A Costa worker has shared the number one thing customers do that they find annoying - even declaring the move “breaks” them. Coffee shops are a firm favourite on the high street and everyone has their favourite. Whether it’s one of the iconic chains found up and down the country, or a more local independent offering, coffee is an enduring, beloved beverage.
They provide a casual destination to stop off for a rest while out running errands, they provide ideal pick-me-ups in the midst of a busy working day, and they can offer a relaxed environment to escape the hustle and bustle or catch up with a friend. This perception isn’t always the experience of the staff, though. It’s no secret that working in a customer service-facing role is tough, and dealing with members of the public all day long can quickly become a taxing and draining experience.
With this in mind, one Costa worker took to Reddit to share their thoughts on the customer habits they find most annoying. In a post titled “let’s all have a bit of a vent”, they penned: “Now that things are returning to normal post Xmas and January slump, customers are once again losing their politeness and goodwill spirits and are up to their old annoyances. List off the single most annoying thing that customers do, I'll start:.
“Changing drink into takeaway once receiving their orders. Tell me at the till, or at the very least when you see me start to make your order. “WE DO NOT CARE if you have a takeaway cup to sit in, if anything, that is preferable. Just please respect our time and care that is put into our drinks and know that when we have carefully made a drink in a glass/mug, it is then ruined when we tip it into a paper cup and every time it breaks me ever so slightly.”.
They added: “Special shout-out to customers that have to catch a bus in two minutes, run in and expect me to push their order in front of the four people already queuing and waiting.”. People were keen to share their thoughts in the comments section. One fellow Costa barista said: “I'm at a drive thru and my only annoyance at the moment is having to list off every cake and toastie we have. Please be prepared if you're in the drive thru.”.
Another shared a drive-thru faux pas, adding: “When the passenger tries to order in the drive thru like please I can’t hear you just get the driver to say it”. A third person commented: “People who ask for ‘Regular’ or ‘Normal’. Sorry those aren't sizes. And everyone seems to have a different idea of what is regular and normal.”.
And another - former - barista shared a string of their pet peeves, writing: “Why are you walking past the fridge FULL of toasties and sandwiches and asking me at the till what toasties we do???". Another added: “The amount of times people would ask me for ‘a regular Costa’ and then would have the audacity to get annoyed at me for not knowing what they actually want when they don’t know themselves.".
