Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Why do people keep coming in asking for a regular coffee?? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Mafiya7
I don't know if this is an American thing or not but people come in at least once a day asking for a regular coffee... like... what is that? A latte? An Americano? Filter coffee? A cold brew? Basically everything on our menu is coffee!!
And the thing that gets me is after we explain that a "regular coffee" is way too vague, they all always ask for something different. Some people say they want a latte, some say filter, some say an Americano. How did they think we would get that from saying they wanted a regular coffee????
And the thing that gets me is after we explain that a "regular coffee" is way too vague, they all always ask for something different. Some people say they want a latte, some say filter, some say an Americano. How did they think we would get that from saying they wanted a regular coffee????
MrsClaireUnderwood 83 points 8m ago
To me, a regular coffee would just be a drip/filter coffee. I don't call espresso coffee. Espresso has caffeine, coffee has caffeine, but they are not the same.
But I have also learned never to assume what a customer is asking for so I don't know if you should stop asking them what they mean lol.
But I have also learned never to assume what a customer is asking for so I don't know if you should stop asking them what they mean lol.
clarinetpjp -1 points 8m ago
Espresso is coffee.
MrsClaireUnderwood 8 points 8m ago
It's fine if you want to put espresso under a giant "coffee" umbrella, but calling espresso "coffee" at a coffee shop is silly. There is a difference between espresso and drip coffee my dude.
[deleted] 1 points 8m ago
[deleted]
Unionizestarbucks_ 43 points 8m ago
In America it means drip coffee
Ristrettooo 35 points 8m ago
$1 Typically when Americans just say “coffee” they mean filter coffee from an automatic drip brew coffee maker. This form of coffee is *so* ubiquitous in the US that a lot of Americans don’t even know how else to describe it other than “coffee.” It’s a common issue for Americans in other countries to not expect differences in coffee culture and have trouble describing what they want.
gabby24681 5 points 8m ago
The amount of people that get confused when I tell them the drink they’ve been getting for years is actually mostly milk and not “just a coffee” baffles and concerns me
MrsClaireUnderwood 1 points 8m ago
There are Americans that can't describe what they want in their own country lol
dontcry2022 23 points 8m ago
When I hear "regular coffee", I assume Pike roast. So I just ask, "oh okay, so you want our Pike roast coffee?", then wait for their quick yes/no/further clarification
bookishwannabe 2 points 8m ago
I do the same, and always ask. In my experience, it does mean Pike and then we carry on from there if ‘regular’ means black or cream and sugar to them 😭
goldenharrie 9 points 8m ago
in canada, a regular coffee would be a drip coffee with one cream (or milk) and one sugar thanks to tim hortons and their menu system but i always still ask what exactly they want bc you never know with starbucks customers lol
mrcupcake18 7 points 8m ago
I’m sick of this “regular” anything!
“What size?”
“Regular”
“How many sugars?”
“Regular”
“Iced or hot?”
“Regular”
FFS! Just pick one it is not that hard and not that deep! I am not going to prompt you or hold you’re hand through such a simple process. Plus I am not going to assume what you think is regular just for you to tell me it’s wrong lol nope not playing that game anymore 😂
“What size?”
“Regular”
“How many sugars?”
“Regular”
“Iced or hot?”
“Regular”
FFS! Just pick one it is not that hard and not that deep! I am not going to prompt you or hold you’re hand through such a simple process. Plus I am not going to assume what you think is regular just for you to tell me it’s wrong lol nope not playing that game anymore 😂
frankenstein105 2 points 8m ago
yes I hate this so much then when you pester them for what they want they get angry and start raising their voice and catching an attitude!!!
If you assume it wrong, they get upset, if you ask for clarifications, they get upset
If you assume it wrong, they get upset, if you ask for clarifications, they get upset
xXTimbloXx 4 points 8m ago
I guess it depends which country you’re in but in the US it just means a drip coffee with nothing in it. Drip coffee in the US is very ubiquitous across the country to the point where it’s synonymous with the word “coffee.” In fact Starbucks made espresso commonplace in the US, so espresso has only become a thing here in last 50 or so years. Before that it was very much a niche drink in cafes in big cities, now it’s expanded to not only Starbucks but third wave, local coffee shops as well.
Have_Donut 2 points 8m ago
That means your standard house blend. That’s because a lot of coffee brands in the US at least have a variety of flavors and roasts but they all have a consistent “regular” which is their core flavor. Ours is pike
quique772 2 points 8m ago
Regular coffee = drip coffee. For most people at least but always just ask because some people are different
besoinducafe 1 points 8m ago
As a Canadian and former Tim Hortons barista it sounds like a one cream one sugar which is known as a “regular”. Then two cream, two sugar is double double and three of each is triple triple.
Constant-Comfort-407 1 points 8m ago
At least where I live/work in the US, regular means just the standard amount of cream and sugar for the size ordered in a hot coffee (drip/filter). Usually I ask which type they want, but the default tends to be just a pike.
Honestly, here we tend to call hot drip/filter "coffee", and anything otherwise is specified.
Honestly, here we tend to call hot drip/filter "coffee", and anything otherwise is specified.
SportsChick79 1 points 8m ago
I blame Dunks, specifically in New England. My mother had to relearn to order coffee because she always walked into Dunks and ordered a medium regular (or regulah for the MA folks). That’s drip coffee with cream and sugar.
kakehr9926g 2 points 8m ago
This, very much this. It's how you order in MA when you roll up to Dunkin. I ring it up as a Pike with cream and sugar.
Now, black iced coffee having sweetener? That's one adjustment I've had to learn from Dunkin to Starbucks...
Now, black iced coffee having sweetener? That's one adjustment I've had to learn from Dunkin to Starbucks...
Blocked_ID -11 points 8m ago
they need to just add this to your training bc how can you work for an American coffee company and not know that means Pike
Ristrettooo 8 points 8m ago
It doesn’t matter that Starbucks is an American company, this is a cultural difference in how Americans and Europeans talk about coffee. It means Pike *to American customers*, which are probably a minority where OP is from
Blocked_ID 1 points 8m ago
That’s why it should be in the training obviously.
frankenstein105 3 points 8m ago
Even American customers don’t know what “regular coffee” means, when you ask for clarification it means basically anything from a latte or americano to drip 😒
Mafiya7 [OP] 1 points 8m ago
Thank you!!! The most common thing i get when I ask them to specify is an Americano or a latte
Blocked_ID 1 points 8m ago
I’ve never had someone ask for anything other than drip coffee after initially asking for a “medium coffee”
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