A barista clapped back at a customer who was rude to her after he made the wild request of asking for a large drink in a smaller cup. Viewers supported her, sharing that they would have said worse things to him if they were her.
TikTok user and barista Jordan (@jorlala) starts off the video by admitting that she understands she could have “handled this 100% differently.”
“I really could have, but I do not appreciate when people start ordering me around and telling me what I’m gonna do because you’re not my boss,” Jordan said. “It’s really all about your approach, and this guy, he had it all wrong.”
She went on to explain that she was working the register when a customer asked for a “large coffee in a medium cup,” which I think we can all agree sounds wrong off jump. As in, proportionally, it doesn’t make sense to expect a container of any kind to hold more than what it’s designed to hold.
Confused, Jordan asked if the customer wanted the extra milk on the side. “No, I want a large latte in a medium cup. I get this all the time. They make it for me at other stores,” the man claimed.
As he was saying this, Jordan put two and two together. What the customer actually wanted was a medium latte with the extra shot of espresso that goes in a large, but without having to pay the extra $0.75 to bump up the drink from a medium to a large.
The man claimed that’s not what he’s asking for, pointed at the barista behind the counter, and started to tell her what to do. “This is where he went wrong,” Jordan said. “Do not tell my baristas what they are and are not gonna do.” When Jordan told him that she was the manager on duty and he couldn’t just boss her staff around, he had the audacity to respond, “OK, why do I care?”
Jordan told the barista not to make the drink. When a co-worker stepped in, Jordan said that she won’t risk her job incorrectly ringing up the customer just to save him a few cents. Jordan eventually gave up on the conversation and rang him up for a large latte, which she decided to put in a large cup but with less milk.
She was so upset by the interaction that her hands shook as she handed the unruly customer his change. Jordan thought the interaction was over. It wasn’t. As the man got his cup, he told her it “doesn’t take a genius to figure this out.” Getting insulted right to her face was what ultimately set Jordan off. “I probably shouldn’t have said this,” she admitted.
“Or, you could just pay full price for your drink instead of trying to scam us. You don’t need to be rude,” Jordan told him. She said the words just came out, but she meant it.
@jorlala like…. just pay ur 75 cents we all know ur trying to pull a fast one here #baristatok #baristalife #baristastories #customerstorytime #customerstories #baristaproblems #workstories #worklife ♬ original sound – bhadbharista
The video has amassed more than 225,000 views and more than 700 comments. Many users supported Jordan and sharing how they would have handled it.
“make a large latte, then in front of him pour it ALL into a medium cup, making eye contact as it all pours over the sides,” the top comment read.
“the immediate regret when u snap back at a customer but like they deserved it,” a person said.
“You said nothing wrong!” another chimed in.
Jordan is far from the only barista to complain about rude customers on TikTok. Multiple baristas have shared how they get back at these customers. One user said they choose the smallest slice of pumpkin loaf. Another said they sneak decaf into their drinks. And a third user got even by upcharging.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jordan for comment via email.
