The other evening my husband and I took a walk in the neighborhood. At a nearby shopping center we both were thirsty so we decided to get some iced coffee from the Starbucks there. Now, I have to admit that I am not a Starbucks fan. I usually only go there to buy the Sunday NYTimes (it’s the only place within walking distance that sells it) or a gift card for my highly Starbucks addicted brother. I like to patronize the smaller, local stores whenever I can even though the coffee is always good from Starbucks. But as it was the only place to get iced coffee, in we went.
The cashier looked at me and asked for my order.
“Iced decaf, medium” I replied.
“We don’t have iced decaf.”
“What?” It was literally the last thing I expected her to say. She could have said “You’ve got a cat in your left nostril” and I would have been less surprised.
“We don’t HAVE iced decaf” she said again, very slowly, like I was an idiot or deaf.
“Do you have decaf coffee brewed?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have ice?”
“Yes”
“Then get a cup of ice, pour the brewed decaf over it, and you have iced decaf,” I said, adding a smile at the end, expecting the woman to say something like “D’oh! Of course!” Instead she sulked and rang it up, along with my husband’s regular iced coffee (which posed no problem).
We move to the pick-up area and I am handed a plastic cup full of ice and a paper cup full of decaf. Unbelievable, except that I was there and it happened.
“Um, excuse me” I said, “Do you have a sink?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Well then take this coffee and pour it over the ice in this other cup, over the sink where it won’t make a mess on your floor.”
She gives me the biggest sigh, like I had asked her to do it while reciting the preamble to the Constitution in reverse order or something. But she finally does it.
If your client asks for something you haven’t been asked for before, do not say “no.” Listen to your client and, if you can make it happen without going to too much trouble, make it happen. Bend. That little extra service could make the difference between winning a new client or driving one away.
i’m a starbucks barista, and i’m sorry for your bad experience.
she was probably confused because we have iced coffee seperate in a refridgerator, we don’t just pour hot coffee in a cup with ice.
she should have had a better attitude and poured it in the cup for you without you having to ask!
again, sorry you had a bad experience :[
I can tell you what happened here. She felt that combining hot decaf with ice watered down the coffee, therefore ruining the integrity of the drink. I think we all know that it would make it less strong, more watery but it is what you asked for. SHe is an idiot. I think you should post her store and name and then we should make her drink one of those…or kill her.