A well-known barista is at work signal-boosting an incredible story involving a customer who felt entitled to payment after ordering free water.
TikTok creator Bhad Bharista (@jorlala), who gained online fame for chronicling her travails as a barista, has more recently taken to acting out tales from other baristas. She plays both roles: Typically, an unreasonable customer and the put-upon barista who has to deal with that customer’s nonsense.
In this one, getting more than 433,500 views since going up Monday, the creator starts with the barista asking, “How are you today?”
She’s met with the customer—depicted with a silly headband and spa mask filter—saying, “Horrible! My son forgot his backpack, so now I got to drop that off.” The customer then gets down to business, saying, “I need an ice water, and I brought my own cup.”
The barista cheerfully provides the free water and expects to send the customer on the way. However, the customer asks, “Are you gonna ring me up?”
The barista responds, “No, water is free, so you’re all good.”
The customer then insists, “OK, but I brought my own cup, so you can ring me up.”
The barista reiterates that free water doesn’t require ringing up, but then the customer asks, “Are you unaware of your cup policy?”
The cup policy in question is 25 cents off your drink if you bring in your own cup. That leads to the barista insisting there’s nothing to discount, whereas the customer insists that free minus 25 cents means they should be handed a quarter.
“I can’t just give you money because you brought a cup in here,” the barista reasons.
Before being dismissed, the customer says in the exchange, “The customer is always right.”
@jorlala SEND ME UR STORIES (The videos in this series are inspired by stories submitted to me! My DM’s are always open for more😋) #baristatok #baristalife #customerstories #customerstorytime #workstories #worklife #baristastories ♬ Cena Engraçada e Inusitada de 3 Minutos – HarmonicoHCO
Commenters disagreed with that sentiment in this case.
“‘The customer is always right…in matters of taste’ is the full quote,” one insisted. “I like to let them know that.”
“Karen Math,” someone else cracked.
“Doing all that over 25 cents is insane,” one observed.
Another, marveling at customer behavior, added, “I had a customer DEMAND compensation for driving to the store.”
As one summarized, “People will be like ‘this doesn’t happen’ and I *KNOW* it does. People are WILD.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via email.
