How to deal with people who are mean for no reason.

I Hate Starbucks » I Hate the Customers

How to deal with people who are mean for no reason.

(30 posts) (24 voices)

Started 2 years ago by jackeev75
Latest reply from Randy G.

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decaff4u

jackeev75

Member
Internets:43

I've only been employed at my Starbucks for a month and have settled pretty nicely. I've been put in with the morning crew, which means the morning rush which I found to be scary and intimidating at first but I've learned how to keep a relatively calm exterior but there was a guy who came in yesterday that had me a little shaken up. I was on bar toward the end of the rush when it started to calm down. I was feeling confident until a super-angry man came to the register. He 1)Refused to get off his cell phone while ordering (WORST.) 2)Yelled at my coworker when he said he wanted a coffee, she gave him one and because he meant LATTE and didn't get a LATTE. She calmly called out "Venti Latte" to me and decided not to charge him the difference because she wanted him out of his face...which is understandable.

So, I made his Latte and as I'm poring the 2% milk into his cup he yells at me because he didn't want it filled to the top. Wait, what? Then I dump a little out and give it to him and he says he saw me use 2% and he wants "a **** skim latte". Alright. I smile but he's starting to get to me and make me nervous because THIS DUDE IS ANGRY. SO I make him his "**** skim latte" and barely filled the cup up because he yelled at me to stop pouring.

So this dude leaves, or I think he does. Then he comes up to the bar and demands that we give him mustard. I tell him we don't have mustard and I'm really sorry and he compares our Starbucks to a movie theater. Which makes absolutely zero sense but the point is that he not only got under my skin but made me genuinely nervous.

How do you guys deal with people that are angry and demeaning for no reason. The only thing that helped was a hug from my coworkers (looooove them!) but a day later I'm still wondering if I could have handled the situation better/different/whatever. Any input is much appreciated.

Posted 2 years ago #
12345678

Member
Internets:883

how would i handle customer like that?

-decaf tar black shots
- re-steamed mystery milk
-all foam
-either luke warm or burning hot milk.

but i'd be nice as pie to his face.

Posted 2 years ago #
lavasheep

Member
Internets:22

yea, i've come to realize that there are just some people who are just bent on being miserable, and making everyone else feel the same. you cant change them. you can't make em happy.

best i can offer is to let it bounce off of you, get them their **** quick so they will get the **** out. it's just coffee.

oh, and decaf. and searing hot milk.

Posted 2 years ago #
decaff4u

Member
Internets:159

You're not his slave, you're not there to be verbally abused.

1) When he didn't get off his cell phone, the next customer should have been taken care of until he hung up.
2) Your coworker should have told him he ordered a coffee and everyone behind the line heard it. Then offer to change it to a latte if he'd like. (should have charged his @$$ the difference to hassle him)
3) If he yelled when you filled it, tell him that's the standard way of making drinks unless otherwise ordered by the customer. Ask if he asked for it to not be filled all the way up.
4) Again, tell him 2% is the milk always used unless asked for by the customer. Ask if he ordered it this way. Tell him that he needs to order it that way at the register next time, not at the bar.
5) Remake his drink using dead shots (you should always have these prepared HOURS in advance, if not days). You should keep 3 pitchers of milk filled and steamed (fat free, 2%, and whole). This way you can grab a pitcher of the wrong milk without them seeing you fill it up, then resteam it (and i mean BURN it). If asked, you can always say it was steamed while he was at the register.
6) Take your time doing it, moving as slowly as possible, ask as many questions as possible, especially if he doesn't want to talk, and especially especially if he's still on his cell phone. Turn it around on the disgustomer, and don't let them treat you like trash.

You could always tell him you reserve the right to refuse him service if he is being belligerent to you. I suppose it depends on how confrontational you can be with others, but you are not there to let them walk all over you. Never let them get you jittered or shaken up though.

Posted 2 years ago #
Perfectionist

Member
Internets:794

If he asked for a "**** skim latte" I would have been sorely tempted to hand it off to him as "your grande **** skim latte" :)

Posted 2 years ago #
OnlyKnowsDecaf

Member
Internets:74

@decaff4u

Very, VERY well said. I think we would get along quite well if we worked at a store together. :)

Just today:

*Stupid **** walks up slaps the cup of 'Perfect' Oatmeal onto the hand-off plane while I'm making a white mocha*
Her: "Uhhhh-! Yeah, this isn't gonna work for me.
Me: "...What would you like me to do?"
Her: "Uh, fix it?!?"
Me: "Well aware. ...What's WRONG with it?"
Her: "I don't know. I'm in here everyday getting the same thing and it's just wrong. I want it made RIGHT."
Me: "Okay."
- She continues to rant and I just continually talk over her with my 'Okay, okay, okay, alright, okay, uh-huh, okay, okays (getting snottier and snottier with each one).
She finally says, "And I can make better oatmeal than the **** you serve here!" ...**** then WHY the **** are you here?!
I talk right over her and ask my coworker where my manager had moved the oatmeal bowls. I remake the oatmeal and the consistency is EXACTLY THE SAME. I serve it to her and prepare for her return, but SURPRISE, SURPRISE! The **** doesn't return. She inhaled the oatmeal and left.

But that's nothing compare to the **** who called corporate office on me over ICE WATERS.

Posted 2 years ago #
ChampThomas34

Member
Internets:70

Ahhh, my favorite subject. This is the one that'll bring me out of the shadows to happily chip in a healthy 2-4 cents of my opinion. Anyway, for all of you that aren't fans or familiar with my previous posts sarcasm is my main weapon when dealing with ****es like the one you described. Normally I make it a point to seem amused by their A-holish behavior. I'll snicker, laugh, or come right back at them with a HUUUGE $h!T eating grin. I'm talking Kool-aid after he smoked some of the best haze that was grown in the tropics by tribal shamans in their best loin cloths smile. And if they're being picky, I second the ask them a lot of questions. Especially if they request you make their drink over in a D**ckish manner. Also, the black hole liquid dysentary shots are a nice touch. I never think to do the re-steamed milk trick because I'm so programed to not do it, but I'll probably employ that too.

It sucks that the dude scared you though. I'm kinda a big dude so I don't scared by people too often and normally I can be 100X scarier then any of them. So that helps and is probably why I've been rarely physically threatened. Anyway, smart allecky comments that ARE FUNNY (very important), are the way to go. If you can give a wink, or look or whatever to any customers you're cool with in that *look-at-this-F'N guy* manner and customers start laughing at the Pr**k then you've won. Nothing makes an a-hole feel dumber or more useless when other customers are either laughing at them, or won't back them up. IT's funny to watch. They act all in the right, with their little angry expressions, arms crossed, and when they look around and notice other customers either staring at them weird, or looking at them like their the A-hole$ then that look can turn to either shame, or they double down on their self-righteous attitude and look like even bigger D**k$ to everyone else. I don't care who you are, you'll feel really awkward after everyone around you is either laughing at you, or staring at you funny. With practice you can officially turn that ****hole customer into "THAT GUY" and nobody really wants to be "THAT F'N GUY." Anyway, I hope that helps. And please, let me know if cruisy or any other trolls ever decide to post on here again. I miss the trolls man. They are so fun to bury alive.

Posted 2 years ago #
COFFEE_RAGE

Member
Internets:23

Dude was probably high on pcp. Hit the deck man!

Posted 2 years ago #
ChampThomas34

Member
Internets:70

Wow, my post made no sense whatsoever...I musta smoked PCP and forgotten about it...word

Posted 2 years ago #
jackeev75

Member
Internets:43

I appreciate the feedback guys! I've had a couple days to stew over it and I really wish I had said something mad sarcastic because I do have a sharp tongue. I'm not entirely sure what it was about him that scared me but I didn't really feel physically threatened. I still can't put my finger on it. Bright side: I'm much better equipped for next time I see him or another insufferable butthead. Luckily, I work a shift where most of the people that come in are regulars and they are really nice! :)

Posted 2 years ago #
ChampThomas34

Member
Internets:70

Yeah man...Unleash the sarcasm....use that sharp tongue that God gave you for good. We all know God gave you a sense of humor to get you through the tough times. Use it, and reap the rewards. Anyway, let us all know if the dude comes back in and how it went.

Posted 2 years ago #
caramelhell

Member
Internets:172

I know this isn't exactly the victory most would go for, but when someones rude to me for no reason I just don't say anything. If they want me to remake a drink, or change it, ill just do it and hand it off and move along. if they dont want to treat me like a human i wont treat them like one either.

Posted 2 years ago #
thisiscrazy

Member
Internets:18

Once some old ***** of a woman and her 40 year old son (most likely terrified of her) came in during my morning shift. The woman was acting rude to me and she asked for oatmeal with hazelnuts in it. All I said was, "Well, he don't have a bag of just hazelnuts. It has an assortment of nuts. Is that alright with you?" and she flipped out! Yelling at me. "I know it is a bag of nuts! Why would you even bother telling me that! I want hazelnuts! Can you not make oatmeal!?" ... her son then tried making her calm down saying, "Mom, mom.. she probably wants to make sure you're not allergic to any nuts." and she started muttering insults at me. Apparently I'm stupid. Then she ordered orange juice which she was supposed to pick up on her own by the sandwiches and what not. I wrung it up for her, gave her the oatmeal, and she rage left. A little bit later, her son came back and said, "Listen, my mother wants her money back because she never got her orange juice." ... LOL. She thinks we're supposed to serve it to her. *****, we're a coffee shop. ****. I told him where she was supposed to get it and he just wanted the money back to avoid conflict.

There are all sorts of crazy people who come into starbucks and they get away with their attitudes because our Managers just don't care. So yeah. If you can and you're on bar, just make their lives miserable. They should know -you're- the one handling their food. You can do whatever you like with it.

Posted 2 years ago #
OneWingedAngel

Member
Internets:59

You know what I love? I love giving the look. It's that look where you don't blink or break eye contact. They're bound to look away or realize that you look scary. And I find that it really helps to raise a brow. They can tell that you're thinking they're retarded. Side smiles are fun too.

Posted 2 years ago #
becca001

Member
Internets:610

The best response I've heard was tonight from one of my co-workers.

These Eastern Europeans had ordered some frappuccinos. They were behind four or five other hot bar drinks. I go help out "John" and start making them for him because it's closing and we already have a ton of sh1t to do. As I'm making them the one dude yells.

"Where's my frappucino?! I order like 10 minute ago!!"

"John" replies:

"Ok, see now that's a lie because you haven't even been here for five minutes and plus other people ordered ahead of you"

"Ok. Ok. But I want my drink!"

"Well she has to make them. There's a process to it, do you understand?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah"

:) AWESOME :)

Posted 2 years ago #
1980

Member
Internets:21

becca001 -i love when that happens cause i get to call them out on it. we have this one old lady that does that everytime she comes in after about 2 min she'll huff and puff and in the rudest tone ever almost yelling say "i've been waiting 15 minutes for my drink" while she grabs at every drink you put out asking if it's hers. we call her out everytime and she keeps doing it, it's really funny some of our regulars have joined in too with calling her out

Posted 2 years ago #
OnlyKnowsDecaf

Member
Internets:74

"I ordered this Venti Nonfat Latte at ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DEGREES! You people have thermometers back there! I've seen them! This should NOT happen!"

"I'm so sorry, Miss. Let me fix that for you."

*The old **** staggers away and I proceed to pour out 1/4 of the drink and refill it with cool water*

"There ya go! Have a GREAT day!"

Posted 2 years ago #
honestly

Member
Internets:32

How my district handles belligerent customers who swear at partners...

Verbally reprimand partners for sticking up for themselves and for trying to maintain the "Starbucks Experience" for the rest of their customers by asking the customer to leave and then having her physically removed by security when she vehemently refuses.

Award the unruly customer with a $100 gift card because she "spends a lot of money at Starbucks" so obviously she's a valued consumer.

Posted 2 years ago #
XH_Latte

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AGREED ^

Posted 2 years ago #
Expiredshot

Member
Internets:5

Oh, I actually LOVE getting super angry customers. I just smile SMILE SMILE.. and tell them to have an absolutely wonderful day. Pisses the **** out of them, and if they complain, you were just telling them to have a nice day and you don't know what the hell they're talking about.

Personally I also imagine clubbing them over the head with a heavy object while I'm saying it.

Posted 2 years ago #
espressopuller

Member
Internets:87

With super angry customers who stand at the handoff plane, we used to simply steam milk until it "screamed" louder than they were. We were in a mall store and our handoff plane was right against the wall which meant the bar barista is cornered. I used to tell the nasty "Macy's" shopping ******* treating me like an animal, "You know a cornered, angry dog bites"! I've decaffed a few and some of truly nasty angry disgustomers we would just not make their drink. If they came in angry treating us like crap from the beginning of the process, the bar barista would just move their drink to the end of the "cup line" and watch them stew/steam. Finally they would tire of the wait and ask for their $$ back "it's taking too long", which we gave to them because we didn't really ring it in the first place.

Posted 2 years ago #
mrindieday

Member
Internets:114

Finding some space in the conversation to relate to the customers woes is the way I usually find a peaceful resolution. Usually, when customers are ****, what largely fuels this is this strange separation they've created between you as a worker and them as a person. If you break this wall, for example by openly referring to being a customer yourself and knowing how inconvenient the situation might be, it usually alleviates all anger.

In short, just be a person with them. Customers just wanna know you're in league with them, not against them.

And although the guy in your story sounded irreversibly ****, sometimes customers are rude because of personal issues, and reflect back on their mistakes apologetically. Who knows? The guy might've realized how much of a **** he was after he left, despite how nice you were. So it's worth keeping up the smile.

Posted 2 years ago #
agrillo

Member
Internets:2

people are mean. customers are mean. every now and then you're gonna come across that poopy customer. yesterday i was working and some guy was complaining about how the prices at starbucks are always different when he goes and how we need to stop doing that. i couldn't hold my tongue and i had to say "well, it's not my fault." his attitude completely changed up and he was like, "I know it's not your fault." okay.... then why did you just say, "you guys need to stop that" ?? lol some people are just blah!

Posted 2 years ago #
espressopuller

Member
Internets:87

At another "customers unload their crap on you" job, one of the things I learned was to let em vent, keep doing my job, and ignore them (unless was a true complaint). Once they were done I would do 1 of 2 things. Just look at them and call out their drink for them to pick up, or fake a smile and say "really? Let's get your drink and make your day better!" Sometimes it would change their attitude 180, other times it didn't work and "whatever"! was the answer they got!

Posted 2 years ago #
dubs

Member
Internets:105

Usually I give them the "Look my face is smiling, but my eyes are saying **** you" look. It shuts them up

Posted 2 years ago #
passiontea

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Internets:279

i hate the yuppies on their phone who have a tantrum if you mishear them because they're mumbling with their face down @ you while still having their conversation with yuppie #2 @ the office

Posted 2 years ago #
dolly

Member
Internets:619

@passiontea, or when they mouth their orders to you so they won't be rude to the person they're on the phone with. Uhhh yeah, not rude at all...

Posted 2 years ago #
espressopuller

Member
Internets:87

Cells are the worst. I have been known to just stand there while they attempt to mumble, or mouth (the worst), their order to me so as not to interrupt the person they're talking with. I may perfectly understand them, but just stand there staring. Finally, they tell the other party "can you hold on a moment", look at me and ask if anything is wrong. I just say "no, just didn't want to interrupt your business".

Posted 2 years ago #
GaveYouDecaf

Member
Internets:1,995

I am overly friendly and pretend it does not bother me at all they are super angry. It actually bothers me less because the my brain picks up on my smiling face, it pisses them off that they are trying to be rude and it doesn't bother, plus it makes them wonder what you are up to without them being able to do anything about it. Are they gonna call and complain that you were too nice??? Also, when they complain that I didn't make it nonfat, instead of saying they didn't tell me or whatever, I apologize in the sweetest voice because I didn't hear them tell me nonfat and smile as I tell them I will remake it right away, then they feel super stupid cause they know they didn't. I swear, kindness kills!

Posted 2 years ago #
Randy G.

Member
Internets:596

Be careful folks. Most people are really nice, a few are A**H****, and a small percentage of them are armed. Reality sucks. I have responded as a volunteer firefighter to gunshot wounds. It's ugly, and certainly not worth it for the wages you get.

But I do understand. My wife worked as a service representative for the phone company for 30 years (retired now). If you think your customers are nasty and rude to your face, just imagine how those same people are with a phone line between them and the employee they are cursing.

And let's face it. 99% (or maybe 99.9%) of the customers you serve wouldn't know a good straight espresso if they found it in their pants next to their (in the case of the male customers) tiny wang, or (in the case of the female customers) their enormous baby oven.

So when you run across one, know that, at your age, you are already smarter than they are, and you are bound to gain intelligence, and that if they are so socially ignorant that they yell at you, it is a sure thing that they have long-ago reached the peak of their mental and social abilities.

Worse yet, pity their S.O. who has to deal with it on a daily basis for hours at a time.

Posted 2 years ago #

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