A Lesson In Etiquette: Cafe Sets Coffee Price On How Polite You Are To The Staff

Being well-mannered never goes out of style. And being polite and respectful to people in the service industry is a subject that often surfaces on social media. From celebrities to politicians, public figures are judged on how they treat staff at restaurants, and other public places, as it is considered to be a reflection of their true personality. Now, a coffee shop has come up with a unique way to reiterate the importance of being respectful to staffers in the hospitality industry. The eatery, whose location remains unknown, has set three prices for their small-size coffee depending on how polite you are.

For instance, the coffee is priced at $5 if the customer asks for it by just saying, “Small coffee.” The same coffee is priced at $3 if they say, “Small coffee, please.” It comes at a further discounted rate of $1.75 if the customer asks for it saying, “Hello, one small coffee, please.”

The picture of the sign was originally shared on Facebook, where one user said, rather unwittingly, “I am not saying please to someone below me.” The response received “angry” and “unhappy” reactions. Another user responded to the statement saying, “Judging by this comment, there is literally nobody below you.”

The post, with the aforementioned comments, made its way to Reddit. But the user who shared it on the platform had a completely different observation. “Who orders small coffee anyway?” they said. The post has received over 51.3K upvotes on the platform in less than 20 hours.

Responding to the photo and the rude comment below it, a Redditor, who goes by the name ‘Onlyupliftingcomment’ said, “Started at the bottom, and he’s still there! Ps: I still wish him the best.” Replying to this, a user said, “And you can’t wish him the worst, as he IS the worst.”

(Also Read: Complex Coffee Order Makes Barista Want To Quit His Job. See Viral Pic)

Several others said that the callous attitude towards people working in the service industry was part of a larger problem.

Sharing their experience, a user with the handle, ‘Carissadraws’ said, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sunken into a depression because I work retail. A lot of people don’t realize that it’s a matter of chance and luck if you get a better paying job and there simply aren’t enough ‘career’ type jobs out there for everyone to work. But we still are stuck in that old mindset that if you work retail you must be lazy and have no skills and not tried as hard as you could to get a better job.”

“The very mindset is boggling…every job (well, most) exists to enable other humans to do other things. Why does a barista have a job? So you can exchange a little money for some coffee without the time, effort, or resources required to make your own in the same manner,” said a user with the handle ‘Crimsonbol33′. “Talk about being ungrateful and biting the hand that feeds.”

The sign seems to have managed to create a conversation about the dignity of labour. Tell us what you think about the post.