Customer Fights With Starbucks Barista in Drive-Thru, Sparking Debate

A viral TikTok video shows a customer upset with a Starbucks barista over dropped change in a drive-thru. However, it’s fuzzy who’s responsible in the brief altercation.

@sikeitsme7 seemingly filmed and posted the video, which starts with the altercation already underway. The caption reads, “Sweet little 8lb baby Jesus was with me #rude #starbucks#coffee #employee #disgusting.”

With three dollars in her hand, the filmer asks the barista, “Excuse me?”

“I’m not going to be recorded and be harassed,” the Starbucks barista responds.

“I’m asking you for my change,” the customer says.

“It’s down there; it’s dropped,” the barista says.

“Almost had to do prison time this day,” the text overlay reads. The clip has been viewed over 1.5 million times in the three days it’s been up.

It’s also garnered over 1,000 comments from viewers, one of whom took issue with the fact there was “no back story” to the video. Others similarly felt they couldn’t take a side after viewing the short clip. “I find it hard to believe she intentionally threw your change on the ground. What’s the full story?” one questioned.

“It’s not about the coins ppl. She could’ve easily said my bad and issue fixed. But she wanted to shut the window and ignore the customer,” one said, defending the customer.

@sikeitsme7 also said in the comments section: “I talk to everyone and am very nice until they treat me like this. I would have apologized and fixed it.”

Many others, however, defended the barista.

“She accidentally dropped it, man; what you want her to do jump out the window? Come on,” one said.

“If you drop your coins because you didn’t grab it from her hand, that’s your fault 100%,” another wrote.

“Yes, the money fell,” another commenter said. “That’s like her handing you the money and you losing it in the car and expecting more. She can’t give you more change.”

“‘Customer service’ doesn’t mean employees have to obey your every wish and command. They’re people too,” one of the top comments reads.

The Daily Dot reached out to Starbucks and the TikToker for comment.

Today’s Top Stories