After the Frappuccino and the strange size names ('Venti', does that mean small or medium?), what stands out to you the most when you go to Starbucks? If your answer is 'the badly written names on the cup,' you're not alone. But if a viral video on TikTok is to be believed, this misspelling of your name is sometimes done on purpose by baristas.
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Deliberately misspelled names
Shabaz Ali (@shabazsays on TikTok) is a former Starbucks employee. A few days ago, he posted a short video in which he revealedseveral secrets of the brand that exploded his views.
In his post, he explains why names are misspelled on cups:
Most of the time, we misspell your names on purpose. They tell us, 'Spell them wrong, they'll give us free publicity.' You're all going to post this on your social networks, you're all going to talk about it, if it goes viral, you've just given the company free publicity.
We think back to all those times we actually posted a picture of our Frappuccinos making fun of the employees' supposed illiteracy. In the end, it was an elaborate prank whose main victim was... Ourselves?
Decaffeinated revenge
However, that's not the only revelation @shabazsays makes in his video. According to him, baristas have their own technique to get back at rude customers:
If you're rude to your barista, they'll give you a decaf coffee. It tastes the same, you just won't get the boost you need.
Read more:
⋙ A Starbucks barista shares a secret on how to get free drinks
⋙ A Young Starbucks Barista Was Tipped 27K After Refusing to Serve a Woman Without a Mask
⋙ Heart disease: Drinking at least 2 cups of coffee a day can reduce the risk
We don't know if this type of sweet revenge is practiced by Starbucks France employees, but Shabaz points out that it goes both ways:
In the same way, if you're nice to your barista, you're going to get discounts, they're not going to charge you for certain extras.
His conclusion?
The love you give them, they'll give back to you.
Oh, and the Venti at Starbucks is the biggest cup of them all.
This article was translated from Gentside FR.
