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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - Coffee Crisis!

32 replies

PiperRose · 27/05/2014 13:57

Ok I know in the grand scheme of things this is not a major problem but just some opinions would help see if I've become a raging lunatic or not.

So I drive a lot for work and I fill up in a range of garages called 'Shop n Drive' who have those Costa Coffee machines. They've started doing a card whereupon you collect stamps each time you buy a coffee and get a free coffee when you have six stamps. ( I hope you're following). A few weeks ago I bought 2 coffees for myself and dp and that girl behind the counter couldn't find the stamp so initialled two spaces on my card. Cut to yesterday when I called in at a different station and got a coffee, took it to the cash register and handed over my new card. The guy behind the counter looked at it and said 'I'm not accepting that, you've clearly filled in two of these yourself'

Now, if he'd been a bit more polite and explained that he couldn't take it because the stamps were missing I'd have accepted and paid for it, but I explained that the girl couldn't find the stamper so she had initialled it. He again accused me of filling it in myself. So in a fit of rage I refused to pay for for my coffee. Part of me couldn't believe that we were arguing over a £2.10 cup of coffee but another part of me was outraged at the accusation and I stood my ground. He then began to shout at me that if I wasn't paying for my coffee he was confiscating my card! He took it and wouldn't give it back!

I then asked him to write down the details of his manager and he wrote one name on a bit of paper. It was a foreign name and I asked if this was the first or last name and he barked 'first' at me as a walked out past a queue of customers. I've telephoned the garage today but the manager was not in and the girl I spoke to said she couldn't pronounce the last name of the manager and she didn't know how to spell it. Cue an angry email to the Head Office.

So AIBU to be so wound up over a cuppa?

OP posts:
CoffeeTea103 · 27/05/2014 14:00

Yabu to have accepted the initial in the first place. Why should they believe that you haven't initialed it yourself. Seems like you both wbu.

Littledidsheknow · 27/05/2014 14:04

YANBU - it's not about a simple coffee, it's about effectively being called a liar in public, and unacceptable rudeness from a member of staff. Both of these warrant a complaint to manager or higher.

Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 14:04

Well it was either initialled or nothing. Plus it was the middle 2 spaces, if I was going to do it then why not fill the whole thing out? And as I said if it wasn't for his attitude then I would have accepted it and paid for it. He could've given me a new card with the 5 stamps on I had at least.

OP posts:
Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 18:01

So it's 50/50 then.

OP posts:
Pipbin · 27/05/2014 18:14

I'm with Little. It's the whole attitude of being called a liar. It's the principal of the matter not the money or the coffee.

Smilesandpiles · 27/05/2014 18:14

It's a cup of coffee.

He may have gotten in trouble for accepting that card ( for all he knew you could have filled it in yourself).

You threw a hissy fit because he wouldn't take the card and thought you were trying to pull a fast one.

You then wanted to call the manager. He gave you his name - as you asked. You made a complaint, the name is hard to pronounce so you emailed HQ.

You've blown this way out of proportion. Maybe cutting down of the coffee is a good thing.

Littleturkish · 27/05/2014 18:21

YWNBU that is so rude and you were right to complain.

kali110 · 27/05/2014 18:25

He could have been polite about it definitely but i don't blame him about the card he was right that you could have filled it in.
Where i worked i would have been in trouble for accepting a loyalty card like that.

NorbertDentressangle · 27/05/2014 18:32

I've never had a problem when I've used a full Caffe Nero card when some have been signed (even when it's been used as payment in a different branch to where it was signed). They've never batted an eyelid.

I think the guy you had the run-in with needs a few lessons in how to deal with customers. Even if couldn't exchange it due to company policy there are ways and means of explaining it without accusing customers of fraud.

Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 19:45

I didn't ask for his name, I asked for the mananger's name. He could only give me his first name, and so could the employee I spoke to this morning, which seems a bit ridiculous.

OP posts:
Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 19:47

And as I said I didn't throw a hissy fit because he would accept the card. I threw a hissy fit because he called me a liar and shouted.

OP posts:
Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 19:47

*wouldn't

OP posts:
Salmotrutta · 27/05/2014 19:51

I would imagine the cashier doesn't get paid enough to stick his neck out and accept an initialled card if he has been told the card must be stamped?

PrincessBabyCat · 27/05/2014 19:56

Not saying you're wrong. But.. from the other side it looks like this:

A customer came in and wanted free stuff. I told her no because she didn't have the right stamps as it is against policy to accept cards otherwise. She pitifully tried to initial the card and pass it off as legit. I called her on it, and she then refused to pay for the coffee or move out of line. I took her fraudulent card away, and she threw a tantrum and demanded to speak to the manager. AIBU for taking away her card when she was clearly trying to scam us?

If I had a penny for every time a customer tried getting free stuff and then resorting to tantrums when told no, I'd be rich. You just look like an unreasonable customer trying to scam them. It's not about the money, it's about the principle of the matter for him too. He probably didn't like the idea of you trying to get free stuff dishonestly.

Smilesandpiles · 27/05/2014 20:02

You were in the wrong and you know it.

You're not even reading my posts properly.

You just look like an unreasonable customer trying to scam them. It's not about the money, it's about the principle of the matter for him too. He probably didn't like the idea of you trying to get free stuff dishonestly.

^^

This.

Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 20:03
  1. I had not initialled it myself
  2. He was accusatory and shouting (I did not raise my voice once)
  3. He then took my property and refused to give it back to me
  4. I did not refuse to move.
OP posts:
Lauren83 · 27/05/2014 20:05

I had coffee card rage last week! Bought a coffee from a stand in a train station, I get the same everyday, sometimes twice a day, ordered my usual and went to pay with free card, the guy says 'oh you can't use that for a skinny latte with caramel syrup' only a small regular coffee, bit put out he wouldn't just accept it anyway once I ordered I went to pay with my card, card machine was broke, he told me go cash point I said I don't have time I'm on my way to work, so he turned round and poured it down the sink! Can you believe it!

Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 20:09

Actually no damn it, the more I think about this I am not wrong. Whichever conclusion he came to I did not deserve to be accused of lying or shouted. As I pointed out I did not throw a tantrum.

OP posts:
DeWee · 27/05/2014 20:09

Why didn't you just calmly take the card back when he first refused it, ask for a new one to start and next time you go into the one where she initialled it, use it then?

You know you didn't initial it, he can't possibly know that.

Smilesandpiles · 27/05/2014 20:10

It wasn't your property. I'll bet somewhere on the card or in the T and C's the card would remain the property of the company and would be refused as seen fit and the promotion would be withdrawn without notice.

This is stadard practice.

It doesn't matter who intialled it. It wasn't stamped. THAT is the issue..as already pointed out to you - it could have been initialled by anyone.

He was right to accuse you, he couldn't tell if it was genuine or not

I doubt he was shouting, he probably raised his voice as he felt you were trying to pull the wool over his eyes and you were being an arse because of it AND refused to pay for your coffee.

Can you really not see where he's coming from with this one?

Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 20:12

Jeez. I come on here to ask a reasonable question because I got accused of lying and shouted at and I get accused of lying and shouted at. Typical mumsnet !
Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 20:13

DeeWee He took it from me when I first put it and the coffee down.

OP posts:
Smilesandpiles · 27/05/2014 20:15

You mean you're not getting the answers you wanted to hear?

PrincessBabyCat · 27/05/2014 20:17

1. I had not initialled it myself
He doesn't know that, and to him it seems obvious you did in the same way it's obvious that a customer has re-taped a box and trying to return it as new to customer service.

2. He was accusatory and shouting (I did not raise my voice once)
You refused to pay for your coffee after he called you on your "lie". He got frustrated because you: "So in a fit of rage I refused to pay for for my coffee".

3. He then took my property and refused to give it back to me
He took a "fraudulent card" so you couldn't scam any other chains.

4. I did not refuse to move.
So... while you were refusing to pay, you stepped aside so other customers could get their coffee? You killed his line time while he was on register. In fast food service, you have to serve customers in a certain amount of time. Drive through is even quicker. If you don't the powers that be make you suffer through training videos put their foot down.

Should he have been more patient? Probably. But to be honest, I have yet to see a person shout at someone who is being pleasant. You two probably fed off each other's frustration and it built up so that he just happened to be the one that shouted first.

Original poster
PiperRose · 27/05/2014 20:17

Ooh it does make me giggle on here.

OP posts: