Starbucks hates the lactose intolerant

So yesterday, Tracy and I go into Starbucks on West End. The main purpose is work-related - for me to buy $100 worth of gift cards for our single adult Sunday School teachers. So I buy this huge stack of gift cards, charge it to the church credit card, and then order a drink for myself - the usual - decaf tall soy no-whip mocha. This is a lactose-free drink. Starbucks charges $0.40 more for soy milk, so I already feel like they are discriminating against me.

I always watch the "barista" make my drink so I know that they are putting soy milk in it. A week or so after I was out of the hospital (with a recent bout of diverticulitis), I ordered my usual drink, and forgot to watch them make it. Of course, later on, when I was sick as a dog, I realized that they didn't put soy milk in it.

Anyway, back to yesterday. I watched the pour the soy milk, so I figured I was okay. Then the barista calls out my drink, "decaf tall soy with whip mocha." One of the other Starbucks flunkies noticed the error at the same time I did. This would have been a problem if she just made the drink again. BUT NO. I saw her scoop the whip cream out with a spoon! That just won't work. I think she thought I didn't see that. BUT NO. So, I told her I was LACTOSE INTOLERANT, and it needed to be done again. My question is, I spent a hundred dollars with there before I even ordered my drink, so how much would I have to spend for them to get it right??????????

On another lactose intolerance related note, I went out to eat at Green Hills Grille in Cool Springs with my in-laws on Saturday night while Patrick was playing keyboard at dinner theater. I forgot to order my fish sandwich without cheese (I was preoccupied with making sure it was a whole wheat bun), and so it came with cheese, and said I would just scrape it off. At that exact moment, the Green Hills Grille customer crisis team swings into action. Before I can say anything that plate was wisked away. A few minutes later, they put a new plate in front of me with a steaming hot new piece of fish. The server said, "there's no dairy." They even left off the tartar sauce (which I can have), and the butter off the vegetables. They didn't even make us pay for my entree. I think other establishments could learn from Green Hills Grille.