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?

If I have to get a coffee out I always order “Latte extra hot” or a black americano.

but for £4.20 a day buy a machine, and make it at home. Save yourself £4 a day, say 20 days a month is £80, or £19,200 over 20 years which if put in an investment ISA could be worth £47,141 instead. Over a working life of 40 years is a nice pension age lump sum of £279k (even more if you increase for price of coffee)

I’d stop wasting money and walking around trying to look trendy with my coffee cup. I’d make my own coffee at home.

YANBU if the coffee was honestly fridge cold the second time. YWBU if you kept going and getting cold coffees and getting refunds.

Correct. Also there is no such thing as the steam being ‘less cold’. There would be no steam if it wasn’t hot enough.

The only thing that would be affected by the machine being switched on later is the temp of the cups if they are preheating on top of the machine. This makes a big difference.

I preheat the cups with boiling water when I make extra hot cappuccinos.

You say you want to support small businesses - yet are just going to stop giving them your custom.

Wouldn’t it be better to tell them what your problem is? A quick ‘oh dear, the machine mustn’t of heated up yet as I’m an early bird! Could I get a refund for today and then I can pop back next time when you’ve had a chance to sort things out?’

Feedback is important.

I don't think that's particularly unreasonable. I'd probably have asked for the second cup to be microwaved, but then might not go there again.

To me the point of supporting an independent business is so that they stay in business for me to enjoy what they sell/do/provide. It’s not up to me to randomly support everything local and indie just so it carries on even if i don’t benefit – no sense in you dropping £4.20 daily to support them supplying you with miserable coffee milkshakes when that’s not what you want.

I would ask them whether it is something that can be remedied and if not then there is no point going anymore. Maybe they will find a new client base of lukewarm coffee drinkers who can keep the business going.

It’s really not unreasonable to expect hot coffee, especially when paying £4.20 for a cup.
They aren’t a charity so there’s no need to feel guilty. They are either providing a quality service or they aren’t.

Was the coffee machine faulty?

You were right to request a refund. Don't feel obliged to buy from them if it's not up to your expected standard.

If they were genuinely bothered then they would continue to turn on the machine earlier! They know what to do, but aren't doing it! Why on earth would anyone continue to go and buy a very expensive cup of cold coffee! The only way businesses learn is when there's a downturn in customers. You'll have to go else where.

Why make such a nasty remark?

She's given feedback and says they're 'at a loss'.

Prices have increased because businesses such as your local coffee shop are subject to the post Brexit food price rises and the mammoth energy increases which have impacted small businesses such as cafés in ways that people don't seem to realise. A business local to me had their electricity rise from £800 a month to almost £3k. And that's just the electricity. People don't seem to be aware that so much of our food is imported and supplies that the small coffee shop buys have shot up and keep shooting up.
Add to that staff wage increases and fuel costs (if they deliver) and businesses like that coffee shop are going under at an alarming rate. They have had to make adjustments to keep going like switch on the coffee machine a little later to conserve electricity.
They only a small business. If they served you coffee that burnt your mouth you'd whine about that.
Don't go back if everything isn't to your exacting standards OP.
But they are doing the best they can.

Agree.

Buy a coffee machine.

She said it was literally cold

This seems like a lot of fuss for nothing. If a place doesn't sell what you like, don't go there. If they shut down you won't miss it because they didn't sell what you like anyway.
I feel the same about our village pub, I'm not a massive drinker, it's full of bar flies and the food is not even as good as average, so I don't go there. People say "you'll miss it when it's gone" - why would I?

It's not my job to sponsor local businesses, they have to find a market and it sounds like this cafe has not.

Who is whining? What a nasty thing to say.
We're not talking about lukewarm coffee, it was fridge cold.

You've done your best to support them but I wouldn't pay nearly a fiver for a sub standard product. Its not a rocket science job to deliver a hot drink hot. Maybe pop back in a few months if they are still open to see if its improved

OP is whining. And you're all over other people's replies like the thread police 😂 Fridge cold? Get a grip!

Are you paying that for a drip coffee??? 😱

From the OP:

And I do mean cold - the milk was fridge temperature - not just not warm

I don't see any 'whining' (what a horrible word to use about someone), just asking us if she's being unreasonable.

You say 'all over other people's replies', I say 'taking part in the thread'. Sue me.

I don't know who you're telling to get a grip – me for saying the OP says her coffee was fridge cold? Or the OP for, what, imagining that it was fridge cold?