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El Juno ([info]eljuno) wrote in [info]otf_wank,
@ 2007-04-02 13:57:00


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If milk is rape, does that make this prostitution?
The question:

Is it fair/right for a customer to order what we, at my store, call a "ghetto-latte"?

The "ghetto-latte" is ordering any size Iced Americano, with no water and half ice (This lady's drink is an Iced Venti, no water, half ice, Americano). She then takes the drink and goes to the condiments bar and adds her own half and half.


Seems reasonably simple, right?

Not something you'd expect to cause, say, a three-month, several-hundred comment long flamewar which would eventually get heated enough that comments would be closed?

Apparently, none of us know Starbucks that well.


(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)


[info]shaysdays
2007-04-02 06:31 pm UTC (link)
Soooo... she's ordering some kind of coffee and then adding half and half to her taste, instead of paying $4 extra, ordering a 'coffee drink' and having the barista do it for her.

Maybe I'm a little slow today (I'm packing for vacay so my mind is elsewhere) but is Starbucks TRYING to be the stupidest Pricer On The Planet?

That shit is confusing- I had to read over it about three times to figure out exactly what the hell is going on and I'm still a little brain locked. Aren't they doing something like charging more for a McDonalds Meal than the separate components would add up to? Or am I missing the part where cream and sugar at a coffee shop are no longer 'to taste' and thus provided free by the shop?

I could kinda see if she got paid by what she sold, and then it would be in the realm of "People who order lemon and water so they don't have to tip for a drink because they're asses," sort of thing, but this just looks like Starbucks is throwing shit in a cup you could get free anyway from three feet to the left and making it more expensive. Amirite?

(See, this is why I drink coffee at home, and if I have to go to Starbucks, I get a soda. Their menus and complicated ordering styles give me a headache. And coffee shouldn't give you a headache. Coffee should give you a happy brain.)

(Reply to this)(Thread)


[info]eilan
2007-04-02 06:35 pm UTC (link)
and then it would be in the realm of "People who order lemon and water so they don't have to tip for a drink because they're asses," sort of thing

Unrelated to this wank, but it came up before and I never really asked: Does water come free of charge in American restaurants? Is that what this whole lemon and water thing is about?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]eljuno
2007-04-02 06:38 pm UTC (link)
Generally, yes.

In general, in a sit-down restaurant, you're going to expect to get water and something bread-like (bread, tortilla chips, popadom, whatever's appropriate for the food-type you're having.) for free.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]eilan
2007-04-02 06:40 pm UTC (link)
Wow, how cool.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]kadath, 2007-04-02 07:00 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]eilan, 2007-04-02 07:02 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]kadath, 2007-04-02 07:04 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]eilan, 2007-04-02 07:06 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]queencallipygos, 2007-04-02 07:43 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]brown_betty, 2007-04-04 02:59 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]hurricane, 2007-04-02 09:13 pm UTC

[info]starkeymonster
2007-04-02 06:39 pm UTC (link)
Water is indeed free in American restaurants. Some people I guess think you're cheap to not order a "real" drink, like soda or booze, that they can charge you for. I have to say as someone who always orders water with meals (sometimes I get other beverages, sometimes I don't) I've rarely had a server be pissy at me about it.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]eilan
2007-04-02 06:41 pm UTC (link)
So, water is free and usually refills are free, too, right? I'll take this opportunity to get myself a bit educated before the next tipping wank...

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]shaysdays, 2007-04-02 07:05 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]julesnoctambule, 2007-04-02 07:13 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]issendai, 2007-04-03 02:06 am UTC

[info]pyrrah
2007-04-02 06:42 pm UTC (link)
When I first moved here, I had to order water with my meal since I had a scratchy throat at the time. I received a decidedly dirty look from my waitress, and I didn't figure out why until reading this D:

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]ladyvorkosigan
2007-04-02 11:54 pm UTC (link)
I never have either, and I'm not sure quite why I would. Honestly, is the 20 cent tip you'd get on a soda worth it?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]shaysdays
2007-04-02 06:45 pm UTC (link)
Having been to Europe, I'll say yes, but with a caveat-

Sure, get all the free water you like! But you'll be surprised- it's tap water, right out of the soda machine. Usually it's the water they use to make concentrated cranberry juice into 'juice.'

Some places are now offering bottled still and bubbly bottled for about twice what you'd pay for the same bottle of Perrier/Evian/whatever in a store. Which is usually the case with wine, too. A bottle of wine that costs me $9 to buy is going to cost $4 a glass if I'm eating out. (And there's no standard 'glass' size, if you want to be further horrified- it's whatever the place decides is a 'glass' of wine.)

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]eilan
2007-04-02 06:47 pm UTC (link)
Some places are now offering bottled still and bubbly bottled for about twice what you'd pay for the same bottle of Perrier/Evian/whatever in a store.

Well, that's, ergh, normal, isn't it? At least in all restaurants I've been.

I suppose you could get tap water here if you asked nicely, but would receive very strange looks. Because if you order water, you get bottled water. And that costs you something like 2+€ a glass.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]shaysdays, 2007-04-02 06:55 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]ladysorka, 2007-04-02 11:40 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]brown_betty, 2007-04-04 03:01 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]damien, 2007-04-04 03:32 am UTC

[info]dragonfangirl
2007-04-03 10:28 am UTC (link)
Sure, get all the free water you like! But you'll be surprised- it's tap water, right out of the soda machine.

Am I the only person on the face of the planet who thinks that ordinary tap water tastes 10x better than bottled water?

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]slavekitty, 2007-04-03 11:52 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]felinephoenix, 2007-04-03 08:57 pm UTC
(no subject) - [info]rimrunner, 2007-04-04 02:22 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]lindentreeisle, 2007-04-04 02:45 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]the_clichemoth, 2007-04-05 01:40 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]mistressrenet, 2007-04-07 03:57 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]suzycat, 2007-04-08 10:18 am UTC

[info]eljuno
2007-04-02 06:40 pm UTC (link)
I think the only real difference is that the drink you'd actually order would be steamed milk and off some official recipe, rather than just 'slosh that in there'.

Well, and about $4, apparently.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]shaysdays
2007-04-02 06:48 pm UTC (link)
That's about what I figured.

So instead of that example- it'd be like McD's charging an extra dollar for the Supreme Ketchup Burger? Or Taco Bell charging $4 for their new Three Sauce Taco (Hot, Mild, and Medium)?

Damn- now I want Taco Bell.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]wickedwitch
2007-04-03 09:56 pm UTC (link)
Quadruple damn - that made me crave Taco Bell and I am all the way in Eastern Europe.

Do they have Taco Bell anywhere in Europe?

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]the_clichemoth
2007-04-05 01:42 am UTC (link)
Don't give them ideas.

Next thing you know, we'll be seeing commercials for the new Pizza with Parmesan Cheese and Peppercorns at Pizza Hut for only $14.99.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]michmatch
2007-04-02 11:25 pm UTC (link)
Steamed milk that will be immediately dumped OVER ICE.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]artimusdin
2007-04-04 07:59 pm UTC (link)
... if they dump steamed milk over ice, give the drink back. Really. Steamed milk + ice = BAD THING. *shudders*

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]doomsday
2007-04-02 06:57 pm UTC (link)
But water's delicious!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

American style tipping only...
[info]shaysdays
2007-04-02 07:02 pm UTC (link)
That's why I added, "so they don't have to tip for a drink because they're asses."

There's a difference between ordering water because you want it, and ordering a glass of water with lemons, taking the table sugar and making lemonade, to save $2 off your meal, and then, and this is the important part, Not tipping for the drink. The waitress still has to work for it.

Here ends the lemon with water reading because I'm waaaaay too amused by your icon and I have to finish packing.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: American style tipping only... - [info]doomsday, 2007-04-02 07:18 pm UTC
Re: American style tipping only... - [info]starkeymonster, 2007-04-02 07:24 pm UTC
Re: American style tipping only... - [info]photosinensis, 2007-04-02 07:56 pm UTC
Re: American style tipping only... - [info]shaysdays, 2007-04-02 10:01 pm UTC

[info]shark
2007-04-03 02:14 am UTC (link)
OMG Watership Down icon ♥!

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]doomsday, 2007-04-03 02:29 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]shark, 2007-04-03 02:31 am UTC
(no subject) - [info]dragonfangirl, 2007-04-03 10:31 am UTC

[info]mmanurere
2007-04-03 12:17 am UTC (link)
Maybe I'm reading the quote wrong...but it sounds like she's not just adding half-and-half but adding a whole raging fuckload of half-and-half. An Americano with no water means she's getting...half a cup of ice with a shot of espresso? And if she's getting the extra-large size, filling that up with half-and-half is pretty ridiculous (not to mention a one-way ticket to heart-attacksville).

Still not ZOMGRAGINGFURY stupid-customerish, and the poster's definitely being wanky, but a bit...um...

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)


[info]emiweebee
2007-04-03 04:06 am UTC (link)
Yep! She's adding up to 20 ounces of half and half.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

(no subject) - [info]mmanurere, 2007-04-03 05:46 am UTC

[info]artimusdin
2007-04-04 08:02 pm UTC (link)
Not only that, but it's a pain for us because guess who's gonna have to take time away from the next customers to go out and refill the half-and-half container? But that being said, they're all being asshats. Barrista-person totally overreacted, and customer was being just as asshattish as the people that used to come into our store, grab whole handfuls of raw sugar, stuff them in the purse and THEN fix their drink with the stuff still left. e.e

(Reply to this)(Parent)


rachelthedemon
2007-04-03 11:45 pm UTC (link)
Not quite. What the customer is doing, if I read correctly, is ordering an espresso shot or two with ice and filling the rest of the glass with half and half. A 20-ounce glass, I might add.

An iced Venti Americano costs about $2.40. An iced venti latte? $3.40. To save a whopping $1 on her drink, the customer is using up almost the entire thermos of half-and-half so that other people who order plain coffee have nothing but skim or whole to put in it. If I were next in line, I'd probably slap the woman myself and give the barista the $1 extra.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


[info]suzycat
2007-04-08 10:22 am UTC (link)
See, I don't understand this whole "add your own stuff" to coffee thing anyway. If you go to a place that is wankriffic enough to have a barista, and you like milk in your coffee, you go "can I have a flat white please" and they make it and hand it to you and drink it. You don't say "can I have a short black" and then carry it across to a table and put milk in it yourself. That's just stupid. Like a restaurant where they give you some chopped up vegetables and make you cook the meal yourself.

(Reply to this)(Parent)


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