Coffee Machine Mess: How Do You Handle Spills and Set Etiquette in the Office?

Coffee Machine Etiquette

Hi, in our office, we have installed a Coffee Vending Machine for employees. Initially, we informed all staff regarding its usage. However, the current problem is that some employees spill sugar or coffee on the pantry floor or slab.

Hence, I require a Do's and Don'ts Policy regarding the usage of the Coffee Machine for the office. I request seniors to provide some useful information.

Regards,
Roshni

You can check out this link for a few insights: [A guide to vending machine etiquette](http://www.talktalk.co.uk/lifestyle/a-guide-to-vending-machine-etiquette.html).

Regards,
Sriram

Implement a Cleaning Roster

Institute a roster so that everyone in the office must take a turn in cleaning up the mess. Very soon, peer pressure will mean that people learn to keep the area clean and tidy as they don't want to clean up other people's mess.

However, if you don't want to do that, then you already have the solution to your problem. You know what behaviors are annoying you, i.e., spilling coffee or sugar, etc. Just make a list of the things that bug you and post that near the coffee machine.

Coffee Machine Etiquette Reminder

Have a good time with me. (Vending machine says to employee) Please don't press twice to avoid overflow. Keep yourself and the office clean by not spilling over. You can create more sentences like that according to the real-time requirement.

Do's and Don'ts for Coffee Machine Usage

Do you think that the Do's and Don'ts will help you? It might be better to change the environment. By maintaining a separate place (like a cabin) for the coffee machine, you can clean that place daily. It is better to prefer sugar cubes instead of powdered sugar; then there will be no spilling of sugar.

Regards,
Stephen Marks.

Personal Responsibility in Office Etiquette

How about giving people some personal responsibility for their own behaviors and etiquettes? The one who messes up the floor cleans it up... simple.

"OMG, I can't believe that there is a link to 'A Guide to Vending Machine Etiquette'."

Instead of focusing on Do's and Don'ts, I recommend following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which includes guidelines on what to do, how to do it, where to do it, when to do it, whom to do it with, and why it should be done. This approach helps in avoiding the spillage of sugar by using sugar cubes and suggests using a drop tray to collect any spilled coffee.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Regards,
Nathan
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]

Thanks for your comment. I made the poster and pasted it in the pantry near the Vending Machine yesterday. Today, the response was good. The housekeeping staff were relaxing as there were no spills on the floor or slab. I hope this continues to have a positive impact.

Regards,
Roshni

It's nice to hear that a few ideas worked for your office. But what about rooting out the cause of the issue rather than treating it with various (costly???) medications? Here are a few points to consider: changing the location of the coffee machine, adjusting the size of cups, managing rush times at the machine's location, evaluating the machine operator, and providing sugar packets/cubes instead of a sugar bowl. It seems like no one is intentionally being unsocial; perhaps these factors play a role.

Thank you!

Re: Coffee Machine Etiquette

For avoiding coffee spilling: Ensure that the tea cup size is somewhat bigger than the coffee/tea level. This helps prevent spilling.

For Avoiding Sugar Spilling:

1. If everybody is adding sugar, grind the sugar into powder and mix a ratio of sugar with the coffee powder before filling the cartridge.
2. For normal/low sugar users, you can use double or triple delivery machines so that separate delivery can be used as needed.

Dear Roshni,

I strongly feel that INDIAN CULTURE needs to adopt EFFECTIVE HOUSEKEEPING SKILLS, which are often missing among individuals from middle-class or poor family backgrounds, as I am experiencing the same with our employees (around 1500).

We also need to understand that GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SKILLS can change our lifestyle and help us progress in our careers.

With profound regards,

Khadir [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons]