# Don't take my money and make me wait 20 minutes for a coffee! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 26, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720 "2008-12-26T10:29:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/21 "2008-12-26T17:13:30Z")
One day on my way to the airport, I stopped at Starbucks to get a cappuccino. I like them to be dry (as in mostly coffee and foam) with 3 shots of espresso. This is not a particularly complicated drink to make, especially since the Starbucks automated machines do not require any skills beyond pushing a button. So I see the employee put the coffee into the cup, and top it off with the foam. All is normal, the lid should go on and I should receive my beverage, right? Nope. She stands there with the spoon in my coffee, and starts to … stir it. She’s stirring it around with the spoon, slowly taking the spoon almost all the way out and then putting it back in, mixing the espresso with the foam and making the foam become something quite a bit less than foamy. Cappuccino is not meant to be stirred. The foam is supposed to be on top of the coffee. That’s the way it works. And what the hell would make this person think that I wanted to stand there and watch her play with my coffee? She never looked up or noticed that I was standing there watching her pull the spoon out to see little bits of foamy milk make tiny foam mountains and then stir them back into the coffee. After a couple of minutes I had to speak up and ask that my drink be made properly and not played with. And I got a bunch of attitude in return about how ‘It’s supposed to be stirred.’ and that I would have to pay for another one. What the fuck? At least the manager agreed with me that playing ‘make mountains out of foam’ in a customer’s drink is … not the correct way to make a cappuccino. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/22 "2008-12-26T17:23:06Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > Nope. She stands there with the spoon in my coffee, and starts to … stir it. She’s stirring it around with the spoon, slowly taking the spoon almost all the way out and then putting it back in, mixing the espresso with the foam and making the foam become something quite a bit less than foamy. > > Cappuccino is not meant to be stirred. The foam is supposed to be on top of the coffee. That’s the way it works. And what the hell would make this person think that I wanted to stand there and watch her play with my coffee? She never looked up or noticed that I was standing there watching her pull the spoon out to see little bits of foamy milk make tiny foam mountains and then stir them back into the coffee. Sounds like you didn’t let her finish fishing the cockroach out. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/23 "2008-12-26T17:36:18Z")
> [@Martini Enfield](#): > > Had they said “Just to let you know, it could be 20 minutes before we can get your coffee to you”, I would have said “Thank you for letting me know, I’ll pass on that today” […] Instead, they took my money and made me wait for an unacceptably long time […] The thing is, this isn’t the first time a business has done this- **taken my[COLOR=“Black”] order and money[/COLOR]**, and then told me “It’s going to be a while”. […] > You aren’t doing anyone any favours by doing the “Bwahaha, \*\*\*we’ve got your money \*\*\*and now you have to WAIT FOR AGES!” thing. It’s very, very simple- if there’s a lot of orders ahead of someone, let them know upfront before you _ **take their money** _. If I’m the kind of business owner you’re talking about, any part of your argument not printed in red is just a lot of foamy hot froth to me. If the hourly workers are treating customers this way when the place is less than mobbed, it’s very likely because the boss demands it. Rule 1 thru 1,000,000 of Good Business for many merchants is **TAKE THE MONEY.** Everything else is the other guy’s problem, and $5 in hand is to be preferred to repeat business “on the come.” ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/24 "2008-12-26T18:46:34Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > One day on my way to the airport, I stopped at Starbucks to get a cappuccino. I like them to be dry (as in mostly coffee and foam) with 3 shots of espresso. This is not a particularly complicated drink to make, especially since the Starbucks automated machines do not require any skills beyond pushing a button. So I see the employee put the coffee into the cup, and top it off with the foam. All is normal, the lid should go on and I should receive my beverage, right? > > Nope. She stands there with the spoon in my coffee, and starts to … stir it. She’s stirring it around with the spoon, slowly taking the spoon almost all the way out and then putting it back in, mixing the espresso with the foam and making the foam become something quite a bit less than foamy. > > Cappuccino is not meant to be stirred. The foam is supposed to be on top of the coffee. That’s the way it works. And what the hell would make this person think that I wanted to stand there and watch her play with my coffee? She never looked up or noticed that I was standing there watching her pull the spoon out to see little bits of foamy milk make tiny foam mountains and then stir them back into the coffee. > > After a couple of minutes I had to speak up and ask that my drink be made properly and not played with. And I got a bunch of attitude in return about how ‘It’s supposed to be stirred.’ and that I would have to pay for another one. > > What the fuck? > > At least the manager agreed with me that playing ‘make mountains out of foam’ in a customer’s drink is … not the correct way to make a cappuccino. I picture this lady blowing bubbles with a straw when it needs more froth. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/25 "2008-12-26T19:04:38Z")
> [@](#): > > **Harmonious Discord** said: > I picture this lady blowing bubbles with a straw when it needs more froth. The look on my face must have been priceless. I was actually slack-jawed with disbelief that she was standing there, oblivious to everything, playing with the espresso and foam, twirling and stirring with the spoon as if she was in some mystical other world. It was rather like watching a five year-old child play with ice cream in a bowl – stirring it up and then lifting the spoon to watch the ice cream stretch upward and then separate into a curled peak. It was so blatant that she was playing with the foam that other customers actually watched it too. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/26 "2008-12-26T19:43:02Z")
A couple of weeks ago we went to a restaurant that is literally around the corner from our house, where we eat several times a year (because they have the best crabcakes in the _world_). Their service normally takes 30 minutes, so we weren’t expecting our food in a big rush. But nevertheless, it took a full hour for the food to arrive. And I know it was a full hour because I knew what time we arrived (4:00), our order was taken within a few minutes, and our food didn’t arrive until 5:10. In fact, two other tables came in, ordered, got served, ate, and left before our food arrived! While our server was nowhere to be seen; we had to finally someone else to get her for us. And when we asked her politely what the problem that caused such a long delay was? We promptly got attitude and nastiness: “Our menu tells you all food is cooked to order! It’s not MY problem what happens in the kitchen!” Rather than get into it with her, we asked for a manager, and when the manager was unavailable, left our name and phone number. The manager actually called a couple hours later, and agreed with us that an hour wait was indeed too long (especially since the restaurant wasn’t particularly busy – there was only one other table in the dining room when we got there), that the server was in the wrong in the way she treated us, and then insisted on sending us a couple of coupons so we’d come back and not say nasty things about the restaurant around the neighborhood. It’s a local, family-owned business, and I really appreciated the effort she made to resolve the problem. But it did help our cause to be civil in explaining the difficulties to her, and express our frustration at the poor customer service without yelling and screaming at anybody (which apparently the server had led her to believe I would, assuming that I was as nasty a bitch as she was). Sometimes complaining up the ladder is the only thing to do. And there’s nothing wrong with complaining if your food or beverage takes much, _much_ longer than it should in arriving. If nobody complains, how does management learn that its servers are causing problems for customers, or that there’s a problem with the kitchen, or whatever else is causing the delays? ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/27 "2008-12-26T23:54:16Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > One day on my way to the airport, I stopped at Starbucks to get a cappuccino. I like them to be dry (as in mostly coffee and foam) with 3 shots of espresso. This is not a particularly complicated drink to make, especially since the Starbucks automated machines do not require any skills beyond pushing a button. So I see the employee put the coffee into the cup, and top it off with the foam. All is normal, the lid should go on and I should receive my beverage, right? > > Nope. She stands there with the spoon in my coffee, and starts to … stir it. She’s stirring it around with the spoon, slowly taking the spoon almost all the way out and then putting it back in, mixing the espresso with the foam and making the foam become something quite a bit less than foamy. > > Cappuccino is not meant to be stirred. The foam is supposed to be on top of the coffee. That’s the way it works. And what the hell would make this person think that I wanted to stand there and watch her play with my coffee? She never looked up or noticed that I was standing there watching her pull the spoon out to see little bits of foamy milk make tiny foam mountains and then stir them back into the coffee. > > After a couple of minutes I had to speak up and ask that my drink be made properly and not played with. And I got a bunch of attitude in return about how ‘It’s supposed to be stirred.’ and that I would have to pay for another one. > > What the fuck? > > At least the manager agreed with me that playing ‘make mountains out of foam’ in a customer’s drink is … not the correct way to make a cappuccino. Hey, she’s a BARISTA! Not some button-pushing, cuppa joe-pouring monkey. And still (barely) on-topic, the longest “15 minute wait” has to be for a table at a North End restaurant in Boston on a Saturday night. Even with “reservations” you’d better be prepared to stand on the sidewalk for at least an hour. Next time, I’m bringing a flask so I’ll at least be happily drunk while I peer through the windows mentally willing the people inside to eat fast and get the fuck out. I’ll chat with my fellow dining hopefuls about Einstein’s thoughts on time spent kissing girls and hot stoves, and periodically pull out my outrage journal to jot notes which I can then post to the most current pit “mini rants” thread. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/28 "2008-12-26T23:57:41Z")
With our Bunn, we never have to wait more than three minutes. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/29 "2008-12-27T00:19:03Z")
> [@](#): > > You know, having worked at the Evil Coffee Empire, the first thought that occurred to me was that someone else got your drink. This was in a no seating area, _Evil Coffee Empire_ store inside of Macy\*s in The Lenox Mall. I stood directly across from the barrista and she handed me the first cup, then stopped me, took it back, and explained that is was the wrong drink. I was directly across from the same barrista when she smiled and handed me the caramelly gunk instead of my Mocha Truffle Crack in a Cup. There were only 2 other people in the store by this time. > [@](#): > > I’ve often wondered if anyone realizes that sometimes it’s a few crappy customers that make it painful for everybody involved in the process on both sides of the counter. I don’t think I was a crappy customer for feeling that the creation of a beverage shouldn’t take 15 minutes. I didn’t complain at all and I was pleased with myself that I didn’t. I’ve had the drink a few times this month and it’s usually a 5 minute wait if there’s a line ahead of me. The customer isn’t always wrong. If ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/30 "2008-12-27T00:23:25Z")
> [@jali](#): > > I don’t think I was a crappy customer for feeling that the creation of a beverage shouldn’t take 15 minutes. I didn’t complain at all and I was pleased with myself that I didn’t. I’ve had the drink a few times this month and it’s usually a 5 minute wait if there’s a line ahead of me. > > The customer isn’t always wrong. > > If I’m sticking my nose in here, but I read that as a comment on the hypothetical impatient fellow customer who hypothetically took the coffee that YOU ordered, not a comment on you. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/31 "2008-12-27T00:25:59Z")
> [@jali](#): > > If Did you mean to post: “If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you But make allowance for their doubting too”? If so, Kipling’s been getting a lot of play lately. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/32 "2008-12-27T00:56:26Z")
> [@5-4-Fighting](#): > > Did you mean to post: > > “If you can keep your head when all about you > Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, > If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you > But make allowance for their doubting too”? > > If so, Kipling’s been getting a lot of play lately. This was the first poem I ever memorized and performed in an assembly. I love this poem for that reason. I don’t know what I deleted or why I left the _If_ ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/33 "2008-12-27T00:57:27Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > I’m sticking my nose in here, but I read that as a comment on the hypothetical impatient fellow customer who hypothetically took the coffee that YOU ordered, not a comment on you. I misread it and I’m glad you stuck your nose in. I understand the point now.:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Jaglavak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jaglavak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaglavak)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/34 "2008-12-27T01:02:44Z")
Funny you should mention it, but I actually have a gift card from the Evil Coffee Empire that I got last Christmas. I’ve never used it because every single time I walk past the ECE stand there is a line out the door. I figure they’re slipping heroin in there or something. Waddever, I refuse to wait 1/2 hour for a cuppa joe. ---
**Author:** ![laughingboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9f8e36/32.png) [@laughingboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/laughingboy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/35 "2008-12-27T01:26:01Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The only way to beat assholes is to be a bigger asshole. Wow, I’d never be a big asshole to anyone who is preparing or serving me food. These days you never know when you’re going to get a surreptitious present. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/36 "2008-12-27T01:33:51Z")
That’s why Blacks don’t drink coffee – at least in Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![Wash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9dc877/32.png) [@Wash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wash)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/37 "2008-12-27T01:57:55Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > It takes no more than 60 seconds to make a cappuccino. You waited for 15 minutes before asking? > > I would have been in their face after 5, and I would have stayed there. Just stood at the counter asking “where’s my coffee?” every 30 seconds. I assure you they would have given it to you sooner, if only to get rid of you. > > You’re problem is that you were the annoyed party, instead of the annoying one. The only way to beat assholes is to be a bigger asshole. To me, this sounds like a surefire way to get yourself some complimentary saliva along with your coffee. As an occasional retail worker, I can guarantee you that the best way to get good service is to act the exact opposite of what **Alessan** suggests. ---
**Author:** ![catsix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e19b73/32.png) [@catsix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/catsix)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/38 "2008-12-27T02:19:31Z")
> [@](#): > > **Proudest Monkey** said: > Hey, she’s a BARISTA! Not some button-pushing, cuppa joe-pouring monkey. I don’t expect a Dave Matthews fan to know that a cappuccino is **not supposed to be stirred** , but a barista should. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/39 "2008-12-27T06:40:52Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I went out for a coffee this afternoon- it wasn’t nearly as busy as I thought it was, and decided to treat myself to a decent cafe-made coffee. > > So, I went to the coffee bar and stood behind the other three people in the queue and ordered my cappuccino, paid for it, received an order number, and waited. > > And waited. > > And waited. > > And waited. > > For 15 minutes. > > 🙂 The proper thing to do is after 5 Minutes, ask where you coffee was. When they then said “it’s be another 10 minutes” then (repeat after me, this is important) “That is unacceptable, I’d like to speak to the Manager” Then “I’d like a refund please and the number of your head office”. ---
**Author:** ![Proudest\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/proudest_monkey/32/13257_2.png) [@Proudest\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Proudest_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720/40 "2008-12-27T22:14:57Z")
> [@catsix](#): > > I don’t expect a Dave Matthews fan to know that a cappuccino is **not supposed to be stirred** , but a barista should. > > 🙂 You are completely correct. Most DMB fans, if presented with a cappuccino, would probably try to roll and smoke it. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-take-my-money-and-make-me-wait-20-minutes-for-a-coffee/478720.md?page=3)