Cafe owner has a sassy response when entitled customer files fake complaint over not getting free latte

Managers and superiors have a responsibility to support and trust their employees. Especially in the service sector, where the 'customer is king' mindset is followed, they should set boundaries to ensure their juniors' well-being. A barista, who goes by u/Cake-is-life on Reddit, revealed how the owner of the cafe came to their support after an entitled customer made false complaints. The woman had wreaked havoc for the employee over a free latte and when she didn’t get the same, she made things worse. When the owner learned of the issue, they had a fitting reaction. 

The employee mentioned one snobby customer who thought quite highly of herself. “Every day, she showed up angry, antsy and perpetually running late for work,” the post read. She’d even try to skip lines with the excuse that she was late to work. “She would try to cut in on the side and demand that I make her a latte ‘now.’ When I said no and she chose to wait for a latte in line, she blamed me for being late to work,” the barista explained. The customer would always get away because the worker did not want to make a scene. One morning, the barista saw the woman arrive 20 minutes prior to the opening time. “She was shivering and not dressed appropriately for the snow outside,” the employee explained.

Thinking that the woman seemed to be in trouble, the employee offered her a seat in the cafe for a while. Over time, the woman explained that she was locked outside her home and was waiting for her friend. “She looked so cold and anxious that I offered her a free coffee,” the barista said. However, instead of accepting the token of kindness graciously, the customer asked for a latte. “I told her I couldn’t give her a free latte as it’s too expensive but a free large coffee is okay,” the worker remarked. “She hit the counter and called me a cold b**ch. ‘How could I be so heartless? You’re making my day even worse. I really need a latte for free! I’ll pay you back eventually,’” the barista recounted the conversation. 

“We’ve had too many people ask for free things and never pay us,” the employee explained to the woman. But she was not ready to listen, so the barista went on with their chores. “The lady marched right into the back area and said she wants me to make her a latte for free!” the post read. She insisted that she had an “awful” morning and “deserved” the free beverage. After being rejected again, she remarked, “You’ll be hearing from me. I’m going to inform your boss of how heartless you are and write a terrible review on Google.” Eventually, the owner received an 800-word email from the woman, complaining about the morning, but she had a spot-on response.

“In it (the mail), she lied. Her version of events summarized that I didn’t want to let her inside. And that when she ordered a coffee, I wouldn’t give it to her because she was 5 cents short. And when she cried because she was upset, I called her a b**ch,” the employee mentioned. The owner immediately called the customer’s bluff and knew what she had to do. In response, she confidently told the woman that she was “no longer welcome” at the cafe. People on the internet lauded the owner for taking a stand for their employees. u/PebbleTown said, “I would have had her leave the second she got behind the counter.” u/AXPendergast added, “Sounds just like how parents lie about teachers to get what they want. So sorry you had to deal with her.”