god bless my former shift

if someone ordered a pourover in DT or mobile, she'd start up a quarter batch in the urn, no matter the time of day

Yeah, I’m well aware customers often don’t know what they’re ordering, but a customer who regularly orders a black blonde roast can probably taste the difference between that and an americano, even if they are too polite to say anything.

I notice when someone gives me regular shots instead of blonde because I have like ten or twelve a week while working. I don’t think the average person can tell unless they’re getting something near daily.

Probably 50-75% would never notice and just enjoy the feeling of ordering something snooty that implies they are more refined than everyone else. Probably a similar percentage of the remainder notice but assume they are having an "off" day with their tastebuds or understand that there are times it is inconvenient to comply with certain demands and it is not going to make things better to raise a fuss. More of the former than the latter, of course. Most of the rest notice but don't really care, with a remaining very small but loud and annoying percentage of people who really don't care what is going on but are going to make a fuss about it anyway because they can. Those are the ones we smile at, apologize for their inconvenience, take the drink back and hand them another exactly the same way. Placebo effect takes place, they smile that they have put us in our place and now we know better, and we all go on with our lives.

I’ve worked for Starbucks for two months now and have yet to see a decaf pike bullet

That’s blonde espresso so no worries there!

its brand standard to have pike at all times, i would be careful with this one

The Americano is defined by it being made with espresso. I guess you could do it’d be one of those gray areas for me.