Something has been bothering me for a while. Do you ever wish you’d reacted in a moment differently to the way you did and then afterwards keep reliving the moment in your head?
This particular incident happened a couple of months ago and I’m still screwing about it now! So…if I remember rightly I’d had a pretty busy week and it was a Friday and I’d popped to town to do some jobs. I decided to stop off at a coffee shop for a latte and some cake. I never used to drink coffee but then I discovered latte and even better…latte with syrup! My preference is hazelnut syrup and I treat myself with a cup once or twice a week (you only need to check out my Instagram feed to see how much I love them!). Anyway, I queued up in the coffee shop and I ordered a piece of lemon cake and a skinny hazelnut latte. The man behind the counter sniggered…he actually sniggered…and said “it kind of defeats the point doesn’t it?”. I’m sorry what? “Well, what’s the point in having it skinny if you’re going to have syrup and cake?”. This is the point at which I WISH I’d thought of something witty to say! Instead I asked if they had any sugar free syrup, which they didn’t. A second staff member then piped up and told me that skinny milk actually has more sugar in it so it made my choice even worse! So what did I do? I changed my order to a full fat latte with no syrup (I kept the cake because…well, it’s cake), thanked them for my lesson in nutrition and sat down to have something that I didn’t order and didn’t want.
Things I should have said:
- “And this is your business, how?”
- “Keep your sodding coffee and overpriced cake and I’ll go next door to Costa where I can order what I want without being judged”
- “What qualifications do you have in nutrition to be able to impart this sort of advice to total strangers?”
- “What’s your problem? Do I look like I need to lose weight? Am I fat?” Followed by loud sobbing and running out of the shop!
There are a million things I could have said, but I just sat there seething! I didn’t enjoy my coffee or cake, it was no longer a treat and I couldn’t wait to leave. I have never been back to that coffee shop and never will – they’ve lost my custom, I just hope they don’t make anyone else feel as crappy as I did that day.
It got me thinking though…everyone seems to be a nutritional expert these days. There’s always someone ready to impart their knowledge of what you should and shouldn’t be eating. One moment we are supposed to be cutting fat out of our diet and the next it’s sugar. Now we should be eating some fats but not others and PROTEIN is the buzz word. Every other item you buy in the supermarket at the moment has ‘ADDED PROTEIN’ plastered all over the packaging but then has ridiculous amounts of sugar in it that we shouldn’t be eating! Is there any wonder that the population is getting bigger and bigger. Obesity is at it’s highest level and I can totally see why!
I’m an intelligent woman, I know what’s healthy and what’s not and I’m old enough to make informed decisions about what I want to eat. If I want to have something loaded with sugar then I can…I just have to deal with the consequences! I eat pretty sensibly most of the time but occasionally have times when I eat like a pig because I want to. I know when things get out of hand and am fully capable of making that decision on my own and cutting back when it’s needed. Did the sugar police stop me from drinking skinny hazelnut lattes? Hell no! I just drink them elsewhere! I wonder how someone who was a little less confident or who was perhaps overweight might have felt if they had been told they shouldn’t be having what they’d ordered? How would you have felt? Would you have been braver and spoken up? Stuck with your order or changed it? I so wish I’d reacted differently but if it ever happens again I’m armed with an arsenal of great come-backs! Arghhh! It makes me so mad!!
Rant over!
Nicx
The Tale of Mummyhood
Sounds like they need a lesson in the customer is always right. They should be listening to their customers and being helpful. As the old saying goes if you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all. As for foods – all in moderation hey. #ablogginggoodtime
How obnoxious! Those two clearly haven’t been trained in customer service, or as good salespeople either – seeing as they successfully lost a customer in a very stupid move! I’d have probably done the same as you – sat there seething, and only thinking of all the ways I would rather have handled the situation *sigh*. #PostsFromTheHeart
I get more frustrated with myself every time I think about it!
What?! What an awful way to treat a customer! I’d have been fuming, I’m not surprised it’s wound you up! Not sure I could have held my tongue to be honest…! #fortheloveofBLOG
I wish I hadn’t but I feel better having got it off my chest!
this has made me realise i need to think a bit more before opening my mouth, i often wonder why someone would order a diet coke with a cake or a skinny def caff coffee, it just defeats the object in my opinion. i try to say it in a way with light humour to start a discussion, but i won’t from now on
#triumphanttales
It is quite correct that it completely defeats the point, but I just prefer skinny…not too keen on full fat milk. I also hate coke but love a diet coke (which I think is quite common). So the fact is it is often nothing to do with being health conscious it is just the person’s preference.
People really need to mind their own business at times, what you eat is your business and no-one else’s x
Oh my goodness, I would be absolutely fuming. How very dare they! Can you send them a link to this on Twitter if they have a profile? I’d complain about that as it’s inappropriate. It’s like if someone orders a diet coke and cake (which I often do), I do it not because of the calories but because I want a diet coke. As you say, none of their business. Anyway… Thanks for linking up with #forhteloveofBLOG xx
I posted a link to the post on their facebook page and they commented both on the post and on my instagram post. They brushed it off as friendly ‘banter’ and said at least the staff bothered to speak to me! Unfortunately for him, my fellow instagram lovelies went to town with their responses! He has since deleted his comment and replaced it with an apology and a promise to deal with the situation in house. The power of social media hey!
How ridiculous! I would have probably done exactly the same as you and then though of something extremely witty to say once I got home! Don’t let anyone make you feel guilty about syrup! Everyone’s entitled to a sugary drink without an unwanted side of guilt! #postsfromtheheart
Thank you!
Just popping back from #Blogstravaganza … while drinking a skinny cappuccino WITH syrup might I add!!! Haha!!
Yay!! Good for you!! ha ha!!
It’ s been some time since I worked in retail, but I did for a good few years and I can’t believe how much has changed since then. Staff these days don’t seem to have the manners of the consideration for customers like they did ‘in my day!’ (how old do I sound?!). These staff members really need to learn how to speak to their customers. It is absolutely none of their business what people order and why they order it. Even if they think it, they don’t need to say it! It’s so frustrating though isn’t it when you think of all the things you could have said after the event has taken place! I’ve done that so many times, and I too think about it for ages afterwards! Thanks for sharing with #TriumphantTales – hope to see you again on Tuesday!
Yes so frustrating! I would make a rubbish comedian, couldn’t be quick witted enough!
How rude! I’m exactly the same as you, I always think of something to say after the event and keep thinking about it! Thanks so much for sharing with #Blogstravaganza xx
Omg that would have annoyed me so much! I can’t believe they guilt-tripped you into changing your order – what terrible customer service!! I always think of come-backs too late though as well haha #blogstravaganza
I would have told them to bog off , stuffed the cake in my mouth and asked for another one to take home #PostsFromTheHeart
Love this!! I so should’ve done that!
How annoying! I would have probably stuck to my order but then sulked, not enjoyed it and not gone in that shop again! None of their business if you ask me x
#KCACOLS
Absolutely disgusting way to treat a customer, I would of so gone to Costa! X #blogstravaganza
lol this made me chuckle because I’ve had many times where people have said things and I wish I had come out with something witty or rude and told them to bog off! I can see why you were seething! #KCACOLS
I hate when you think of so many things you could have said after the occasion but you were probably in shock at the cheek of both of them! I would probably have been the same but would write an email of complaint to the management explaining that you wont be returning.
I’d wish I had something witty to say too but wouldn’t have – so frustrating! #postsfromtheheart
What a flaming cheek. I definitely wouldn’t return. You don’t need a guilt trip. Slightly different but my little boy is 2.5 years and I’ve hardly ever bought him any clothes as we always had so many gifted or handed down to us. Went and had a summer blow out in George @Asda the other day because there boys stuff was so chic (for a flamin’ change) and the checkout lady gave me a big speech about how we too much stuff these days. Her boys never had nothing extravagant and they grew up able to save for their own houses. I was buying a few fucking £4 items of clothing for my son. I felt the need to explain and justify myself but why should we!!!??? The customer is always right isn’t that what they are taught.
Some people are so in the wrong job lol
Thanks for linking up.#KCACOLS
OMG! How dare she! It makes me so mad! The last thing we need when we’re shopping is Judgy McJudgeface telling us what we should or shouldn’t be buying!
I’m not surprised you’ve not been back there – how rude of them! They clearly don’t know anything about good customer service! #KCACOLS
Oh so not the right way to keep their customers! Not on at all.
Mainy
#KCACOLS