
A hot tip for any baristas: Maybe, just maybe, don’t flagrantly insult the very people who keep your job and company alive.
One particular Starbucks employee must have missed that vital memo last week, when they decided to mock and belittle a customer who simply wanted to slurp on a grande iced coffee in the middle of the afternoon.
According to a university student from Pennsylvania, who asked to only be referred to as Sam, a Starbucks employee used their brief exchange at the cash register to mock his speech impediment.
“Okay, S-S-S-Sam,” he claims the barista replied after he made his order.
Moments later, the man noticed the name on his receipt was written ‘SSSAM’.
“It’s rare, as an adult, that that kind of disrespect happens,” the 28-year-old told The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.
“It happens, but it’s really rare to see it in print. It felt rude.”
After complaining to the company via email, Sam only received a generic automated reply, and a US$5 gift voucher to ease his concerns.
Noticing how unfair the situation was, Sam’s friend Tan Lekwijit took the matter to the coffee giant’s official Facebook page, and requested the incident be investigated not just for Sam, but for anyone with a speech impediment who may be discriminated against.