A friendly tip to Starbucks baristas: Don't question customers who spend over $1,000/year on your product

Your STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster's exchange with a barista at the Chicago and Main Starbucks in Evanston:
ME: I'd like a Colombia refill, please. [I put my personal cup on the counter.]
She fills the cup and rings up $1.52 or whatever the tall personal cup price is.
ME: That's my refill.
BARISTA: "Did you get a cup earlier?" she asks, as if I'm trying to pull a fast one on her.
ME: "Yes." [I had been working on my websites in the store for about 90 minutes. I should have said, 'Excuse me, but I'm a regular customer here with a registered Starbucks card and I spend over $1,000 a year on coffee, beans and gift cards. Therefore, you should probably trust me when I say it's a refill."]
BARISTA: "I didn't see you earlier."
ME: "Well, I'm willing to take a lie detector test."
Ironically, while I was in line to get my refill, I heard her tell another barista, "You know the customer is always right." I guess she was joking.

Comments

[Nice Barista]

Starbucks policy is that refills are given to people who have not left the store and that its been within 1 hour and is printed right on the register for customers to see right along with the return policy. I guess you should not have said 90min. However, there is the just say yes policy which should have overridden the refill policy. There are a lot of customers who take advantage of the refill policy and the just say yes philosphy. So I can understand why the barista did that, but I dont agree with what she did.

[Jason]

I think the most ironic thing is that the Barista did not know you. It seems that if you are there that long, she should have just taken your word of it and not even questioned at all.

With what I hear about Starbucks "wanting to know your name", the exhange sounds a bit off.

I could be reading into this but I think they might want to work on know their customers. Espically ones that spend as much time and money as you describe.

..be bold

[Jim]

Whatever their policy is, the crew at my regular Sbux haunt never, ever questions a refill. In fact, when I go up to the register for a second time they offer the refill before I say anything, and every once in a while they "forget" to charge me for it.

Sounds like maybe the shift supervisor or whoever does the training in your store needs a lesson in customer service.

And I didn't know about the "just say yes" practice pointed out by a previous commenter. That's cool, and it certainly should override other policies.

[Chris Tingom]

Jeeze, I had no idea you could even ask for a refill. That's awesome.

[higgins]

I can't believe Romenesko walks around with his own coffee mug...

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

MR. HIGGINS: You know I'm all about the environment (no paper if I can help it), and the 10-cent personal cup discount. (Disclosure: I've known Higgins for well over a decade.)

Is there any advantage to a Starbucks Card, registered or not, other than not having to use cash or a credit card?

[DCBarrista]

No there is no advantage to having a Starbucks card except that it makes the transaction easier and faster. However, if you do not register it and loose your card, you can loose all of the money on your card, but if you register your card, your money is secure and you can get it back.

If you register it and use it regularly you get coupons to try new drinks and I've had additional money added to my card on top of the auto-refill

Starbucks is also running some kind of special for using your Starbucks card this month. It was on the website.

Oh come on webmaster...
I'm a SBUX manager and of course you are right but it can get confusing and hectic at the register especially for new baristas. Cut the poor girl some slack - don't be so offended that she DIDN'T KNOW YOU, the BIG STARBUCKS SPENDER who sustains her company with his SPENDING. (I say that somewhat tongue-in-cheek because every regular seems to think that they are the best patron of whatever Starbucks they frequent when in reality there are MANY at each store - that's part of the "third-place" magic that Starbucks weaves.)
So, yes, Webmaster, you were right. She was wrong. But maybe you can step off your soapbox about such a minor issue.

[NorVa barista]

Good indie shop? They have their charms but people go to Starbucks for the predictable, welcoming environment and consistent quality across the world.

Refill Policy:
If a customer has their original cup,
they are entitled to 1 cup of drip coffee or iced coffee at the refill price.

You could have purchased any beverage. You can get a refill of drip coffee.

Some stores will refill tea as well.
Espresso beverages entitle you to a refill of regular coffe, not another espresso beverage.

Social Skills:
Treat your baristas and all hostpitality staff kindly and you may find added benefits.
That is -not- a policy; it's life experience from the service industry.

[MC]

Thanks for the info on the refill. And I've been using my Starbucks shareholder card for quite a while and haven't gotten anything extra. Hmm. Maybe because I'm a shareholder that I'm not as good as the regular customers? J/K.

Looking forward to getting some perks soon.

[Joe]

you wrote that you where in ther for 90 minsd you only get a refil within one hour of your purchase that is the rule so you where wrong for asking for a refil I dont care if you spen 1 or 1million dollors at startbucks are they just sapose to only bend rules for regulars all people whould be treated the same you should apologize to that barista after being such a jerk

[Joe]

The real problem is when we have so many people coming in asking for refil cofee when they give you the same cup every day ive see people ask just fo a cup of hot water and then come back a half hour later asking for a refil cofee. people try to cheat the system every day I could tell you of many ways peopkle try to but I know people would try it out I have people bring their darn lap dogs in starbucks I inform them that we cant have dogs in the store and they tell me its thier service dog little cheewowas. give me a break some times people bring in not starbucks paper cups from say cofee ppeople and ask for refil on cofee. people cheat the system all the time. they tak money outt of the tip jar to pay for the rest of thier drink two days ago some lady was short on two dollors and she tryed to take it out of are tip jar Ive never seen this lady befor and I told her that she coukld not do that she started screeming at us and making a sceene Ive seen customers throw hot drinks at partners because they thougt the drink was just right. we have alot of people who dont want to be charged fo certain ingidents like a guy who asks gor a choclate latte (thats a mocha) but doseeent want to pay for a mocha. the one that gets me is I have a couple who comes in all the time who we make their drinks and then after we mmake them they say oh im sorry I wanted a bla bla bla and then want us to make some new drink and still have the old drink.

[sbuxpatron]

My experience with a variety of starbucks stores over the US is that the stores that are starbucks in name and appearance only, i.e. they are actually operated by establishment under license, such as Marriott hotels, or airports, have lower quality of customer service than the corporate run stores.

however if you complain to corporate, they will do a little ass kicking on the offending store.

[SM]

Yeah, ain't it great how people seem to expect things to be free? What is it with the world today that people think that just because they're paying for one thing means they get everything else too?? I had a lady who came to us from a different cafe and said "I ordered these drinks from your other store and I took someone else's drink instead. This is what I want..." Then they expected it to be free of charge (when they had no proof of even going to the other store). I couldn't help but think, "and you're telling me you're an idiot why?"

[i have to get out more]

This whole refill thing is news to me. Could I get a refill on a fancy/complicated drink, or is it just for regular/drip coffee?

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

SBUX MGR and others: Once again, here's a free suggestion -- Don't question the honesty of your regular customers.

As for the SBUX employee who claims: "People go to Starbucks for the predictable, welcoming environment and consistent quality across the world," in the Metro Chicago area, the indie shops have a more welcoming environment than many SBUX stores. I suggest Chicagoans try Metropolis Coffee on Granville. They roast their own beans inside the store and have FREE wi-fi.

[fbl]

jim,
first of all you are 100% right.
i am a coffee snob, love starbucks and have complained to many a district manager because i want to keep going to my favorite coffee place but unfortunately, the staff (sorry, baristas) are never as good as the coffee is.

[chris]

friendly tip to customers with a sense of entitlement:

don't assume that every barista at 'your' regular store knows you, your drink, or your purchasing history. we want to help you, but there are also a lot of people who try to take advantage of our goodwill policies (just say yes) and it's not easy to suss out who's who tactfully. granted, this particular barista was a little terse, but she's only doing her job.

though i love this site, webmaster, displaying that kind of hubris ('i spend a lot of money here') anywhere is really uncouth. it's only coffee, bud.

[ivy]

Can you bring in your own cup? I hate the waste of those non-biodegradable plastic lids, and, hot damn, this has me excited! (it's a slow day at work)

I thought it would be a health code violation to bring your own cup?

I almost always have a mini thermos mug in my bag, this would be so cool if I can not only get eco-friendly coffee, but at a discount...

Also, I recently got a white ceramic cup/saucer of espresso and a real glass of ice water at the Starbucks on Kedzie/Wilson in Chicago -- is that a new thing? I had NEVER gotten non-paper cups with an "in" order before that.

Sorry this is all off-topic

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

CHRIS -- Questioning customers' honesty is a Starbucks barista's job? Interesting.

IVY -- Look around the coffee shop; you'll see many people with their "personal cups." Hardly a new trend.

[chris]

webmaster-let's not be fatuous. i admitted the exchange was a little terse on her part, but if anyone and everyone with their own mug could walk in and demand a refill no questions asked, it would be pandemonium, and the place would be full of people taking advantage of the system. it wouldn't be an enjoyable place for any cusomer or employee to be. there has to be some minimal sort of check for the system to exist at all.

but that's beside my point. everyone there is (ostensibly) a paying customer. just because you think you've spent more money there than others doesn't entitle you to any special treatment apart from these people. it's presumptive and downright rude to assume that. again, it's only coffee, and we're only trying to serve you and make a living.

[Spaz Cadet]

Over $1,000 a year? I hope this site gives you some remuneration with blog ads. Plus it's free advertising for the *$. They should be giving you breaks all the time.

But it's a chain when all is said and done. And even blogger celebrities who spend the better part of their day paying homage to the chain store in which they blog are not immune from being treated like a suspicious customer.

[hmm]

See now, reading this, I didn't read the mention of being a regular customer who spends a lot of money etc. was really a big part of the issue, or even that special treatment was expected.

I'd rather not be treated like a liar or scammer at any time. That's not special treatment or entitlement - it's a reasonable expectation of a paying customer who has been sitting in plain sight for over an hour. (And here I make the presumption that Mr. Romenesko was not hiding behind a potted plant to work on his websites.)

It's presumptive and downright rude to expect every person who asks for a refill is trying to scam a free cup. Having a refill "policy" at all, albeit not a well-publicized one, from reading other comments, means that your company/store/whatever is willing to provide free refills to anyone who buys a coffee and requests a refill. So the price of the refill to the bottom line must be built into the original price; if ALL paying customers got a refill, there would be a certain cost to the company. I doubt that the freeloaders have that level of impact to the bottom line - otherwise, wouldn't Starbucks change the policy?

[hmm]

*Noticed that I should have typed "discounted" instead of "free" cup.

[cornfrost]

I recently had a customer who walked in and asked for a venti refill. I must have asked for his cup, because the next thing he said was, "Don't you recognize me?" I thought he was saying this because he was a tall (6'6"), good-looking guy and was maybe someone semi-famous. In fact, I did not recognize him, so I answered his question and said "no."

Turns out he is a regular customer in the daytime and I work only nights so I had never seen him. But now if I am working earlier than usual in the evening I see him coming in and asking for a venti refill. He never has a cup. I just make myself busy doing something else so that someone else has to deal with him. Because, frankly, I don't know how to.

[Deb Merdinger]

Face it. This place is weird. Everyday you hear baristas rippin on "REGULARS". Are you kidding, GET COFFEE MACHINES YOU ROBOTS. also, stop being so loyal to a fake community involved nonfactor. THEY ARE A CHAIN. Can I have a number two and a scone?

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

It is important there is the law and the spirit of the law. The Just Say yes policy is part of the spirit of the law. I hardly believe that a multibillion dollar company would become bankrupt if every person who asked for a refill and then the barista adhered to the law instead of just providing legendary service. The Just Say Yes policy is about empowerment to the individual barista to assist the customer in whatever matter. The only time when the barista, may make an operational decision in contradiction to the Just Say Yes policy is in terms of the health code. For example, if a customer wants a banana blended into their STCF then the answer is a clear no because Starbucks cannot do that because it would be a violation of the health code and most Starbucks do not carry a license for fresh produce preparation. I took have encountered obstinate baristas in both Brookline and Cambridge who refused to give me a refill. However, in the city of Boston, I always receive a refill no questioned asked and sometimes for free because with my discount it comes to around 35 cents and if I pull out a $20 bill they really don't feel like counting it all out. So don't forget the Just Say Yes policy is an integral part in providing to legendary service and creating enthusiastic customers. Its all about the human connection one cup at a time.

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Oh yeah, cornfrost, send that hottie my way. I'll get to know him in the Biblical sense.

[cornfrost]

Boston Rebel, you bring up an interesting point. Whenever a partner from another store comes in (usually they order and only then present a partner card or partner number), I comp them their drink, though I do charge for food or pastries.

[cornfrost]

Also, I do not charge uniformed police or firefighters. I have no idea whether there is a sbux policy about this.

[barista girl]

I actually work at a B&N Cafe (don't hate me, lol) and our manager requires us to ask for the receipt for refills. Then we have to take it from them and throw it out. It feels awkward and I don't really like doing it, but that's what we have to do. Some of our regular coffee drinkers try to return several times for Venti refills, so I'm guessing that's why she's coming down on it.

Ya know, another thing that is hard to deal with is when you're making the drinks and the customer is waiting at the end of the counter and starts asking for extra things to be added to their drink - things that they are supposed to pay for to be added. I'm not really sure what the policy is on that, but it irks me...

I work at a liscenced store inside a Target (I am a certified Barista) and purposly go out of my way to ensure that I provide a "third place", getting to know are regulars (we have a fair amount of regulars) in fact starbucks is opening a retail starbucks earlier because of how well we are doing, provideding a drip refil to someone should never be questioned but rather severed with a smile regardless to whether he/she is in training! That was a lame excuse from a SBUX manager. That should have been engrained into the new barista before they hopped on the register. Besides it mere pennies to brew a pot of coffee sell at most two cups and bamn profit for that pot. so what

[Barista to the Stars]

I've watched customers walk in the door, with their empty cups, approach the counter and ask for a refill. Clearly against the refill policy. I've also had customers hand me dirty cups and ask that I wash them out and fill them with their drink. Clearly against health code.

It is difficult to smile and say "OK" when you know you are being taken advantage of by someone who is "working the system". Just say yes be damned -- it's like someone thinks you are too stupid to notice and it's disrespectful of us, the baristas, to EXPECT us to look the other way. That said, there are better ways to handle the situation, especially once you realize that you've made a mistake.

Let's be honest -- *$ throws away TONS of brewed coffee in a day. It's absolutely not going to go broke by anything I do. I generally don't charge for refills. Especially if I remember the customer -- I just smile and say "It's on me." Never have accepted money from a uniformed officer -- police, highway patrol or fire.

A few thoughts from the

Barista to the Stars

BTTS makes the point that i was going to.

baristas need to get over the thought that everyone is trying to scam them outta something. it's not really that way... it's more accurate to say most people are out to get as much as they can for as little as possible.

that includes themselves.

i had partners who would complain about the lady who ordered a tall in a venti cup and would fill it up with soy.
sure she should be charged, but why bother?
let the customer know that they should be being charged for something, and then just give it to them... want a little caramel drizzle on your latte now that you saw what your friend's CM looked like? sure! (and say in a conspiritorial voice 'usually there's a charge for this', and just give it to them)

i throw away more milk -including soy- than the free soy that the lady is 'swindling' me out of every day, just to ensure i'm making each drink fresh...

so relax baristas.
it costs next to nothing, and can mean more than anything...

and BTW...
there is no refill policy in eastern canada.
so be thankful for small things webby.
:)

[mwbarista]

seriously, people just need to get a life. it's a starbucks for god sakes, not the center of the world, if one person on one day doesn't remember you, you should have more important things to do than get on your online "internet" site and bitch about coffee

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Cornfrost, thats a good point. I almost remembered that for brewed coffee Starbucks I believe computes in a 33% loss, that mean it goes down the drain. Also, I usually do not charge police officers or firemen because they are so hot! I also usually comp partner drinks from other stores if I know them and/or if they are not management.

[-m]

WebMaster, did you ever think that maybe that barista gave you such attitude BECAUSE she knew who you were?

"Hey, thats that dick who writes all that anti-Starbucks crap on-line...lets charge him full price."

What a bitch. I feel sorry for the Barista..and all the people who continue to write nonsense about Starbucks really should get a life.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

-M: Please point out all of the "anti-Starbucks crap" -- as you call it -- I've posted in the messages area over the last 19 months.

[T]

I've had baristas and managers tell me there is no refill policy. Then when I point to the sticker on the register, they say it must be an old policy, but that they will honor it THIS time. Or that it MUST be in the same cup, and since I had just finished a cold drink, they cannot put a hot drink in it, and so on.
Anything to avoid 30sec of work I guess.

Gah. Not to beat the dead horse, but just give folks the refill. You dump the coffee down the drain every 60 minutes (or at least you should be). 50 cents is better than nothing.
And I don't know if anyone mentioned it, but if you bring in your own cup, it's a 10 cent discount. A refill is 50 cents, however, no matter what cup you use.
And my store manager is adamant that we do NOT give free coffee to firemen and police. Not my favorite policy.

[deusx]

Your store manager is adamant that you not give out free coffee because that is company policy. Did you know that if a fireman/police officer accepts free merchandise of ANY value and a person reports them that they can eventually lose their job? It is policy and possibly law that they cannot accept gratuities and/or gifts in any manner that is connected to their job.

It's also not policy for good reasons. Why should a fireman or police officer recieve free stuff but a teacher or nurse shouldn't, etc? And as for comping drinks, you don't do it for ANYBODY, partner from another store or not. That is theft and will get you fired. Sure it sounds hardass, but you are giving merchandise to someone who hasn't paid for it. That is stealing, why only a drink? Why not give them a free pastry or retail item too? You can't do it at the Gap and you can't do it at Starbucks.

[deusx]

Webmaster,

What are you more upset about, that you couldn't get a free refill 30 minutes past the time Starbucks policy allows for or that you weren't "recognized"?

Your commentary about how much you spend seems to indicate that you expect special treatment that the customer who has only spent 20 dollars can't get. Barista aren't omniscient, did you expect a person different from the one you dealt with when you first came in to know that you had been sitting in the store for an hour and a half? Did you take into account that partner might have been nowhere near the cafe to see you taking up a table space for 90 minutes?

The employee was a bit snarky, I'll give you that. But her initial exchange was perfectly reasonable. All she asked was if you had gotten a cup earlier. That isn't accusing you of anything, despite your aside, that is merely confirming you are both on the same page on what the refill policy is. I know I've had customers that thought that once they had bought a cup of coffe in their lives, they were forever in the land of "refill".
Where she failed was in the comment" I did'nt see you earlier". She should of just shrugged and charged you for a refill. But on the other hand, you took advantage of the "just say yes" policy to get a refill that wasn't coming to you.

[deusx]

Finally, for baristas that think "what difference does it make, it's only a few cents worth of coffee..let them have it."
Would you have that same opinion if customers took the difference between a refill and a cup of coffee out of your tip jar. I mean, its only a few cents. You are cavalier with property that isn't yours. There is a concept called "potential profit". When that coffee is brewed, it has a certain value as a sellable commodity. As long as it remains viable (before that timer beeps), it is certainly worth more than what the company paid for it. To hand out for free something that the company could be profiting on (btw..in case you didn't know, profiting is what lets the company pay you for standing and polishing stainless with your butt and lets us keep getting fantastic stock grants) is theft. Now sure, once the timer goes off, the coffee really doesn't have any potential profit as it's unsellable. But there is new coffee to sell at that point and new profit to make.
You don't hand out pastries for free with the logic that you will probably throw some away when the expire anyways do you?

[anon]

sort of related to this question-- what happens to the final coffee and pastries of the day?

[teya]

We donate all expired pastries to our local foodbank at my store. The coffee at the end of the evening after we're closed gets dumped.