Dogs and their Biscuits

The store I work at has had three managers in the 18 months it's been open. (The first was there a month, the second's last day was November 30th, and the third plans on staying forever.) The first official day the store was open, one of the baristas suggested that drive-thru should have doggy biscuits for all the dogs that are dragged around town by their owners. (I, personally, disagreed with that suggestion and you'll see why as I move on.) The first manager did it, and it's become a tradition and having the biscuits is expected by several dogs and their owners.

We ran out of biscuits last Tuesday. I worked drive several times between then and yesterday and each owner who wanted a biscuit for their dog, I was pleasant and told them there were no more biscuits. Most were nice back and told me we should get more biscuits. Yesterday was different.

There was a lady, with her little weiner dog on her lap, who pulled up to the menu at about 5:30 yesterday evening, she ordered a drink and a dog treat. I told her we had no treats today.

She asked me if I was sure. I said I was and gave her the total.

She pulled forward to the window, the weiner dog trying to climb into Starbucks. I asked her for her money.

She said she I should go buy dog treats. I said I couldn't, there were only two of us in the store now and asked her for the money.

She said she wanted a cookie, like a snikerdoodle, for the weiner dog. I said we had sold out of all cookies but had biscotti (which is true) and asked her for her money.

She handed me the money and said I should go buy more treats. I took the money and gave her the change and her drink and said I can't and it's not up to me to make a trip to the store unless we run out of milk (which we do, constantly).

She raised her voice at me and said that I should be fired for not having treats! She wanted to complain to the manager! She wanted to write a complaint to the company! She thought that our store should be shut down! She's never come back here again! I offered to get her one of those complaint forms that can be mailed to Starbucks. She drove off.

I don't think she was kidding about any of what she yelled. She wasn't laughing. She wasn't smiling. She was pissed. And this is why I wish our store had never started with this dog biscuit thing. Whenever we run out there's always a couple of nuts like that.

I hope we never get a new batch of biscuits.