Resources

I have come to realize that the life of a commercial espresso service technician is vastly different from what many may perceive it. Coffee, for the most part, operates on a strict schedule, with peak serving times during certain parts of the day. While most people enjoy their coffee during early mornings, lunch breaks, and mid-afternoons, these times are often considered "black-out periods" for technicians – moments when espresso businesses prefer service providers not to show up.

For dedicated service technicians, flexibility is key. Early mornings are often reserved for emergency services, requiring technicians to be available at the crack of dawn. Simultaneously, they must be willing to work after hours to accommodate those customers who prefer service outside regular operating hours. This demanding schedule is not only the life of a technician but is also shared with their children, families, and friends.

My service phone can start ringing as early as 5 am, it disrupts the quiet room I share with my wife. Initially hesitant to answer, I wait to see if the caller leaves a message. This time is crucial for my brain to kick into gear, and on occasions, I may even drift back to sleep. However, my wife never goes back to sleep. Instead, she patiently waits, and if she detects the rhythm in my breathing that signals I've fallen back asleep, she delivers a swift wake-up call. 

Early mornings are just one aspect of a technician's demanding schedule. I once went eight years straight in which I was called out on Thanksgiving day for an emergency repair. Service requests for critical reasons like product inconsistency or equipment failure do not take hoidays off. Espresso businesses purchase equipment from service companies precisely for these crucial moments, and they come for every business, regardless of how well someone maintains their machine. It's not just Thanksgiving that gets sacrificed – school plays, doctor's appointments, and homework duties are often missed or rescheduled.