To ask those in food service to please take requests for decaf seriously?

[EveryDayImHustlin]

Ok before anyone says it, I know I could just not drink tea/coffee at all, and most of the time I don’t, but I love the taste and occasionally I really fancy a cup. And decaf exists for a reason right?

I’ve never been able to handle caffeine and it started giving me terrible headaches and migraines in my early twenties, so I gave it up for good. I can handle the small amounts in chocolate but have to be careful not to have too much (really dark chocolate especially can trigger something if I have more than a square or two) but tea/coffee/coke/Red Bull etc are completely out.

Anyway, on several occasions recently I’ve found myself ordering a decaf tea or coffee, triple checking with the person serving that it’s definitely decaf (usually getting an eye roll for doing so) and then winding up with a thumping headache an hour later anyway.

I was especially annoyed today because we ordered from a place that’s meant to be particularly good on allergens etc, and yet my ‘decaf’ coffee definitely wasn’t.

If you work in any kind of food service, AIBU to ask that you actually give someone decaf if they ask for it?!

I seriously doubt anyone would serve you non decaf on purpose, oh and please don't triple check your order with us we really hate that lol

Yep and I’m sorry if it’s annoying but having a migraine for the weekend is more annoying I’m afraid!

I promise you it happens. I don’t think it’s ‘on purpose’ more that they just can’t be bothered sorting out a decaf when they have the regular stuff right there ready to go. The number of times I double (or triple!) check and the person goes ‘oh sorry I didn’t realise you wanted decaf’ means that I will keep checking I’m afraid!

I've had similar when asking for skinny latte (while awaiting gallbladder surgery and any fat caused extreme pain about 30min after eating). I learned I had to watch them like a hawk when making drinks and more than once had to tell them to stop and make it again with red top.

That’s so bad too! How about we just serve people what they’ve asked for, wouldn’t that be lovely?

I run a takeaway coffee shop and agree with BooBoo - you wouldn't be served, on purpose, caffeinated tea or coffee. Or milk you didn't request.

Mistakes do happen but hopefully not often.

I find it quite flippant when a few people involved I food service dismiss this as an ‘oops! It happens’ ...and saying how annoying the customer checking can be!
You’re in an industry where serving people food/drink that does not agree with them can have serious consequences.

Thinking about it some more, it reminds me of buying clothes, when I get asked "did you want to keep the hanger?", I reply "no thanks", but they're not paying attention and still give me the hanger.

Same happens with "did you want a carrier bag?". They're not paying attention because it doesn't register in their mind as important, which is why I think you need to tell thdm you'll be very unwell if it's not decaf.

I'm the same as you with regards to.the headaches and don't have any caffeine at all, I don't see why you would risk it?

Do what Carrie Bradshaw did with the parsley. Say you're totally allergic.

For dramatic effect tell them you left your Epipen at home.

You often get baristas thinking I won't be able to tell if its not skinny milk...

I can!!

Yes exactly Lovebeingmama.

I saw a buzzfeed thread a while ago about ‘things Starbucks employees hate’ and one of the entries was something like ‘when people ask you three times if it’s definitely sugar-free/non-fat because heaven forbid they gain a pound’ and several of the replies were from people saying they actually check because the wrong order could make them seriously ill!

All I thought I was doing was serving people.

I don't have an plan to make you ill or upset.

I agree; when I was pregnant and subsequently breastfeeding I sometimes wondered if I’d been given caffeine and whilst that might seem unimportant to some people it was very important to me

I don't see why you would risk it?

I guess for the same reason that my lactose intolerant friend orders soy milk or my gluten intolerant friend orders the decaf cookie? Because I assume that they will give me what they advertise?

I only drink decaf tea; caffeine makes me feel sick. Most places are great about it but Starbucks doesn't do it at all!

I always have a stash in my handbag and coat pocket.

I'm guessing that if it does happen on purpose it's probably because you are asking 3-4 times. It really does come across as a bit patronising and treating grown adults like they are children who can't do their job properly.

We supply and serve decaff if people ask, the only reason we don't like to is that it takes longer (have an issue with decaff beans currently so having to use instant) and to be honest it's crap coffee, we don't like serving crap coffee!
We would never give normal coffee or deny a special request if asked though.

If they could do their job properly and give people what they asked for...no one would have an issue.

Those baristas eh? What a bunch of vindictive bastards.

YANBU. There are also people with certain heart problems who really need to avoid caffeine. This kind of carelessness could cause them serious problems.

I probably don't go to cafes enough.
That said, I don't see decaf tea on offer when I do go.
I'm not living in the same 'here' as others, I suppose.

I'm guessing that if it does happen on purpose it's probably because you are asking 3-4 times. It really does come across as a bit patronising and treating grown adults like they are children who can't do their job properly

This is what i was thinking. Op, imagine someone micro managing you in your job and asking you multiple times to check something simple? It can make people feel pretty shitty. At times even cause someone to feel anxious which would result in a mistake. It sounds like you should stop patronising adults. Use a one time "I have a serious caffeine allergy so please make sure its decaf"

Too much caffeine gives me a headache as well. So I usually order decaf when out (I only drink decaf at home), it really annoys me when they repeat it back to you but still give you normal tea or coffee. Most places do decaff tea bags tbh, I live in a small town in north Wales and most cafes do decaf tea and coffee.

On a similar subject, my sister is lactose intolerant and she hardly has a problem with being served dairy when asking for dairy free. She also doesn't feel the need to triple check.

Ok this is getting a bit bunfighty for my liking.

I did not start this thread to suggest that baristas are vindictive or deliberately trying to poison people.

I simply suggested that requests for decaf should be taken as seriously as any other dietary requirement rather than be treated as a personal preference that doesn’t really matter if you accidentally get it wrong.

In the same way that I’d hope you’d be careful to give someone soy instead of dairy if they asked for it, I would love it if servers could hear decaf and think ‘I need to remember that because it might make someone ill.’

And when I say triple checking I obviously don’t mean asking the same question repeatedly for no reason, of course that’s annoying. I mean a conversion along the following lines:

Me: Tall decaf latte please
Barista: Tall latte, anything wise?
Me: Sorry, it was a decaf latte
Barista: Oh right ok, yeah, decaf

Then drink arrives and...

Second Barista: Tall latte?
Me: Is that a decaf latte?
Second Barista: Um....
Me: I asked for decaf
Second Barista: Yeah I think it is
Me: Could you please check?

Etc...

I'm highly sensitive to caffeine, it basically stays in my body several times longer than is typical (I thought it was my imagination until I saw a documentary on it) I'm also similarly affected by several other drugs like sudophedrine, codeine and several more (taking a cold relief tablet by accident - I was told it was just paracetamol - kept me awake for 3 full days). It's so important for people like me to avoid caffeine especially after midday, I stick to redbush tea these days but just occasionally I have decaf coffee, if it's on your menu get it right

I’m laughing over here at the idea of baristas deciding to poison me with caffeine after I wouldn’t stop asking them for decaf though