Espresso Temper Tantrum

Now really, you can seriously taste that it is not decaf? LIAR!
Yes, you read it..I have actually had to deal with people who claim that they can taste the difference between decaf and regular strength espresso. I bet you a million dollars that Howard himself cannot taste the difference...so what makes you think that you have that supernatural power? Hold on while I go grab your prize.

We have many, MANY awesome customers who make us smile everyday, even when we're in the middle of a rush. Sometimes they are the only things that get us through the day. We appreciate you.

Now it comes time to tell you about the all-knowing coffee gods who claim to know Starbucks like the back of their hand. These are the types that make up their own bogus prices and expect you to follow through...but I "Just Say Yes" to things in moderation.

So I had a lady come in a few weeks ago at around 5:30AM and ask for a Grande 2-pump Soy White Mocha. Before she pulled away from the drive-thru speaker box, she stated that I'm just suppose to charge her for a Grande Latte. Obviously this did not pass by me without a fight because even though we "just say yes", there is a fine line between helping out and breaking rules. I'm not a Nazi but I still follow obvious rules. I mentioned it to my manager at the time and they told me to give it to her this time, but let her know that next time, we have to charge her the correct way. So I was OK with that. I went on to make her drink and then brough it to the register where I opened the window and greeted her with a "warm" smile. I asked her how she was doing and then went on to break the news to her. I let her know that today, I would give her her $1+ rip off beverage but would have to charge her the correct way next time. Next is what makes me want to punch her in the face. She rolled her eyes like an 8 year old girl and informed me that EVERY other Starbucks charges her for just a latte and that my store is stupid because we don't know how to do our jobs. So, she insults me and my fellow baristas and does it with a snotty attitude. Let me remind you, the lady is a 40-something year old mother. At this point, I am holding myself back from slamming the window on her, but I nicely explained that we have rules to follow. She asks me "Are you a consumer? Like do you actually spend money here?", and I happily replied "Actually YES, I spend ALOT of money here"...exaggerating just a little. She asked me if I was getting a drink with only half the amount of pumps, would I expect Starbucks to charge me for the menu price. I gladly and truthfully told her yes, I would expect them to charge me the correct amount. This made her very upset. So I did all this while ringing her up for her rip-off drink, I cashed her out and she pulled off. A few minutes later, dissappointed that I had to give in to her bitchiness, I thought to myself, "CRAP! Did I at least charge her for the soy milk?". So I ran to the register, printed off her receipt, and to my disbelief, not only did I charge her for soy milk, BUT I also charged her for the correct amount....honestly not realizing it. I let my manager know that a lady might be calling in to complain about me because I followed the rules instead of giving in to her needs and wants.

To make a long story short, I did not feel bad AT ALL for accidentally charging her the correct amount. Sorry lady, please wake up on the non-bitchy side of the bed next time.


Bad news for people who try to rip us off....Starbucks has now converted computer systems that are super smart and automatically charge the correct prices. Can't beat that!