“Secret” things you ask for in shops

[PantTwizzler]

I realised today in Clarks (while buying shoes for DD who had bare feet necessitating asking for their pop socks) that there are some things you can ask for in shops that aren’t advertised but are available. Pop socks is a boring example because they’d probably offer anyway, but there’s also
— garlic oil in Pizza Express
— getting your cappuccino “extra hot”

Ok it’s a short list. Is there anything else?!

I was in Starbucks once and the woman in front of me asked for chai latte extra strong. The barista nodded sagely, then I'm pretty sure he got a carton of ready made chai latte out if the fridge and just heated it up. She seemed happy with what she got

Ooh - Waitrose lend wine glasses for free. You don't even have to buy wine from them!

I believe you can borrow trays of glasses for your party/function for free from Waitrose when you buy your booze from them - at least my mum did.

Probably not helpful, but here in Australia there is an ice-cream chain that has an unlisted 'kids' scoop. Smaller cup and half the price. Perfect amount for a small kid.
Gelatissimo for any Aussies reading!

coincidence of cross post timing - make a wish!

Home style in my house means served in a chipped cup with old tea stains inside, and without enough milk because DH used most of the milk in his protein shake.

Not sure Starbucks offer that.

In my experience any optician will fix loose screws or nose pads for free.

Extra hot coffees are just coffee with burnt milk. Milk is like anything else; make it too hot and you ruin it. But they will do it for you if you ask... all whilst thinking you're an idiot because you're paying for burnt drinks.

Extra hot means they put hot/boiling water in the cup first then tip it out. It makes the cup hot so the drink doesn’t cool as fast.

Tesco do free glass hire too.

Are the Waitrose fish kettles free though!m? I thought there was a hire charge, like with the wine glasses.

Does asking for some fresh yeast from the bakery counter at Tesco or Sainsbury's count?
They slice you off a chunk and wrap it in special yeast paper, smells divine and better still it's free as it totally confuses everyone at the checkout

Ooh loving the fresh yeast!

I’ve only used a fish kettle once, nine years ago, and it was free to borrow from Waitrose. Maybe it’s different now.

@ICJump

No it doesn't. That would be impossible with take away cups, but anyway... that's not what it means.

@stayathomegardener what's special yeast paper? I used to bang a chunk in a produce bag when I was bakery manager 😂 only one person ever asked though, weekly

My piece de résistance is asking for trouser hangers in Primark. Depends on how busy/grumpy they are as to whether they give me some.

Can't buy the fuckers anywhere!

Extra hot coffees are just coffee with burnt milk. Milk is like anything else; make it too hot and you ruin it. But they will do it for you if you ask... all whilst thinking you're an idiot because you're paying for burnt drinks.

Only place I've seen burnt milk is at the bottom of a saucepan and it's black.

I feel like perhaps i'm the only person on the planet who didn't know you could do this, but I was in the supermarket the other day near the bakery counter when a woman near me casually handed a loaf of freshly baked uncut bread to the person behind the counter and asked for it to be sliced (by a machine). She chose the width of the slices and I got very excited choosing which loaves I could have cut (of course, by this point, I wanted all of them, like some bread-crazed fiend) and what thickness I wanted them.

I then recalled that I thought my mother might have done this back in the 80s and that this wasn't really new technology...

Yeah if you ask for your coffee extra hot your barista will be internally eye rolling! But if you prefer burnt coffee then that’s on you.

Most hairdressers offer free fringe trims ! unless like me you have the fringe cut and know immediately it was a mistake and will need a year of growing

You can also get your espresso-based drinks cooler if you prefer it that way. Starbucks calls it kids temperature. If you're drinking quickly and/or have a sensitive mouth, they'll warm it to 130/140º F, which is about 20 degrees cooler than normal.

Not exactly a secret but in most good restaurants (ie. where they have a quality chef who can actually cook and use fresh ingredients) you can ask for anything simple that they can make from the ingredients they have and they will do it for you even if it isn't on the menu.

It is good for people with dietary issues - so if you want plain grilled fish with a plain green salad if you have gall bladder problems and can't have any fat for example.

If you just feel like scrambled eggs

that type of thing.

Ask and ye shall receive.

@greyspottedgoose I assume it's the paper it comes in... it's usually red and slightly waxed.

People are always too embarrassed about being specific with orders. Years ago, there wasn’t a decent coffee place within easy walking distance of my office so my boss and I used to take it in turns to drive via Starbucks each morning to get coffee. Our standard order was 2 hot (too hot to drink straight off but great when you had a 5 min drive ahead) wet (all milk, no foam, which would dissolve on the drive) lattes. It’s what the guy advised me to order when I explained the daily journey and was perfect every time!

I ask for half a chips at the sandwich shop at work. She wraps them in tin foil instead of putting them on a tray and I eat them with my home made sandwich.