A former Starbucks barista has taken to Reddit to disclose a series of petty revenge tactics used against rude customers. The post has garnered nearly 200 comments, sparking a lively debate on the ethics of such actions. The former employee worked at a Starbucks in Toronto and described employing subtle acts of retribution to cope with discourteous patrons.
The 22-year-old ex-barista recounted an incident where a particularly impolite customer regularly received tea made with a teabag that had been rubbed on the inside of a toilet bowl. This act, while extreme, was one of many strategies they used to deal with difficult customers.
“My friend worked at the Starbucks in the path in Toronto, he would take a very rude ladies teabag and rub it on the inside of the toilet bowl 10 minutes before she showed up. She drank shit tea everyday from him. Don’t feel bad about some decaf coffee LMAO. Also people be kind to the people who prepare your food,” – A commenter
In addition to their role at Starbucks, the former employee also worked overnight shifts at a Mexican restaurant. Here, they encountered a challenging crowd, often described as super rude and intoxicated. To manage these situations, the employee engaged in small acts of revenge.
“I did petty things to rude customers all the time. I worked an overnight shift at a Mexican restaurant, so oftentimes we’d get the super rude and drunk crowd,” – A commenter
The retaliatory measures included giving customers mismatched straws for their drinks, providing insufficient condiments like one or two salsas for six tacos, and handing out single napkins. Sometimes, they would falsely claim that certain drinks were unavailable.
“I would do things like give people a small straw for a large drink or vice versa, give them one or two salsas for six tacos, or a single napkin, or tell them we were out of certain drinks even if we weren’t.” – A commenter
One memorable incident involved adding extra Tabasco sauce to a customer's Caesar drink after she rudely tossed her ID at the employee.
“I once put extra Tabasco sauce in a girls Caesar because she threw her ID at me when I asked for it (she was 19). She walked away saying ‘holy, this is spicy’ to her bf. Spicy drink for a spicy attitude,” – A commenter
The former barista acknowledged that these actions were not admirable and could potentially cause issues for caffeine-dependent individuals. Customers who rely on their morning coffee might experience migraines if served decaf unknowingly.
“Nothing too crazy, but just enough to be annoying. Some would talk on their phones while ordering, make passive aggressive comments, or just talk down to us like we weren’t people,” – A former Starbucks barista
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