Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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“You guys need to work on your ‘Customer connections’!!!” (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by juugs
Okay. For the last two years I’ve been working at my drive thru store in a small, college town, we’ve struggled with customer connection scores or whatever the heck they’re called. We’re the lowest score in our district but we’re also the busiest.
In the two years I’ve worked here, we’ve had three store managers. The newest one started about a week ago. Every manager I’ve had has been all about bringing those scores up by emphasizing the necessity of everyone connecting with customers. Oh you’re solo bar with a line up front and a line to the street in drive? You better make sure you’re talking to everyone of the 20 people waiting impatiently for their drinks. Oh you’re cleaning the lobby and taking out the over flowing trash? You better make sure you’re talking to that guy studying for an exam with his headphones in clearly focusing.
It’s ridiculous. Now we have to record a customer connection on a piece of paper and turn it in at the end of the shift. My baristas and myself are so frustrated at this whole “customer connection” nonsense!! We’re so polite and nice and friendly to everyone! We make our drinks quickly and correctly and we hand it off with a smile. We kick ass. But our scores do not improve and our managers keep on us about connections.
It’s making me dread going into work because my management will be there forcing me and my baristas to engage in completely unprompted and uncomfortable conversations with people. All the whole expecting me to keep the drive times down. It’s impossible.
Thoughts?? What do we do?
In the two years I’ve worked here, we’ve had three store managers. The newest one started about a week ago. Every manager I’ve had has been all about bringing those scores up by emphasizing the necessity of everyone connecting with customers. Oh you’re solo bar with a line up front and a line to the street in drive? You better make sure you’re talking to everyone of the 20 people waiting impatiently for their drinks. Oh you’re cleaning the lobby and taking out the over flowing trash? You better make sure you’re talking to that guy studying for an exam with his headphones in clearly focusing.
It’s ridiculous. Now we have to record a customer connection on a piece of paper and turn it in at the end of the shift. My baristas and myself are so frustrated at this whole “customer connection” nonsense!! We’re so polite and nice and friendly to everyone! We make our drinks quickly and correctly and we hand it off with a smile. We kick ass. But our scores do not improve and our managers keep on us about connections.
It’s making me dread going into work because my management will be there forcing me and my baristas to engage in completely unprompted and uncomfortable conversations with people. All the whole expecting me to keep the drive times down. It’s impossible.
Thoughts?? What do we do?
idkmyusernameagain 23 points 4y ago
What they really need to do is work on their survey questions. The “did your barista get to know you” question is so dumb. I remember getting them as a customer and being like “wtf, why are they asking if they got to know me? I just wanted coffee and to not be noticed wearing my pajamas at noon. Can’t we just appreciate that the barista was polite and fast?”
juugs [OP] 3 points 4y ago
I’ve never seen the survey! But I did not know that was a Question. Wow! No wonder customer service scores are bad...
2sjt 9 points 4y ago
I don’t have any tips but I can relate to your frustration! My store isn’t drive through but we are in a hospital lobby and are often understaffed, and as such our customer connection scores have NOT been great even though we’re perfectly friendly with customers. Doesn’t help that we’re in a hospital though- one time I asked a doc how his day was going and he said “well, I still have cancer” and all I could say was “I’m so sorry do you want your receipt?” because the line was out the door
juugs [OP] 8 points 4y ago
Yikes....there’s gotta be a solution for us our there somewhere! But that reinforces my theory that it’s the type of customers we get, not our customer service! We used to be a cafe only store so I’m thinking customers got used to that slow pace and undivided attention we used to be able to give them! )’:
Lilium816 7 points 4y ago
Do what you're manager asks.
Make the connections. If he asks why times are up, tell him you were doing what was asked of you.
Do what's asked of you, and any consequences that come from that are *not* your responsibility.
Make the connections. If he asks why times are up, tell him you were doing what was asked of you.
Do what's asked of you, and any consequences that come from that are *not* your responsibility.
juugs [OP] 2 points 4y ago
Good point. If the times suck then that’s on them. It’s just silly to me that we’re told to be unique and our uniqueness makes our store culture something people love and are attracted to. Then we have this standardized way of connecting with customers. Seems hypocritical:/
Lilium816 2 points 4y ago
I always tell my baristas "open ended questions for customer connections."
The survey question asks if we made an *attempt* to get to know them. Doesn't mean that you have to be successful. Just means you have to try. I work closes so I often ask people get venti cold brews and the like at 9pm if they're headed into work and what they do. You can learn a lot of interesting things about people. If you're busy on bar take a second to look up and ask someone near you if they've been up to anything fun. There's a lot of people that talk about how poorly our customers treat us like we're not humans. I think there's also a lot of partners that do that to customers. They have lives and jobs and families. Learn about them.
The survey question asks if we made an *attempt* to get to know them. Doesn't mean that you have to be successful. Just means you have to try. I work closes so I often ask people get venti cold brews and the like at 9pm if they're headed into work and what they do. You can learn a lot of interesting things about people. If you're busy on bar take a second to look up and ask someone near you if they've been up to anything fun. There's a lot of people that talk about how poorly our customers treat us like we're not humans. I think there's also a lot of partners that do that to customers. They have lives and jobs and families. Learn about them.
Graceooos 8 points 4y ago
I think Starbucks forgets that half the time, people don’t want to talk to the employees. It’s not that they’re rude (although half the time they are), it’s because they just want their drink. When I’m out shopping, if a employee confronts me and tries to talk to me, I feel awkward. Ever since I’ve started, I’ve been scolded about not making customer connections, despite my attempts. It honestly just depends on the customer. It also really depends on my shift supervisor....
juugs [OP] 3 points 4y ago
Yeah, I have all very understanding shifts except for one. He just repeats everything my SM says.
But that’s my defense too when I’m asked why I didn’t talk to the customer that was plugged into their earbuds, on their laptop, talking on the phone!! They don’t want to talk. But if they did want to and were giving me cues, I’d absolutely engage in a short conversation!
But that’s my defense too when I’m asked why I didn’t talk to the customer that was plugged into their earbuds, on their laptop, talking on the phone!! They don’t want to talk. But if they did want to and were giving me cues, I’d absolutely engage in a short conversation!
barista_bear 5 points 4y ago
Are you feeling supported by your SM and DM to create connections? I’m guessing you’re not. It’s about creating best moments for customers AND partners. If you’re understaffed this can’t happen.
juugs [OP] 3 points 4y ago
No, there’s no support. Just this expectation to have conversations while frowning in drinks! My SM will be doing work on the computer and come out just to remind us to connect then disappear again. Frustrating stuff ):
nnasturb8 3 points 4y ago
I stumbled upon this sub despite working at Domino’s. It’s kind of the same. People don’t want to fill our satisfaction surveys, and only want to say something when it’s wrong. My store ends up looking really bad because for every few hundred orders, we’ll maybe get 3-5 responses, and those usually have low scores because they don’t like how the website is set up, or their food was ready in 20 minutes on a busy Friday night instead of 15.
juugs [OP] 1 points 4y ago
The struggles of food service ):
breakfastatdionnes 3 points 4y ago
I don’t mean to encourage you to lie but... just make up quick simple story everyday. Do your best to survive at work and go home.
TessaFink 3 points 4y ago
We have the same problem at our store. We are super busy and nice to customers. Rarely have issues. Get drinks out quick and always super nice when there are mistakes. But somehow we have the lowest scores in the district. My manager kind of gave up on how to fix it.
I think some of it is customer type. A lot of customers don’t want to talk to you. And I literally don’t have time to connect with everyone. But I’m super friendly with our regulars and get to know them.
I also think the survey is weighted toward Starbucks app users. So you’re never going to get surveys from cash or credit card users. That’s a big loss if information and I think if they got that data, corporate would think their baristas are doing a much better job.
I think some of it is customer type. A lot of customers don’t want to talk to you. And I literally don’t have time to connect with everyone. But I’m super friendly with our regulars and get to know them.
I also think the survey is weighted toward Starbucks app users. So you’re never going to get surveys from cash or credit card users. That’s a big loss if information and I think if they got that data, corporate would think their baristas are doing a much better job.
juugs [OP] 1 points 4y ago
I just wish our SM and DM would take that into consideration instead of telling us that we’re doing our jobs wrong and keep assigning us 3rd place training. At some point they’re gonna have to approach the issue another way or just let it go cause nothings changed even though we’ve tried like everything! We used the drive thru camera, we have like a customer connection quota, we moved our mobile orders behind the counter so we need to talk to mobile order customers, and our CS need to talk to one person whenever they check the lobby. It’s wild :/
barista_bear 2 points 4y ago
They are failing you. That’s awful.
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