The way that customers sometimes treat workers is alarming. However, sometimes it’s the other way around. It’s not unheard of for a worker to have a bad day, especially when they’ve been dealing with people in customer service all day. However, there’s a certain air of professionalism that must be maintained in the workplace. When a woman asks for a military discount at a Florida café, she never expects the belligerent response that she receives from the barista. In the end, it costs her everything, including her job.
Russ (TikTok/russ_holster) posted an incident that happened at Grain & Berry Café in Orlando, Florida, between a customer and a barista. A woman there asked for a military discount, and the worker refused it. Another woman at the café (it’s unknown if she was involved with the customer or just happenstance) says, “She served in the military and asked for a military discount,” the barista loudly responds, “I don’t care!” The barista tells them, “Get your [expletive] refund and get the [expletive] out!” The barista keeps telling them to get out of the shop while she messes around with the ordering screen.
While all this is happening, the other employee stands there with a look of astonishment on his face. A woman says off-screen, “That’s wild.” She then asks the astonished worker,“She’s the manager?” but he shakes his head ‘no.’
In the comments, the Grain & Berry Café responded to the incident. They said the employee’s behavior at the Orlando location is “unacceptable and does not reflect the standards or values we hold” at their company.
They went on to say, “The employee involved is no longer with the company.” They add, “We have deep appreciation for the veterans and military families in our communities.”
Nobody has stated what set off the rude employee, but it looks like the company handled the situation. Why does asking for a military discount deserve that kind of response?
The Reaction to the Barista’s Rude Attitude and Firing
One commenter stated, “No emotional regulation.” Another commenter said, “The worker was wrong, she should’ve gave that customer a discount. It’s sad that some people don’t appreciate active miltary/veterans.”
The Grain & Berry company actually offers military veteran discounts up to 25% throughout the year. There’s never really any harm in asking. If the answer was ‘no,’ they could have said that and simply moved on.
Another TikToker shared that she felt “bad” for the barista’s fellow employees. “You can just see the look of disbelief on his face.” No one showed any mercy for the employee and reveled in her losing her job.
