I'm getting so annoyed with customers in regards to coffee/tea/iced tea/iced coffee refills.
This late afternoon we had a lull in business, and I had just completed a lobby (at the time there we no customers in the store or on our patio). In walks a lady who hands me her cup and asks for a refill. I politely tell her that refills are only for customers who are in the store. She rebutts with the fact that she was in the store this morning so that counts, and I politely reaffirm that its meant for customers who are hanging out during the same visit (reading newspapers, surfing the net, visiting, etc). I tell her that I would happily give her a the 10 cents cup discount, but that its not a refill.
So she huffs and puffs, says that every other Starbucks does it (Such a classic! I love that comment! Pisses me off even more!) and kind of waits for me to give in. I don't. I'm polite, but firm... and she finally leaves upset. Is she so cheap she can't pay for a $1.90 cup of coffee?!
I'm getting sooo annoyed at customers that wrongly use this discount. Getting refills via the drive thru; people asking us to double cup so they can have a clean refill cup for the next time; customers coming in for refills when I've worked my 8 hour shift (mind you, never seeing them), and then paying with their registered Starbucks card, in effect, getting the coffee for free; oh and then not tipping?!
Funny thing was, my fellow partners gave me mad props for how I politely handled the situation! The refill abuse is out of control!!!
I've decided before tomorrows shift, I'm going to look up the drink refill policy on the portal and keep a copy in my apron for customers that I know are abusing the system, when they decide to argue with me.