Registering The Awesome Customers

(I’m a barista in a well-known coffee franchise inside a large retail store. Our register is broken so we’ve been taking orders and sending customers over to the food window to pay for their drinks. It’s been nearly a week since our register broke and tech support is fuzzy on when they’ll be in to fix it. Our regulars have been understanding.)

Me: “Here’s your order slip. If you’ll step next door, they’ll ring you up while I get your drink ready.”

20ish Girl: “You STILL haven’t fixed your register? Omigod! How LONG is it going to BE like this? Every time I’ve come in it’s broken!”

30ish Lady: *behind her* “Why yell at her? You think she’s gonna whip out an MIT degree and fix this? If it’s ‘broken every time’ you’ve come, why do you keep coming? It’s JUST a drink. Get OVER it, Buttercup!”

(The 20-something stalked out angrily as the rest of the line began laughing. The 30-something lady steps up to order.)

Me: “You are SO not paying for your drink today.”