Who here loves to get their Starbucks on? Raise your hand, ha, ha. Those drinks can get expensive, though. Am I right? But have you ever been caught in the ” pay it forward ” chain at Starbucks?
If you have, you know what I’m talking about. Well, this one woman put the brakes on continuing the chain, and her TikTok video has since gone viral. Let’s check it out.
Grace Johanna is a content creator.
She was recently at Starbucks when a barista informed her that she didn’t have to pay for her drink. She thought he was joking at first, but then she found out the real reason behind it.
As you have guessed, she got caught in a “pay-it-forward” chain.
She literally thought she was having the best day and thought the people in front of her were so kind with this gesture. Well, that is until she heard the rest of it. According to her, the barista informed her that the five previous customers paid for the people behind them.
So now the onus was on her to do the same.
That’s when she decided to break the chain, and here’s her justification for it. She felt that people were shamed into doing it, and she isn’t that kind of girl. According to her, she deserved to have a good day, get a free sandwich, and she wasn’t going to have that taken away from her.
Doesn’t this defeat the whole point?
She was the one on the receiving end of somebody else’s kindness so why should she feel obligated to do the same? Hmm, that’s a good point, no? Well, after she posted her video on TikTok lots of people chimed in.
And here’s what they had to say.
Even a barista chimed in and said that sometimes it’s important to indulge and appreciate a nice gesture without feeling obligated to pay for anyone else. And other people seemed to agree with this too.
I think it should be up to the person what they would like to do.
Perhaps today isn’t the best day for them to pay it forward? Maybe they just ran out with enough money for one coffee? Or maybe they’re struggling financially, and this is the only treat they get? We don’t know.
There shouldn’t be so much pressure to return the kind gesture.
Some people have said that they choose to treat somebody on a different day. Whether you end up doing it or not, it’s entirely up to you. I love the idea of this, but not when you’re put on the spot like that.
Here’s another suggestion.
Why not tip the barista instead? That’s a nice thought, right? You’re still paying it forward but doing it another way. Somebody is still benefiting from an act of kindness.
Honestly, Starbucks employees work really hard, and they deserve this more than customers who can afford those expensive coffees. At least, that’s how I feel.
What’s your take on this?
Have you ever been caught up in the pay-it-forward chain at Starbucks? Did you treat the person behind you, or did you just take your order and go? Or did you give a nice tip to the barista instead? I’d love to hear your opinion on this.
