Because “Simply asking for a ‘coffee’” would go something like “I’ll have a coffee.” Maybe even “I’ll have a coffee please.”
Am I being whooshed? You honestly don’t see the dripping contempt and about 20 extra words in what the guy actually said? The guy was not just ordering a coffee. He was putting on a little drama with his aw-shucks-I’m-just-a-real-American-and-you’re-to-stupid-to-understand-a-simple-request bit.
He got what he wanted – a reaction and a coffee.
You said it, Lemur.
This is what pisses me off about Starbucks.
At any other java joint on the face of the earth, I can order “a large iced chai, and would you blend it, please?”* and get a large blended iced chai.
At Starbucks you have to order a “venti Chai Frappuccino.” And yes I did get somewhat snottily corrected a few times when I ordered in the regular English non-Starbucks way and got a regular iced chai with big ice cubes floating in it: “Oh, you mean you wanted a CHAI FRAPPUCCINO.” Yes, sorry, I didn’t go plowing through the entire menu looking for your supersecret code word for it.**
**So why do we still go to Starbucks? Lazy, I guess. We prefer indie coffeeshops when we can find them, but when you’re on the road the mermaid just stands out. Plus, the nearest Starbucks is 40 miles away, so it’s not like we’re there every day.
OK, I can see this to a certain extent. And I’d say that coming back at the guy - even with what was, again, about the mildest of retorts - wasn’t the ideal, perfect response. But very few employees are perfect, or likely to deliver the perfect response every time without fail.
I don’t know if I agree with that. Admittedly not every employee is like this, but some people take pride in their jobs, and want to do right by their customers and employers as a result of that pride. This can be as true of baristas as of anyone at all, I expect.
What the hell is a blended ice chai? Hell, what’s the difference between chai and tea?
Starbucks is not Joe’s Hardware Store on Main Street in Hammond, Louisana in 1955. They aren’t going to go out of business if a customer gets pissed and vows not to come back, especially one by his own statements isn’t even a sporadic customer. Look at all the people who bitch about McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, etc- are they hurting for customers? Even Denny’s and Cracker Barrel, who have had race based lawsuits- roughly 25% of the country are minorities who could boycott them- are thriving. Has any chain folded, ever, because of complaints? “The customer is always right” is as antiquated as ice cream socials, sock hops and wearing suits to sporting events. The clerk at Taco Bell could cuss me out every day as long as they give me my food I will keep going back. People now have figured out that boycotts only hurt themselves- “I’ll show Wal-Mart! I’ll never shop there again.” And as a result travel two extra miles to Target. Boy won’t Wal-Mart be sorry!
I also agree with the above poster who stated that a manager who “has his employees back” would impress me both as a customer and an employee, and would make me want to keep working/eating there.
Not that I feel like I was taking a particular side, but I definitely neglected this perspective. The guy could be reveling in his smarmyness, or he could just be reacting definsively. Lemur866 is right on about that.
Chai (which means “tea” in many South Asian languages) is simply tea (usually black tea) with milk and spices, typically cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and that sort of thing. When you order “a chai” in a java joint, it usually means chai tea with steamed milk (so really a chai latte), and is often made from a powdered mix. It also comes in other frou-frou flavors like green tea chai, chocolate, and vanilla, but I prefer the plain old spiced chai latte. Panera’s chais are particularly nice and spicy.
So an iced chai is just like an iced coffee, only with chai tea, milk, and ice cubes. I like them blended because you get more liquid that way and don’t end up with a cup fill of cubes.
You can also get chai tea in tea bags or loose, which you steep as usual and add milk, honey, sugar, etc. if you like, just like regular tea. I don’t care for most plain teas but I do like plain chai. Last weekend I got some organic “Ruby Red Chai” from Trader Joe’s that is most excellent to this usual non-tea-drinker.
Sure, of course. I’ve also worked a couple of jobs back in the day where the only way to keep from going crazy with boredom was to bust ass and work as fast as possible…when you do that your shift flies by. When you mope and drag your sorry ass your shift goes on forever.
And the guy in the OP wasn’t all that abusive. Maybe frustrated that he’s stuck ordering a coffee at Starbucks because they put his old place out of business; most of its other customers having died or been moved into the Old Folks Home couldn’t have helped. Having a lousy day, perhaps. Or remembering the snarky, pretentious dorks who had served him before and trying to head that off. But not abusive and certainly not spoiling for a fight. Coffee bars are in the business of service and, like the bartender of yore, a barista’s job involves making the customer feel better, both with his drinks and with his attitude.
Your contractor boss was correct to back you up if you were just there absorbing punishment but I trust he’d also have kicked your ass if you had mouthed back at a customer. If you saw that you were about to lose your temper I assume you sweetly asked if he’d like to speak with your boss, and I’m sure he jumped at it.
That is true but by lipping off at a customer who wasn’t being abusive, just grumpy (and being from the Trades you know what abusive really is), fetus showed himself to be too immature for that job and did not care about the company.
No, I assume he is an ass but if you don’t play his game all the fun goes out of it and he’s stuck seething and muttering into his coffee, never to darken your doorstep again. And if it turns out he’s a lovable curmudgeon or just having a lousy day you’ve gained a customer.
I’d be very surprised if any company would tolerate such behavior, especially out of a low-level, unskilled person who could be replaced in a heartbeat unless the store is in Calgary. Minimally he’d get a strong talking-to. Most places he’d be fired on the spot. Your business does not benefit from people who insult the customers, even customers with bad attitudes.
Hold it. You’re telling me I don’t need a passport to get to Hawaii?
The customer was putting on a little drama, probably for the benefit of his friend, not for the chastizement of the OP. I’m far and away from seeing what the customer said as “dripping contempt”. My skin just isn’t that thin.
He asked for coffee, in what he thought was a clever way (it wasn’t). Drama ensued. Tempest, meet teapot.
Is there anyone in this thread who didn’t understand what the customer wanted to order? For his lame-ass attempt at humor he deserved the OP’s lame-ass comeback? Or is the customer at fault because he wouldn’t use the seekrit Starbucks codewords to show that he’s one of the too-cool-for-school crowd?
How to get what you want at Starbucks every time: Communicate!
Don’t just use their effete coffee speak, but don’t belligerently use plain English or they’ll just get distracted correcting you. Try: “I’d like a Venti… that’s the 20oz, isn’t it? Yes? I thought so. So I’d like Venti coffee, but toss in a shot of espresso. Sure, a double Venti. Thanks! My word but you have blue eyes. You must use color contacts. No? Stunning. Leave just a bit of room for milk. This doesn’t come with whipped cream, or steamed milk, right? I didn’t think so. Just checking. Thank you so much.” And then drop your change in the tip jar. You don’t want to be walking around jingling anyway. Call it cheap insurance that you’ll get the right drink.
Aw, man, why you gotta bring religion into it? We don’t know if he was Mormon or not. 
I want to go back to the whole Tall/Grande/Venti hijack for a second: I’m a coffee- slinger, but I do not work at a Starbucks. I have never worked at a Starbucks. I have never BEEN to a Starbucks. Please do not act shocked and surprised when I do not know what a Venti is. Just rephrase it without all the Starbucks lingo. Please. I’m begging you.
Truthfully, I don’t think the OP was that out of line. It sounded like he was just trying to deflect the guy’s prostelytizing with a bit of humor. It’s not like he leaped up on the counter and cried out “Fie, sirrah! We’ll have none of your jingoistic patriotism here! Take your love of God and America and all things right and true and leave this pinko commie coffee house at once before we cast you against the wall in the name of the Venti Revolution!” Yes, it’s usually better to just smile and nod and take their money, but it’s definitely not a firing offence.
Well sometimes it is.
Wow. That’s pretty neat.
Scarlett67. I knew it was tea, but I didn’t know what kind, and what all it involved. I’ll have to try it, sometime.
Its really, really good. 
I disagree. Lame-ass drama was met with very mild snark.
The lame-ass comeback, in my view, was entirely proportional.
Again, tell me how difficult it is to figure out “I’ll just have a regular black coffee, please.” That’s all you need to say to get a regular black coffee in a Starbucks. No seekrit codewords or degrees in caffeinology required. Just simple courteous communication.