Vida e Caffè Prestwich – Continued Poor Service

I am extremely disappointed with the service I’ve received — and unfortunately, this is not the first time.

On a previous visit, I was overcharged for a drink. When I asked the price, the staff member (a particular woman) was unsure but proceeded to charge me anyway. After trusting that the correct amount had been processed, I noticed the total seemed unusually high. I went back to check the fridge pricing and realised I had been overcharged by R8.00. When I addressed it, she refunded me, but this should not have happened in the first place.

The second incident occurred today. I ordered a hot cappuccino with almond milk and paid. Within about a minute — with no queue behind me — I politely asked if I could change it to an iced coffee and offered to pay the difference. The same staff member refused, stating that they charge per cup and per ingredient, and that it “doesn’t work like that.” At that point, the coffee beans had not even been grinded and the drink had not been prepared.

I work in the service industry myself, and this is not how customers should be treated. I was more than willing to pay the difference, and flexibility in such a simple request should not have been an issue. I also expect to be charged accurately without having to double-check that I’m not being overcharged.

This experience has been very disappointing.