Pret a Manger reveals secret behind its free coffee

Pret a Manger has revealed that its staff have the power to offer free drinks to customers they like or find attractive.

CEO Clive Schlee said that, instead of introducing a loyalty card, the sandwich chain allows staff to give away a certain number of hot drinks or food every week.

"They will decide 'I like the person on the bicycle' or 'I like the guy in that tie' or 'I fancy that girl or that boy'. It means 28 per cent of people have had something free. It's a nice, different way of doing it," he told the Evening Standard.

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One barista told The Guardian customers had to be "charming" to receive a free treat. "Or, sometimes, if we see tired or unhappy customers we give them a free coffee to cheer them up," she said.

Another said: "It's totally random, maybe if someone's extra nice or if they are a regular, or if they've bought a lot of things. There's no rule, it's just a nice thing to do."

The secret was revealed as Pret unveiled record profits for the growing British chain, with an increase in sales of 16 per cent last year to £594m.

But Jonathan Gabay, a brand psychologist and author, said the company had made a "big mistake" by revealing that a seemingly spontaneous gesture is actually a company policy.

"Knowing that a branch has a certain amount of coffees to give away kills the authenticity of the moment," he told The Guardian. "When consumers begin to realise there's actually a strict process that is behind those moments, suddenly the gesture doesn't ring true. Personally, I'd be happier with a loyalty card, because I know where I stand."

The Daily Telegraph's Leah Hyslop says some people who have never been lucky enough to receive a free treat are also feeling bitter about it.

However, she adds: "Now the secret is out, the chain's staff can probably expect slightly more pleasant clientele. Pret baristas just became very powerful."