Nicholas Coffee & Tea Co. — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

I purchased a French press for my wife here, she didn't like it so I returned it today. The clerk who sold me the French press told me to "Have your wife try it out, if she doesn't like it bring it back with the receipt.". I'm 56 years old and have been shopping at Nicholas' for years. The clerk who waited on me today was very rude and very combative and refused to accept my return. When I pointed out what the selling employee told me, she said she had to call "upstairs". A few minutes later she came back and told me that they would accept the return "THIS TIME" (as if I would buy one every week, use it and try to return it.). I had my frequent buyers card in my hand, planning to purchase some coffee for my wife and loose tea for myself, but due to the hostility the employee showed I changed my mind and laid the card on the counter and told the employee, very politely, "I don't think I'll be shopping here anymore, she said, "That's fine". If not for this I would have probably gone back after a time, I loved the place - browsing the selection of teas and coffees, but her cavalier and hostile attitude pretty much sealed the deal. I've rarely been more disappointed with poor customer service than...

I recently began working at a nearby business in Market Square and was happy to discover this charming coffee and tea shop. Up until Saturday 17th I had pleasant experiences there. There was a bit of a line so I waited patiently and looked at a few products they had for sale. However, on this day an employee stopped me from going to the register when my turn came and demanded that I show her what I had in my pockets and my coat. She said I had picked up three things and accused me of stealing them. She invaded my personal space and tried to stop me from going any further. I showed her what was in my pocket even though I knew I didn’t have to. She insisted that I take off my coat completely and said I would have to leave if I didn’t comply. She was extremely aggressive and unreasonable. I was in shock and still can’t believe that this happened. This experience was humiliating and deeply unsettling. Ironically there was a Juneteenth celebration taking place in the Square. Of course I won’t be going back, I’m writing this review to inform people of the type of environment you may encounter as a black person looking for a place to buy coffee in Market Square....

Usually I love Nicholas Coffee. The workers are always happy to discuss the selection with you, and they have every sweetener and milk alternative possible free of charge. I try to stop in whenever I’m downtown. However, when I went on Friday I had a cashier who I hadn’t had before, and who just didn’t have the same attitude I’m used to. She barely said two words to me during the interaction, and didn’t even ask me if I wanted any milk or sugar, let alone what type I wanted. She made me coming in feel like an inconvenience, and I left dissatisfied with the exchange and my drink. I work in the service industry myself and understand bad days, but a bad day is no excuse for poor customer service. I feel like I now have to make sure she isn’t the one working the drinks to-go counter going forward, and that’s not a great feeling to have. I’ll still try to support you all because I don’t want to see a small business go down, but please work on your customer service. I see reviews going back years mentioning the same issue of poor customer service with one particular cashier, which is a definite red flag. Please work on this so you don’t lose long...