To refuse coffee someone else rejected?

[36Camelliasandcounting]

It’s happened several times recently. The barista has made a drink that wasn’t the right specification for whoever ordered it. One of those things right? It happens.

Except several times recently, the barista has then poured that rejected coffee into a takeaway cup from the ‘having in’ mug and tried to serve to me. I’ve refused and been met with a fair bit of eye-rolling. Most recently I just asked for a refund and after I left a review online stating the incident had happened several times recently including twice that week and as a result I wouldn’t be going back.

The manager has since replied stating it’s policy and widely appreciated by customers to minimise waste?!

AIBU to think no one wants someone else’s rejected coffee?

YABU: I’m happy to take other customers rejected coffee.

YANBU: No. Even worse if the coffee isn’t the right spec and/or has been stood on the side whilst the original drink was remade so is then cold when presented to you.

It's a no from me. If I am paying out for expensive coffee I'd like it freshly made as intended please, not decanted from one cup to another. It costs enough!! Make me a fresh one.

Coffee shop owner here:

We don't do this. Unless the thing we made wrong is immediately ordered by the next person the drink will have been dumped or claimed by myself or staff to save wastage. Or offered to another customer for free because why throw a perfectly good drink out.

Happens most commonly with a decaf latte type drink where it was made with regular beans or we got the shots mixed up between drinks (but figure it out before it gets to the customer as decaf smells significantly different to normal coffee)

But to have had it happen multiple times in the same shop to you specifically is too much. It happens maybe once for every 50 drinks we send out (less than that but my staff and my self are human and do make mistakes).

Is it a chain shop or an independent?

I can't see that much wastage happening in an indie shop as it would cripple their margins

We also wouldn't pour from one cup to another unless a customer requested eg ordered to drink in but suddenly had to go with much of their drink left.

What a dumb reason to ruin great coffee

YANBU and I'm quite a tree hugger myself! Offering it to someone else for free? Absolutely fine. Pouring it into another mug for you so there's not even a nice top to the coffee and still charging you £4 for it, jog on.