Customer: “I’d like a latte with room for milk.”

Me: *Confused* “A latte is just espresso and milk, so leaving room for milk doesn’t make sense.”

Customer: *Indignant* “I want you to leave room for me to add milk!”

She just continued to demand to have room to add milk. To her cup of milk.

I am working the cash register at a popular coffee house chain in Germany after I’ve graduated from high school.

My education has a focus on English studies and extra classes for a higher-level language certificate.

Customer: “Can you speak English?”

Me: *Politely* “Yes, of course.”

Immediately after that, a student intervened, saying that she studied English at the local university and wanted to help. I know that was a nice gesture, but given my education, I was quite confident.

The customer asked me a few questions about how the drinks were made, with the student translating the questions in German and me answering them in English. The most confusing part was when the student repeated every answer in English again!

This went back and forth for a while until the customer decided on a drink and a snack. 

The best part was the slightly confused look on the customer’s face and the student not realizing what had happened.

I grew up in a tiny town. At the local restaurant, you could get your coffee two ways: black or with milk. So, when I go off to college, I’m not used to having anything but black coffee.

I encounter my first [Coffee Chain], and when I enter it, I’m overwhelmed by the variety of choices, especially because I don’t see black coffee listed. I make it to the front of the line.

Me: “Um, a small black coffee?”

Barista: “We don’t got ‘small’ coffee or ‘black’ coffee.”

Me: “No black coffee?”

Barista: “Can’t you read the menu, kid?”

Me: “Yeah, but I don’t know what any of it is. I just want a cup of coffee.” 

Thankfully, the customer behind me translated what I wanted into the lingo I needed and helped me get my cup of plain coffee. I suspect they didn’t want to be stuck behind me for ten minutes; that being said, it was still nice of them to help me out.

I had a woman completely degrade a coworker of mine over a coffee. We didn’t have hazelnut syrup like she wanted, so she took it out on my coworker by making her remake her americano a number of times while she openly complained to other customers. An americano is stupidly easy to make, and my coworker had a lot of experience making coffee anyway. Finally, we offered her money off of her next order just to get her happy and leaving.

Customer: “The amount you’re offering isn’t even the full price of my coffee! My next drink should be free!”

All because of some hazelnut syrup. To top it all off, when our manager came over, this customer decided to humiliate my coworker in front of everyone — staff and customers.

Customer: “That employee needs to be watched! She doesn’t know what she’s doing!”

Again, she ordered an americano. It’s literally espresso and water. You can’t mess it up.

Luckily, my coworker took it like a champ, and she got some good tips from people who had seen the whole thing. I can’t even imagine how that customer even thought she was in the right over a small cup of watery coffee.

I’m a regular at a coffee shop. Lately, the same woman has been coming in with her husband and trying to take my drinks. A simple reminder usually puts her in her place, but not today. She comes to the shop with the same man, and this time, she smirks at me and swipes my coffee, which is more expensive than what she ordered.

Barista: “Ma’am, for the last time, that isn’t yours!”

The woman starts speaking to her husband. The barista walks over to their table.

Barista: “Ma’am, you took that girl’s drink. Again. I’ve noticed a pattern with you. You always order cheap coffee and then take someone else’s. That stops here and now. You’re wasting other people’s money and the shop’s money. Either take what you ordered or don’t come back with your husband.”

Customer’s Husband: “You’ve been snatching other people’s drinks?! Is that how you could afford all those macchiatos? What is wrong with you? You are so rude to others! I can’t believe I married you!”

He bought me a new drink, and his wife was asked not to return unless she paid back every cent she conned.