Coffee culture

Starbucks Baristas Desperately Upselling Customers? The Bill is Shocking!

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee
Last Updated: 2026/01/27, For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style). For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee's private WeChat account: qjcoffeex. Recently, a college student studying in Malaysia was ordering at a local Starbucks when...

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add the private WeChat of FrontStreet Coffee, WeChat ID: qjcoffeex

Recently, a university student studying in Malaysia, when ordering at a local Starbucks, couldn't understand the staff's English. To avoid embarrassment, the student nodded frantically to everything the staff said...

The result! A Belgian Chocolate Frappuccino that originally cost 21.5 Ringgit (RMB 33) ended up costing 44 Ringgit (RMB 68) when paying?!!!

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From the receipt provided by the student, we can see that the Belgian Chocolate Frappuccino Venti originally cost 21.5 Ringgit, but numerous extras were added later! And these additions were confirmed by the staff... during those moments when the student nodded frantically because they couldn't understand!

After realizing this student didn't understand what he was saying, the staff member then aggressively persuaded the customer to add caramel sauce, cookie crumble, chocolate chips, vanilla cream, and 6 other toppings (wow! really sweet enough to give you diabetes rhythm

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The Student's Realization

When the student realized the staff had deliberately "tricked" them, after the drink was prepared, the ordering staff and other colleagues at the bar were secretly laughing at them. Only then did the student understand that the ordering staff knew they didn't understand but still nodded in response, and then began adding extras to their drink.

For this, the student deeply regretted it! At the same time, because these additions were "agreed" to through their own nodding, they couldn't file a complaint. So the student shared their experience on social media platforms.

Netizens' Reactions

The responses from netizens were both sympathetic and unsympathetic... Many Malaysian netizens expressed that 44 Ringgit for a cup of coffee is truly a sky-high price locally!! Some netizens also mentioned that for people living and studying in Malaysia, English is basic communication. If this student couldn't understand, perhaps the staff was speaking Malay...

But other netizens suggested that perhaps the student didn't misunderstand - it's that when staff ask if you want to add this or that, they won't tell you it requires extra payment. Those who know will say no, while those who don't know are like lambs waiting to be slaughtered, especially first-time or infrequent visitors.

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Other netizens shared that they've had similar experiences, not just at Starbucks - many places ask if you want to add this or that, but don't tell you it costs money...

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For this reason, many netizens expressed that when ordering at Starbucks, they just stick to Americano or Latte. When ordering other items, they immediately add: "that's it, thank you"/"that's all, thank you." Don't respond to things you don't understand, or say you don't understand, otherwise you'll easily be overcharged.

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