The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

All Hail: Dunkin’ Do Not

My biggest pet peeve is incompetent people. I always try to give others the benefit of the doubt, but the Dunkin’ Donuts in Richards Hall has brought me to my wit’s end.

Not once have I stopped in and seen them not screw something up. Last Thursday afternoon was no exception.

I was on my way to my 11:45 a.m. class, trying to shake myself from my sleepy stupor in anticipation for the 100-minute class that usually just becomes my extended naptime.

I came upon Dunkin’ Donuts and I was overcome with the urge for coffee. Weak-willed, I succumbed to my desire and entered the building.

It was a high-traffic time, with the line extending from the little donut nook all the way to the staircase at the end of the hall. But I had 15 minutes to spare and my yearning for coffee overcame my yearning to get to class on time. It was 11:33 a.m.

I got in line and just minutes later, the length had doubled.

Slowly the line moved and I eventually reached the cashier at 11:45 a.m. If all went well, I would only be a few minutes late to class. The cashier asked what I wanted and I recognized her from my previous trips to Dunkin’ Donuts throughout the year.

Now, I am not a very picky person, so I merely ordered a small Coconut Coffee Coolatta with skim milk and whipped cream.

And what was the employee’s response to my order? Out of skim milk, she told me. This was the third time I had come to this Dunkin’ Donuts only to find there was no skim milk. Couldn’t they just get some more? Come on, many people are calorie counting and having skim milk instead of cream in their coffee is very important to them.

I almost walked away at this point, but I wanted the coffee really bad now and I had already wasted all that time in line. Also, I didn’t want it to go for naught, so I figured I would live dangerously and get cream.

I watched her grab a cup and begin to make the drink, but for some reason she put some sort of red liquid in the cup, put whipped cream on top and brought it to be at the register. That could not be my drink.

Is there coffee in that? I asked.

“No, it’s a Strawberry Coolatta,” she said.

“I asked for Coconut Coffee Coolatta,” I told her.

“Oh,” she said.

She walked away and tried to make me the right drink.

The employee came back and handed me a cup of iced coffee. Not my order, again.

I would’ve bought this coffee just because I felt bad for holding up the line, but that was not what I ordered.

“What did you want?” she asked me, a little snotty.

I repeated my order for the third time, embarrassed because I was holding up all the other coffee-deprived students standing behind me.

I don’t know if she lacks common sense or initiative or probably both. We are both adults with brains. How hard is it to take my order and get me a cup of coffee?

I’ve been to Dunkin’ Donuts many times where they have run out of skim milk, messed up my order and/or conducted themselves in an incompetent way and frankly I’ve had enough.

The Dunkin’ Donuts in Richards Hall just lost a customer.

– C. Mae Waugh is a freshman journalism major.

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