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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Burns from Costa coffee

198 replies

Ebad9518 · 31/08/2019 02:10

Well, a cup of tea.

Been on holiday all week, it's been lovely. Although accomodation was pretty sure. We had to change our bed sheets due to a period stain in my side and a rip on DPs side, as one example.

Going to leave today and got coffee and tea from the restaurant who serves Costa coffee. Just given a cup for the tea which was very full. Stupidly didn't ask for another cup or a holder despite thinking this was going to be tricky. Picked it up from the lid to walk away, not quite on the lid but holding on the top iykwim. The whole thing crumpled in my hand and burnt me. I tried not to drop it but had to because of the pain. Thankfully it didn't get DSS. Went to the till and informed the girl that I was very sorry but I'd dropped it and she literally sighed and rolled her eyes. Another woman stepped in and was like 'as long as you're alright' which I absolutely wasn't. She made me another tea despite me protesting as I just needed I've on it. Managed to keep my shit together until I got to the car. Thankfully had I've packs in the cool bag and have had to sit for 3 hours in the car with a bloody ice pack on it. I've birthed a child bit fuck me the pain. Thankfully it's calmed now but i feel so pissed off at this girls reaction. I've worked in customer service for years and hers was awful.

So aibu to be so pissed off?

OP posts:
Sparklesocks · 31/08/2019 02:12

Ouch! That must’ve been a nasty shock. Hope the hand is OK and sorry they weren’t more sympathetic.

pinkdelight · 31/08/2019 02:44

Good that you had ice packs. I've had to sleep with my hand in a bag of frozen peas before now so I sympathise with your pain. Hopefully it'll fade soon. Painkillers may help. As for the incident. Well, it was an odd move to pick it up by the top, esp as you'd had the thought process registering that it would be tricky. But I guess you were busy and it's was an accident, a human reaction. Likewise I think the first girl just reacted that way as she was busy and it could feel a bit ffs. Sure, it wasn't too class customer service but the other woman did the right thing and I wouldn't be pissed off at them. Feels like you're possibly just pissed off with yourself for it happening when it was avoidable. I don't think she was at fault really. Just one of those things and you'll be more careful next time.

PurpleDaisies · 31/08/2019 02:51

I know it’s not the point of the thread, but putting ice or frozen peas on burns is not a good way to manage them. You need to run your hand under cool water for at least 10minutes. You can cause more damage, particularly with frozen peas.

Hope you’re feeling better op. Have you taken painkillers? People often forget for burns pain.

Whowouldfardelsbear · 31/08/2019 02:54

I would have thought anyone working in a coffee shop or cafe should know how to deal with hot water burns. I would put a complaint in to Costa to ask them about this and what training they give their staff on this.

pinkdelight · 31/08/2019 03:00

I had run it under the tap when it happened, of course, but when it was still hurting at bedtime, keeping it under a tap was impractical and the coldness of peas was soothing and didn't cause any damage. Just to clear that up.

DidYeAyee · 31/08/2019 03:11

You shouldn't put ice on a burn.

I'd write and complain. They should have offered first aid.

StoppinBy · 31/08/2019 03:14

When handing someone a takeaway cup of hat tea it's a good idea to wrap a napkin around it or double cup it as it is almost straight boiling water. In the future ask for either of those options if they don't automatically do it (not saying that it's your fault by the way). I think that they should have assisted you far better than they did. The way the person made you another cup of tea while not helping you out leads me to think that they didn't realise that you were hurt. Do you think this could be the case? The one who rolled their eyes should be called out on their behaviour - they are in customer service, cleaning other peoples mess is a pain in the bum when you are busy but it's part of the job!

Italiangreyhound · 31/08/2019 03:16

Definitely complain because they should have offered first aid. And if the cup was over filled they should learn from this.

OrangeSwoosh · 31/08/2019 03:20

Did you actually tell anyone you burnt yourself? Doesn't read as though you did. If you did then yes they should have offered first aid and completed the accident book. If you didn't then 🤷

Topseyt · 31/08/2019 03:33

Did you actually tell the woman who said "as long as as you are alright" that you had been scalded? Or did you just assume that she knew?

It does read as if you assumed she knew, but she may not have.

If you did tell her then help should have been provided.

Unusualusernames · 31/08/2019 06:23

I'm often shocked at how rude shop assistants are these days. Maybe I'm getting old but I'm sure I wasn't that rude when I had retail jobs.

adaline · 31/08/2019 06:59

Why did you pick it up from the lid? Confused

PennysPocket · 31/08/2019 07:06

You decided to handle hot drinks in an unsafe way and you ended up scalded.

I agree with PP it does not seem you told staff you had burned your hand and asked for assistance. You told her you had spilled the drink on the floor.
If you needed first aid why did you not ask for it?
You are an adult you needed to take responsibility for the pain only you could feel but it seems you expected the staff to be mind readers Hmm

Ilikethisone · 31/08/2019 07:23

Was it a Costa coffee shop or a restaurant that serves Costa coffee.

One of our work cafes, serves costa coffee, giant run by costa. Costa is just the brand of coffee they serve.

If it's a restaurant that serves costq coffee, but isnt a costa coffee shop, complaining to costa wont achieve anything.

It's like complaining to Yorkshire tea, because a restaurant you are in, provide poor service. Based on the fact that the tea they serve is yorkshire tea.

This has very little to do with Costa.

Beautiful3 · 31/08/2019 07:23

I'm sorry op I hope you feel better soon. This happened to an old boss of mine. She had lasting scarring from a very hot drink which collapsed on her (the takeaway cup). She successfully sued them.

Pinkyyy · 31/08/2019 07:29

They should have offered first aid and filled out an incident report. Legally they're in trouble for not doing so.

In future for any burns you need to use cold running water for 10 minutes and then wrap in cling film.

BrokenTelly · 31/08/2019 07:41

You Abu. I don't want to sound harsh, but you say yourself you knew it was hot and you knew it was going to be tricky, yet you insisted on carrying your cup in an unsafe manner.
They should have given you ice though

BanginChoons · 31/08/2019 07:44

Did you actually tell the staff you had burned your hand?

cherryblossomgin · 31/08/2019 07:46

Was it actually a Costa or somewhere that uses Costa? Also did you tell her you were burnt and why would you pick it up from the lid?

Ilikethisone · 31/08/2019 07:47

They should have offered first aid and filled out an incident report. Legally they're in trouble for not doing so.

Doesnt appear op told them she burnt herself. She told them she dropped her tea.
They dont have to fill the accident book or offer first aid, because someone says 'I dropped my tea'.

The woman said 'as long as you are alright'. Doesnt look like OP said 'actually I am not'.

ReasonedCamper · 31/08/2019 07:50

Really painful OP, if you have blisters / burns bigger than a 10p piece get it looked at.

“Went to the till and informed the girl that I was very sorry but I'd dropped it and she literally sighed and rolled her eyes. Another woman stepped in and was like 'as long as you're alright' which I absolutely wasn't. She made me another tea “

From this, you didn’t actually say you had been scalded? Just apologised for spilling tea?
Maybe the assistant took you at your word? Was the other woman an employee or a customer? Did you tell her you were not ok?

Ellisandra · 31/08/2019 07:51

It sounds like they thought you were telling them about the mess, not the burn.
If they didn’t know you were injured, it’s not odd to have reassured you it doesn’t matter, and made you another one.

You started this thread talking about stained sheets, and all the way through I thought your issue was about being burnt - until the end when it appears it was the assistant being rude. Were you as unclear to them?

Fine to complain to the restaurant for rudeness - that’s not unreasonable.

FamilyOfAliens · 31/08/2019 07:51

On the plus side, you’ve learned a valuable lesson in not choosing to pick up a very full cup containing a drink made with boiling water, in an unsafe way.

Clangus00 · 31/08/2019 07:55

You carried it unsafely. You didn’t (seem to) have told the servers you had burnt yourself. You stood, with a really bad burn and let them make ,and give, you a fresh cup of tea before treating yourself.
In that time you could’ve been in the loos running cold water on your SCAULD.
Don’t see where you have cause fir complaint against either of these servers?

Coffeeandchocolate9 · 31/08/2019 07:56

You're a functional adult who handled a hot drink in an obviously unsafe way. I'm sorry you are hurt but that's not their fault.

You would be be well within your rights to complain about the assistant rolling her eyes at you, that's absolutely not okay.

To join the chorus... it doesn't sound as if they knew you were injured. You could have told them, especially when one said as long as you are okay! I think most people would have asked them if you could run it under cold water or have some ice for it.

You need to let them know that you we injured, for their records and HSE reporting. McDonalds famously got sued by a customer for serving coffee that was scalding hot (if you Google the case the liquid was way hotter than coffee is normally served at) so somebody in Costa will want to check that this branch's hot water for tea isn't too hot iyswim. If it's blistered, seek medical attention too.