I really like Starbuck’s and I really want to learn, but I feel like I am not doing well at all.

On POS:

I have no clue where most things are. I am constantly doing this sort of finger-hover water dowsing thing and mostly somehow get the customers the right brown water.

I feel like I have never been able to really look at it and learn.

I am often having to do food and POS alone. Everyone else also has to do this so that’s okay. But sometimes I’ll be with a customer and SSVs will tell me my mobile orders are backing up. Sometimes I’ll be doing mobile orders and they’ll tell me a line is backing up.

On Bar:

I constantly overlook little details. Like if someone’s name says [well-stirred] meaning they always want drinks stirred unless specified. Or if there are Caramel Walls, I sometimes go down the list of making the drink and then get to the bottom after I already poured.

I keep getting out of sequence and sometimes I don’t know what sequence is. Especially if there are remakes.

With my SSVs/More Experienced Baristas

They always ask why I am doing something the way I am doing it. I always tell them. My SM told me to stop explaining myself and just apologize and ask the right way. Other than one Barista who told me what she preferred in terms of communication, and I did what she asked, nobody else has told me that they had a problem. I can handle that but it is frustrating because I feel everyone treats me like I am incompetent when I really just feel poorly trained. Then they use my “talking back” as a reason not to help me learn. I am kind of awkward, so maybe I just don’t realize what I am doing.

I keep getting moved if I ever make one mistake instead of being allowed to make mistakes and learn. They would just rather put me where they think I will mess up the least and also when certain customers who are particular and mean come in, they basically push me aside but then ask what I am doing standing around.

It has gotten to the point where I asked if I can look at recipes for fun on the Chromebook when I am hanging out and I take notes after every shift to see what I can improve on.

Any other tips or at least comeback stories to help me out? I am not ready to throw in the towel because honestly, I like working and learning but I am having lots of problems.

TL;DR

Feeling really bad at being a barista and looking for advice/inspiration.

Update: Thanks for all the replies and words of solidarity. I am staying with it and redoubling my efforts started drawing recipes and posters for myself and talking more to my team.. helped me a lot to get it off my chest. Love you, Reddit Fam.

Update: talked it out with my team members and also started doing things to help mysellike using visual aids that I am drawing. thanks for letting me vent, reddit fam!