Starbucks Customer Gives Apology Card, Cash To Barista For Her Bad Behavior


A somewhat-rude Californian Starbucks customer went out of way to offer an apology card to the mild-mannered barista who served her recently.

Bishop barista Andrew Richardson, 20, was scheduled to work the drive-thru of the Inyo County establishment on March 20, according to a press release from the company, when he first took notice of the “less than cheerful” woman who pulled up to his window and began demanding his service.

“[The customer] ordered [her] drinks, requested a carrier and asked if he would throw away some trash from her car,” the New York Post adds, the latter of which Richardson was forced to decline due to the state’s health code.

On top of being legally unable to grab the garbage, Andrew also had the grim task of informing the female Starbucks consumer that the store was out of carriers at that particular moment, which he says caused an instant, but slight change in the woman’s demeanor.

“She was mildly irritated [with me],” Richardson relayed, “but she was still pleasant. If there was [such a thing as] a rudeness scale,” he continued, “it was like a 2 [out] of 10.”

Andrew remarked that the remainder of the transaction went on without further incident and that he pretty much forgot about the woman, until she returned to Starbucks the very next day to offer him a verbal apology, as well as a handwritten card with a $50 bill inside.

“I need to apologize,” the scripted words read.

“Yesterday at your drive thru, we had a less than cheerful encounter. At no fault of yours, you said you could not take my empty cup [and] I was less than understanding.”

“My manner was curt,” she continued, “[and] the thought of leaving a trail of unkindness like that is so not the path I want to reflect. Keep up your attitude of cheer and hope. You taught this ole lady something yesterday.”

The apology-giving Starbucks customer then signed the card, “Debbie.”

Admittedly, Andrew couldn’t help but feel befuddled and touched over Debbie’s actions.

“I just really wasn’t expecting that,” Richardson stated.

“When she came back, [we had] a lovely interaction. She was so nice and so kind. It was very, very heartwarming.”

His manager, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised at all that Debbie felt the need to make amends to the hard-working Andrew.

A mildly-rude Starbucks customer went out of her way to offer an apology card to the barista who served her. [Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

“[He’s] just a fun kid to work with,” Donna Smalley remarked about her two-year-long staff member.

“He’s upbeat and he’s very good with customers, as you can see from all of this. This is a big deal, not only for Andrew personally but for our whole store, because somebody recognized the fact that our job isn’t always easy and we do the best we can to try to please our customers.”

Whereas the not-so-mean Debbie went out of her way to offer an apology to her Starbucks server, a North Carolina coffee drinker gained national media attention last year after the note she wrote to three rude girls, who were also customers at the Starbucks she frequented, went viral.

Author Michelle Icard would go on to chastise the young women, whom she claimed not to personally know, for an inconsiderate conversation that was reportedly themed around their classmates.

“I sat near you today in Starbucks and listened as you talked,” she partially stated, as the Business Insider transcribed, “and you [all] sounded so mean and petty. You are smart and you are pretty. It would take nothing from you to also be kind.”

“I didn’t want to shame them out loud or put them on the spot,” Icard eventually said of her non-apology card to the young Starbucks’ lovers, “but my hope is that maybe, just one of them was only going along with the others [during that conversation].”

[Featured Image by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images]

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