Female barista forced to compliment customers, tell them ‘I love you.’ It backfires one day: ‘Dangerous’

A former barista recalls how a coffee shop she once worked at forced the employees to compliment the customers and say, “I love you.” Here’s how it seriously backfired.

TikTok creator Mary (@hashslinging_slasher9) posted a video that describes what happened.

“I used to work at a coffee shop where every customer who came down the line … you had to compliment them. Which, love. But you also had to say, ‘I love you,’ handing them the coffee or [when] they’re leaving the register.”

This was an actual part of the job and not optional. Mary says it was easier to compliment women on nails or a cute sweater, but she sometimes struggled with what to say to men, many of whom dressed more plainly.

Former Barista Forced to Tell Customers ‘I Love You’

In one case, a man approached the register and Mary was left grasping for a compliment. So she said, “That’s a nice, full beard you’ve got there.” 

Immediately, Mary could tell she messed up.

“And I could see his eyes [light up],” she says. “He went, ‘Wow, thank you. What’s your name?’ I had never seen this man come in the coffee shop, and I swear to God he came in every single day for the rest of that week and would be like, ‘Hey, Mary.’”

It’s understandable that Mary would find the behavior concerning.

“And not only did I have to compliment this man,” she says. “I had to tell him I loved him. Which I think just added onto the whole complimenting the beard thing. I was a little worried.”

Barista Ultimately Quits Job Because the Policy Is ‘Too Much’

Fortunately, she says the man stopped returning to the coffee shop after about a week. However, she says, “I have heard of situations where women get followed after their job and everything. And I feel like this job is kind of just asking for it by just being kind. I love the concept of the coffee shop, but I could also see how women would get a lot of stalkers at that job.”

Mary says she quit that job soon after the incident because it was “too much” to handle all the customer interactions provoked by the policy.

The comments section was full of people who do not appreciate the concept of a policy mandating compliments and endearments for every customer.

“Such a dangerous concept,” one person wrote.

Another person agreed, writing, “Saying ‘I love you’ is so weird!”

Someone else said, “That’s so unsafe for women employees.”

@hashslinging_slasher9 Lil storytime #fyp #storytime #coffeeshop ♬ original sound – Hashslinging_slasher9

Is Mary Talking About La La Land Kind Cafe?

Mary doesn’t say explicitly, but the coffee shop concept she describes does sound a lot like the La La Land Kind Cafe chain, which asks its baristas to tell their customers “I love you.” The brand is centered around “spreading kindness” in addition to serving coffee and it also works to support foster youth. 

And baristas are already facing an unbelievable amount of discrimination in the workplace, including physical, verbal, and sexual harassment from the establishments they work for and the customers they serve. 

The Mary Sue contacted Mary via TIkTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted La La Land Cafe via email for comment. 

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