A Starbucks Customer Puts an End to a ‘Pay-It-Forward’ Line at His Drive-Through in An Abrupt Way
Posted by Fountainhead24 10 years, 11 months ago to Culture
That is a great point. What do you think?
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Jan
I was all "Oh, no. They at least need these coins they sent me!" Guilt drove me to come up with a donation. As this manipulation ploy was repeated, it did not take long for me to resent it. I started to keep the coins with some twinge of conflicted guilt.
Now retired and 67, I've evolved into a mean ole' dino who snorts contempt as I keep such guilt trip bribes. Three months ago, I as a Tea Party member was stunned to see the Tea Party send me a dollar with a donation request. It was only because the Tea Party supports causes I strongly believe in that I placed a stamp on the return envelope, sent back the dollar and wrote on the donation multiple choice: "Send me another dollar to manipulate me like this? I will keep the dollar and throw the rest you see away." Then I signed my John Hancock to it.
Just waiting to see if that crap is tried again.
Grrrrr.
Jan
I've heard this thing about people making them feel guilty, but I have this odd trait that I don't even detect it. If someone bought my coffee I probably wouldn't give it a second thought.
In this case I wouldn't know the person. I would just be confused. Even now I don't get why people do it or why they get fired about it. I think I just wouldn't do it and wouldn't give it a second thought.
This sounds basically like a marketing gimmick. Was there any "gesture of kindness" on the part of Starbuck's? Not as far as I can see. No matter who was paying, they were still pocketing their usual.
I have never heard of Starbuck's offering nickel coffee to customers as a means of "paying it forward". They are free to do so if they wish, of course. Though, this being America, the result would probably be a riot. Over coffee.
Perhaps the right answer is to say
"I will pay for my own, only my own, thanks".
Then hand over the correct amount.
This rocked! Thank-you.
The same is true in any restaurant, if you see a soldier and his family, pay for his bill, the restaurant owner could also do this. Having been in the business, tell your staff to handle such a situation whenever they see a military family. No need to explain who, just do it if you can afford it.
An act of kindness is always a good thing.
Fred Speckmann
commonsenseforamericans@yahoo.com
had worked for me and was being laid off ... with
the provision that I remain anonymous.
he's a great guy; it's a great feeling! -- j
It sounds like this guy would have wanted that, so you did something he would approve of he knew.
*I* would not want my job saved. If my client/employer isn't excited to be working with me, I'd rather go find someone who is. If they're thinking, "I guess we could keep using CG even though we have a guy on oDesk who does basically the same thing for less," I want to be gone. Someone else out there is working an oDesk guy saying we really need someone who can do XYZ. It's a waste of their money, the potential new client, and my life to receive business as charity.
I know not everyone thinks this way. I have no problem with your doing this favor for someone who wanted it. I would probably do the same thing b/c I generally like to be helpful and nice.
subordinates) at a large govt-owned facility (3500
employees), and had a chance to recommend someone
for a job in another department when he was being laid off
from his "present" job. he had worked for me in the past
and done a super job. *and* I was close friends with
the hiring department head. my recommendation put
him over the top, in comparison with other contenders.
I kept it quiet, to avoid his feeling indebted to
anyone -- it was generally known that he was an
excellent employee, yet he is a very quiet and
reserved person who does not toot his own horn.
he moved to the new job and did great there, also.
he helped to save another department head's
butt, as he helped to save mine more than once! -- j
good for you and him. I'm curious, what did you do to save his job?
Fred
a unique opportunity, and there were no regrets,
all-around.
it was especially delicious because this guy had
been hurt before this time because of his shy
nature.
helped to make up for the hurt. very intelligent,
creative and shy fabrication supervisor.
Thanks!!! -- j
A PINK cookie...
At first I thought I was going to be annoyed by the story, but after reading it, I agree with his point. Mandatory generosity enforced by guilt is NOT paying it forward.
Long, long ago, when the universe was young and the internet had not yet cooled and formed, I belong to a timeshare service called "Compuserve". There, in the message bases and chat rooms, 3 individuals took it upon themselves to teach me to program in C. They did it because it entertained them to do so. When we spoke of recompense, all they told me to do was to teach someone else who needed it. This was before the term "pay it forward" came into being.
They got their value from the transaction; entertainment. I got mine, education. And for some of us, myself included (that's why I pontificate so much), educating others is entertaining.
But, this is not that. This is some kind of, pardon my French... circle-jerk.
I won't patronize Starbucks. I disagree with their politics, their pricing, and their product disagrees with me.
Jan, heavy on enthusiasm
Jan
Jan
It's all a scam as big as the IRS... and if Starbleech's condones this, I think I'll take my double-mocha-half-caff maple-hazelnut frappucino, dry and tight half soy half skim sugarfree syrup business elsewhere...
Sure, sometimes I'll pay the bridge toll for someone behind me, I've even paid for a cup of coffee (not some schlocky $5 drink) for someone behind me IF I DECIDE TO DO SO... but had I been approached by the window server to do that, I would have told him to go blow it. And called corporate.
What I bet - it was a racket. The rare occasions I do a drivethru coffee thing, I get a cup of coffee with a shot of espresso. That's it - no fritz, no foam, no expensive syrupy blender drink. Costs all of $1.75 (actually a buck and a half locally). So where does the other 3 and a quarter go? You betcha... right into the moocher's pocket. Laughing all the way to the bank.
And I bet he didn't even feel guilty about it...
The system would make me feel a little weird and lousy about it. It's like socialism but without the zeros behind the dollar figure.
Someone could have broken the system by ordering something really expensive or getting just a cup of water. The system works b/c you're basically paying for roughly what you ordered.
Really, the best Pay it Forward is successful commerce and strong property rights
$100 is better spent on a home espresso machine. Starbucks over-roasts cheap beans and makes mediocre coffee (at best.) Just my opinion, at least we can still choose where we drink coffee.
The easier way is to buy a hot air popcorn popper. About 100 grams roasts in about 10-15 minutes, and the 'cracking' points are obvious. There are 2 'cracks' that occur as the beans roast. The 'crack' is the sound the beans make as they respond to the heat by expansion. The first is usually at the med roast point, and the second at very dark roast. A popcorn popper can also be used to roast raw nuts (e.g., almonds) in about 2 minutes per 100 grams. The 100 gram weight (of coffee beans or nuts) is about how much will continue to be turned/rotated by the hot air so the roasting is very evenly done. I usually roast enough beans to last me for about a week as the flavor falls off over time.
http://www.sweetmarias.com/airpop/airpop...
I wonder if it was the barista's idea to hold up the next person in line. Watch out, it'll become Starburnt's policy on Tuesdays. Like Nancy Reagan used to say "Just Say No".
thank him for the statement -- coercion is force, and
the IRS is the universal master. it's like BHO giving
the enemy 5 for one, just to be nice -- will we ever
get our other 4? NO -- j
p.s. just like our fair share of United Way -- which
the company used as a measure of employee
loyalty. I gave privately and at work ... oh well.