To ask for a refund for cold coffee

[Poorqualityequalsfewercustomers]

Disclaimer: I love my coffee hot to the point where if it’s not burning my mouth, I don’t like it. This means I only go to a few coffee shops that I know will give me what I want.

My local coffee shop is clearly struggling. They have raised prices and shrunk the size of the takeaway cups. Six years ago it was £3.00 for a cappuccino now it’s £4.20, which is expensive but it’s a local business so I have tried to keep supporting.

However, they have also started switching their coffee machine on later in the morning which means it’s not fully heated when they open their doors.

I arrive at doors opening at 8 and then take DC to school and walk the dogs before I log on to work. I can’t go after the dog walk/drop off. Several times recently my coffee has been less than hot (to me), but probably still drinkable to most people. But I haven’t enjoyed it and have mentioned it wasn’t very hot, which is how I know about them not switching the machine on until later as they told me that was likely why and they would switch it on earlier again. However yesterday my coffee was cold. And I do mean cold - the milk was fridge temperature - not just not warm. I grimaced but bared with it. But the same thing happened today, so I asked for a new one. I was served a new one right away with lots of apologies. But the new one was also cold so I asked for a refund.

I’ve already told myself I won’t go back as £4.20 is far too much for a cold coffee which I think is mostly down to their turning the machine on later. I also won’t be going at weekends with DC anymore as I’m unwilling to spend so much for something I don’t enjoy
.

But I’m just wondering what others would have done in my place. They seemed really upset I wasn’t happy and even more so when I asked for a refund and I know they are really struggling. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re gone within the year as every time they have raised prices they seem to have lost the morning ‘regulars.’ But I don’t think it’s unreasonable when you’re paying for something to expect to be given what you want (and more importantly, what you have always had).

Just wondering if others would have done the same? WIBU to ask for a second cup and then a refund? At what point would others stop supporting a local business to try and help it stay open?

I wouldn’t keep going back and paying over the odds for something I didn’t enjoy.

I wouldn't ask for a refund and add to their struggles. I just wouldn't go any more.

You clearly like your drinks hotter than the average person does. Which is fine, but you can't expect them to cater for your particular taste of it's not their updated business model.

I'm surprised they didn't give you a replacement or heat it up. Which explains why they are struggling tbh. The fact it got to the stage of getting a refund means their service is shit.

I would have asked for the refund too, and probably gone elsewhere afterwards if it keeps happening. It's really a basic requirement in a coffee shop to be able to serve hot coffee.

I'd buy a coffee machine instead.

I would invest in a decent coffee machine at home and a very good insulated travel mug

It's nice to support a local business, but they need to supply something you want, and clearly they aren't doing that. Perfectly reasonable to ask for a refund - but I'd be inclined to make my coffee at home and take it with me in the future.

I’d stop going. It’s quite simple to serve hot coffee it’s not rocket science if they can’t be bothered putting the effort into making sure the coffee is a decent temperature then I’d go elsewhere

If they have a milk frother, they can just add some steam to heat it up. I always ask for extra hot and also ask for a small jug of boiling water as I hate lukewarm coffee. Or they could stick it in the microwave for you. No need to a refund. It's possible to heat things up.

I have noticed independents are not as hot but I think it’s not to burn the beans. It does taste better but finishes quickly and is not as satisfying.

@Cinaferna I don’t think it is that simple, although happy to be told I’m wrong! The problem seems to be they’re switching it on later so the steam and everything else is just not hot.

I just feel quite guilty as this is clearly a cost saving measure, as they are struggling, but it’s made it impossible to get a decent coffee! I was one of the few 8am regulars who still went after the latest price increase…

Coffee machines only heat to a certain temp, milk burns if you steam too long and you can’t set temp for espresso shots. Maybe op will realise it’s not possible to get burning hot coffee and there is an ambient temp it should be served at

you've given it a good go, but that would be the end for me. I would have done exactly as you did.

If you were feeling kind, you could speak to the owner (f2f or email?) and point out that you have tried to support them despite the increased price and decreased size, but that this was the last straw and good luck for future.

I know it burns. I like it that way.😁

Legally they cannot sell you a coffee that hot; It can’t get hotter than the machine’s limits, so unless they make it and then stick it in microwave you’ll need to accept that’s as hot as it goes. Legally they would be liable for selling burnt coffee if you spilt it and caused burns. Turning it on later isn’t the reason, espresso shots don’t pour until the machine reaches a set temp so they can’t pour espresso before that temp is reached.

I wonder if they are storing their cups in a cupboard which is very cold? Could you ask them to warm the cup with some hot water from the machine before they make your coffee? I understand that the milk is the expensive part, so a bit of extra hot water shouldn't bother their profits. Or ask for a cup straight from the dishwasher.

I wouldn’t do this at all

They used to serve coffee that met expectations but decided to cut back and reduce the quality. It's a shame when shops do this instead of increasing the price and maintaining quality as they will loose more customers by reducing quality.

OP YANBU - time to go elsewhere.

Does any coffee shop make coffee the way you like it?
If the coffee you bought was cold, then YANBU to ask for a refund.

I am the same as you!! No time for cold or tepid coffee!!

I would send them an email or Facebook message etc saying you’re a regular, loyal customer who really enjoys their coffee but have noticed recently that it’s always cold when you go for your morning coffee.

Say you would love to keep going, but don’t enjoy tepid coffee etc.

Put it in a nice way. Hopefully they will sort it out!!

You might like it that way but there would be a max temp, if you asked me to make it hotter than what it legally meant to be would tell you go elsewhere and dont come back

But I would just say 'the max temperature we can serve at is X we wont go over that'

the steam and everything else is just not hot.

Eh? How is that physically possible? Surely steam is steam.

The water temperature is unlikely to have changed but they might be using cold milk, which would cool the coffee down, or freezing cold cups, which would cool it down immediately.

This makes no sense to me. I have a coffee machine at home - a proper one with a milk frother - and it can steam the milk hot and do hot coffee within about 2 minutes. It really doesn’t need to ‘warm up’

Take a meat temperature probe and discreetly measure the temp yourself and compare.

There is always then slim chance that your perception of how hot it is day to day differs depending on hormones, health conditions, meds etc if applicable.