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?

Presumably not, from the OP:

Six years ago it was £3.00 for a cappuccino now it’s £4.20

What was the texture like? For it to be fridge cold it couldn’t have been steamed at all as even a little bit of steam would have taken the edge off it. Without steaming it there’d be no air added so the milk wouldn’t be frothy like you’d expect from a cappuccino. Plus they’d have seen how different it looked/how much heavier it was when they poured it. All of this, plus the excuse of the machine not being hot enough (the espresso wouldn’t pour if this was the case) sounds like a staff member has cocked up. I used to own a coffee shop and I would’ve appreciate the feedback from a regular so that I could look into what was going on.

When did the business claim their electricity had gone up from £800 to 3k?

I don't ask to pick holes in your statement, I'm curious, because I'm currently stuck on business rates in the house I live in, and I ran the numbers on what businesses versus domestic consumers would be paying if there was a 7% increase in October (which there isn't going to be, it alleges to be 2%), and the business versus consumer difference was around 13%.

Domestic energy is getting so bloody expensive that we're catching up with business rates. Added to which, when wholesale costs fall, the energy companies lower their business rates - something us domestic users don't ever get to take advantage of when we're locked into 12 month contracts.

I ran some numbers back in June for my other half - our stupid rental house sucks energy like you wouldn't believe, so the numbers are high. Current projections for a full year are running at 26,0000 kwh for gas and 5,000 for electricity.

Sent to the OH in June:

This is for a 7 ish month period (our use Oct - May)

2021 / 2025

Gas Standing Charge £38.01 / £73.99 (up 94%)
Elec Standing Charge £51.00 / £138.21 (up 173%)

Gas use £518.94 / £1384.64 (up 173%)
Elec use £515.99 / £920.00 (up 78.3%)

Total: £1,123.94 / £2,516.84 (total increase, 124% - and remember, that's not even for a full year)

The 2021 rates were plucked off old energy bills. The 2025 is what my current provider could offer my next door neighbour (who is not stuck on business rates) at the time.

I have 3 coffee machines in active use in my house. I know it’s strange, but it makes sense if you live here. They are a variety of styles and one of them is quite high end. None of them need more than a minute to heat up. I can have a piping hot cappuccino on a moment’s notice. I can nearly instantly produce a stream of hot water for tea so hot I can’t drink the tea when it’s done brewing and I love a really hot cup of tea.

Do you spend £4.20 a day?! Wow! Maybe start making a flask just how you like it?!

I think it's fine to ask for a refund for a product below par. I can't understand the thing about the coffee machine, though - how hot can you reasonably expect hot water to be? Way beyond the boiling point is presumably no good for the machine - and I expect the machine has a limit on the temp it reaches for safety reasons?

*how hot can you reasonably expect hot water to be?"
Hotter than a fridge is reasonable, I should say.

Honestly, are people not able to read the OP's posts?

Coffee shops are pricing people out. We went to the new one in our area for the first and last time the other day. It was £28 for two milkshakes and a wrap each which I thought was way overpriced. Shame really as I like to support local businesses but it’s just too much for a quick lunch out.

I always specify “extra hot” when paying through the nose for coffee. I know that coffee connoisseurs say it shouldn’t be scalding but that’s the way (uh- huh, uh-huh) I like it!

If they are using a normal modern coffee maker rather than a coffee urn then the water and milk should be being heated as the coffee is made so I would be surprised the temperature is linked to when the machine was turned on. More likely either the machine needs a service or the owners have turned the temperature of the water down, perhaps because other customers have complained it was too hot.

Either way I would not ask for my money back, especially if you know they are struggling. I would tell the owners once or twice to give them notice they have a potential issue and then I would stop going.

I love the High Street and I support small businesses whenever I can but the fact is some of them do not deliver a good quality of service. You either put up with that in order to avoid every shop being a chain or you go elsewhere and allow shops to fail. If you’re really not enjoying their coffee then you should not go just to be nice. Even the owner would probably agree with that.

190 statutory school days a year, £798 a year on coffees. You could get an excellent coffee machine and all the coffee you need for less. I wouldn’t feel bad about abandoning the local coffee shop if they are selling inferior product, and you’ve given them a chance to rectify.

This. You could buy a ridiculously good machine for about 3 months worth of paid coffees.
Also, I’ll be one to say it - if only that’s all I had worry about was a coffee not being hot enough

There is nothing worse than a tepid cappuccino.

It’s not fair on the staff to be so demanding

It's just business, locally owned/operated or not. They don't offer what you want. It wasn't unreasonable to ask for a refund once, but you would be unreasonable to return and seek a refund repeatedly when you already know that they can't or won't do coffee the way you like it. Don't feel guilty—just stop going! The business likely won't survive, but let's be honest, your overpriced coffee wasn't going to keep them afloat, anyway.

Ask for extra hot, if that’s what you like.

Has anyone got a sure-fire recommendation, though?

Weve wanted a machine for years but have never been impressed with the coffee from friends’ various expensive machines. They never measure up to café coffee, of which Nero’s is far and away the best.

I like my coffee strong, fragrant and hot but most friends seem to prefer a weaker brew so following their advice isn’t helpful.

But there’s more to having a cafe coffee than just the coffee. I know I’d end up shelling out and STILL end up going to socialise over coffee!

I wouldn’t pay £4.20 for a coffee full stop. I make my own in a very good insulated mug. Buy a coffee machine . You’re spending over £1000 a year on crappy coffee.

OP literally says she has a coffee machine at home and even specifies the make. She just like buying out to help local and to avoid her highstreet having 'shitty Costa and Nero' which, tbh is a sentiment I share.

True. But they can pre warm the cup from the water boiler they use for tea. Ita surprising what a difference that can make.

Buy a coffee machine...chat believe you pay that much for a coffee.

But she says that's how she likes it and why she wants it so hot

Nero make superb coffee! Better than any from a domestic machine. Only outdone IME by a small independent cafe in Bonnington (I think) Square in Vauxhall with a miserable git owner.

If you buy it at 8am then do the school run and walk the dogs then surely you can’t expect it to still be as hot?