelia repeatedly stressed how important it is to maintain anonymity, but her real first name is known enough that when she is recognized, her first thought is "must be a random fan" and not "must be the person I just told my name to, who actually lives in the same town".

She's a bit slow on the uptake in this situation, thats all.

I think her worries are more of a Claire -style anxiety where she gets caught in her thoughts and then spirals into a self-feeding worries and concerns. She has a better handle on it than Claire though, since she has developped the instinct to just jump in these situations (her 20-something lovers, her dog, her pot, her channel)

[Wraith]

Ironically, sending a code to "BurgerOni's 'phone" will not prove that Marigold is BurgerOni, only that she was the person who Aurelia spoke with earlier.

If Marigold is someone pretending to be BurgerOni from the very beginning, all she's doing is deepening the illusion because she's assuming that the number belongs to BurgerOni, so if Random Internet Stalker answers the 'phone, then it must be her!

Next up, Marigold asks for Amazon vouchers, as was her plan all along when she first started streaming.....

[KillianHawkeye]

So Aurelia repeatedly stressed how important it is to maintain anonymity, but her real first name is known enough that when she is recognized, her first thought is "must be a random fan" and not "must be the person I just told my name to, who actually lives in the same town".

If you look back a couple comics, Aurelia mistakenly thinks that it was her voice that's recognized. She doesn't realize it's her name.

[Mechalich]

Apparently Aurelia, in addition to her many other talents, is also a crossfit Mom. Not really a surprise exactly, but I'm starting to wonder if this woman ever sleeps.

[Delicious Taffy]

I like these two. They're best friends now.

[Willie the Duck]

Apparently Aurelia, in addition to her many other talents, is also a crossfit Mom. Not really a surprise exactly, but I'm starting to wonder if this woman ever sleeps.

She wouldn't need to mellow out at 4:20 each day if it weren't for all the uppers she takes the rest of the time.

[Ionathus]

Ironically, sending a code to "BurgerOni's 'phone" will not prove that Marigold is BurgerOni, only that she was the person who Aurelia spoke with earlier.

If Marigold is someone pretending to be BurgerOni from the very beginning, all she's doing is deepening the illusion because she's assuming that the number belongs to BurgerOni, so if Random Internet Stalker answers the 'phone, then it must be her!

Next up, Marigold asks for Amazon vouchers, as was her plan all along when she first started streaming.....

I have never in my life seen somebody put an apostrophe at the start of "phone." Thank you for this brief, astonishing glimpse into your world.

[The Glyphstone]

Is it just the art shift distortion again, or is Aurelia shrinking? She's the same height as Marigold, who's never been portrayed as particularly tall.

[Keltest]

Is it just the art shift distortion again, or is Aurelia shrinking? She's the same height as Marigold, who's never been portrayed as particularly tall.

A few pages ago she was taller than Marigold, so I THINK whats happening here is that she's hunched over a little bit to look Marigold in the eye. Or Marigold found a box.

[Wraith]

I have never in my life seen somebody put an apostrophe at the start of "phone." Thank you for this brief, astonishing glimpse into your world.

It's a holdover from the days when one had to specify between a telephone and a cellphone. I'm aware that I don't need to do it, and it's not even just 'a British thing' any more, but I'm old and don't like change.

In an unrelated subject, I was previously complaining that no one was selling anyone a coffee in a coffee shop - having seen Aurelia's behavious just by standing in the room, I rescind my request that someone give her caffeine, for all our safety.

[Radar]

In an unrelated subject, I was previously complaining that no one was selling anyone a coffee in a coffee shop - having seen Aurelia's behavious just by standing in the room, I rescind my request that someone give her caffeine, for all our safety.

I agree. She would be better off getting one of those tees Bubbles orders to mellow out.

[SaintRidley]

I initially misread that as "cat milk" rather than "oat milk" and was really confused about why and how Marigold would opt for cat milk.

[Delicious Taffy]

I initially misread that as "cat milk" rather than "oat milk" and was really confused about why and how Marigold would opt for cat milk.

Well, she's doing pretty nicely for herself, cash-wise. Cats are small, so it'd be pretty inefficient to milk them and do all the stuff that makes milk safe(ish) to drink, which I assume would make it very expensive. Maybe ordering cat milk would be her way of subtly flexing her money? I mean, I can't see Marigold actually doing that, but the mechanics of it are easy enough to sort out.

[Delicious Taffy]

Far as today's strip goes, this "meme rot" is absolutely a thing and it makes normal communication impossible sometimes. Like, I don't care what face some character from some sitcom made 20 years ago, I asked you a question, could you please answer it like a human being? That and just saying "mood" to everything like I'm supposed to parse what that means. Aurelia is excellent for not succumbing.

[Gez]

Well, she's doing pretty nicely for herself, cash-wise. Cats are small, so it'd be pretty inefficient to milk them and do all the stuff that makes milk safe(ish) to drink, which I assume would make it very expensive. Maybe ordering cat milk would be her way of subtly flexing her money? I mean, I can't see Marigold actually doing that, but the mechanics of it are easy enough to sort out.

I suppose if I saw "cat milk" in a shop I'd assume it's milk for cats, rather than milk from cats. That certainly seems like something that'd be a lot more likely to actually exist without being excessively weird.

Far as today's strip goes, this "meme rot" is absolutely a thing and it makes normal communication impossible sometimes. Like, I don't care what face some character from some sitcom made 20 years ago, I asked you a question, could you please answer it like a human being? That and just saying "mood" to everything like I'm supposed to parse what that means. Aurelia is excellent for not succumbing.

pog based lol

[Willie the Duck]

I suppose if I saw "cat milk" in a shop I'd assume it's milk for cats, rather than milk from cats. That certainly seems like something that'd be a lot more likely to actually exist without being excessively weird.

I have friends with sickly cats that give them cat milk (marketed as such), and it is indeed milk intended for cats, not produced by cats.

[DavidSh]

Far as today's strip goes, this "meme rot" is absolutely a thing and it makes normal communication impossible sometimes. Like, I don't care what face some character from some sitcom made 20 years ago, I asked you a question, could you please answer it like a human being?

AOL. *
Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel. **

---
* "I agree" -- taken from common Usenet postings of America OnLine customers.
** General reference to Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Darmok", where the Tamarians appear to speak exclusively in literary references, such as "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra".

[tomandtish]

Well, she's doing pretty nicely for herself, cash-wise. Cats are small, so it'd be pretty inefficient to milk them and do all the stuff that makes milk safe(ish) to drink, which I assume would make it very expensive. Maybe ordering cat milk would be her way of subtly flexing her money? I mean, I can't see Marigold actually doing that, but the mechanics of it are easy enough to sort out.

Man, I feel sorry for anyone who has to milk a cat. Stitches galore!

[Wraith]

To be fair, the dangers of minion-meme abuse cannot be overstated. Although I still think that Aurelia knows way too much zoomer/internet lingo for someone whose sole reason for leaving the house today was to go and learn zoomer/internet lingo and then specifically didn't. Jeph forgetting his characters' motivations is one thing, but this way brought up ~5 minutes ago in-universe!

AOL.
Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel.

To this day, I remain the only person I know of who actually owned a physical copy of Zero Wing. That's the 'All Your Bases Are Belong To Us' game, for the record - I was gamer brain BEFORE it was a thing

[Radar]

Man, I feel sorry for anyone who has to milk a cat. Stitches galore!

That's why you need milk from GMO goats to fashion yourself a spider silk suit or at least long gloves.