A coffee shop has issued an apology to a grieving family after a staff member left an ‘offensive’ note on their receipt following a funeral service.
Hannah Pharoah and her family attended a wake at the Crossroads café in Poundbury, Dorset, UK, to commemorate her father. They were taken aback by the service and a ‘distasteful joke’ made by an employee.
Hannah’s mother, Sue, spent over $270 for the event at the café, only for the 30 mourners to encounter what they described as impolite behavior from the staff.
Hannah expressed that the café staff appeared to perceive the wake as an inconvenience, aiming to clear the venue quickly for regular customers.
Following the wake, Hannah requested a receipt from Crossroads café and placed it in her mother’s purse without examining it closely.
It wasn’t until the following day that the 34-year-old noticed the note on the receipt, which read ‘Depressed f…s’.
Hannah immediately reached out to the coffee shop to express her dissatisfaction, at which point co-owner Matthew McCaurtie explained it was intended as a joke and reimbursed the family the full $270.
The situation escalated when a family member took to social media to share their displeasure, leading to a Crossroads employee sending a direct message to Hannah, calling her a ‘s***y human being’.
The involved staff member has been suspended, according to co-owner Sahil Dalvi.
Hannah commented: “I found the whole thing disgusting. We were a grieving family at a wake for our father and this sick joke has made things even worse. We are beyond angry. There were about 30 people there dressed in black and there were orders of service around. They knew it was a wake.”
She added: “We were a grieving family and a room full of friends paying our respects. To mock our grief and my father’s death in that way is beyond unprofessional, it is cruel, arrogant, and heartless.”
Recollecting the events at the wake, Hannah said: “They were rude, disinterested, and visibly eager to hurry us along, as though our gathering was an inconvenience.
“There was no warmth, no professionalism, and certainly no compassion, something you would expect as a bare minimum when hosting a wake.
“Somebody got the wrong coffee and they were treated like it was their fault.”
Crossroads café, where Hannah and her family were regular visitors before the incident, has since issued an apology and confirmed disciplinary action against the staff member involved.
Dalvi posted on social media: “Following a full internal review, I confirm that the incident involved a member of staff and, regrettably, the complaint is valid. I want to offer my sincere apologies to the family affected.
“The circumstances in which this occurred make it even more upsetting, and I’m truly sorry.
“A full refund has already been issued. The staff member involved has been suspended pending further action, and I have requested a formal written apology from them.
“As a small, family-run business, we take pride in treating every customer with respect and compassion. This behaviour does not reflect our values, nor the standard of service we work hard to uphold.”