Do Not Attempt The Rude Drink Trick Some Starbucks Customers Are Trying

Ever since Starbucks announced that it would be offering fewer discounts going into the 2024 holidays, customers have been finding new ways to save. But there's a certain set of etiquette rules you should follow when ordering at coffee shops — and it shouldn't be a surprise that lying to your barista about your order is a big no no. Starbucks baristas on Reddit have been catching on to a trend of customers asking them for hot drinks, and then changing their mind and claiming they ordered them iced. 

This is all in an effort to get the employees to remake the drinks while allowing them to keep the originals. While some people might have been successful in their attempts, ending up with two drinks for the price of one, Starbucks baristas say it's only ever worked in cases where the customer made an honest mistake — or the baristas themselves failed to ask whether they wanted their drink hot or iced. 

Otherwise, if you're thinking you can just pull through the drive through and out with double the drinks you paid for, you'll be sadly mistaken. Baristas are well aware of the trick, and they won't appreciate you trying to pull one over on them. In most cases, they'll keep the drink and throw it out before ever handing it over to a liar. Much less, for free. Attempting this rude trick will only leave you feeling embarrassed — and rightfully so. You shouldn't plan on showing your face at that Starbucks again.

Starbucks customers have come up with many ways to save, some more nefarious than others. With the return of the condiment bar, a classic café feature that Starbucks is set to bring back in 2025, many baristas are bracing themselves for customers to start ordering their drinks without the milk or sweeteners. By just ordering a shot or two of espresso, customers pay a fraction of the cost for their drinks and whip the rest of it up themselves at the condiment bar.

Stocked with everything from carafes of creamer to honey to stirring sticks, customers have all the elements at their disposal to concoct their drinks all by themselves. But, when people do this, that only means that Starbucks baristas will be needing to restock the condiments much more often. It also inconveniences other customers, who attempt to use the bar for its intended purpose, only to find the milk carafe completely empty or the sugar packets gone.

Other hacks, like ordering your iced drinks without ice, swapping free whipped cream for creamer, or adding flavored syrup to your water, are a tad less annoying but still inconvenient for baristas. Without the ice, Starbucks employees end up using more product — which means they'll be needing to restock them more often. TikTok circulated claims that ice waters with added flavorings would only cost you 50 cents, but I found that largely depends on the location and the barista.