To feel a bit humiliated by this?

[Steaksauce]

I'm travelling for work today and stopped at the Costa place at the train station to grab a quick coffee.
I placed my order (a latte) and gave them my reusable cup.

The two women at the back making the drinks started discussing my order very loudly so I and everyone else in the queue could hear: "god, what's the point in that drink? Any strong drinks in your reusable cup? Perhaps some water?" They then started laughing to each other.

I don't think I'm mega sensitive but I guess I could be (I'm not a morning person so felt at a bit of a low ebb)
But I felt a bit embarrassed and I'm pissed off because they said what they did so loudly and wtf has it got to do with them what I order?
Plus the fact it's pretty shitty service to take the piss out of paying customers when they're right there in front of you.

So AIBU to be annoyed and embarrassed or were they just letting of steam given that they work in retail and we all know that customers can be pretty annoying at times.
(To clarify, I wasn't rude or anything, I politely asked for my order when they asked me for it - though when they gave me my drink I didn't say thanks as that was after the above and I Though if they're going to be rude then why should I thank them for the coffee?)

Costa coffee is shit anyway. You should have asked loudly what was wrong with your order? They sell Latte so why is it such a problem to serve it without making comments about it. Do they think their customers are deaf?

OP fcuk them and Costa, just get yourself a decent flask instead and save yourself a fiver a day or whatever. The thermos Ultimate is a great flask and is made in different capacities. It will also keep a drink boiling hot for 24 hours.
I wouldnt be complaining or giving it another thought.Its them not you.

I would have lost told them where they should stick their drink and asked to see the manager. But then I'm a bit Mardy when it comes to cheeky buggers, rubbish service and anyone getting between me and morning coffee.

Actually on reflection, I would have probably asked of they were the bloody coffee police.

I've found whenever you order from a Costa in my local food court places the coffee is usually a tepid temperature so don't bother with Costa anymore. And the machine they use to add points to your loyalty card hardly ever work.

Complain to head office. That is so rude and unprofessional of them.

I only drink Lattes. Cappuccinos are too strong for me.

Complain.

Weirdos. I had a lovely takeaway coffee in my own cup yesterday, with absolutely no idiotic commentary. Mind you, that was a Cafe Nero, where the coffee isn't too weak to taste!

The cup had also served me earlier that day, when I needed to share a bottle of water between some children without sharing colds!

(Loved the anecdote about the dust-bustered cakes! )

Do you have Twitter? Tweet Costa. Companies often take notice of something public!

They sound hopeless: like schoolkids laughing at nothing.

It's poor behaviour from them and your coffee sounds normal anyway.

I can imagine my mil dustbustering a cake.

I think that you were right to complain. You went to buy a coffee, not to be mocked for your order.

They may have been on zero hours contracts, but that doesn't give them carter blanche to mock customers. They should still be professional.

I like Costa. Their coffee is just the right strength for me.

I worked in retail for nearly 10 years and yes you get customers asking ridiculous questions and such but I would never have discussed it within earshot of them or any other customer its so unprofessional even in a minimum wage job, so don't give them that excuse what they did was rude and I would speak to the manager its not big enough to go to head office with but if they have a half decent manager they will deal with it appropriately.

What do you think are the possible consequences for a minimum wage worker on a likely zero hours contract if a customer complains?

They lose their job and someone who is capable of being polite to customers gets it instead. Win-win, I'd say, sycamore.

Thanks for all the replies, seems the majority don't think I was being overly sensitive.
The dust busting of the cakes made me smile though!
Going to these places isn't a regular thing for me, it's only because I was going to a meeting by train which is pretty rare for me.

I definitely won't be going to that particular costa in the future though I'm pretty sure they're franchises so I don't think they're all the same.

As for the zero hour contracts thing, I don't really see how their wage etc is relevant? I manage a team of people who deal with customers on a daily basis, though not in a retail setting. Letting off steam about an unpleasant or unreasonable customer after the event or in the office is one thing, but if any of team had made a customer feel small/embarrassed/sad for a cheap laugh I'd take a very dim view indeed and it would go to disciplinary.
They reminded me of a couple of bitchy teenage girls but one looked like she was in her 40s, the other late 20s

The initial embarrassment I felt had gone now and I just feel a bit annoyed that someone thinks it's ok to behave in that way. If everyone was a little nicer to each other the world would be a much better place.

I work in a coffee shop and this is totally unacceptable if I heard my colleagues talking like this I’d be embarrassed. Please do complain yes it’s a hard job as the public can be horrible at times but there is no excuse to be so rude ever especially as you were not rude to them. I hate it when people are made to feel uncomfortable like this in any circumstance but when you are a paying customer it is not only rude but stupid!

That is appalling customer service. I would most definitely be putting in a written complaint to both the manager at a local level and head office.
Big thumbs up to you for having and using your own cup.

My local costa are great with my reusable cup! Those ladies were just rude. :(

I’m all for slagging off customers, because your right some are so fecking annoying, however saying that, I never do it when they are in earshot and certainly not in front of other customers. It’s usually me and a colleague in the back having a bitch.
At the end of the day you are a paying customer and it’s non of thier business what you order as long as your paying. I’d drop an email just to complain. My not come to anything but I know costa are quite accomidating to customer needs because I’m friends with the manager of the one right next to my house.

They were rude, shake it off. Maybe their job is boring and they need to entertain themselves.

I'd just let it go.

XX

Good for you for complaining. That's not acceptable.

I love my reusable cup too.

Fuckers! Email in addressed to branch manager. Serious Training in customer service is required here I think!

Last time I went to Costa I ordered. Coconut flat white because they had sent me approximately two billion emails telling me how nice it was. The server looked at me as though I was insane then overcharged me. When I pointed out the overcharge he tried to argue that it was correct because a coconut flat white wasn’t a thing, I pointed over his shoulder to the menu on the wall where it was clearly listed. He went off for a five minute debate with another member of staff then handed me a refund from the tips cup (which I put straight back). There was a lot of muttering and whispering and scowls in my direction before they eventually managed to make me the drink. Coconut flat whites are delicious by the way. I complained by email but I’ve heard nothing back. Their training seems pretty poor, if your going to promote a product at least have the wit to tell the staff it exists.

I work in a coffee shop and latte is by far the most popular drink ordered, especially to take away. We are always pleased when a customer comes in with their own reusable cup. Miserable pair need reporting, i'd expect a right rollocking if I had behaved in that manner. Definitely in the wrong job.

What a pair of silly cows. It's coffee from a coffee shop..I really fail to see what they have to mock about that.

why didn't you say something straight away? Stewing after the event is bad for your blood pressure

The two women in my local Costa were so nice to me when I went in for a chai latte and to BF dd that I rang head office to let them know how great they were.

It goes both ways, I would've complained in your shoes.