A Costa Coffee employee has divulged what truly irks them about customers – claiming one particular habit “breaks” their spirit.
While coffee shops scattered across high streets are a popular haunt for many – chains or independent alike – the daily grind can be quite a different story for those on the other side of the counter.
Serving as key spots for caffeine boosts during work rushes, places to unwind from the day’s demands, or simply to catch up with companions, these establishments don’t always offer the same tranquil vibes for the staff.
Frontline customer service roles come with their own set of challenges – and interactions with patrons can shift from pleasant to exhausting in moments.
So much so that a Costa barista vented their frustrations on Reddit with a post named “Let’s all have a bit of a vent”, where they invited others to share the peeves that perturb them most.
Launching the discussion, the worker expressed: “Now that things are returning to normal post-Xmas and January slump, customers are once again losing their politeness and goodwill spirits and are up to their old annoyances.
“List off the single most annoying thing that customers do, I’ll start: changing drink into takeaway once receiving their orders. Tell me at the till, or at the very least when you see me start to make your order.
“WE DO NOT CARE if you have a takeaway cup to sit in, if anything, that is preferable. Just please respect our time and care that is put into our drinks and know that when we have carefully made a drink in a glass/mug, it is then ruined when we tip it into a paper cup and every time it breaks me ever so slightly.”
They continued: “Special shout-out to customers that have to catch a bus in two minutes, run in and expect me to push their order in front of the four people already queuing and waiting.”
People were quick to share their thoughts in the comments section. One fellow Costa barista said: “I’m at a drive thru and my only annoyance at the moment is having to list off every cake and toastie we have. Please be prepared if you’re in the drive thru.”
Another shared a drive-thru faux pas, adding: “When the passenger tries to order in the drive thru like please I can’t hear you just get the driver to say it.”
A third person commented: “People who ask for ‘Regular’ or ‘Normal’. Sorry those aren’t sizes. And everyone seems to have a different idea of what is regular and normal.”
A former barista shared a string of their pet peeves, writing: “Why are you walking past the fridge FULL of toasties and sandwiches and asking me at the till what toasties we do???”
Another added: “The amount of times people would ask me for ‘a regular Costa’ and then would have the audacity to get annoyed at me for not knowing what they actually want when they don’t know themselves.”
An irate shopper vented their frustration online, saying: “People who let their kids run around the shop, like hello, are you stupid?? There’s people carrying hot drinks!”