Costa should make it clear that cream or marshmallows cost extra

[Learc]

when buying hot chocolate.

Yep I agree.

Instead of saying, ‘would you like cream on that,’ I don’t understand why they can’t say, ‘would you like cream for an extra 70p more.’ They know what they’re doing

I totally agree.

Unrelated to how they frame the question, but they should also learn how to make coffee. I bought a cappuccino from Costa earlier. If I'd had been taking part in a blind taste test I wouldn't even recognised it as coffee 😆

Definitely. I recently ordered hot chocolate for my son and was asked if we wanted cream and marshmallows. Except we only heard the marshmallows part. Said yes please and was charged for both separately and he didn't even want cream, only marshmallows. We don't go there for hot chocolate any more as it's way too expensive.

Completely agree! They're all the same!

So what does the menu say?

I am so tired of this culture where nobody takes responsibility for anything and nobody seems to have any common sense. If something is extra it is going to cost money. Cream is extra. Marshmallows are extra.
Plus there's a menu with prices right there.

Well to be fair it does say on the board. It’s 60p for cream and 60p for marshmallows at my one. They give three larger vegan marshmallows which are super sticky. I was unimpressed and bought a bag of mini ones to do hot chocolate at home next time. I bf personally think it’s iutrageous but even the lovely local independent charges a quid for a squirt of cream and some marshmallows.

It's on the menu board.

They do

How can people not know this though?? If course it's going to cost extra.

It’s obvious (or so I thought!)

I personally find it more annoying when they offer a different coffee, not so much at costa but Tim Hortons/ cafe Nero do a French roast or something for an extra 40p or some such. It’s really innocuous question do you don’t realise you are being up sold the first time.

No, there's loads of places where it's just whether you want it or not and it's not extra money.

Your first mistake is going to Costa full stop! Owned by Coca-Cola. Awful place with disgusting, overly processed and sugary drinks. Support local cafés and businesses

They can give brains to humans but they can't seem to make them being used

Not extra anywhere else around here. And if it's on the menu board it's pretty tiny writing. Tbh the Costa menu board is so chock a block with various pumpkin gingerbread soy frappe latte machaccinos etc that it's hard to see anything on it.

It's clearly listed on the extras of the menu...

It's how they offer it, in the same tone of voice they offer chocolate sprinkles on your cappuccino. That's where they get me every times even though it's up in the board. I say yes without thinking because their tone has tricked me!

Support your local

To be fair to the OP, last Costa I went into their menu you was a rolling video on the boards of the menu. One more way I guess for them to make it a bit easier to sneak an extra quid out you when the price of that specific item has just disappeared and there’s another three pages to come up, before it rolls back round.

Whilst I do agree it used to be listed clearly under extras, I don't agree it is now because of the rotating, electronic signs. I can't process the menu quick enough before it changes and have found myself being forced to make quick choices because the menu changes too quickly, so if you're not used to it, I guess it could be too difficult to see.

But they ask you about the chocolate when they are handing you your coffee after you've paid. They ask you about cream and marshmallows at the till. I'm not sure what tone they could use to indicate that it costs money.

I agree, the tone suggest it's included. Like if they ask if I want milk in my tea....they're not charging me extra for that.

There is no “local cafe” here. There’s a few Starbucks, one Costa, various supermarket cafes, a chain brand garden centre with a cafe and, if you just want cheap takeaway coffee, McDonalds. And a couple of chain branded pubs that probably also do hot drinks though no idea about the cream and marshmallows!

I’d have to drive twenty minutes into another town, pay upwards of £4 for parking (or get a bus for similar money), then navigate hoardes of tourists to get to what appears to be an independent “local” tea shop, though who knows who it’s actually owned by. Then I’d have to wait for a seat in the tiny shop and pay a fortune for something off a limited menu geared to Chinese and American tourists not locals wanting a cheap treat for their kids.

Given all that I’d just go for Costa - where the hot chocolate is probably no more processed or sugary than anywhere else, local cafe included.

I looked at the menu on the wall behind the counter and saw the price of the hot chocolate. I didn't notice that cream is extra.