If you’re anything like us, your morning doesn’t begin until you’ve had that first glorious sip of coffee. Whether you’re a flat white devotee, a long black loyalist, or you like to live dangerously with a triple-shot caramel macchiato, there’s one thing we all have in common: we want our coffee, and we want it now.
But according to baristas, there’s a big mistake most of us make when we order our daily brew—and it’s not about the type of milk or the number of sugars.
Lauren Taylor, a 24-year-old barista from the United Kingdom, recently took to social media to spill the beans (pun intended) on the most common—and most annoying—things customers do when ordering coffee.
And let’s just say, it’s not just about getting your order wrong. It’s about how you order.
Taylor’s first gripe? Basic manners. She said many customers breeze into the café, skip the pleasantries, and launch straight into their order.
No ‘hello’, no ‘please’, no ‘thank you’—just a barked ‘large cappuccino’ and a tap of the card.
‘A simple hello goes a long way,’ Taylor said, and we couldn’t agree more. After all, a smile and a greeting cost nothing, and they might make your barista’s day.
Next on Taylor’s list of bugbears is the classic ‘just a coffee’ order. Now, we Aussies love our coffee, but we also know that ‘coffee’ can mean a hundred different things.
Are you after a piccolo, a latte, a short black, or something else entirely? When Taylor asks for clarification—’small, medium, or large?’—she’s often met with the equally vague ‘just normal’. It’s a guessing game no one wants to play before 9 am.
We’ve all seen them: the customer glued to their phone, barely glancing up as they mumble their order.
Taylor said this is a recipe for disaster, as it often leads to miscommunication and, inevitably, the wrong coffee. And when the order is wrong? The blame lands squarely on the barista’s shoulders, even if the customer was too busy scrolling to notice.
Taylor also pointed out a curious phenomenon: customers who seem to forget what they ordered the moment it’s ready.
She’ll call out their coffee, look them right in the eye, and still get a blank stare. Are they daydreaming about their next caffeine hit? Or have they simply forgotten what they ordered? Either way, it’s a daily struggle for baristas everywhere.
Taylor’s video struck a chord with other baristas; many chimed in with their own stories. One former Starbucks worker confessed to a sneaky form of revenge: serving decaf to rude customers.
‘I intentionally made decaf coffee for rude customers,’ they admitted.
‘Nothing too crazy, but just enough to be annoying.’ While some applauded the move (‘If you can’t have the common courtesy to treat other people with respect, you deserve far worse, in my opinion’), others were less impressed, calling it unprofessional.
The customer-barista relationship: A two-way street
The relationship between customer and barista is a two-way street. Baristas are there to make your coffee just the way you like it, but a little kindness and clarity go a long way. Remember, they’re not mind readers and are not your butler.
Want to make your barista’s day (and get your coffee just how you like it)? Here are a few tips:
- Greet your barista—A simple ‘hello’ sets the tone for a pleasant interaction.
- Be specific—Know what you want before you get to the counter. If you’re not sure, ask for recommendations.
- Put your phone away—Give your full attention when ordering. It helps avoid mistakes and shows respect.
- Listen for your order—When your coffee is ready, keep an ear out and collect it promptly.
- Say thank you—It’s the easiest way to brighten someone’s day.
Have you ever witnessed (or committed) a coffee-ordering faux pas? Are you a barista with stories to share, or a customer with a pet peeve? We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
Also read: Live longer by ditching these two items from your coffee ritual
