Charlotte Barista felt unsafe behind the counter. Then she breaks down in tears after the customer finally leaves with a vulgar goodbye: ‘shaking’

A boba shop worker in Charlotte says a customer reduced her to tears after a lengthy dispute over a drink order escalated into shouting and swearing, all in front of the customer’s 6-year-old daughter.

The worker, who posts under the username @seriouslyaddisonscousin and goes by Lilly Rae, shared the story in a TikTok video that has drawn 2.7 million views and more than 1,700 comments. She said her manager encouraged her to post about the incident after it happened.

In her caption, Rae wrote that the customer accused her of “being disrespectful in front of her daughter” while the customer herself was “swearing and yelling,” adding that she remained calm throughout the exchange.

Order for an off-menu drink combination sparks confusion

According to Rae, she was working alone when a mother and daughter walked in. The mother appeared upset from the start, she said, and asked her daughter what she wanted to order in a short tone. Such tense customer-barista interactions can escalate quickly, as when a barista was stunned after a customer claimed she received cold coffee because she’s white. 

Rae explained that the shop was running a promotion offering a $2 black milk tea. She recalled that the mother then tried to order a “black milk tea strawberry matcha honeydew milk,” which Rae interpreted as three separate drinks. She said she asked the customer to clarify, explaining that the honeydew milk had no tea, the strawberry matcha was a matcha milk tea, and the black milk tea contained black tea.

The customer then asked for the black milk tea made with honeydew milk instead, a combination not on the menu, Rae said. She said she agreed to try making it but warned that she could not guarantee it would taste the way the customer expected since she would be improvising the recipe.

Rae said the customer struggled with the menu and asked if it was the only one available, calling it “too complicated” while looking at it. In response, Rae said she told the customer that her daughter appeared to understand it. The mother then turned to her daughter, and asked if she still wanted to eat there, suggesting they leave, Rae recalled, but the daughter said she knew what she wanted.

The mother stepped aside to let another customer order first, Rae said, then continued questioning the menu when it was her turn again. Rae claimed the customer said she had ordered a similar drink at “the other boba shop,” which her manager did not recognize as a regular customer. 

She also said the customer reacted negatively to menu items, at one point saying a description “sounds literally disgusting” in front of her daughter before ordering it anyway. Such disputes over service can escalate quickly, as seen when a McDonald’s worker refused to serve a customer over drink complaints, telling them to get out of the drive-thru. 

The customer’s total came to about $20 after adding toppings, Rae said, and the woman rolled her eyes and pulled out her card “aggressively.” Rae said she believed the customer had been trying to get the $2 drink promotion applied to items that did not qualify by including the words “black milk tea” in each order.

While Rae was preparing a bubble waffle for a different customer, she said the woman complained that the other customer’s drink was ready but had not been announced, accusing Rae of making them uncomfortable. Rae explained that store policy was to call out orders only once they were fully complete. She said the other customer did not appear bothered, but the woman grew upset on their behalf.

When Rae brought over the woman’s own order, she said the customer commented to her daughter that the drink was “edible” but “not really good,” waiting until Rae was within earshot to say it. The customer then asked to speak with a manager, and accused Rae of being “disrespectful,” “rude,” and “unprofessional,” including for warning her that the off-menu drink might taste different and for confirming that mango milk was already included in the mango matcha.

Rae said she repeatedly apologized and tried to end the conversation, telling the customer she was sorry she felt that way and wishing her a good day. The customer continued to say she had never asked for Rae’s opinion, she said. Rae recalled eventually replying, “Well, unfortunately, ma’am, I didn’t ask for your opinion either right now, and you’re still giving it to me.”

The customer then began yelling and cursing at her in front of her daughter, saying, “This is so inappropriate, you are so f–king rude, I’m calling your manager,” Rae said. She said she told the customer to go ahead and call. As the woman left, Rae said the customer told her, “I hope you have the exact day you deserve,” to which Rae replied, “Okay, I will. Thank you.”

Rae said she broke down crying once the customer left and was close to a panic attack before her manager arrived. Her manager told her she wished she had been there sooner to intervene, Rae said. She added that the customer had also told her, “I’ve been in the food industry my entire life and this is not a professional way to act,” to which Rae responded, “You’re pushing forty, fifty and you still work at McDonald’s or something?”

Commenters on the video appeared to largely side with Rae. One wrote, “Imagine what her poor daughter has to go through everyday.” Another said, “Normalize telling rude customers to LEAVE.” A third commented, “As a former barista, I absolutely believe every word of this.” One viewer suggested a policy change, writing, “Unfortunately ur manager should probably implement a policy for no off menu drinks just to avoid this in the future. One bad egg ruins it for everyone else.”