I work at a popular bakery and café on the register. My coworker is male but has an androgynous face and voice.

Me: *To the customer* “Can I help you, sir?”

The customer gestures to my coworker, who is bagging bagels.

Customer: “Oh, thank you, but this young lady beat you to it.”

Hoping my coworker didn’t hear that, I lean in closer to the customer.

Me: *Whispering* “He’s a boy.”

The customer is immediately flustered, especially when my coworker hands him his bagels with the most deadpan expression I’ve ever seen.

Customer: “Thank you, sir.”

With an emphasis on “sir,” he quickly walked out of the cafe. My coworker started growing a mustache after that.

I work in a coffee shop in a zoo where I am one of the head baristas. I’ve been there for a few years so I’m the go-to when other staff need help and am left in charge if the manager is out.

Me: “Hi, what can I get for you today?”

Customer: “Yeah, hi, can I get a mocha but no coffee?”

A mocha is a hot chocolate with a single shot of coffee, no extra milk or anything.

Me: “Oh, so a hot chocolate? That’s no prob—”

Customer: “No! I wanted a mocha but no coffee.”

Me: “Sorry, but that’s what a mocha is with no coffee.”

I then explain the process of how a mocha is made.

Customer: “Just give me a mocha, no coffee.”

Me: *Pauses* “Okay, that’s £2.80, please.”

Customer: “But it says £3.30 there.”

Me: “Yes, but since you’re not having the coffee shot, I’m charging you for a hot chocolate; it saves you fifty pence.”

Customer: “Where’s your manager? I want to make a complaint! You need better training at this.”

Me: “Miss, I’ve worked here for a while now and have all my training. I’m afraid I can’t get a manager at the moment as I am in charge today.” 

Customer: “I want to be served by someone else.”

The other, less-experienced barista takes her order and explains the exact same thing I did.

Customer: “Fine, if I can’t have the manager I want the next in charge.”

I have to force myself not to show my amusement as I step back to the counter and ask her how I can help her as the colour drains from her face.

Customer: “Fine, just give me a d*** hot chocolate.”

She paid and left. And she didn’t make a complaint.

Related:
Making A Mocha-ry Of Yourself, Part 2
Making A Mocha-ry Of Yourself

My friends and I decided to grab to takeout breakfast from a local chain coffee shop. It had been a rough week and we were all feeling incredibly drained, so we shambled into the place looking and acting like zombies.

One by one we approached the counter, where we were greeted in turn by The Best Barista. He was so sweet, chipper, and polite, making small talk and cracking jokes, that every one of us walked away smiling.  

The best part came as we were sitting at one of the tables waiting for our food to be cooked. We had already received some of our drinks. The Best Barista appeared to be going on break. He left the counter, walked by our table, did a double-take, came back to us, and said that he noticed that one drink didn’t look mixed very well — he was just taking orders, not making the drinks — and then offered to take it behind the counter to mix it properly!

We had never before and have never since met such an awesome worker at any restaurant, nor did we ever see The Best Barista again. They were just little things, but his actions really made our day. We all made sure to leave generous tips before we left!

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for April 2021!

Read the next Feel Good roundup for April 2021 story!

Read the Feel Good roundup for April 2021!

I visit my local [Global] coffee shop to have my lunch and work remotely. As a general rule, I always take extra time to clean up my area and throw away my trash. 

I have just stepped up to the trash bins, which are located underneath the shop’s milk/sugar/condiment station. I then watch an employee open the cabinet doors, take out the trash bins, and replace the full trash bags with empty ones. She has not yet placed the empty bins back in the cabinet. 

Just as she turns to tie up the bags, I thank her, and then proceed to throw my half-full tea drink into the completely empty, bin-less space! 

Thoroughly embarrassed and mentally face-palming, I profusely apologize to the employee and offer to help her clean up my new mess. She graciously declines… and wishes me a good day. I leave an extra tip and make a beeline straight for the door.

I’m working the closing shift at a coffee shop in a downtown area. The store closes at midnight, but since my coworker and I have to clean the machines and the entire store, we leave the front door open with a chair holding a big red sign that says, “CLOSED.” We generally have some drunk guests try and come in, but they go away easily when we explain that the store is closed. This is the exception.

Outside, we hear a small argument and a girl pushes our chair aside and comes inside, very clearly drunk.

Customer: “Can I use your bathroom?”

Me: “Sorry, but our store is closed and we can’t have guests using the bathroom at this time.”

Customer: “Oh, I’ll just be a minute.”

Me: “We just cleaned back there, and since our store is closed, I do have to ask you to leave.”

My coworker comes out after hearing the conversation. He and I know full well that we haven’t cleaned up yet, as the store has just closed.

Coworker: “Feel free to use the bathroom, ma’am, as long as you’re willing to clean it for us.”

She rolls her eyes and storms into the bathroom. About five minutes later, she comes out of the restroom.

Customer: “Your bathrooms were f****** disgusting. I can’t believe you let people use them like that.”

Me: “We aren’t currently letting people use them; you just happened to ignore our explanations that the store is closed and the bathroom inaccessible.”

Customer: “I’m calling your manager and having you both fired.”

We never heard from her again.