00:00Hi. Excuse me, I am so sorry to bother you doing the rush, but I really need to use the
00:05restroom.
00:06Could you tell me where the toilets are?
00:08Restrooms are for customers only. You want to use them, you need to buy something first.
00:12This isn't a public bathroom, it's a private business.
00:15Yes, oh, I completely understand your policy and I really respect that, but I'm in a bit of a hurry.
00:21And I don't think I have any money with me right now.
00:24Is there any way you can make just one exception?
00:27I promise I'll come back another time to buy something.
00:30I'm actually a really big coffee lover, so I'd definitely be back as a real customer.
00:35Listen lady, this isn't a charity case situation, it's a business.
00:39If you want to use our facilities, you join the line like everyone else and purchase something.
00:44We can't have people wandering off in the streets expecting free service just because they asked nicely.
00:48I really do understand your position, but it's kind of an emergency situation.
00:53Emergency? What kind of emergency?
00:56You should have thought of that before you left your house without any money.
00:59How do I know you're not just making up some sob story to get free bathroom access?
01:03I'm not making up anything, I'm just a person who needs to use the restroom.
01:08Yeah, well, I'm just a person who's trying to run a business here.
01:11Emergency or not, the policy is the policy. Buy something or leave.
01:15I don't have time to debate this with every person who walks in here with empty pockets.
01:19Okay, I understand, thank you for your time anyway.
01:24People trying to get everything for free these days, unbelievable.
01:27What's next, free coffee just because you're thirsty?
01:37Are you okay? I'm sorry, that was incredibly harsh treatment.
01:40I'll be fine, thanks. Just hoping I can get this sorted out.
01:45I cannot believe how rude she was to you. You were nothing but polite and respectful about the whole thing.
01:51Everyone has bad days, I guess, but yeah, that wasn't very nice at all.
01:55There's having a bad day and then there's just being downright mean to people for no reason.
02:01That was definitely the latter. You handled it with a lot more grace than I would have.
02:06I was just out running errands downtown when, you know, nature called.
02:11And honestly, I thought most places would be understanding about something as basic as using the restroom.
02:16Yeah, they absolutely should be. It's basic human decency and compassion.
02:21Plus, you weren't asking for anything expensive or complicated, just access to a bathroom.
02:27Exactly, and I even offered to come back as a paying customer later.
02:30It's not like I was trying to take advantage of anyone.
02:33That barista clearly gets some kind of power trip from being able to deny people basic human needs.
02:40Listen, I've worked in customer service before and I know it can be stressful,
02:44but I always try to find ways to help people and not make their day worse.
02:47That's because you understand what customer service actually means.
02:52It's about service, not power.
02:58Look, watch how differently she treats me.
03:01I guarantee your attitude will be completely different.
03:04You think so?
03:05I know so.
03:07Some people judge customers based on appearance and assumptions about money, but...
03:11But hey, please go before me. You're in a hurry.
03:14Thanks.
03:19Hi, could you tell me how much a croissant costs? I'm having trouble seeing the prices up there.
03:23All the prices are right there if you bother to look properly.
03:27Everything's clearly displayed. Use your eyes instead of asking me to read for you.
03:31I'm sorry, the lighting makes it hard to see. Could you just tell me the price?
03:36The croissant is $6.50, the coffee is $4.50, the muffins are $5.75.
03:42There. Happy now?
03:43Okay, let me see what I have here.
03:58I'm really sorry. I thought I had enough money, but I'm short a few dollars.
04:01I have $3.25. Is there anything I could get for that amount?
04:12Nope.
04:13Cheapest thing we have is small coffee for $4.50.
04:16You got $4.50?
04:18Looks like you're out of luck twice today.
04:21What about just a small regular cup of coffee? Not even the fancy stuff?
04:28Lady, I just told you the prices. $4.50 is $4.50. I can't change the prices just because you
04:33don't have enough money.
04:34This isn't a bargain store where you can negotiate.
04:38Sorry, honey. I got distracted by that phone call. I'll take care of your order.
04:44Uh, two large coffees and two croissants, please. And we'll take a table by the window if that's okay.
04:50That'll be $18.75.
05:06Hi again.
05:08Oh, hi. Hey, uh, I'm Richard, by the way. Sorry for the whole husband act, but I couldn't watch that
05:16continue.
05:17I'm Lily. Uh, thank you so much for doing that. I'll pay you back, I promise.
05:22Don't worry about it. Anyone would have done the same thing.
05:26She seems to really have it out for me.
05:29She's just on a power trip. Some people get a little authority and it goes to their heads.
05:34This is so embarrassing. I can't believe I didn't have enough money for a simple coffee. God.
05:39The only embarrassing behavior here was from the barista. You were nothing but polite.
05:45I mean, I was just out running errands when nature called. I honestly thought most places would be understanding about
05:51a quick rest or muse. I mean, God.
05:53You know, they should be. It's not like you were asking for free food or trying to loiter or anything
05:59like that. I just don't get it.
06:01Right. So, what do you do to work?
06:05I'm in business development. I work with a lot of restaurants and cafes around the city, actually.
06:11Funny thing is, I'm actually really good friends with the CEO who owns this coffee chain. We went to business
06:16school together.
06:18Really? What? That's quite a coincidence.
06:22I know, right? Marcus takes customer service very seriously. That's not just a front. He's always asking me to let
06:30him know if I notice any issues at his locations.
06:32He built his whole brand on treating customers like family. If he knew how his staff was treating people, I'm
06:40definitely going to mention today's experience to Marcus.
06:43I'm not sure if our friend over there will still be working here next week once he hears about this.
06:47Excuse me, sir, ma'am. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation and I want to sincerely apologize if it
06:55seemed like I was a little harsh or unfriendly earlier.
06:58Oh, that's okay. No, it's really not okay at all. You were just asking for help and I should have
07:05been much more understanding and compassionate about your situation.
07:09I've been having an incredibly stressful day. We've been short staffed. I've been working double shifts and I guess I
07:15let my personal frustrations affect how I treated you.
07:18You know, that's very nice of you to acknowledge, but I'm sorry. I have to say the damage has already
07:24been done here.
07:25Customer service isn't just about being polite when you think someone important might be watching.
07:30It's about treating every single person who walks through that door with basic respect and dignity.
07:36Yeah, I mean, I appreciate the apology. I really do. I mean, everyone has bad days.
07:42And I understand that in working customer service can be really challenging, but being kind to others doesn't cost anything.
07:51And it can make such a huge difference in somebody's day.
07:54You're absolutely right. And I feel terrible about how I handle the situation.
07:59Can I bring you some complimentary pastries or maybe I could refund your entire purchase.
08:04I could give you both gift cards for future visits.
08:07You know, that's very generous of you to offer, but gestures like that, they just don't really address the underlying
08:13problem.
08:14The issue isn't that you were rude to us specifically. The issue is that you were cruel to someone who
08:20was just asking for basic human dignity.
08:23I mean, if you had just been polite about enforcing your restroom policy, even while saying no, this whole situation
08:30could have been completely avoided.
08:32I mean, you could have said something like, I'm sorry, but our policy requires a purchase.
08:37However, let me see if there's anything affordable that might work for you.
08:41You're absolutely right. I was completely out of line and unprofessional.
08:45Is there anything I can do to make this right? Please. I need this job. This is my only source
08:50of income right now.
08:51I'm sorry. Maybe you just have to reconsider how you approach situations like this in the future.
08:56A little compassion and empathy goes a long way in customer service.
09:01Every person who walks in that door is a human being with their own challenges and their own circumstances.
09:08So I think we just hope that you learn from this experience and treat future customers with more kindness.
09:14Please. Wait. Is there any way I could not mention this incident to your friend, Marcus?
09:20I promise I'll never treat anyone like this again. I've learned my lesson.
09:25No, no, no. I'm afraid that decision was made when you chose to be cruel to someone who is just
09:30asking for basic human dignity and maybe a little compassion.
09:34Marcus specifically asked me to report these kind of situations because they directly contradict everything his brand stands for.
09:43I'm sorry, but we'll definitely be sharing this experience with him. Marcus should know exactly how his brand is being
09:50represented by his staff.
09:52You know, thank you again for everything, Richard. You really saved my day and restored my faith in human kindness.
09:58My pleasure, Lily. Some things are more important than business policies and power trips.
10:05Sometimes people need to be reminded that kindness and empathy should always come first.
10:10I hope other business owners have friends like you who keep them accountable for their customer service.
10:15In my experience, the best business owners want to know when things like this happen. It's the only way they
10:21can maintain their standards.
10:23Wait, please. Can we can we talk about this? I was just having a bad day. Everyone has bad days.
10:40We have lost some directenanigans. Let was have a bad day.
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