I believe the customer is always right, except when they are wrong.

Starbucks has been my only retail job. I have been fortunate enough to stick with this company for four years, get a promotion and have my manager turn a blind eye when I partner beverage out some coffee when I am not working (yes this is 'stealing' but I really am a poor college student and hell this company has put me through a lot!!!)

Starbucks has also made me wish I took more than one psych class (which I took in community college while I was going to highschool so I had lots of credits to transfer, so it has been a while).

As my only commenter on this site (so far? *crosses fingers*) has said I offer "a small treatise on human nature through the lens of a Starbucks Barista!" I realize I never thought of it that way but a lot of what I have learned about human nature and the way we socialize has been through this job.

It has also led me to rebel the mantra of customer service, the whole customer is always right philosophy. Well I, Valerie Verona, would like to declare that I partially believe in that, except, sometimes the customer is just plain wrong.

I think starbucks knows about these customers, partially, and the way we are told to treat them is to "just say yes," which is pretty self explanatory. But call me jaded, I have seen this policy abused. There are times when you can just say yes but times when you cant.

example number one.

we have these drinks called vivannos. They are protein nourishing blends made with our own protein (whey) and fiber (chicorry root) powder. yadda yadda yadda. One lady comes in and this is what happened.

L = lady
V = me, the DC food and safety lisence holder for the store.

L = instead of putting your own powder in it can you use this instead *attempts to hand me a canister of goLEAN protein powder or something like that*

V = I am so sorry ma'am but I cannot take that from you, I can not put our powder in and can get you a spoon so you can mix it in yourself over by the condiment bar, but to put whatever you are handing me into our blenders is a health violation.

L = well so and so at the other starbucks did this yesderday and it is protein powder i dont understand why you cant blend it in for me. it wont taste the same if i stir it in.

V = ma'am i understand your frustration but that is an unknown substance to me, I trust you that it is goLEAN but I dont know if there is anything else in there that might cause an allergen issue and I dont want to be held accountable if you get sick or anything so I would feel more comfortable following starbucks policy. I appologize for this inconvenience.

L = (did I mention she was really angry by this point?) This is rediculous I want to speak to your manager.

V = My manager wont be in until tomorrow morning, would you still like me to make your orange mango vivanno without the protein powder?

L = NO I WANT TO SPEAK TO WHO IS IN CHARGE OF YOU RIGHT NOW.

V = ma'am I am the one in charge right now.

L = *huffs* WHATEVER BUT MAKE MY DRINK IN A LARGER CUP SO ILL HAVE ROOM TO STIR IN MY POWDER I CANT BELIEVE I PAY THIS MUCH FOR A DRINK AND I STILL HAVE TO DO WORK MYSELF.

V = Ok, X will ring you up and ill have your drink up in a moment!


seriously? I am dumfounded by the way this lady expected me to break a health code for her. Yes I know it says goLEAN, but uh... it could have been crack and cyanide for all I know. Likelyhood of that happening, slim. But I still need to protect myself and my store from lawsuits, that is why there are safety standards.

I wont even go into the hand off interaction. because this lady ripped her drink out of my hand and her nail scratched the skin off my finger. It was pleasant.

***

example number two.

being in DC we have a lot of big shots coming into the store and a lot of big orders for coffee travlers and cambros (they hold a lot of coffee).

One man ordered 270$ worth of coffee for a meeting. (this is not uncommon).

and this is what went down.

$ = big bux
V = guess

$ = hi i was in here yesterday and I was charged tax on my purchase, but I am tax exempt and I need that 27$ back or my company will make me pay for it.

V = yeah I remember you I helped you carry out your order... did you tell the register partner you are tax exempt?

$ = no but I need you to refund it.

V = im sorry sir but... unless you tell us you are tax exempt you are charged tax... and thats not really something I can refund

$ = *the I am so above you attitude* well when you charge me the wrong price for something you have to fix it, and most companies will refund you when they charge the customer the wrong price.

V = sir its clear on your receipt that you were charged the correct price for your purchases. im sorry that you did not say you were tax exempt but there is nothing that I can do to give you back that money after the fact. Perhaps you can talk to someone in your department to handles the billing and they can petition the money from the government. because tax does not go to my stores profits.... it goes to the government.

$ = I KNOW WHERE TAX MONEY GOES BUT I WAS CHARGED INCORRECTLY AND I NEED THAT 27$ BACK OR I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

V= sir there is no reason to raise your voice at me. but i am unable to help you after the fact, if you did not mention it at the time there is simply nothing I can do. You were charged correctly and you forgot to mention you were tax exempt. I know you are frustrated but what you are asking me to do is give you 27$ out of my stores profits and I cant do that if you were charged correctly.

$ = but i wasnt

V = sir... you said you forgot to mention you were tax exempt. given that statement I am looking at your receipt and i see nothing I can refund you for.

$ = well this is just rediculous now this has to come out of my pocket.

V = I can understand your frustration. if i were to give you that money it would come out of my stores pocket... im sure if you talk to someone who deals with the credit card billing they can fix this for you... this happened to another person I know in... (cut off)

$ = JUST FORGET IT ILL BE SPEAKING TO YOUR MANAGER


turns out he never did speak to my manager, I guess he sucked it up and learned a 27$ lesson.


***

I know sometimes I may seem harsh. but I really am a nice person, not by choice by way of pharmacuticals (all legally prescribed). And I do try to give the best customer service, but some customers abuse this and I cant stand seeing it happen.

Just because I work in retail, I am not beneath you.

Just because I am serving you does not mean I have to tolerate disrespect.

Just because you think you can get shit for free does not mean you will.


xoxo
Valerie

UP NEXT: customer(s) who believe that without them I would not get my paycheck. all from the cherry blossom festival weekend of hell for valerie.