Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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venti rant (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by scarcelypolite
okay i may sound like im being a b word here but please tell me at least some of my annoyance is warrented
so every. single. sunday. without fail i am on bar because besides the ssv i am the only person who would volunteer to work sundays that could bar fairly fast- and let me say im def not the best person to bar in the store because those people get sundays off lmao (speed of service amirite 🙄), well ever since COVID i said im done working sundays. im super overworked and dont ever leave bar for 8 hours which normally i wouldnt mind but i work with a bunch of green beans and we also dont have coverage. like we barely have enough people to make a play (never have a CS) so when people take their lunches then were down a person again. they normally are all pretty nice people but like when i say im bar im the only one. so not only am i doing our long ass drive line drinks which usually have like 2+ drinks but also mobiles and now cafe since its open. its a lot. and today i kind of snapped on bar because the green bean at the window was staring down my neck and asking me every. freaking. time. where the drink was. like okay i get it, if it seems like its gone missing ill ask. but like you see me making 10 million drinks, instead if asking me every single time the car pulls up maybe distract them??? im one person i cant do much.
anyways, when i snapped and asked what they were waiting on and the car had just pulled up i told them (in a snarky voice i know i could have said it nicer but i b stressed) im one person working as fast as i can and then they got super mad at me but also they like were trying to get out of doing their position. idk sundays are just the worst for me but my SM denied me when i tried to say i wasnt available on sundays. thanks 4 listening.
so every. single. sunday. without fail i am on bar because besides the ssv i am the only person who would volunteer to work sundays that could bar fairly fast- and let me say im def not the best person to bar in the store because those people get sundays off lmao (speed of service amirite 🙄), well ever since COVID i said im done working sundays. im super overworked and dont ever leave bar for 8 hours which normally i wouldnt mind but i work with a bunch of green beans and we also dont have coverage. like we barely have enough people to make a play (never have a CS) so when people take their lunches then were down a person again. they normally are all pretty nice people but like when i say im bar im the only one. so not only am i doing our long ass drive line drinks which usually have like 2+ drinks but also mobiles and now cafe since its open. its a lot. and today i kind of snapped on bar because the green bean at the window was staring down my neck and asking me every. freaking. time. where the drink was. like okay i get it, if it seems like its gone missing ill ask. but like you see me making 10 million drinks, instead if asking me every single time the car pulls up maybe distract them??? im one person i cant do much.
anyways, when i snapped and asked what they were waiting on and the car had just pulled up i told them (in a snarky voice i know i could have said it nicer but i b stressed) im one person working as fast as i can and then they got super mad at me but also they like were trying to get out of doing their position. idk sundays are just the worst for me but my SM denied me when i tried to say i wasnt available on sundays. thanks 4 listening.
ptvsupernatural 78 points 3y ago
how you feel is 100% okay. i would feel the same way
scarcelypolite [OP] 22 points 3y ago
ugh thank you, everyone was so pissy at me today and then i lowkey had a breakdown when one car ordered 3 caramel fraps with soy :-) honestly i like being bar during the week its pretty chill besides the odd rush its just so stressful specifically on sundays. ive decided when my SM comes back from vacation im gonna talk to him about coverage because no one else will!!!
ptvsupernatural 3 points 3y ago
i feel that whole heartily. i’ve been on warming a lot lately and i’ve been stressed to the MAX
coffeesparklez 31 points 3y ago
So, if I'm not mistaken there is a policy somewhere deep down the partner hub that says we should rotate positions with frequency through the day. Maybe look that up on partner hub and show your manager? A barista at my store reported to partner resources that she was in pain on bar after 4 hours straight and the shift refused to move her consistently. It ended up being a whole thing and the manager made sure to push rotating partners and even wrote an all day play that shifts were required to follow that kept people off bar all day. We had about 3 weeks of brutal wait times, but all our beans ended up bar stars just from working drowning shifts on the bar. I'm guessing your store is in one of those shopping plazas with Target and TJMaxx/Ross/Marshal's and a few food places. They are effing brutal on Sundays.
scarcelypolite [OP] 8 points 3y ago
were actually not, were right off the interstate which is why lol. like i can see the on ramp from our windows, but thanks! ill look into this!! i kind of had to learn by drowing on bar but you know with everything going on my DM and SM are more concerned with hitting sales points 😒
coffeesparklez 6 points 3y ago
Yes! It's repetitive motion injury! It goes for the DT window too and CS rotating those coffee urns. We really rotate partners all day. No time to get hurt!
carzrule 1 points 3y ago
Literally me today. Was put in window for 4 hours, which usually would have been fine. However, having to use the basket to hand things out, my back started having shooting pain because of the weight I was moving in such a strange motion.
GoldTurds- 4 points 3y ago
Rapid motion injuries. Yes its a policy. Look in your store safety binder. The topic of RMIs was i think January.
RyderDie1999 9 points 3y ago
I feel that. I'm not sure how long your green beans have been there but I know we had quite a few who were in a similar boat. Tbh they have to learn and not being on bar doesn't make it better. It's clear Sundays aren't the days to do it but maybe ask shift supervisors if they canake efforts to find time for your beans to get bar time. In the meantime stress customer connections with them. I always say that the longer you sit in silence the more likely the customer is to get mad and every friendship is awkward at first. I usually also have found a habit that I do when on DTO that if someone asks for a food item I'll usually always say I'll check to see if we have it regardless of if I know for sure. This buys time. I feel for your situation and I hope you guys can find solutions that help give you relaxation and help your green beans sprout more 💚
scarcelypolite [OP] 3 points 3y ago
i mean i understand they want to learn bar more i remember being in their position like 6 months ago, and while i would love for them to learn bar at our store theres never a good time unless you work the night shift, im usually mornings now but thats when i learned is the odd closing i had. their attitude about it also sucks sometimes because they complain they never get bar time but also have never put in full effort where they are, like one girl cant take orders unless shes sitting at the screen which can be hard i know but then she complains she doesnt get to bar which is all about multitasking?? i feel for them but they seem to take their frustrations out on me when my manager is literally the one who puts me on bar im not even a trainer.
RyderDie1999 1 points 3y ago
I can completely feel for that and your frustrations in general. I hate that there's this expectation that the training they give in the beginning is enough to make a perfectly strong partner. I know I had a partner in a similar situation to the girl you're talking about. I suggested that if you feel you can't move from the screen, start practicing the multitasking by sequencing and preparing your orders whole you're there. It starts the flow without overwhelming people with multiple human reactions (ie. Serving at the window and at the box)
MonstrousGiggling 7 points 3y ago
We have one guy who is literally never on bar and only drive thru because he doesnt have the skills to keep up on bar.
But he will be like "oh can you add a bit more to this" when its literally a centimeter away from the top and stuff like that.
The other day I was like "Hey X, do you want to switch with me because I've been on bar for 5 hours and you seem to know so much more than I do"
And it shut him down. Like I'm not trying to be a dick but dont give us shit when we are flooded with drinks and you arent even put on bar because you like basic ass bar skills like shit.
So ya I 100% feel this and if this was an AITA post I'd say you are not the asshole.
But he will be like "oh can you add a bit more to this" when its literally a centimeter away from the top and stuff like that.
The other day I was like "Hey X, do you want to switch with me because I've been on bar for 5 hours and you seem to know so much more than I do"
And it shut him down. Like I'm not trying to be a dick but dont give us shit when we are flooded with drinks and you arent even put on bar because you like basic ass bar skills like shit.
So ya I 100% feel this and if this was an AITA post I'd say you are not the asshole.
AndrewtheRey 2 points 3y ago
I was that person until I learned to bar. I always was window or order taker before then
MonstrousGiggling 2 points 3y ago
Yea I mean theres nothin wrong with that! The fault is he will pester us who are on bar when we are dealing with remakes and endless mobile orders for such silly shit.
Like once I accidentally put the wrong berries in a drink and hes instantly like remake it! And I was like ask them if that's okay I have tons of other drinks to make and he refuses until I start remaking the drink. Then he asks the customer if it's okay and they're literally like "OH YEAH I DONT EVEN EAT THE BERRIES ANYWAY" and laugh.
And I'm just like....bro.
Sorry for the rant! Anyway it's okay not being good on bar as long as you arent harassing those who are on it haha.
Like once I accidentally put the wrong berries in a drink and hes instantly like remake it! And I was like ask them if that's okay I have tons of other drinks to make and he refuses until I start remaking the drink. Then he asks the customer if it's okay and they're literally like "OH YEAH I DONT EVEN EAT THE BERRIES ANYWAY" and laugh.
And I'm just like....bro.
Sorry for the rant! Anyway it's okay not being good on bar as long as you arent harassing those who are on it haha.
mcr0414 7 points 3y ago
Sunday’s are so slow at every store I worked and that’s why I won’t work them. But when I do... pick up a shift from time to time ...I feel like sundays are always a mess. I’m sorry I would be so upset too. :(
GoldTurds- 3 points 3y ago
Remind them it is company policy to reduce RMI's partners are to be limited to bar 1h not peak, 30 mins peak.
AndrewtheRey 1 points 3y ago
What does RMI mean?
Yams_in_Heat 2 points 3y ago
Holy shit this is my life, especially the last 6 days (first day off thank god today), and the COVID restrictions lifting are likely making everything worse. I understand wanting the drinks for DT done ASAP, especially if the customer is making them feel nervous/uncomfortable, but between mobile orders, cafe orders, and DT orders that are 75% refreshers and S’mores/Carmel Crunch fraps, it’s gonna be a sec. Corporate doesn’t care about our drive times anymore, so let me do my best please 🙏 sorry to rant in the comments, plz forgive
scarcelypolite [OP] 1 points 3y ago
i feel this!! today i had to stay an extra 3 hours (on bar are we surprised) bc a supervisor went home sick. obviously they couldnt make me stay but the other supervisor basically guilted me into it we love to see it
Abbaloo95 2 points 3y ago
Whenever a dtw partner is breathing down my neck on bar, I just ask them how their customer at the window is doing and tell them to go connect, so "the customer doesn't realize how long they're waiting"/watching me isn't making me go any faster, so byeeee
scarcelypolite [OP] 1 points 3y ago
ugh thank you, i also am in the south where like people will literally just talk all day so idk why they think its hard to talk to someone unless they are literally on their phone!!!
AndrewtheRey 2 points 3y ago
You are totally valid. My coworkers are helpful and patient, but we do have these situations with one bar, one DT taking orders, money and handing out, and one who’s on front/ovens/brewing coffee/backups and stocking and assisting bar. My SSV’s always say “ don’t worry about the times being in red, if they force us to be short staffed this will happen”. And my SM said that corporate is reducing our labor budget here soon and that means we’ll be doing 4 person peaks and we’re a BUSY store also located by the highway. Thankfully there’s a McDonald’s next door to us though because without that we’d be even busier.
USplendid 2 points 3y ago
Being a weekend closer is a nightmare. We never have enough coverage.
loyaltyloveanon 2 points 3y ago
You have every right to tell them to go and talk to customers especially as a more experienced partner, they can check in with you for sure but they’re the one not doing their job, which is to make customer connections on window while customers are waiting, at the drive thru stores I’ve worked at if someone is breathing down bar’s neck you get told to go talk to the customers not the staff.
Vader_Boi 1 points 3y ago
Unfortunately at my store, people who’ve been there for 2+ years like i have still act like green beans. So they basically paid to stare at me while I’m single on bar and there’s cars that have 4+ drinks each and families walk in the cafe. I feel u
[deleted] 1 points 3y ago
[deleted]
Flappadingo 1 points 3y ago
this isn’t true.
LOA will be offered through Sept. That is totally unpaid based on info released so far.
LOA will be offered through Sept. That is totally unpaid based on info released so far.
dime_store_magic 1 points 3y ago
I would also say that unless you are only available - couple of days a week and Sunday is one of them — your sm can’t deny you changing your availability.
implicates_ 1 points 3y ago
you have every reason to feel that way. hopefully you can catch a break from bar! best of luck partner :)
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