A reader asks: "Is it fair for a customer to order a 'ghetto-latte'?"

The STARBUCKS GOSSIP reader writes:

Is it fair/right for a customer to order what we, at my store, call a "ghetto-latte"?

The "ghetto-latte" is ordering any size Iced Americano, with no water and half ice (This lady's drink is an Iced Venti, no water, half ice, Americano). She then takes the drink and goes to the condiments bar and adds her own half and half.

She and her boy toy came in the other day and both ordered a Venti and Grande ghetto-latte. We just happened to not have the half and half out at the condiment bar. When she ordered the drink, I then immediately said, "and ma'am what kind of dairy would you like?" She then said, "Oh I'll add it myself thank you." But I had to let her know we didn't have any out at the very moment. She asked for half and half of course.

Now my problem with that is... her 2 drinks cost $4.82 (entered as iced grande and venti americanos).

The EXACT drink she orders as we have it on our menu (with all the shots and milk she is actually getting) are called Iced Quad Venti Breve Latte and an Iced Triple Grande Breve Latte.

Venti (and Grande) Americanos come with 4 and 3 shots (respectively) of espresso and then water (and ice).

Lattes are 2 shots (and 2, respectively) espresso, milk and Ice.

Additional shots are $.55. Half and Half (breve) is also an additional charge.

The cost of those 2 drinks (as Lattes) is $10.24 or so!!!!

Is this just a case of the customer being savvy enough to play the system? Or should they be asked to stop? I personally feel they should be asked to stop.

Go ahead and weigh in on this.

Comments

[TNBarista]

Extra Caramel on a Caramel Macc ... Charge or Don't charge?

I do, That's what the button is on the screen for, no?

If you were to ring it in as Extra Caramel sauce, it would be no charge.

That's what the extra button is on the screen for, no?

[fogues]

formerly: it's the same reason any place throws away so much food that would be better in a homeless guy's stomach than the trash. If someone eats the food that should have been thrown out, but it was given to him instead, and he gets sick, the company is liable. Whether or not it is likely that the person will get sick is a non issue. If there are no black and white policies in place, then you are just asking for a lawsuit.

[James the Barista]

formerly "anon", We can't keep the sandwhichs cool enough to donate it to the food bank...it could spoil. If the partners took them home ever night they would hide sandwhichs in the fridge to take home with them instead putting them out to sell. Go ahead, Ask your Shift or SM why we do the things we do. You'll be surprised how practical it is...oh and if you get no answers from any of them call our partner support line. No need to be all huffy, get educated.

[Larry]

Man you guys have way too much time at
your store to notice these people go and
make their ghetto latte. Are condiment bar is directly in front of our in-store bar and I don't have time to notice this stuff happening. Hey why don't you guys prep, do dishes, clean the drain, empty the garbage or change over the pastry case instead of watching customers make drinks. Plus cheap customers are never gonna tip regardless, so don't get mad at one cheap customer. You should be upset with all cheap customers and hold them to the same standard as this lady. It seems like you just don't like this particular customer. If you start a post at least state that you hate all cheap customers.

[mds]

many of you are missing the point- OF COURSE we DO have a lot of time at the STORES WE WORK AT!!! These are people who come to OUR store EVERYDAY and order the same drinks that are more than 50% cheaper than ordering the drink we would make for them. As for Larry- you should let the manager know those things aren't being done- my store obsesses over the 10 minute spin rule. But people like you are a PENNY a dozen...

I will be happy to post I Hate all cheap customers. I'd like to add I hate most customers- not just shitty ones, not just the bible thumpers who think they should take over the store and only buy maybe 1 drink for every 6 people and split it up... but most customers seem to think we give a damn they their crink needs 1 inch and not 1 and 1/8th inch of room for condiments.

EVERY business has jerks for customers- the largest problem for starbucks is they created a type of customer who gets more and more demanding with every 3 visits per day they do! We are paid jack shit- we are lucky to get the insurance we do- however I'm willing to bet even starbucks will realize they're losing too much money on insurance and they'll let that go too.

I'm done except: you customers- the ones who even just tip the quarter you get in change(even when you don't think a person making $7.50 needs it), the ones who ask please and say thank you, and who GET OFF THE DAMNED phone when asking us for help, or when we address them, if they need help. WE LOVE YOU. ANYONE ELSE WE WANT YOUR MONEY AND WE WANT YOUR DUMB ASSES OUT!

[Tim Hansen]

Man, I can't believe how many people actually disapprove of this! I mean, come on! It's every sensible human being's duty to try and find every possible loophole and "trick" to economize their life! This phenomenon is nothing less than a triumph of human ingenuity. I'm going to have to remember this. This makes fancy coffee drinks at *$ almost affordable for me.

[FormrASM]

In regards to the refills. It clearly states on the front of the POS, on a sticker the customer can read, that refills are for coffees and teas that have been consumed in the store and no more than an hour before hand. As far as ghetto lattes, I would remember who does it and when they came in next ask them like you would a regular customer "Are you having your iced grande breve latte today?" Usually they'll reply with, "um....no, i get an iced grande no water americano." To which you say, "Oh I'm sorry, I though the few times you've been in you got a couple shots with half n half in an iced cup." After enough times of this, they soon might get the picture, or not come back to your store at all.

[Dima]

I have a family of custumers that routinely use the system. Which I do not mind. I do really mind when they insult baristas. This woman comes in and lies to new or borrowed partners, telling that her drink was so really terrible/cold/too hot/burned this morning/yesterday that she dumped it. And she really wants a new free drink cuz it is our fault. Yet I always see her having drinks in our patio area when I do bus. Last time I made her mocha I asked her when I was handing her a drink to try it and tell me if she likes it, so I can remake it if it is not good. She tried it and tald me she liked it. 5 hours later she was in the line telling a new partner on the register how terrible her drink was and how she thinks we should give her her quad decaf latte for free.. Her daughter also doing the same thing now with her PFJBs. So basically I do not really care if somebody gets something for free and many people do. I do really dislike someone spitting lies into my face.

[416barista]

Formrasm,

Your willing to drive people out of your store and lose customers over a dollar or two? Personally, I don't think thats cool....

[CoffeeFreak]

People...while I absolutely adore Starbucks coffee I live on a disability income.. no way I can afford any of the fancy drinks and if I'm just going to get a cup of coffee I might as well walk over to 7-11 where I can get flavor shots, flavored cream, hot chocolate, steamed milk and more at no extra cost... corporatations take advantage of people and forget... it's better to sell to 100 people at $2 than to 10 people at $5 or $6.. you make a heck of alot more profit that way.

Yes product costs and so does labor.. but seriously.. a $7 dollar cup of coffee is over the top in a major way...

Too bad that all that extra profit is going into the higher up's pockets and not the people who have to deal with cranky customers etc. I probably wouldn't mind buying there a bit more often if I knew at least my servers were making decent wage... course 90% of the time I go into a Starbucks I wind up with a server with an attitude problem... not my fault they've had a bad day but it usually means I won't be back or if I am I'll ask for another server... better attitude, lower prices = more profit.. it's been proven.

I'd think that this sort of thing is a retailer's dream. I gather from the comments that sometimes rich people take this route, but I would assume that most people who go for DIY lattes are doing so because they can't afford to buy a real one and therefore wouldn't buy anything if the condiment bar wasn't an option. So Starbucks has a built-in method of price discrimination; it's able to charge exactly what each individual customer is willing to pay, and probably still makes a profit (albeit a smaller one) when the customer orders an Americano instead of a Latte.

[sbuxmanager]

I think most of my partners here are missing the point...those people paid over $4 for about 7 oz. of coffee with some half and half and ice. Who's really getting ripped off?

[Billifer the Customer]

I don't personally think up ways to lower my prices, even though (like Coffeefreak) I'm living mostly on disability income. I'm one of those customers who's nice to the baristas (hell, 90 percent of my friends are baristas), always tips (even if it's just a nickle from a $1.95 Venti iced tea), and visit the condiment bar only for four Splendas for my iced six-shot espressos.

When I'm there, I usually clean up the messes that the other people have left behind -- spilled coffee and milk, sugar everywhere, canisters in disarray. The stores I visit are good about doing spins on-time, but rude, mean customers are also messy ones, and so I take fifteen seconds to tidy up a bit.

As for this issue specifically, I've been known to order an iced Venti six-shot 4-pump WM, 2p rasp espresso in the past. Since there's no milk in it, they ring it as a Venti espresso + 2 shots + add WM (only charge for one syrup). It comes out about $3-4 cheaper than a 6-shot white mocha with raspberry. I, personally speaking, don't do it to be a cheap bastard, but because that's how I like it -- without the milk, with a stronger coffee and weaker WM taste. I would be a little pissed off if the partner on counter rang it as a WM, but I don't ask them specifically to ring it as an espresso with syrup. If he or she did, though, I'd get over it. Begrudgingly, and perhaps without tipping, but I would. ;)

The ghetto-latte woman, well... I agree with both sides of the comments you've all posted here, especially the ones about how it's not fair to other customers to drain the canister of half-and-half at the condiment bar.

On the other hand, she's saving herself a fortune. Maybe she's just one more person with a habit to feed and can't afford it any other way. Maybe she's a rich bitch who wouldn't think twice about digging through the trash for that cup to lie to get a refill. Maybe she's found a way to reward herself for her ability to outsmart the system.

In any case, this is no different than any other industry: Windows XP is $200 because so many people pirate it. Rich people get tax breaks because poor people bear the brunt of it. Starbucks coffee is the price it is because some of the people know how to get around the prices, but everyone else subsidizes that. Surprise -- that's American capitalism!

[theresa]

I think the real crime is the ridiculous cost of the bitter stale coffee that Starbucks serves. $10 for two crappy coffees- you'd have to be an idiot to pay that!

[HopkinsBella]

DIMA, the actions of the "loyal" customers you describe SO piss me off. The manager who hired me would side with the known liars every single time--no matter what partner was targeted. That is why I remained mum on the "Just say yes" policy, which the store manager used to justify giving the customers free drinks; I think it's CRAP. SM got fired, though, and the new one took care of the honesty-challenged "regulars."

[Caligirl]

Read the office memos: refills all day.
As far as the condo bar, thats whats it there for the customer. We throw so much milk away (temp to high), I'd rather have people use it. Pastries should neverbe thrown out: donate them. Sandwich: can not keep the temp low enough to be safe. When I close I put them in a bag and have a barista take them to the dumpster, do they make it who knows (maybe right into their car). There should not be that much waste if ordering is correct.

[Starbucks Fascist]

I agree. These people should be shot dead to the ground. What gives them the right to think they should be allowed to add cream and sugar to their beverage? Are they mad? The fine people at Starbucks are just trying to make an honest living by charging extra to put cream in the coffee themselves. There's nothing wrong with that! These people should be thankful they're allowed in a Starbucks.

And what's the deal with people trying to order "Plain Coffee"? What is that? They try to come in here and confuse the employees by telling them not to put anything in it - it's a trap! They're going to add their own cream!

[Becca]

I call it the cheap-assed latte. We have two customers who do this, each in different ways. One orders the americano version, the other orders a double espresso on ice in a grande cup, with just a little ice. They then proceed to the condiment stand and ad to it. I also have a customer who asks for a double espresso machiatto in a grande cup, saying that he likes the big cup because it cools faster that way... and then, while the baruista is making it, he says "no no, more milk, more milk, keep filling it up!" So for under 2.50 he gets a grande cappucino.

[Pam]

I sometimes order a iced half-caf one pump classic doppio filled to the top with ice in an iced tall cup and then add my own half and half at the condiment bar - I don't see anything wrong with that. I guess if you're putting a lot of dairy in its a little rude, but I don't want to stand up at the counter describing in detail how much dairy and which kind I want...I'd rather just do it myself since its not a standard drink on the menu.

[zippy]

I buy an Iced Venti Americano and ask for an extra cup with iced water. I pour out half the water out and mix the some of the venti into the ice water cups. My wife drinks the more diluted version since she can't take the full strength americano. I drink the rest. Is this a getto americano?

[Starbucks Consumer]

Simple solution folks.
Ditch the little metal themos and install pump dispensers that give you a shot of milk, half & half, etc with each pump. The rest of your customers will take care of anyone hogging the condiment bar trying to "ghetto" up anything.

By the way, make those condiment bars bigger so that someone can "fix" their drink off to the side. I always get behind the guy who puts a little half and half, then a little low fat milk, then puts in 4 sugars shaking each packet indivually before putting it in the drink...then of course they need a little mocha powder in there...and then they have to stir it until every last little bit of sugar will be completely disolved...then they have to indivually wrap napkins around the cup because the cardboard sleeve is still too hot...then they have to try the drink...and if its not exactly to their taste they repeat one or more of the steps again....bet you're annoyed at this post rambling on and on and on ... now you know how i feel when i am behind this guy.

[Mellie Lynn]

I rarely go to Starbucks. With my budget, it is a luxury. However, I do have a little, cheapy Mr. Coffee expresso machine at home, and I grind my coffee at the grocery store. You might be interested to know that I buy a HUGE office sized carton of creamer or a gallon of whole milk.

In the morning, I brew about two shots of expresso and fill the rest of my travel mug with creamer or milk. It is the way I PREFER to drink my morning coffee. When I read the initial posting, my thought was, "Wow. That is actually affordable. I could stop more regularly at the Starbucks on the end of my street." Then I continue to read response, upon response, upon response about how "tacky" and under handed this is.

So, I guess I will simply continue to make my bimonthly trips when I want to treat myself. I wouldn't want to offend anyone with my drink preference and offer merely a couple of dollars, when several dollars are expected.

It's a shame really. Certainly there are some people trying to beat the system, but, then again, maybe that is just how some people like their coffee.

[txmilady]

I would rather have a customer add their milk and sugar like that than the one who takes up my time as a barista by having me add eight raw sugars to their drink. Nothing builds a line faster than having to add milk and sugar to customers who are perfectly capable of doing it themsleves. And as far as the ices cafe con leche....PLEASE!!!! How frickin' lazy can people get? But if they want to pay the extra money for us to add their crap, then they are just stupid.

For those who posed the question of charging for extra caramel, more whip cream (after they have already eaten the original serving). etc.; I think we should. What other kind of food establishment can you go to and do this? Can you go to McD's and say "Oh I finished my fries. I want some more>"? dont think so.

[coffeeguy]

Ultimatly I look at it this way.

What would happen if let's say we decided screw it and didn't charge anyone for diary...ever.

All the latte prices drop, caps you name it anything with diary takes a huge price drop.

Do you have any idea when you mulitply that by thousands of stores everyday how much money that is going down the drain?

Guess what. Those ghetto lattes, one or two of those per day per store. thats' a few million dollars a year at least.

that money pays for a lot of our benefits, our farmers benefits, and community funding for programs like the starbucks park rebuilding.

We are here to make money. We are a business be it a nice one that will go out of it's way for it's honest customers every day. But you do NOT have to go out of your way for dishonest people and I don't mean those people who order an americano and honestly use the half and half becuase that's just how they have their coffee.

I mean the ghetto lattes, the people who know full well they ordered a grande and demand that they ordered a venti, (it happens sometimes honestly, but there's still a lot of people who like to use this trick and it's obvious when you have one of them on your hands that kind of thing.

Don't let people "play the system" it's unfair to those who paid in full for their drink and it just sets them up to try and game again later at another store and make another partner have to do something they shouldn't need to deal with.

We have a responsiblity to the stockholders and the company to be dedicated towards long term solutions in all we do.

[Chrysos]

What I find amusing about this whole issue is the people saying that it's "wrong" to do this.

Yet...they don't seem to have a problem with charging over $5 for a cup of milk. I guess it's only acceptable for Starbucks to take advantage of a situation.

[curious]

Iced Cafe Con Leche's are the same as Iced Coffee...

[rich]

"Now is "profitability" above and below "enthusiastically satisfied customers" on your scale?"

What a bizarre question. Why do you think enthusiastically satisfied customers are a priority in the first place? Just for a fuzzy warm feeling?

[Floormaster Squeeze]

Once again, the pettiness of the people at Starbucks amazes me. And for the record, I don't think any of this has to do with money (as it is clearly better for the company to let the customer do what they want), it just petty microfascism.

I used to go into a Mexican restaurant and order a "burrito salad" (no burrito) and order a flour tortilla as well for $.20. I would then "roll my own burrito" for a lot less than they charged (also got more stuff). I think the staff there called it "college style"--the whole "ghetto" thing just shows how mean spirited and judgemental you are.

Look, you make the rules and you cannot call it stealing when people use the rules to get what they want (judgemental perhaps?). I happen to live near a Starbucks with nice baristas but I can guarantee you that baristas generally have a terrible reputation amongst the people I know (and my wife stopped going altogether and she was, unlike me, a high-flying regular). Thanks for proving once again how clueless you are about the basics of customer service.

Have a nice day.

I dont have this issue much in my store - and i don't really care about it that much anymore...the main problem for me is that we do mot earn as much labor for 2 shots of espesso being poured, as for making a whole drink.
And if people are making their own lattes, then we are having to waste the big cup, lid, straw. FIll the condiment bar back up. Its a pain and it mailnly feels like your cheating other customers. Not cheating the company.
It is annoying though, when people think they deserve something for nothing.
If I cant afford an expensive meal - I don't go get one. I eat at home.
Starbucks money is spent on benefits, and farmers more than coffee.
If you people hate Starbucks and their prices so much, then don't go there. Boycott it.
I think it is ridiculous how people get so stirred up about the place, yet they cant stay away.

[Bill]

I wonder if I fall into the "ghetto latte" class? Sometimes I want a 'supercoffee' - that for me is a double espresso, long, with a lot of cream and milk; a sort of super-intense, super-rich coffee thang. I've never thought of it as a latte, though, as that's a mellower, more subtle drink. And when I want a latte I order the damn latte... a double with heavy dairy is a different flavor and not at all the same drink to me.

How is this even an issue....."Just Say Yes" is a company wide motto. If the customer wants to use her ghetto latte lingo to save her money, then you should all just say yes. It's not like Starbucks is losing money on the product.

[GrownUp]

Peter, Paul and Mary! I can't believe so much time and effort have been devoted to how someone chooses to make their coffee! And I'm equally distressed at myself for reading even a fraction of the whiney-babies' comments. Really! If this is the most annoying thing in your life - GET OVER IT! Just give me my "coffee of the day" with extra half and half. If you MUST charge me for the "extra", then just do it and let's all move on!

[CFLsbuxfan]

Baristas...I'm asking this in all sincerity because I don't know the answer...not being a pain customer.

If I were to get charged extra syrup (extra pumps?) if I were to order it, then why don't I get a discount when I order less of something in the drink?

For example, I ALWAYS order a Carmel Macc with 1/2 as many pumps (I've been told the normal amount is 4 so I order 2 pumps, unless I'm being misinformed). I also order my flavored lattes this way (gingerbread, vanilla). I think they're too sweet as they come, so I like to order less.

I also ALWAYS order no whipped cream on a frapp or any other drink where it would normally be offered. (gotta watch the waistline :) ).

So if customers are being charged extra for adding these things, how come my drinks aren't discounted the same amount?

I know that business-wise, why people are charged for extra but not for less, so please don't come back with that rhetoric. I'm curious from strictly a Sbux policy perspective.

Thanks in advance to all you great Baristas out there! You may think that we never appreciate you, but I have to tell you that I will always go out of my way to tip for great service. And not yelling at me when I don't order fast enough for you. And making sure my drink is correct even when I order fewer pumps, skim milk, and no whip. You're great!

[NamelessBarista]

Well it's not a huge deal but it does cause me some annoyance when this one guy comes in, orders three shots over ice in a venti cup, fills the rest up with milk, DRINKS SOME, and THEN fills it up again. He does this until the carafe is empty.

But lets make a logical argument out of this here

Given: Three shots over ice plus milk in a venti cup is an iced venti latte that costs +or- 4.00
Given: Three shots over ice with no milk costs +or- 2.00
Given: The milk we put in carafes is the same milk we put in our bar refrigerators and costs the same

If you put so much condiment milk in your 2.00 drink that it becomes a 4.00 drink you have effectively not paid for about 2.00 in product.

Not paying for product is stealing. You can argue that there's no labor if you fill at the condiment bar...except the labor that goes into filling and refilling those carafes.

Whether or not Starbucks can spare it, whether or not you're just looking to save a buck, whether or not baristas should care, it is STEALING. It's like ordering half a dozen apples and then going over to the fruit farm and taking six more apples. It doesn't feel like you're hurting anybody, but you are stealing.

And lets put on our thinking caps...as costs go up, so do prices! So if more and more people did this, the prices (which are apparently just back breakingly high as it is) will go up.

Personally, I just give them what they ask for. A Venti cup of ice, with three shots poured over top. Slap a flat lid on it, there ya go. It at least mitigates the amount of milk they steal.

[Caligirl]

It is NOT stealing if it is out for the customer to use...get a life.

[shag]

The attitude that these customers are "cheating" Starbucks is delusional. The drinks a la carte are huge profit margin items for Starbucks. It is wrong to confuse the price gap between the Americano and the latte as the loss margin on this transaction. Starbucks' only loss is the extra milk consumed. This can be measured in cents, and not in the $6 straw man raised by the original post. And I'm tempted to believe that even the sale of an Americano represents a substantial profit margin.

But even if I overestimate the profitability of selling Americanos, customers should not be "confronted" for making use of add-ons generally understood to be complimentary. Nor should they be made to feel that their behavior is unethical. Businesses set the rules, and Starbucks could easily manage concession areas in a way that would obviate the temptation to "overuse" milk and other freebies.

I do not know what the breakdown is at other stores, and it is unfair to make blanket judgements, but another reason to add one's concessions may be time management. I went to the Astor Pl. (NY) Starbucks yesterday. With four registers functioning, and with a shorter line than I usually encounter at the Montague St. (Bklyn, NY) location, I waited a full seven minutes for a grande iced coffee. Customers who had ordered more complex drinks before I had were still waiting when I left the store.

Anyway, it's my feeling that there's been a huge degradation in Starbucks quality standards since the first one (Montague St) opened near me probably 10-15 years ago. That baristas (and who are they, really, to raise hackles?) are so steamed about this speaks volumes to the notion that quantity eventually subsumes quality. It's absolutely crazy that a business would complain about making money on a transaction.

[Sarah]

Coffee guy and others:
good grief..we throw so many cups and lids away everyday...dropped mismarked....milk below temp, down the drain, to long on the counter down the drain...wrong drink..no problem just make a new one. What is wrong with you people...its just coffee and milk. You do not realy think this use of milk and waste is not figured into the cost of every coffee..oh ya and the coffe we toss when its over an hour old.
Caligirl is right..get a life and get over it.

[NamelessBarista]

I'm sorry, maybe I do need to 'get a life' but it seems to me that AN ENTIRE CARAFE of milk is a BIT excessive.

[Scorpio370]

Caligirl, It is stealing, we pay for that milk to be added to your drink, not to MAKE your drink. Even though that product on the bars is free, doesn't mean you use the whole carafe full to make the drink you are to cheap to pay for.

[NamelessBarista]

I'm sorry, maybe I do need to 'get a life' but it seems to me that AN ENTIRE CARAFE of milk is a BIT excessive.

[NamelessBarista]

Sorry about the accidental repost...

One last thought:

The reason it pisses me off most, is not because I'm some bastard barista from hell, it's that these people think they're special enough because they had this great idea that they can do just whatever they want, while other people, who work JUST as hard as they do, are honest and pay what the drink costs, regardless of profit margins and all that.

Clearly it's not an original idea, I would posit that most people have the cerebral function to see that it is an option, but most of them have the decency to pay like the rest of us.

That's what I hate about the world today, this ridiculous sense of entitlement and that everybody thinks they're more special than others.

[Becca]

CFLsbuxfan- the question you asked brings up the reason why, at the store I work at, we don't charge for some extra syrup, or whipped cream, or caramel (etc) (unless it is double syrup, then we charge for extra) because in the end, it works out, since some people ask for an extra and some ask for one fewer, at the end of the day, we use the amount we charged for.

As for the original thread, the one thing that gets me, is that (at least at our store) the people who do this, NEVER tip. They pay for their drink, chuckle to themselves, and leave without a second glance at the tip jar. We're letting you cheat the system, the least you can do is show your appreciation.

[shag]

But why are baristas even spouting off about corp. policy? How can something be classified as stealing when every indication is that milk, etc. are gratis?

And honestly, when was the last time you really saw someone using a WHOLE CARAFE OF MILK?

[WD]

How exactly is it stealing to order something that's on the menu, then add something that the company offers free for all its customers? If it's such a big deal, just impose a "one to a customer" limit on those little individual half and half servings. If you ask me, charging $5 for a cup of coffee with some steamed milk is robbery, which is why I make my own at home for pennies.

[Denise]

I work at Starbucks now, and our customers do find ways to save money. I can't really blame them, I'd probably do it too. It's not out of control in our store though, so it's not such an issue with us. However, last year I worked at a cafe in a Borders Books, and people did the SAME THING. One guy would come in everyday with his beat-up old cup and order refills, until we finally told him we couldn't do that anymore. He was nice about it though, and started buying at least one new cup a day & getting refills afterwards. People would order espresso shots over ice & add their own milk, thus making 'ghetto lattes'. So it's not just Starbucks that brings out the urge to pull one over on the system.

[WD]

A couple of months ago I read about the McDonald's "ghetto Big Mac." Order their $1 double cheeseburger, ask for a sesame seed bun, hold the ketshup and mustard, add special sauce and lettuce. So no, it's not just Starbucks. The solution is simple: "Sorry, sir. Our dollar menu comes as is, with no substitutions."

[Charlene]

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!! They are the customer, I want their money and I want them to enjoy the experience and come back, to MY store, not the *$ 5 miles away from me. I have several regulars who come to my store b/c they are sick of other stores giving them crap for doing it their way. We created customization, now we live with it. So, if you live in northern virginia and you are tired of getting hassled for wanting your brewed coffee @ 200 degrees, come to my store. If you want 8 tons of caramel in and on your frap with whip all over the place, I want you to come to my store. I am the only store in my district that consistanyly comps and beats budget and it is because my partners know that I will hold them accountable if they make people feel akward for ordering a drink however they want it. Again, it is their money and I want them to spend it @ my *$, so get what you want and never apoligise for asking for what you want.

simple solution (or almost) for the problem. only serve iced espressos in short cups. only serve iced americanos in their proper cups. if they ask for an iced americano no water, kindly explain that it's an iced espresso, and we have to serve it in the short cup because people have been using all of the milk to make their own latte, and we are losing our labor hours and it is forcing prices up.

[formerly "anon"]

NamelessBarista,
Dude, if it is indeed "stealing," as you've called it, and prices will go up, then in my opinion people will STOP GOING TO STARBUCKS! Oh wait, I'm already there buddy. Ever since I left the company (in February) I've noticed how vicious "partners" up-and-down the system are, so I've moved on to local joints here in Seattle. Even though I don't drink coffee as often now (since it is afterall a luxury), I've successfully stayed away from Starbucks, and have no desire to enter one, eventhough I'm consistently bombareded with 2 or 3 of them walking down a block.
Listen, I use to get all fired up with people that made the "ghetto-latte" when I worked at Starbucks, but there are more important things in life than trying to nail that one person for taking that extra 10 oz of milk. Now since I only drink my coffee black, perhaps he's using my share? My friend also drinks her coffee black, so perhaps this "ghetto-latte" guy is using her share? The point is that it always evens out at the end, so it's not the end of the world when someone does it. Peace.

[Deanne]

I always charge them as iced espresso, no matter what the customer says. And if they want it in a venti cup, then ice to the top.