Some Redditors Can't Believe Starbucks Allows This Kind Of Order
We all have preferences when it comes to what goes in our coffee. But in a world where you can order a cup of joe on an app and have a server customize it to your exact taste, it might be too easy to go overboard with those preferences. At least that seems to be the case with a recent Starbucks order that has the Reddit community and other social media users chatting up a storm.
A Starbucks worker originally shared their concern along with a photo of the order on Twitter, tweeting the following message as part of a multi-part post: "Partners brought forth concerns about mobile ordering practices & how additional staff is needed to address orders like this, which only took 50 stars to order with a price ticket of over 24$. 5 minute wait time from the app, which is longer than it would take to pull shots alone."
The photo reveals the order was for a Venti Decaffeinated Pike Place coffee and a grocery list of add-ons which included 12 pumps of Mocha, 12 sugars, 12 raw sugars, whipped cream, and every type of creamer and milk alternative. And the list goes on. The post was liked over 5,000 times and retweeted more than 460 times. If you think this is an excessive order, you are not alone. Reddit threads resharing this order have popped up with the community expressing support for the poor coffee shop employee expected to create this drink.
Was it a spite order?
The order made a Reddit user wonder if this drink would even be consumed. User BigCrim881 wrote that their "heart goes out to all the Starbucks staff who have to put up with these grotesque, absurd online orders. ... I wonder if anyone who orders a monstrosity like this actually drinks it." Elsewhere, a Redditor sarcastically asked, "All that and no banana?" One commenter recommended getting revenge, writing, "I would throw it in the bin and tell them we didn't get it." And still, another user suggested telling the customer that the order couldn't be fulfilled or refunded and advising the person to contact corporate. User madeyoucookies couldn't fathom how such an order was even an option: "I can't believe this is allowed; I feel so bad for all of you baristas that have to deal with this." A few others in the thread echoed that sentiment.
Twitter also was not amused. One user said, "My better half and I own a business in food. If an order like this came through I would legitimately tell them it's not possible. The time required to make this has to be absurd and the person ordering it equally absurd." Someone raised the possibility that this order was placed out of spite, posting, "[It's] a spite order. takes no time to order, no one picks it up, but the young person who wasn't adequately [deferential] to you earlier does have to make it." If true, that would definitely be spiteful!
Do Starbucks baristas judge customers for over-the-top drink orders?
Last month, a Starbucks customer wanted to know how they are being perceived when they place their order. Taking to Reddit, they asked, "Do baristas really judge customers based on what they order? If so, what are some judgments you make (positive or negative)?" It seems that they really wanted to know if their drink order was over the top because they went on to ask about the specific drinks they tend to order, noting they stopped asking for a previous go-to (honey citrus mint tea) after learning "it's hell for baristas." But perhaps unsurprisingly, the answer seems to be "it depends."
A barista who goes by user name Superbear92 responded, "I don't care what people order... It's really how you behave about it. The more complicated the drink, the longer it'll take so definitely bear with us and we will get you on your way as soon as possible." The comment received more than 500 upvotes, suggesting that quite a few folks agreed with the overall sentiment. User Main-Yogurtcloset-82 answered the customer's question with a qualified "Yes," adding that this is reserved for an order with an "absolutely [ridiculous] amount of mods" or that "come[s] with very specific instructions." Moreover customer attitude played a role because, according to the commenter, baristas sense whether an order is based on a genuine preference "versus when someone is just trying to be intentionally extra."
Baristas might think certain orders are gross
Some people who seemed to be speaking as Starbucks baristas indicated on Reddit that they might have a visceral reaction to certain drink orders. A self-identified barista going by the handle LocalCartographer529 wrote, "We have this lady that comes in and orders two venti pink drinks with almond milk, five stevia, five scoops of vanilla bean powder, liquid cane sugar, light ice, and vanilla sweet cream cold foam on top. I gag every time I have to make it." Another responded by sharing a regular order placed at their location: "venti pink drink, no coconut add heavy cream, add extra strawberry purée, 4 VB scoops, extra strawberry inclusions, light ice, with matcha sweet foam." Judging from the parade of "nauseated face" emojis included with their post, this barista was not a fan of that combination.
Another user, KenansCloud, said they had only taken issue with customers who don't specify the size or base of the drink, explaining that "the 'soy half sweet light ice extra whip 3 pumps raspberry..' start is useless to me without a base drink to enter it on!" Meanwhile, it appears that the only judgment made when you order Citrus Mint Tea is that you are sick!