Too Vile By Half (And Half)

We have a fifty-cent upcharge for special milk, including having your drink made with half-and-half. A customer is informed of this and immediately makes a big stink.

Customer: “What?! That’s f****** insane! I shouldn’t have to pay for something that you offer for free at the bar!”

Me: “People usually add a splash of it to their coffee, not the 14oz that the baristas put in.”

Customer: “That’s not fair! Where is your manager? I’m not moving unless I get my half-and-half for free!”

He causes such a stink and holds up the line so much that our manager just ended up not charging him. He continued to not charge him when he came in because it was honestly easier not to.

One particularly busy morning a cashier accidentally charged him because things were so insane, and she didn’t even think about it. Twenty minutes after the fact he stormed up to the counter to scream at her for charging him.

Customer: “You f****** stupid b****! You charged me! Do you not know how to do your job? This is free! Free!”

My manager jumps in immediately.

Manager: “Actually, you should have been paying, but we figured letting you have it for free was worth not having to deal with your amazing personality. No more. If this is how you’re going to respond to our kindness, then you’re no longer welcome here. You’re banned.”

Customer: “[Chain Coffee Store] doesn’t ban customers!”

Manager: “They do when the customer is particularly vile. Get out or I’m calling mall security.”

Security had to be called because the customer wasn’t budging. He did complain to corporate, but our manager outlined the verbal abuse we were receiving from him and calculated how much free half-and-half he had enjoyed over the months. Corporate upheld the ban, but mainly because of the free half-and-half.