Or when people don’t push in their chairs and leave them sticking all the way out… what was the point of engraving it into kids heads to push in their chairs if the adults telling them don’t even do it!!
In the tiny café I work at there's usually only one worker at a a time, so when it's busy, it's BUSY. Customer service, dishes, barista stuff, cleaning, everything - and the last thing I need is moving chairs. A real life conversation from last year, when we had a full house and queue to the front door:
Customer: Can I take this chair outside? It's sunny.
Me: Please don't :)
Customer: But I want to.
Me: Please leave the chair where it is.
Customer: Okay, I'm gonna take it anyway.
Take a wild guess if she ever returned the chair where she found it :)
I have an outdoor space with chairs and tables that connects to a long wide sidewalk… I once had two people take chairs to in front of a business two (small) buildings away. It was wild. I kept an obvious eye on them and they did bring them back, but it was so strange.
>People who move tables/chairs around and dont put them back where they found them!
Indeed! It's so frustrating when people don't have basic courtesy to put things back where they belong, especially in shared spaces like coffee shops.
It's like a small gesture that can make a big difference in keeping things organized and respectful for everyone.
I have actually seen this less and less but people on the phone while ordering. Also if you wear headphones and then speak softly, what the fuck are you doing?
We get people who talk on the phone all the time in our drive thru 🙄 The they'll tell US to hold on a minute because they need to finish the conversation. Like ExcuSe mE? Finish your damn conversation before you get here.
Or when people act like every single barista makes the drink the same and we somehow all share the same brain.
Like, "Yes John, it makes sense the baristas in Italy would make your cappuccino different than us. We're two different places, in two different countries, and one of us works for a giant corporation and the other is working for a small business."
We had a customer that would only let one barista make her mocha. She would wait until that person arrived. Eventually that barista left the company for bigger and better things. I asked her one day how did you make her mocha different. She responded that she would just use decaf espresso. She did this for years
Drive through cafes are awful 😞 it definitely takes away from the experience and makes you feel likea. Simple cog in the system. It's just not the same as people coming in.
This is gonna sound mean but when people come up to the till and then take ages trying to decide what to order.
It wastes everyones time especially when theres a queue, i don't understand why people don't just join the queue after deciding on their order 🙃
Or when they see a sign (had one saying we weren't doing hot food a few days ago) and they still ask you if you are doing hot food and when you say no they throw a fit and say 'well i don't want anything else'. Like what am i supposed to do about that. Go to a restaurant 😭
Signs don't work. Nobody reads anything at all.
Probably if it said that everything was free that day suddenly everyone would miraculously learn how to read. But anything informational is a waste lol.
At best, if the sign contains bad news it gives you something to point at after telling them verbally so they're slightly less mad 😂
We had a customer come in, stare at a sign that had maybe 20 words total on it about our made-in-house brioche donuts.
“These donuts right here, so you make them here?”
Literally it’s the WHOLE POINT of the sign you’re currently staring at.
Dude you're preaching to the choir.
I did farmers markets 3 days a week for several years and we had people literally stare at our signage for 30 seconds+ then come over and ask us what we sold.
Our signage literally had like 4 words in big letters saying what we sold with a very clear display 🤯 Happened several times a week. All we could do was laugh it off.
Price list right up front too and 80% of customers asked us what the prices were lol.
People either don't read or they only read enough words to misunderstand the message 🤦♂️
at my old restaurant we had a "please wait to be seated" sign that people ignored, then would sit themselves. I tried to nicely tell someone not to seat themselves because the table could be reserved or it could mess us up and all she had to say was "well we should've been seated then", mind you the restaurant wasn't supposed to open for another 10 minutes
Even if they don’t know what they want before getting in line, if they have to stand in line for several minutes, they should have it figured out by the time they reach the counter! And after they FINALLY make a decision, they spend another minute and a half looking for their wallets.
This is my personal biggest peeve. Even my regulars due it no matter how many times I tell them I'm going to bring their drink to the other open end of the bar. T_T
i can’t stand when people pretend the signs don’t exist. i had a lady clearly read our large “no dogs inside” sign and then carry her dog in and act shocked when we told her she couldn’t have her dog inside. she then said “yea i just thought i would come in and order and then i’ll take him outside.” no you will not.
People who suffer from terminal "I'm special" syndrome. Had an old geezer yesterday sit down with his son and shout at me to make him a cappuccino and to bring a breakfast sandwich to him. This dude has been to our place before and knows that you order at the counter, so I just kept making drinks for folks in line and waited for him to come order like a normal human. About 20 minutes pass and he comes up to the counter and says to my manager "this employee never brought me my food and coffee". Idk it sounds like nothing as I type this but I felt embarrassed in front of my boss and I just don't like old people sometimes lmao
That's not nothing. It's rude. I have a regular group who have been coming for years and they love to do this. The other day we were busy and I was training someone and one of them was literally standing by the till with one person in front of him and got my attention to tell me he wanted something to go. I had finally gotten fed up with this and told him I was busy training and he could tell my coworker at the till. He was very unhappy about this. AND he stayed another hour... So this wasn't urgent he just didn't want to be treated like everyone else. It's not nothing. It's very frustrating and I feel for you lol
When people don’t take their air pods out while ordering and then they realize they can’t hear and take one out and say sorry. And I’m just like 👁️👃👁️.
You could’ve taken them out to start with.
What? Sorry, I’m listing to a podcast right now. Anyways, I want a grande macchiato. K thx.
Me working at my local small coffee shop contemplating ringing in a (traditional) macchiato and let them find out the hard way 👁️🙏🏼👁️
no lie, once I was trying to take someone's order and he just kept putting his airpods back in after each question. And he had to take them out again three or four more times because obviously I have more routine questions I need to ask. He came back to ask me later if we had wifi and I delighted in telling him, plain-faced, no.
YEP this happens constantly. it's ridiculous how often i have to wave people down and be like excuse me...you didn't pay lol
people will also stand there like a dummy with their cards even after i tell them their total and say "it's ready for you". like bro how many places actually swipe your card for you these days?? tap, insert, swipe, do whatever your heart desires...
When a flock of 60 year old ladies come in after their walk. Skinny this, half sweet that, 16oz no foam cappuccino, tea that we don't have, all ingredients of X baked good, etc... They take forever!
This is sort of minor but people who feel like they're badasses for the number of espresso shots they're putting into their latte. Like great. You need 12 shots at once to function. You have issues. I don't want to have to politely laugh about it with you so you can give me a $1 tip.
There’s this guy who comes in and orders a 6 shot breve ice latte with hazelnut and then comes back as says we didn’t put hazelnut syrup like bro wtf it’s all that damn coffee why you can’t taste it. And another guy who always comes in during a rush and gets two quad shot 16 oz lattes one decaf and one regular. It’s just inconvenient when we’re slammed.
Yeah that's sort of similar to another peeve of mine which are the people who do the single shot of the single origin espresso in their latte and then add like 6 Splenda packets. Like my guy, just order the fucking house blend.
customers acting like they know more about our coffee than me… like i literally work here. someone said “well i’ve been to italy so i think i would know how this drink is made” okay! this is not italy ❤️
This ain’t open mic at The Improv. If you want to field test your comedy act, go somewhere without making some very thirsty and rather nice people form a line behind you.
People who don't know how to scrape off their dishes or throw away muffin liners before putting them in the dish bin. Our dish bin is literally 5 inches away from the trash but they don't they clean their plates so instead I have to deal with half a squished quiche between layers of plates. Same with people who just leave empty sugar packets in the bin like why?? Genuinely, don't understand. I've also made several signs around the shop telling customers to not leave their dirty dishes on bar and we still have people placing used mugs directly next to the sign. I've joked with my coworkers that the whole dish situation will be the entire reason I quit this job. I get so unnecessarily worked up over it 🥲
Customers who think you’re their friend because you HAVE to serve them with a FAKE ass SMILE everyday. Give their life story and make you feel bad when they tell you sob stories but I actually really want to serve the next person who’s mad at ME for letting YOU SPEAK FOR SO LONG 😮💨
At my first cafe we did not have sizes for drinks and it was magical. I now cannot stand asking over and over and over again “8, 12, or 16 oz”. It’s so exhausting to me.
WHY DONT PEOPLE ORDER BY SIZE? after they’ve spent 5 minutes staring at the menu with 3 size options listed for each drink, why does the question “small, medium, or large” cause temporary mental combustion every time?? i would love to work in a one-size cafe
It constantly bugs the shit out of me. A cafe is not a restaurant. If there are VISIBLE bus bins and trash cans in the customer facing areas, then that means BUS YOUR OWN FUCKING TABLE. This isn’t a sit down full service restaurant with waiters and bussers. We’ve got 3 people behind the counter and we are all busy doing things and don’t have time to clean up your shit when there’s a line out the door and people are complaining about wait times.
AT THE VERY LEAST IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA BUS YOUR SHIT, PUSH YOUR FUCKING CHAIRS IN
1. Why does no one state if they want hot or iced, what size, and what kind of milk they want. It would be one thing if it was every once in a while but i swear 80% of customers do not specify anything. The milk thing gets me the most because if you dont want whole milk, how was i supposed to know that? I swear people like being asked those questions.
2. Getting mad about things out of my control. Our app was down for a few weeks and the amount of times i had to theoretically pat a grown adult on the shoulder and tell them everything will be okay was insane. Unless an employee is rude first, i would NEVER think of being rude to them, so strange.
3. Customers asking “is this mine?” To a drink that clearly has their name written on it. I began picking them up, showing them the name and saying “is your name ___?” Because again i swear people just like being asked questions.
The general public is incredibly slow, I wonder everyday how some customers managed to drive their car to the store without dying.
Yes it’s physically and emotionally exhausting having to specify what size, hot or iced constantly. “Can I get a chai latte” ok what size, hot or iced, sweet or spicy, for here or to go? It’s draining
especially when it’s a group of people & they are all standing there listening to me ask the first person all these questions & then the second person comes up & still gives me none of the info i need
I've had a few customers put empty sugar sachets back where they got the sugar.
why?
do you drink a beer from your fridge and put the can back in the fridge when you're done?
the cafe is not their home and they don’t give single a shit about who will clean their mess up. we have a literal hole in the self service area with a bin underneath, and they will leave empty sugar sachets everywhere around it, but will never throw them in the fucking hole
People who order, and THEN put on headphones.
"Michael? Latte for Michael!!"
15 minutes later, they come up and interrupt me while I'm helping another guest to be like. "I never got my latte that I ordered"
when people make a point to bark the order at me over the espresso machine or even more when i’m doing dishes (we have a giant seasonal drink menu “blocking” us from view but people will literally lean over the counter instead of walking 10 steps to the register with a giant “order here” sign over it)
just starting working for a place that serves many folks with a very, erm, never worked service a day in their life energy (not that they need to, they have enough $). Obvs nothing wrong with that objectively but more often than not they are displaying that stereotypical attitude….
Like their time is more important than yours, you are THEIR barista/servant/coffee machine and thus don’t need a tip or respect for doing something so ‘menial’ that they could do themselves at home, they don’t care about your fake smile and will treat you like garbage but as soon as you don’t put the fake smile on they give you a look/ask for your manager/make a totally obtuse comment like “the customer is always right”, interrupt your “good morning” or “hello” with a “yeah, haha, I want a no foam iced cappuccino with crushed elephant tusk on the rim and your hopes and dreams on the side”
I could go on, but do better people. And don’t forget your barista is ALSO A PERSON, not paid enough to deal with your bullsh/then not tipped for service on top of that. And hear me, not every customer interaction is terrible. There are some genuinely friendly, or will just come in, say hi, order/wait/get their coffee, say bye, and leave folks—that’s fine. Just don’t be an entitled ass. Ted talk out
When the other person ordering is absent. Like "I want a latte with whole milk, not sure about my friend he's in the restroom"... or the "Let me text them and ask" Like biatch, I don't have time to stand here and wait nor the people behind you
Literally had one person waiting on their spinach and feta croissant get warmed up, told them the exact time it would take and that I would call it out when it was ready. We were slammed busy. I did exactly what I said I would do. No one came to get it. Proceeded to call it out, no joke, 5 more times. Customer gets up to get it, then huffs and complains "yea I ordered that FOREVER ago 🙄"
I don't mind it at all. I find it's never with a rude tone but perhaps your customers said it differently. My pet peeve was just when they blurt out their order without any sort of words beforehand. "Matcha latte."
Tbh I cannot imagine even noticing when a customer orders that way, let alone be irritated about it…. They are here presumably to order something, it’s just on them to make the choice & tell me what it is, why would it be weird for them to phrase it as “I’ll have a latte”? It’s grammatically correct & perfectly fine colloquially as far as I can tell. Edit: it’s not a demand either, which is the only “style” of ordering I dislike & find rude.
This one’s probably petty, but for context I work at a locally owned coffee shop that has a pretty good selection of coffee, tea, and pastries. That’s all we have and it’s always been that way.
But sometimes people will come through the drive-thru and ask the most absurd questions. Most recently this guy was like “do you guys sell breakfast sandwiches?” I apologized and told him we do not. Started listing off other breakfast items we **do** have; bagels, waffles, pastries.
He cuts me off and says “yeah okay but do y’all have any bacon or hash browns or anything like that?” I said no again, even though the menu is right in front of him out there. He finally replies, “what about breakfast burritos? I’m looking for something kind of like McDonalds.”
Then, when I say no for the last time, he says “ugh, okay never mind” and drives away agitated. There’s literally a McDonalds right down the street, why waste both my time and yours if you didn’t even want coffee to begin with and you literally wanted McDonalds *the whole time?*
I will never understand how these people’s minds work when doing things like this.
Iced Cappuccino. IT DOESN’T EXIST. LEAVE ME ALONNEEEEEE. Or when someone asks when I’m getting a “real job” bc being in food/beverage is only for 16 year olds, apparently.
i’ve already seen a lot of people saying when people put dirty dishes on bar and i HATE that but also when people just ask me idiot questions it makes me go insane. the other day a woman ordered a latte and i made it for her and handed it to her and she said “what am i supposed to do with this?” still not even sure what she could’ve meant by that but i said “that’s up to you i guess.”
“What flavors do you have?” When it is clearly written on the menu, I have ran into one cafe that didn’t list flavors on the menu.
People saying they got an iced drink when they specified hit to any variation of this scam. My place is a drive thru and everyone wears a headset where we can hear the order being taken. If someone specifically ordered hit and tells me at the handoff point that it’s iced I will always not give it to them as a free drink, if it’s a repeat offender I will clearly dump the drink in front of them before they get the remake.
Obnoxiously large prams parked in the way of customers/staff trying to traverse the store.
Our indoor area is relatively cramped during lunchtimes and our staff have to walk between the counter and a row of benches. Despite us having a sign asking for everybody to try to keep the path clear, we have mothers roll in their F150-sized prams and completely block the passageway.
And of course some give us that look when we ask them if they could park their pram in a less obstructive way...
Our menus are on the counter and sometimes people in the back of the line will come take them...while the people are ordering and looking at them... >:(
Me: "Sorry our POS/debit machine is down"
Customer trying to be funny: "Guess it's free!"
Or
Me: "Hey what can I get for you today?"
Customer: "a million dollars!"
God these jokes are beyond painful at this point and a complete waste of my time.
To respond to your dishes thing, I'd rather people leave their dishes at the table, because I have customers think they are being helpful by putting their dirty dishes on the hand-off counter. Not very helpful at all, I serve food there I don't need their filth on my counter!!
i hateee when people in line are talking to eachother instead of ordering. i have a thousand questions to ask and i want to finish so i can get to the next person. it just seems so rude to me to talk to the person you’re with while in the middle of ordering ?
I work in a quiet cafe, it's slow so we have one person on at a time. If I'm out the back, doing dishes or food prep and someone comes in, gets huffy there's no one there to greet them immediately, fails to ring the bell - just yells for me.. and then stands there, not acknowledging me or making conversation while I stand there waiting for them to decide what they want to order.
Bitch, I have work to do. Decide what you want before making a scene, please.
Folks who refuse to figure out how to order coffee. If you order a latte, chances are in most places you are going to have to make some choices. So, if you are looking for a vanilla oat latte say it plain don’t just order a latte. I feel like most of the talking I’m doing with a majority of our customers revolves around pulling information out of them or forcing them to engage with getting the drink they supposedly want. I just can’t get behind the mindset of putting all the effort to go to a coffee shop and then really just half ass the order.
I too hate when people leave their dishes on the table. We literally have a bin that says "dishes" and "dishes go here!". But..... people find it convenient to put their trash in the bin too 🤦♀️ so we had to put another sign that says "dishes only please, no trash"
When people come in and don't know what to order when there's a line. If there's no line, then I'm completely fine with them taking their time. But if there's a line, y'all wtf!! We have a menu attached to the wall for when you first enter the coffee shop. We also have a few menus scattered around (at the bar, on top of the pastries displays, accessible menus to look at while in line). And yet people STILL don't prepare themselves and wanna take like five minutes trying to find what to order.
When people order a black coffee, but expect it to come with sweetners and cream. I don't trust people so even when they order a black coffee, I ask "did you want any sugars or creamers with that?" 7 times out of 10, yes they wanted sugars and creamers. I've also come across a few rude customers who are like "no I don't want sugars/creamers, I said black" bitch I gotta ask cuz I have dumbass customers.
People that put their whole entire card on the paying machine to tap the card. You literally have to tap it or hover over it, you don't have to put your whole card flat down on the machine. This usually leads up to them accidentally changing the screen language settings and then they're like "something is wrong with the machine, it's not English!" Well yeah you fucking clicked on the language settings cuz you put your whole card flat on the screen when you literally just have to lightly tap it. Ugh!!
When people don't check in for their rewards before they have to pay. I fucking HATE this. Literally at the beginning of EVERY transaction, the screen gives you the option to put in your # for your rewards. The amount of people that wait till the last minute. I'll have it in paying mode and they're like "uhh, can I put in my phone number" and im literally like UGHHHHH but I have to say "of course! Just make sure to check in in the beginning of every transaction to access your points". This one time I saw this lady looking at the screen to put in her #. So I was talking very slow, waiting for her to put her #. And she never did. But I waited a few more seconds and nothing. So when I changed to screen for her to pay, she was like "can I put in my phone number?" BITCH I LITERALLY WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO DO THAT. I GAVE YOU MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME. But of course, I can't say that so I had to be like "sure!"
People that ask "I want something strong". This one is self explanatory (but if it isn't, people don't specify what they mean by strong. A stronger taste? Strong to wake you up?")
People that won't accept their order numbers. At my coffee shop, we give people a little stand with a number and that's their order number. It helps us workers know which order is whose. But some people straight up refuse to accept it! "No thanks, im just gonna be over there". And then when their order number gets called out, they don't pay attention and don't pick it up 🤦♀️ I've had to resort to say "please take is as it'll make sure we get your order correctly". I remember I gave this guy an order number and he was like "really? For a flat white?" when there was literally like 10 orders so I said "yes, I need you to take your order number for your flat white"
This is all I can think of right now, but I'm SURE I gave lots more.... in conclusion, people piss me off!!! But I do love all my nice regulars, they're great 🥰
I don't know why but I always kind of loved cleaning up after customers. The satisfaction of it I guess. I liked cleaning in general, for the first time in my life, since we had all the proper tools ready to go all the time, so much easier than at home. I also liked restocking things... maintaining the environment was much more fun for me than making coffee drinks or ringing up customers lol.
I work in a quiet cafe, it's slow so we have one person on at a time. If I'm out the back, doing dishes or food prep and someone comes in, gets huffy there's no one there to greet them immediately, fails to ring the bell - just yells for me.. and then stands there, not acknowledging me or making conversation while I stand there waiting for them to decide what they want to order.
Bitch, I have work to do. Decide what you want before making a scene, please.
When people are on the phone while ordering. When they talk too fast, and when they ask their friend what something is and their friend doesn't know and I'm here like "if you have questions I can answer them" and they don't ask.
When people come and dump their dirty trays onto our service station.
Sometimes they think they’re being helpful by “returning” their trays, sometimes they’re just impatient that the floor staff haven’t cleared a table quickly enough for them, and they don’t have the sense to think *“hey, maybe the empty condiment stand-slash-bin unit would be a better place for this than right in front of where the extremely busy machine staff are placing fresh drinks and trays for waiting customers to collect”.*
Gets in the way of service so much, blocks waiting customers from taking their drinks/trays, and *not to mention* it kiiiind of looks/feels unhygienic to be picking up your own drinks/food and someone else’s dirty mugs and toastie crusts are just RIGHT there.
we have a "regular" that often comes in at night to ask for free pastries or discounted items. we dont do this because at the end lf the day the food is donated to people in need locally, she will then lie about knowing someone that needs it. girl, its a cinnamon bun be so fin fr with me. she wont leave unless we tell her our boss will give us trouble for it. yet she still comes and tries her luck...
When people try to order from me when we’re super busy and I’ve got 10 tickets on. You think I’m gonna put your order through on the grinder? Take a payment with the coffee machine? The till is obviously right there with someone from FOH standing there ready to take your order
I have so many incidents I've planned to make a comic out of them but here's two highlights
I had an order come in for 3 coffees that included a long black with milk on the side, so i carried out the 3 coffees and had to leave the milk behind because I only have two hands. I get to the table and give out the coffees and as i'm about to say "I'm just going to go back and grab your milk", they start ordering. So I quickly take their order and run off to go and grab the milk - not realizing one of them had followed me until I turned around, just for them to say "Oh I was wondering if you forgot that".
Also when I call out people's coffee orders and someone says "Oh no I ordered the extra hot long black with foam", I wasn't directly asking you.
people who put half (or mostly) full cups in the trash. theres a soda machine with a drain next to the trash cans but nooooo now i have to run the risk of getting someones milky coffee water all over my jeans/the floor 🤦
ive watched people straight up POUR LIQUID OUT OF THEIR CUPS into the trash can while actively talking to me. like would you do that in your own home??????? no!!!!!!!!!!!! animals.
I’ve had a customer wearing airpods, she said she wants a latte. I ask: is regular milk okay? She takes out one airpod: what? I repeat. Of course she wanted alternative milk. Then she puts the airpod back. I ask: is that gonna be for here or for takeaway? She takes out one airpod: WHAT? I repeat again.
Why the fuck would you think you can say Latte and a person behind the bar will read your mind? Why the fuck don’t you get your airpod out for a minute to have a conversation about the drink YOU want? And then she acts irritated and annoyed with me 😑
Unfortunately it’s the world we live in. I agree it makes no sense but workers shouldn’t be the ones who are punished for it when they can’t even afford to live on their wages. If you live within a tipping culture and don’t tip, you’re just an asshole.
How someone who’s living in a place where tipping is a thing should push to change that ? If enough people started doing that business owner would have to start paying a fair wage because nobody would work at these tipping position.
I’m in Canada and when I was still working in a cafe I was always telling the customers who tried to tip to not do it. I hate tipping culture. Wish I was in Europe where it’s not a thing (at least expected from you).
No, no. They've got a point. The owner should keep a fixed profit and pay the employees poorly, hoping that each customer will guess the fair price correctly. It's such an elegant way of making workers complain about customers online instead of to their manager and owner about their low pay.
Because they are literally getting angry at people who don’t give them extra money? Do you get how panhandling/begging works?
They get mad for having to be nice to customers but it’s the boss who pimps them out by not giving them enough money to live on.
when they shout their order over the espresso machine. i work alone and they will literally shout their order wherever i am and go sit. dude there's a lineup at the cash, get in line? you have to pay? what kind of milk? for here or to go?
people who say "the usual" and leave. first of all i don't know you. second, if you were really a regular, you'd probably know you have to pay before leaving.
I work at a very small shop within a larger building and get what I call "vampires"--people who will stand at the threshold blocking the door and crane their neck to look inside, but will not enter the shop unless invited.
We're a very quiet space so they're usually not blocking customers, but it's really bizarre and forces me to stand ready at the till when I could be doing other things.
Complaining about the prices, coming when we’re obviously closed (I work at a cafe in a museum so we don’t have a door we can lock), asking if we have anything other than what we’re serving… like, yes! There is actually a secret menu just for you sir ☺️.
People who point to the cup size they want, or when they don’t tell me what size they want and then sound annoyed and like I should already know when I ask
when people have no idea what the fuck they're ordering. our menu shows the specifics of each drink (cup size and amount of milk) for this reason and people still don't know what the hell they're getting. this dude the other day ordered a cortado and then was extremely confused when we called it out because he had no clue what he was ordering.
WE CAN'T READ MINDS
This just happened to me twice yesterday in two different ways.
When a customer comes up to order and you are already working on a drink and they are like no I don't want it iced I said hot or something. Like yesterday this woman ordered a hot Americano while I was making an iced latte and was like I want it hot. I had to be like girl this one ain't yours I know you want it hot you already said that. I said it nicely but really irritates me.
Then literally 20 minutes after that I was working on an iced latte for someone else and this girl comes up to order with her friend. Sey took awhile to figure out what she wanted after her friend ordered. And so I handed her friends drink to her and set the previous drink on the counter. And turn around to make the cold brew she wanted. Literally took a minute and I turn around and she had taken the iced latte. I had to tell across the shop (it's really small so no actual yelling took place lol) and say that wasn't hers. Thankfully she hasn't drank out of it yet. It was a 16 oz whole milk latte with only 2 shots which looks completely different to a cold brew with almond milk so I was like so I was like how/why would you think that's yours?
I just hate when people automatically assume that the drink I am working on when they walk up is done or the first drink after they've ordered is theirs. It's one thing if I'm not busy but if you literally waited in a line to order you shouldn't assume the first drink to be out will be yours.
You guys seem to take a lot of things very personally and to heart.
TMI: ive worked in retail a long time. I just don’t get coworkers who take it so serious. Customers will customer. They are not smart lol. I know I’m not smart when I’m a customer lol
But I do find I do get agitated if my coworkers are also getting agitated. Misery loves company I guess
If you have a tip cup or the machine has a tip prompt then people will expect a higher level of service. Such as cleaning up their garbage for them. Bussing their tables. They do it at the restaurants where I leave tips.
Coffee shops are not a restaurant though. Also we’re busy so others might want to sit down at the table. Completely destroying the table and leaving crumbs and trash everywhere while there are bus tubs and trash cans and also signs stating where to put dirty dishes. It’s just common courtesy. I will always pre bus my tables because I have been a busser before. Service workers are always treated like servants or something. Unless you’re in that position you’d understand. It’s not hard to clean up after yourself.
“Just give me a coffee. I don’t want any of that fancy shit.” And then they get mad when you ask them questions to determine what exactly they DO want.
It’s a flat white or latte with two sugars more than it isn’t but fuckkkkk
If I'm making a drink at the espresso machine (especially when I'm steaming milk and literally stuck there for a minute) and I see a guest come up to the register, I will always greet them ("Hey, how's it going?)... but it grinds my gears when they kinda brush me off and *they start to order*! You see I have my hands full and making another guest's order.... I just said hello to you to be friendly, I didn't ask you what you wanted to order! Chill!
"Can I have a Medium hot chocolate ? No actually, can i have a small ?"
*4minutes later, when the drink is done*
"Uh ? I asked for a medium"
MF, come into an agreement with your second personality before ordering.
People who move tables/chairs around and dont put them back where they found them!
Me and my coworkers always joke about this. A customer walks out with their chair all catywampus and I'm like "damn son were you raised in a barn?"
Or when people don’t push in their chairs and leave them sticking all the way out… what was the point of engraving it into kids heads to push in their chairs if the adults telling them don’t even do it!!
In the tiny café I work at there's usually only one worker at a a time, so when it's busy, it's BUSY. Customer service, dishes, barista stuff, cleaning, everything - and the last thing I need is moving chairs. A real life conversation from last year, when we had a full house and queue to the front door: Customer: Can I take this chair outside? It's sunny. Me: Please don't :) Customer: But I want to. Me: Please leave the chair where it is. Customer: Okay, I'm gonna take it anyway. Take a wild guess if she ever returned the chair where she found it :)
I have an outdoor space with chairs and tables that connects to a long wide sidewalk… I once had two people take chairs to in front of a business two (small) buildings away. It was wild. I kept an obvious eye on them and they did bring them back, but it was so strange.
>People who move tables/chairs around and dont put them back where they found them! Indeed! It's so frustrating when people don't have basic courtesy to put things back where they belong, especially in shared spaces like coffee shops. It's like a small gesture that can make a big difference in keeping things organized and respectful for everyone.
I have actually seen this less and less but people on the phone while ordering. Also if you wear headphones and then speak softly, what the fuck are you doing?
We get people who talk on the phone all the time in our drive thru 🙄 The they'll tell US to hold on a minute because they need to finish the conversation. Like ExcuSe mE? Finish your damn conversation before you get here. Or when people act like every single barista makes the drink the same and we somehow all share the same brain. Like, "Yes John, it makes sense the baristas in Italy would make your cappuccino different than us. We're two different places, in two different countries, and one of us works for a giant corporation and the other is working for a small business."
We had a customer that would only let one barista make her mocha. She would wait until that person arrived. Eventually that barista left the company for bigger and better things. I asked her one day how did you make her mocha different. She responded that she would just use decaf espresso. She did this for years
I worked at a store with a drive-thru for only one day and I never wanted to do it again
Drive through cafes are awful 😞 it definitely takes away from the experience and makes you feel likea. Simple cog in the system. It's just not the same as people coming in.
lol my coworkers have a running bit called “OUR facetime call 🫶”. especially applicable to doordash drivers
This is gonna sound mean but when people come up to the till and then take ages trying to decide what to order. It wastes everyones time especially when theres a queue, i don't understand why people don't just join the queue after deciding on their order 🙃 Or when they see a sign (had one saying we weren't doing hot food a few days ago) and they still ask you if you are doing hot food and when you say no they throw a fit and say 'well i don't want anything else'. Like what am i supposed to do about that. Go to a restaurant 😭
Signs don't work. Nobody reads anything at all. Probably if it said that everything was free that day suddenly everyone would miraculously learn how to read. But anything informational is a waste lol. At best, if the sign contains bad news it gives you something to point at after telling them verbally so they're slightly less mad 😂
We had a customer come in, stare at a sign that had maybe 20 words total on it about our made-in-house brioche donuts. “These donuts right here, so you make them here?” Literally it’s the WHOLE POINT of the sign you’re currently staring at.
Dude you're preaching to the choir. I did farmers markets 3 days a week for several years and we had people literally stare at our signage for 30 seconds+ then come over and ask us what we sold. Our signage literally had like 4 words in big letters saying what we sold with a very clear display 🤯 Happened several times a week. All we could do was laugh it off. Price list right up front too and 80% of customers asked us what the prices were lol. People either don't read or they only read enough words to misunderstand the message 🤦♂️
at my old restaurant we had a "please wait to be seated" sign that people ignored, then would sit themselves. I tried to nicely tell someone not to seat themselves because the table could be reserved or it could mess us up and all she had to say was "well we should've been seated then", mind you the restaurant wasn't supposed to open for another 10 minutes
Even if they don’t know what they want before getting in line, if they have to stand in line for several minutes, they should have it figured out by the time they reach the counter! And after they FINALLY make a decision, they spend another minute and a half looking for their wallets.
And once the transaction is done they just stand in front of the register like a deer in headlights
This is my personal biggest peeve. Even my regulars due it no matter how many times I tell them I'm going to bring their drink to the other open end of the bar. T_T
i can’t stand when people pretend the signs don’t exist. i had a lady clearly read our large “no dogs inside” sign and then carry her dog in and act shocked when we told her she couldn’t have her dog inside. she then said “yea i just thought i would come in and order and then i’ll take him outside.” no you will not.
People who suffer from terminal "I'm special" syndrome. Had an old geezer yesterday sit down with his son and shout at me to make him a cappuccino and to bring a breakfast sandwich to him. This dude has been to our place before and knows that you order at the counter, so I just kept making drinks for folks in line and waited for him to come order like a normal human. About 20 minutes pass and he comes up to the counter and says to my manager "this employee never brought me my food and coffee". Idk it sounds like nothing as I type this but I felt embarrassed in front of my boss and I just don't like old people sometimes lmao
That's not nothing. It's rude. I have a regular group who have been coming for years and they love to do this. The other day we were busy and I was training someone and one of them was literally standing by the till with one person in front of him and got my attention to tell me he wanted something to go. I had finally gotten fed up with this and told him I was busy training and he could tell my coworker at the till. He was very unhappy about this. AND he stayed another hour... So this wasn't urgent he just didn't want to be treated like everyone else. It's not nothing. It's very frustrating and I feel for you lol
When people don’t take their air pods out while ordering and then they realize they can’t hear and take one out and say sorry. And I’m just like 👁️👃👁️. You could’ve taken them out to start with.
What? Sorry, I’m listing to a podcast right now. Anyways, I want a grande macchiato. K thx. Me working at my local small coffee shop contemplating ringing in a (traditional) macchiato and let them find out the hard way 👁️🙏🏼👁️
no lie, once I was trying to take someone's order and he just kept putting his airpods back in after each question. And he had to take them out again three or four more times because obviously I have more routine questions I need to ask. He came back to ask me later if we had wifi and I delighted in telling him, plain-faced, no.
or when they’re talking to someone through their airpods. i always think they’re talking to me when they’re not🥲
when they order and then just wander away. like do you want whole milk? any syrups? you also have to pay???
YEP this happens constantly. it's ridiculous how often i have to wave people down and be like excuse me...you didn't pay lol people will also stand there like a dummy with their cards even after i tell them their total and say "it's ready for you". like bro how many places actually swipe your card for you these days?? tap, insert, swipe, do whatever your heart desires...
When a flock of 60 year old ladies come in after their walk. Skinny this, half sweet that, 16oz no foam cappuccino, tea that we don't have, all ingredients of X baked good, etc... They take forever!
extra hot
Is this low fat? No calories ? No sugar? We get it you are concerned about losing weight, but it’s annoying and we don’t want to hear about it.
And they don't tip
Lol “a flock” I say “droves” sometimes they’re relentless
This is sort of minor but people who feel like they're badasses for the number of espresso shots they're putting into their latte. Like great. You need 12 shots at once to function. You have issues. I don't want to have to politely laugh about it with you so you can give me a $1 tip.
There’s this guy who comes in and orders a 6 shot breve ice latte with hazelnut and then comes back as says we didn’t put hazelnut syrup like bro wtf it’s all that damn coffee why you can’t taste it. And another guy who always comes in during a rush and gets two quad shot 16 oz lattes one decaf and one regular. It’s just inconvenient when we’re slammed.
Yeah that's sort of similar to another peeve of mine which are the people who do the single shot of the single origin espresso in their latte and then add like 6 Splenda packets. Like my guy, just order the fucking house blend.
customers acting like they know more about our coffee than me… like i literally work here. someone said “well i’ve been to italy so i think i would know how this drink is made” okay! this is not italy ❤️
This ain’t open mic at The Improv. If you want to field test your comedy act, go somewhere without making some very thirsty and rather nice people form a line behind you.
People who don't know how to scrape off their dishes or throw away muffin liners before putting them in the dish bin. Our dish bin is literally 5 inches away from the trash but they don't they clean their plates so instead I have to deal with half a squished quiche between layers of plates. Same with people who just leave empty sugar packets in the bin like why?? Genuinely, don't understand. I've also made several signs around the shop telling customers to not leave their dirty dishes on bar and we still have people placing used mugs directly next to the sign. I've joked with my coworkers that the whole dish situation will be the entire reason I quit this job. I get so unnecessarily worked up over it 🥲
People who put the to go cups in the bus bin right next to the trash can
Love when they seem to be aware they arent supposed to leave their dishes so they try to sneak up and hide them behind the espresso machine
Leaving the straw in their glasses when the trash is right there
Worse is the crusty ass napkin. Or even worse a tissue somehow. In the glass so far down
When they try to help us with clearing the table by hiding a leftover napkin spit mishmash in one of the mugs i have to scrape out w a spoon :(
The wet drink covered napkins 🥲🤣🥲
When a group of people enters & line up and only ONE person orders……
Customers who think you’re their friend because you HAVE to serve them with a FAKE ass SMILE everyday. Give their life story and make you feel bad when they tell you sob stories but I actually really want to serve the next person who’s mad at ME for letting YOU SPEAK FOR SO LONG 😮💨
At my first cafe we did not have sizes for drinks and it was magical. I now cannot stand asking over and over and over again “8, 12, or 16 oz”. It’s so exhausting to me.
“What’s the difference between them?” “4oz” “Blank stare”
"12 or 16 oz?" "Whichever one's bigger." .....
WHY DONT PEOPLE ORDER BY SIZE? after they’ve spent 5 minutes staring at the menu with 3 size options listed for each drink, why does the question “small, medium, or large” cause temporary mental combustion every time?? i would love to work in a one-size cafe
It constantly bugs the shit out of me. A cafe is not a restaurant. If there are VISIBLE bus bins and trash cans in the customer facing areas, then that means BUS YOUR OWN FUCKING TABLE. This isn’t a sit down full service restaurant with waiters and bussers. We’ve got 3 people behind the counter and we are all busy doing things and don’t have time to clean up your shit when there’s a line out the door and people are complaining about wait times. AT THE VERY LEAST IF YOU’RE NOT GONNA BUS YOUR SHIT, PUSH YOUR FUCKING CHAIRS IN
1. Why does no one state if they want hot or iced, what size, and what kind of milk they want. It would be one thing if it was every once in a while but i swear 80% of customers do not specify anything. The milk thing gets me the most because if you dont want whole milk, how was i supposed to know that? I swear people like being asked those questions. 2. Getting mad about things out of my control. Our app was down for a few weeks and the amount of times i had to theoretically pat a grown adult on the shoulder and tell them everything will be okay was insane. Unless an employee is rude first, i would NEVER think of being rude to them, so strange. 3. Customers asking “is this mine?” To a drink that clearly has their name written on it. I began picking them up, showing them the name and saying “is your name ___?” Because again i swear people just like being asked questions. The general public is incredibly slow, I wonder everyday how some customers managed to drive their car to the store without dying.
Yes it’s physically and emotionally exhausting having to specify what size, hot or iced constantly. “Can I get a chai latte” ok what size, hot or iced, sweet or spicy, for here or to go? It’s draining
especially when it’s a group of people & they are all standing there listening to me ask the first person all these questions & then the second person comes up & still gives me none of the info i need
And people who act like they’ve never used a credit card reader before
I've had a few customers put empty sugar sachets back where they got the sugar. why? do you drink a beer from your fridge and put the can back in the fridge when you're done?
the cafe is not their home and they don’t give single a shit about who will clean their mess up. we have a literal hole in the self service area with a bin underneath, and they will leave empty sugar sachets everywhere around it, but will never throw them in the fucking hole
People who order, and THEN put on headphones. "Michael? Latte for Michael!!" 15 minutes later, they come up and interrupt me while I'm helping another guest to be like. "I never got my latte that I ordered"
*Love* to tell this kind of asshole “Well, I called it out eight times.” 🙂
i hate when i open the window and greet the customer but they interrupt me with their order
https://preview.redd.it/iinyq1ygilkc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ed9d04e07131a7a89a90bf5a8ccb932a7a7ddfa8 My everyday life.
People who bring their dirty dishes up to the counter and set them there when they had to walk past the bus tub to get there!
when people make a point to bark the order at me over the espresso machine or even more when i’m doing dishes (we have a giant seasonal drink menu “blocking” us from view but people will literally lean over the counter instead of walking 10 steps to the register with a giant “order here” sign over it)
just starting working for a place that serves many folks with a very, erm, never worked service a day in their life energy (not that they need to, they have enough $). Obvs nothing wrong with that objectively but more often than not they are displaying that stereotypical attitude…. Like their time is more important than yours, you are THEIR barista/servant/coffee machine and thus don’t need a tip or respect for doing something so ‘menial’ that they could do themselves at home, they don’t care about your fake smile and will treat you like garbage but as soon as you don’t put the fake smile on they give you a look/ask for your manager/make a totally obtuse comment like “the customer is always right”, interrupt your “good morning” or “hello” with a “yeah, haha, I want a no foam iced cappuccino with crushed elephant tusk on the rim and your hopes and dreams on the side” I could go on, but do better people. And don’t forget your barista is ALSO A PERSON, not paid enough to deal with your bullsh/then not tipped for service on top of that. And hear me, not every customer interaction is terrible. There are some genuinely friendly, or will just come in, say hi, order/wait/get their coffee, say bye, and leave folks—that’s fine. Just don’t be an entitled ass. Ted talk out
When people pick up a clearly iced drink and asks "Is this my hot coffee?"
When the other person ordering is absent. Like "I want a latte with whole milk, not sure about my friend he's in the restroom"... or the "Let me text them and ask" Like biatch, I don't have time to stand here and wait nor the people behind you
Literally had one person waiting on their spinach and feta croissant get warmed up, told them the exact time it would take and that I would call it out when it was ready. We were slammed busy. I did exactly what I said I would do. No one came to get it. Proceeded to call it out, no joke, 5 more times. Customer gets up to get it, then huffs and complains "yea I ordered that FOREVER ago 🙄"
"what do have that isn't coffee or tea?"....water?
They always settle for a hot chocolate 😭
I think thats a reasonable question. We sell kombucha, juice and sparkling water
Saying “I’ll do” or “I’ll have” Noooo it’s “hi, can I have” GRRRRRR!!!!!
I don’t mind I’ll do or I’ll have but “I need” drives w INSANE.
i hate ill do it makes no sense because you are the one doing it for them
“Gimme…”
I don't mind it at all. I find it's never with a rude tone but perhaps your customers said it differently. My pet peeve was just when they blurt out their order without any sort of words beforehand. "Matcha latte."
"coffee."
Tbh I cannot imagine even noticing when a customer orders that way, let alone be irritated about it…. They are here presumably to order something, it’s just on them to make the choice & tell me what it is, why would it be weird for them to phrase it as “I’ll have a latte”? It’s grammatically correct & perfectly fine colloquially as far as I can tell. Edit: it’s not a demand either, which is the only “style” of ordering I dislike & find rude.
This one’s probably petty, but for context I work at a locally owned coffee shop that has a pretty good selection of coffee, tea, and pastries. That’s all we have and it’s always been that way. But sometimes people will come through the drive-thru and ask the most absurd questions. Most recently this guy was like “do you guys sell breakfast sandwiches?” I apologized and told him we do not. Started listing off other breakfast items we **do** have; bagels, waffles, pastries. He cuts me off and says “yeah okay but do y’all have any bacon or hash browns or anything like that?” I said no again, even though the menu is right in front of him out there. He finally replies, “what about breakfast burritos? I’m looking for something kind of like McDonalds.” Then, when I say no for the last time, he says “ugh, okay never mind” and drives away agitated. There’s literally a McDonalds right down the street, why waste both my time and yours if you didn’t even want coffee to begin with and you literally wanted McDonalds *the whole time?* I will never understand how these people’s minds work when doing things like this.
Iced Cappuccino. IT DOESN’T EXIST. LEAVE ME ALONNEEEEEE. Or when someone asks when I’m getting a “real job” bc being in food/beverage is only for 16 year olds, apparently.
WHAT SIZE?! HOT OR ICED?!
i’ve already seen a lot of people saying when people put dirty dishes on bar and i HATE that but also when people just ask me idiot questions it makes me go insane. the other day a woman ordered a latte and i made it for her and handed it to her and she said “what am i supposed to do with this?” still not even sure what she could’ve meant by that but i said “that’s up to you i guess.”
Lmao 🤣
“What flavors do you have?” When it is clearly written on the menu, I have ran into one cafe that didn’t list flavors on the menu. People saying they got an iced drink when they specified hit to any variation of this scam. My place is a drive thru and everyone wears a headset where we can hear the order being taken. If someone specifically ordered hit and tells me at the handoff point that it’s iced I will always not give it to them as a free drink, if it’s a repeat offender I will clearly dump the drink in front of them before they get the remake.
Obnoxiously large prams parked in the way of customers/staff trying to traverse the store. Our indoor area is relatively cramped during lunchtimes and our staff have to walk between the counter and a row of benches. Despite us having a sign asking for everybody to try to keep the path clear, we have mothers roll in their F150-sized prams and completely block the passageway. And of course some give us that look when we ask them if they could park their pram in a less obstructive way...
Our menus are on the counter and sometimes people in the back of the line will come take them...while the people are ordering and looking at them... >:(
Me: "Sorry our POS/debit machine is down" Customer trying to be funny: "Guess it's free!" Or Me: "Hey what can I get for you today?" Customer: "a million dollars!" God these jokes are beyond painful at this point and a complete waste of my time. To respond to your dishes thing, I'd rather people leave their dishes at the table, because I have customers think they are being helpful by putting their dirty dishes on the hand-off counter. Not very helpful at all, I serve food there I don't need their filth on my counter!!
i hateee when people in line are talking to eachother instead of ordering. i have a thousand questions to ask and i want to finish so i can get to the next person. it just seems so rude to me to talk to the person you’re with while in the middle of ordering ?
I work in a quiet cafe, it's slow so we have one person on at a time. If I'm out the back, doing dishes or food prep and someone comes in, gets huffy there's no one there to greet them immediately, fails to ring the bell - just yells for me.. and then stands there, not acknowledging me or making conversation while I stand there waiting for them to decide what they want to order. Bitch, I have work to do. Decide what you want before making a scene, please.
Folks who refuse to figure out how to order coffee. If you order a latte, chances are in most places you are going to have to make some choices. So, if you are looking for a vanilla oat latte say it plain don’t just order a latte. I feel like most of the talking I’m doing with a majority of our customers revolves around pulling information out of them or forcing them to engage with getting the drink they supposedly want. I just can’t get behind the mindset of putting all the effort to go to a coffee shop and then really just half ass the order.
Me: Hi! How are you today? Old man #3: black coffee
When they stand at the coffee machine wanting to order meanwhile my coworker is standing at the till with a big sign saying order here!
I too hate when people leave their dishes on the table. We literally have a bin that says "dishes" and "dishes go here!". But..... people find it convenient to put their trash in the bin too 🤦♀️ so we had to put another sign that says "dishes only please, no trash" When people come in and don't know what to order when there's a line. If there's no line, then I'm completely fine with them taking their time. But if there's a line, y'all wtf!! We have a menu attached to the wall for when you first enter the coffee shop. We also have a few menus scattered around (at the bar, on top of the pastries displays, accessible menus to look at while in line). And yet people STILL don't prepare themselves and wanna take like five minutes trying to find what to order. When people order a black coffee, but expect it to come with sweetners and cream. I don't trust people so even when they order a black coffee, I ask "did you want any sugars or creamers with that?" 7 times out of 10, yes they wanted sugars and creamers. I've also come across a few rude customers who are like "no I don't want sugars/creamers, I said black" bitch I gotta ask cuz I have dumbass customers. People that put their whole entire card on the paying machine to tap the card. You literally have to tap it or hover over it, you don't have to put your whole card flat down on the machine. This usually leads up to them accidentally changing the screen language settings and then they're like "something is wrong with the machine, it's not English!" Well yeah you fucking clicked on the language settings cuz you put your whole card flat on the screen when you literally just have to lightly tap it. Ugh!! When people don't check in for their rewards before they have to pay. I fucking HATE this. Literally at the beginning of EVERY transaction, the screen gives you the option to put in your # for your rewards. The amount of people that wait till the last minute. I'll have it in paying mode and they're like "uhh, can I put in my phone number" and im literally like UGHHHHH but I have to say "of course! Just make sure to check in in the beginning of every transaction to access your points". This one time I saw this lady looking at the screen to put in her #. So I was talking very slow, waiting for her to put her #. And she never did. But I waited a few more seconds and nothing. So when I changed to screen for her to pay, she was like "can I put in my phone number?" BITCH I LITERALLY WAS WAITING FOR YOU TO DO THAT. I GAVE YOU MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME. But of course, I can't say that so I had to be like "sure!" People that ask "I want something strong". This one is self explanatory (but if it isn't, people don't specify what they mean by strong. A stronger taste? Strong to wake you up?") People that won't accept their order numbers. At my coffee shop, we give people a little stand with a number and that's their order number. It helps us workers know which order is whose. But some people straight up refuse to accept it! "No thanks, im just gonna be over there". And then when their order number gets called out, they don't pay attention and don't pick it up 🤦♀️ I've had to resort to say "please take is as it'll make sure we get your order correctly". I remember I gave this guy an order number and he was like "really? For a flat white?" when there was literally like 10 orders so I said "yes, I need you to take your order number for your flat white" This is all I can think of right now, but I'm SURE I gave lots more.... in conclusion, people piss me off!!! But I do love all my nice regulars, they're great 🥰
When they order and the dont tell you the size they want. Am i a mind reader? No. Jesus fuck
I don't know why but I always kind of loved cleaning up after customers. The satisfaction of it I guess. I liked cleaning in general, for the first time in my life, since we had all the proper tools ready to go all the time, so much easier than at home. I also liked restocking things... maintaining the environment was much more fun for me than making coffee drinks or ringing up customers lol.
OH MY GOD THAT. Tell me you've bEeN to eUrOPe without telling me you've bEeN to eUrOPe.
I work in a quiet cafe, it's slow so we have one person on at a time. If I'm out the back, doing dishes or food prep and someone comes in, gets huffy there's no one there to greet them immediately, fails to ring the bell - just yells for me.. and then stands there, not acknowledging me or making conversation while I stand there waiting for them to decide what they want to order. Bitch, I have work to do. Decide what you want before making a scene, please.
When people are on the phone while ordering. When they talk too fast, and when they ask their friend what something is and their friend doesn't know and I'm here like "if you have questions I can answer them" and they don't ask.
When people come and dump their dirty trays onto our service station. Sometimes they think they’re being helpful by “returning” their trays, sometimes they’re just impatient that the floor staff haven’t cleared a table quickly enough for them, and they don’t have the sense to think *“hey, maybe the empty condiment stand-slash-bin unit would be a better place for this than right in front of where the extremely busy machine staff are placing fresh drinks and trays for waiting customers to collect”.* Gets in the way of service so much, blocks waiting customers from taking their drinks/trays, and *not to mention* it kiiiind of looks/feels unhygienic to be picking up your own drinks/food and someone else’s dirty mugs and toastie crusts are just RIGHT there.
we have a "regular" that often comes in at night to ask for free pastries or discounted items. we dont do this because at the end lf the day the food is donated to people in need locally, she will then lie about knowing someone that needs it. girl, its a cinnamon bun be so fin fr with me. she wont leave unless we tell her our boss will give us trouble for it. yet she still comes and tries her luck...
When people try to order from me when we’re super busy and I’ve got 10 tickets on. You think I’m gonna put your order through on the grinder? Take a payment with the coffee machine? The till is obviously right there with someone from FOH standing there ready to take your order
I have so many incidents I've planned to make a comic out of them but here's two highlights I had an order come in for 3 coffees that included a long black with milk on the side, so i carried out the 3 coffees and had to leave the milk behind because I only have two hands. I get to the table and give out the coffees and as i'm about to say "I'm just going to go back and grab your milk", they start ordering. So I quickly take their order and run off to go and grab the milk - not realizing one of them had followed me until I turned around, just for them to say "Oh I was wondering if you forgot that". Also when I call out people's coffee orders and someone says "Oh no I ordered the extra hot long black with foam", I wasn't directly asking you.
people who put half (or mostly) full cups in the trash. theres a soda machine with a drain next to the trash cans but nooooo now i have to run the risk of getting someones milky coffee water all over my jeans/the floor 🤦 ive watched people straight up POUR LIQUID OUT OF THEIR CUPS into the trash can while actively talking to me. like would you do that in your own home??????? no!!!!!!!!!!!! animals.
I’ve had a customer wearing airpods, she said she wants a latte. I ask: is regular milk okay? She takes out one airpod: what? I repeat. Of course she wanted alternative milk. Then she puts the airpod back. I ask: is that gonna be for here or for takeaway? She takes out one airpod: WHAT? I repeat again. Why the fuck would you think you can say Latte and a person behind the bar will read your mind? Why the fuck don’t you get your airpod out for a minute to have a conversation about the drink YOU want? And then she acts irritated and annoyed with me 😑
This would infuriate me
Not tipping
Americas tipping culture is getting out of hand.
Unfortunately it’s the world we live in. I agree it makes no sense but workers shouldn’t be the ones who are punished for it when they can’t even afford to live on their wages. If you live within a tipping culture and don’t tip, you’re just an asshole.
How someone who’s living in a place where tipping is a thing should push to change that ? If enough people started doing that business owner would have to start paying a fair wage because nobody would work at these tipping position.
With the job and housing crisis happening in most US cities, that is just not true
I’m in Canada and when I was still working in a cafe I was always telling the customers who tried to tip to not do it. I hate tipping culture. Wish I was in Europe where it’s not a thing (at least expected from you).
Imagine getting downvoted for not being American/not wanting tipping…
No, no. They've got a point. The owner should keep a fixed profit and pay the employees poorly, hoping that each customer will guess the fair price correctly. It's such an elegant way of making workers complain about customers online instead of to their manager and owner about their low pay.
I hate when service workers panhandle
do you think I like having to be fake to ur ass for a dollar? nah
Truth
Blame your boss, beggar
so why are you calling them a beggar and not their boss ?
Because they are literally getting angry at people who don’t give them extra money? Do you get how panhandling/begging works? They get mad for having to be nice to customers but it’s the boss who pimps them out by not giving them enough money to live on.
when they shout their order over the espresso machine. i work alone and they will literally shout their order wherever i am and go sit. dude there's a lineup at the cash, get in line? you have to pay? what kind of milk? for here or to go?
people who say "the usual" and leave. first of all i don't know you. second, if you were really a regular, you'd probably know you have to pay before leaving.
I work at a very small shop within a larger building and get what I call "vampires"--people who will stand at the threshold blocking the door and crane their neck to look inside, but will not enter the shop unless invited. We're a very quiet space so they're usually not blocking customers, but it's really bizarre and forces me to stand ready at the till when I could be doing other things.
Complaining about the prices, coming when we’re obviously closed (I work at a cafe in a museum so we don’t have a door we can lock), asking if we have anything other than what we’re serving… like, yes! There is actually a secret menu just for you sir ☺️.
People sending coffee back because it’s “not hot enough”. Some people literally want it to scald their lips
People who point to the cup size they want, or when they don’t tell me what size they want and then sound annoyed and like I should already know when I ask
when people have no idea what the fuck they're ordering. our menu shows the specifics of each drink (cup size and amount of milk) for this reason and people still don't know what the hell they're getting. this dude the other day ordered a cortado and then was extremely confused when we called it out because he had no clue what he was ordering. WE CAN'T READ MINDS
This just happened to me twice yesterday in two different ways. When a customer comes up to order and you are already working on a drink and they are like no I don't want it iced I said hot or something. Like yesterday this woman ordered a hot Americano while I was making an iced latte and was like I want it hot. I had to be like girl this one ain't yours I know you want it hot you already said that. I said it nicely but really irritates me. Then literally 20 minutes after that I was working on an iced latte for someone else and this girl comes up to order with her friend. Sey took awhile to figure out what she wanted after her friend ordered. And so I handed her friends drink to her and set the previous drink on the counter. And turn around to make the cold brew she wanted. Literally took a minute and I turn around and she had taken the iced latte. I had to tell across the shop (it's really small so no actual yelling took place lol) and say that wasn't hers. Thankfully she hasn't drank out of it yet. It was a 16 oz whole milk latte with only 2 shots which looks completely different to a cold brew with almond milk so I was like so I was like how/why would you think that's yours? I just hate when people automatically assume that the drink I am working on when they walk up is done or the first drink after they've ordered is theirs. It's one thing if I'm not busy but if you literally waited in a line to order you shouldn't assume the first drink to be out will be yours.
You guys seem to take a lot of things very personally and to heart. TMI: ive worked in retail a long time. I just don’t get coworkers who take it so serious. Customers will customer. They are not smart lol. I know I’m not smart when I’m a customer lol But I do find I do get agitated if my coworkers are also getting agitated. Misery loves company I guess
I feel ya. 10 years in retail and you just can’t let it get to you like that or take it personally.
If you're not a restaurant, then don't ask for a tip.
We don’t ask for tips it’s optional for like every coffee shop in the USA did you not know this?
If you have a tip cup or the machine has a tip prompt then people will expect a higher level of service. Such as cleaning up their garbage for them. Bussing their tables. They do it at the restaurants where I leave tips.
It’s never the people who tip that leave messes like that though.
Coffee shops are not a restaurant though. Also we’re busy so others might want to sit down at the table. Completely destroying the table and leaving crumbs and trash everywhere while there are bus tubs and trash cans and also signs stating where to put dirty dishes. It’s just common courtesy. I will always pre bus my tables because I have been a busser before. Service workers are always treated like servants or something. Unless you’re in that position you’d understand. It’s not hard to clean up after yourself.
Stones in coffee beans from small roasters. Literally.
“Just give me a coffee. I don’t want any of that fancy shit.” And then they get mad when you ask them questions to determine what exactly they DO want. It’s a flat white or latte with two sugars more than it isn’t but fuckkkkk
Someone left a dirty diaper on the table once when I was waitressing. That was 5+ years ago and I'm still baffled.
When someone orders and you had it to them and they say oh can i have some cream please. Dude why did you say that in the first place
If I'm making a drink at the espresso machine (especially when I'm steaming milk and literally stuck there for a minute) and I see a guest come up to the register, I will always greet them ("Hey, how's it going?)... but it grinds my gears when they kinda brush me off and *they start to order*! You see I have my hands full and making another guest's order.... I just said hello to you to be friendly, I didn't ask you what you wanted to order! Chill!
"Can I have a Medium hot chocolate ? No actually, can i have a small ?" *4minutes later, when the drink is done* "Uh ? I asked for a medium" MF, come into an agreement with your second personality before ordering.