This Starbucks customer stuttered while placing his morning order, then claimed the barista mocked his speech in a bizarre way

A Starbucks customer has seemingly gone viral. According to Brobible, he posted a video in which he claimed a Starbucks barista mocked him for stuttering while he was ordering. Apparently, the barista who took his order not only wrote his name but also the speech disfluencies as sarcasm on his cup. This move made him post a TikTok about it. 

The user (@mrburgies) posted a video on TikTok showing the name on his cup, which read “Um Uh Paul.” The man showed on camera that it was not just written in the record book, which is to be the franchise’s property, but also on the order screen. Apparently, the same name was written on the coffee label. 

On the overlay of his video, he wrote, “POV: You stutter at Starbucks, and they add the ‘Um Uh’ to the beginning of your name.” And wrote in the description, “They put the stutter in my name.” His facial expressions suggest he was quite surprised by the brand’s unusual move.

Viewers seemingly shared similar experiences with Starbucks

The viewers mentioned similar experiences they had with Starbucks. One of them wrote, “i said ‘uh bree’ and it came out as ‘aubri.’” Another one wrote, “I said ‘uh Mila’ and they put ‘Amila’ and I think that name is so pretty.”

Even though some comments seemed like people following trends in how their names were pronounced, others pointed out the pattern of consistent misspelling. Some claimed that misspelling is a way to advertise. One of the commenters wrote, “You guys do realize this is advertisement though right?” However, Starbucks, whose CEO was reportedly confronted by a 10-year-old employee, didn’t comment, which could have helped clarify the situation.

Apart from viewers, Eater has also recognized the pattern. According to them, the decades-long misspelling seems deliberate, so the audience has a reason to talk about the brand. They mentioned that when it usually happens, people go on social media to post about it, creating a ripple effect that makes the company more visible and relevant across social media.

Opinion: I also believe this could be a tactic to keep customers playfully engaged with the brand. However, the actual reason will be clear if Starbucks responds. I think it’s fair for a customer to find it weird, and it’s not like the customer ended up with a bizarre confrontation either. He only posted a TikTok about it that lasts for a couple of seconds.