Sometimes, when customers don’t know what to order from a restaurant’s menu, they’ll put the onus on whatever worker is stuck taking their order. They’ll say “surprise me” to the worker, who has no knowledge of what they like and probably has no interest in choosing a stranger’s food or drink order.
This scenario happened to a Starbucks worker (@xx.sodapop), who posted his response to the customer in a now-deleted viral TikTok video. The worker says they were punished for giving the customer water—presumably as a joke.
“When I get written up for giving the customer water when he said ‘surprise me’ and [asked] for my ‘personal recommendation,’” the video’s on-screen text says.
The worker adds in the video’s caption, “Don’t be [mad] baaeee our water is yummy.”
Some viewers commented in agreement with the worker, saying that Starbucks water actually tastes good.
“starbucks water is good asl though so why the customer complaining [eye roll emoji],” one viewer commented.
“starbucks water supreme [crying emoji],” another viewer commented.
A third wrote, “Naurrr bc yall have superior water.”
Others commented that the customer should have ordered something himself if he didn’t want the worker to surprise him.
“If he didn’t want the water then he should’ve chosen something from the menu lol,” one user commented.
The TikToker isn’t the only Starbucks worker who has thought of saying water when asked for their recommendations. Other baristas in the comments said they’ve tried the same thing.
“No but when customers ask for recommendations we always say ‘water’ [laughing emoji],” one user said.
Another user wrote, “some lady asked what we had that was healthy and i told the new partner to say water and he did [skull emoji].”
“I did this once then got them something good,” someone else commented.
The Daily Dot reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and to Starbucks via email.
