breakfast in the land of the coffee giant

[rivendellrose]

I have to ask - In the mind of Starbucks, what the heck is the difference between a "butter croissant" and any other kind of croissant? They don't have two kinds or anything... but every time I order one, no matter who I order from or who is at the register, somebody says "Butter croissant?" as though worried they'll give me the wrong thing.

It's a croissant, folks. It's not even, as croissants go, all that terribly buttery. The people at this Starbucks are otherwise very sweet, sensible, and fun people (who are probably moreso with my coworkers and I because I suspect they realize that my office is about 65% of their daily business...) so it's not that they're being snotty or something. They just... can't seem to just say "croissant." WTF?

Comments

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Is this possibly the same phenomenon that occurs when you try to order a small coffee?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

But, see, I always thought of that (while annoying) as an understandable terminology issue - they're trying to make sure that you can't get mad at them for giving them the wrong size, or something. With a croissant... they only have one kind of croissant. It's not like there's "Butter Croissant" or "Chocolate Croissant" (which happens, and I know some people love them). Butter Croissant = Croissant. There is no difference. There's no potential for confusion. IT JUST IS.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Not being a Starbucks afficionado, I do not speak from a voice of experience. But my impression is that counter help gets trained on what things are called, whether there's potential for confusion or not, and when they hear it called something else then they want to verify that they are, indeed, getting the thing you want.
It's a poor analogy, but if they were selling lemon tarts, and those were the only tarts they sold, I could see them confirming 'lemon tart?' if you ordered a tart.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Hmm, good point. That may very well be what I'm up against... particularly since this location is veeeeery close to Corporate HQ for them, not to mention one of their training facilities (directly across the street). Interesting. I wonder if they're worried about being caught breaking "procedure."

[cirakaite.livejournal.com]

When I used to do the coffee run for my office, there was someone who would get a chocolate croissant every single morning. And about 70% of the time, the counter staff would cheerfully go and fetch . . . a chocolate pretzel.

It wasn't even the same people. Croissant and pretzel don't SOUND alike. Pretzels aren't breakfast food. To this day, I don't get it. But I wish that they'd confirmed, even unnecessarily, by repeating the order back at me. -g-

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Okay, that's just downright weird. Though admittedly, part of the weirdness for me is that I've never seen a coffee place even sell pretzels, much less chocolate ones. o_O

[tavern-wench1.livejournal.com]

Try ordering a cinnamon bun. You'll get similar blank looks.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Seriously? But... what else can you call a cinnamon bun?

It's like they're trying to train us... it's pastry indoctrination, I'm telling you.

[lillerina.livejournal.com]

They also do almond croissant, they may be just checking that you don't mean one of those.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Do they? I'll have to ask for one next time, just to see - I don't think I've ever seen them in the case, but half the time the bagels and croissants are behind the case, too, so that might not mean anything.

[lillerina.livejournal.com]

They do in England, certainly, and I would assume it will be the same in the US. Check, anyway. I might be wrong!

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I'll definitely look into it! Sadly, I suspect it might turn out to be a case of regional menu variation... pity. I usually have croissants to avoid the sweet pastries, but I do very much like the taste of almonds...

Out of curiosity, is this almond as in "contains marzipan paste," or almond as in "has sliced almonds on?" I've seen both versions in French bakeries.

[lillerina.livejournal.com]

The one I had last time I had one had sliced almonds and icing on the top. It was very, very sweet. More sugary than almond I thought. But no almond paste as far as I remember.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that's too bad. Maybe I have seen those and just didn't recognize them as croissants...

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

All I know for sure is that I had to quit ordering cocoa at Starbucks. Because invariably I would receive a coffee mocha.

[maymargaret.livejournal.com]

well in france, there are 2, croissant au beurre which actually in entirely butter, and croissant something else that's partly margarine and are cheaper. I don't imagine Starbucks is being that specific because in this country anything that's slightly yellowish is buttery. I don't know chain restaurants confuse me. I keep ordering ginger snaps instead of a 'molassas cookie' and get funny looks.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Exactly. If I were ordering at a patisserie, I wouldn't be at all surprised at possibly having to confirm "croissant au beurre." In Starbucks... it just never occurred to me that there would be confusion.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Really? I've never had any trouble of that sort. I can't remember the last time I tried to order hot chocolate, though, I suppose... If I want hot chocolate at a coffee place, I'm going to Le Panier at Pike Place, or to Chocolati, for the real thing.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Which would be great, yeah. But when you can't stand the smell or the taste of coffee and everybody in the car is all MUST. STARBUCKS. IMMEDIATELY. as if all the air in the chamber had been vented into space and SB was an oxygen bar...

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. I've seen plenty of offices where that's the case...

I like coffee. I just don't like Starbucks' coffee that much, except for their fancy drinks. I'll more happily drink the free stuff in the break room than pay for actual drip over at Starbucks. It probably tastes no better, but at least it's cheap. I use Starbucks for their pastries and sandwiches, since they're the closest food place to my work.

[hoperomantic.livejournal.com]

I must admit that I'm a bad Washingtonian; I'm not actually a big fan of Starbucks... *HR ducks head*

But it is kind of silly that they always ask you, especially if its your regular place.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

That's not a bad Washingtonian thing at all. I'm not the hugest fan of them either, and I'd prefer an independent coffee shop if we had one by the office. Unfortunately, Starbucks is it for cafes anywhere close to my work, so Starbucks it is.

(Also? With exception of their really fancy drinks, I hate their coffee. My roommate and I walk 10+ blocks to the independent shop by our old place, rather than go to Sbux for coffee. So no, you're not alone at all. ;) )

[miss-arel.livejournal.com]

They probably want to make sure you don't want a chocolate croissant? I see those at Starbucks all the time, and they are tasty. :D

Having worked multiple food service jobs by now, I feel it's better to make quite ure you've got the order right (even if the customer looks at you like you're deficient) than to find out you got the order wrong after the customer's already paid / the food's already been prepared. That way lies badness. XD