Dutch Bros Coffee Apologizes To Deaf Customer Called ‘Toughest Customer Ever’

A deaf woman hit Dutch Bros Coffee called her “the hardest customer ever” after she struggled to order her drink after her receipt.

Ashley Vallejo, 34, revealed that she visited her local coffee chain in Waco, Texasthis week’s outlet where she described their interaction as “a little awkward.”

In a TikTok video, she revealed the common problems of ordering in cafes and restaurants as someone with a disability, saying servers often got her order wrong.

Vallejo said, “I can lip read, I can talk a little, but my voice isn’t perfect.

‘(People with disabilities) are like you. We try to order food, and things like that, just like everyone else. Don’t punish us. Please be patient with us.’

She said that after her “uncomfortable” ordering experience, she went to get her coffee and was dismayed to find that the server had labeled her “the most difficult customer ever” on her receipt.

“God, you have no idea what it’s like to be deaf,” Vallejo said in her video, getting emotional.

‘Have patience.’

On her Facebook page, Vallejo said that despite highlighting the incident, she did not want to attack the employee and that the purpose of the video was to “spread awareness to educate the employee and upgrade your training for DA awareness.” ‘.

Dutch Bros Coffee has since apologized for the incident.

In a statement, they called the incident “very disappointing, unacceptable and against everything Dutch Bros stands for.”

The company said they are addressing the issue internally.

They continued, “We hope we can work with her and the deaf community to ensure we always provide an excellent experience and live up to the extraordinarily high bar we have set for ourselves.”

There are 538 Dutch Bros Coffee outlets in the United States in 12 states.

According to her Facebook page, Vallejo has three children and operates two businesses, a cleaning service and a children’s clothing boutique.

She lives in Riesel, less than 20 miles outside of Waco.

In October 2021, Vallejo . told KWTX that she had had a difficult experience at a McDonald’s drive-thru.

Vallejo said that when she offered the person at the window a note, it was declined. She said the manager had to come over before she got her order.

She said, “I looked at him and tried a few times to explain what was going on and again he refused to help us and told us to move on, which was not fair and not right.”

Vallejo continued: “Then they mocked us for being deaf and laughed at us. I tried to explain to them that I was deaf and we couldn’t hear, and then they pretended they couldn’t hear us and gestured to their ear back at us and mocked us in a way.”

She concluded by saying, “I think better training is being given to the drive-thru and others in customer service. That would be my goal.’

McDonald’s owner Bob Frazier told the KTWX: “At my McDonald’s, we work hard to build an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome. We are investigating this incident to see if there are any changes we can make to better serve our customers.;