Starbucks is popular among coffee lovers. Photo Credit: iStock
Starbucks is popular not only for its coffee but also for its unique practice of taking customers' names for orders. This personal touch has become a trademark of the coffee giant, making each visit a more personalised and enjoyable experience. But, apparently, not for all. Not everyone is comfortable sharing their names with the servers. In a recent Reddit post that has captured the attention of many, a 22-year-old man shared his unusual habit of using a fake name when ordering at places like Starbucks and other cafes. While his decision seemed like a harmless personal choice, it led to a disagreement with his girlfriend, leaving him questioning his actions.
The man, who goes by the username u/solecism18 on Reddit, revealed that he feels uncomfortable giving out his real name in public places where the staff shout out names when orders are ready. "I can't tell you why, I have a normal, reasonably common name I like fine enough but for some reason, it majorly creeps me out when a barista shouts my name through a room full of strangers. I guess it's just some (at least to me) harmless quirk I have." He added that he simply prefers to go by the name "Tom" instead of revealing his real identity.
But things took a turn for the worse when he went on a coffee date with his new girlfriend. He ordered their drinks, and when the barista called out "Tom," he collected their order. This left his girlfriend feeling perplexed and eventually angry. She found his behaviour "disrespectful" because she believed it implied that he thought everyone in the store was untrustworthy and might do something harmful with his real name.
The man, however, emphasised that his decision had nothing to do with disrespecting others but was solely about his personal comfort. He expressed disappointment in his girlfriend's reaction, adding, "But she can't see it like that, she thinks I am a pathological liar who is way too suspicious of everyone and I need to stop. I really can't see the problem she has, it's really not that deep."
The man turned to the Reddit community and asked, "I don't think I am hurting anyone... or am I??
The Reddit post got 15k upvotes and more than 9k comments, which overwhelmingly supported him.
One user, u/Bear_faced, commented, "I don't think it's "disrespectful" (none of the Starbucks employees will know or care if you use a fake name) but it's definitely weird that you think it matters in any way if a handful of random strangers hear a first name with no confirmation that it's actually your name."
Another user, u/DontAskMeChit, shared their own experience, "I do the same thing, I have a common name that can sound like many other names so the confusion just adds up, so I give a name I can easily recognize. For your gf to get so worked up over it is a bit much."
Another user 'revyakitten' shares, "I used to work at one of those places that asked for names. A few of the older regulars whose names I did know absolutely did not want their real names punched into the system because they were suspicious of the system and I actually enjoyed coming up with goofy fake names for them. They loved it. I wasn't upset. Most of those people working there don't know you. They don't care.
So, do you share your real name at Starbucks?