Luckin Coffee Trending! Why So Much Ice in Coffee and Milk Tea Shop Beverages?

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Luckin Coffee Faces Backlash Over Ice-Heavy Drinks

Recently, multiple consumers have taken to the internet to complain about Luckin Coffee's iced beverages containing excessive ice and reduced cup volume when requesting "no ice," sparking widespread attention.

Yesterday, the topic "Luckin Coffee criticized for half-full cups after removing ice" topped Weibo's trending list. The issue began when a user posted on Xiaohongshu: "Luckin's no-ice policy not filling cups is getting increasingly outrageous," sharing photos of two coffees they had received.

Multiple netizens in the comments section expressed that they had also encountered situations where coffee volume was reduced after removing ice. One user shared how they manually removed ice from their iced milk coffee, comparing it to a colleague's full cup ordered with "no ice" notes, finding the volume reduced by more than half. Many netizens added, "After removing ice, only half a cup remains," and "Luckin's coconut latte is like finding latte in ice."

Industry-Wide Issue

Regarding the issue of "high ice proportion," some netizens noticed that besides Luckin, other chain brands also follow similar practices. "Starbucks also doesn't have enough milliliters without ice," and "It's not just coffee—all milk teas have more ice than liquid." If consumers want unchanged coffee volume, "they can drink hot coffee, which is basically a full cup."

Actually, complaints about Luckin Coffee's excessive ice have been circulating on social platforms for the past two years, with netizens sharing their "frustrating experiences" and posting photos of their "cups full of ice" for everyone to see.

"Now I understand why Luckin could turn losses into profits this fiscal year," wrote one consumer who bought Luckin's iced latte, initially unable to insert the straw to the bottom due to excessive ice. "Luckin's ice is free!" "The ice blocked the straw path!" "Did I pay for a cup of ice?" "As long as I drink fast enough, they can't dilute my coconut latte!"

Luckin's Response

Regarding the recent online complaints, Luckin Coffee's official Xiaohongshu account promptly responded in the comments section, stating they would "immediately investigate the specific situation." They later contacted the consumer, acknowledging that "the coffee volume was indeed insufficient."

According to a video report by Jiupai News, after contacting Luckin's official customer service by phone, Luckin's response to the incident was: all store beverages are made according to standard recipes and procedures with fixed cup volumes. "We will feedback this situation to relevant departments and will strengthen store training and management in the future."

Additionally, Luckin's customer service emphasized how customers can file complaints about orders. "If your ordered beverage has other issues, you can call us using the phone number used for ordering, and we will assist you in resolving the order issues."

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