Could you imagine how slow the wait times would be if our customers would run the floor, even after training? Every time someone is rude or complains about the wait times, I think "I'd like to see them do this" and, "It's not us that are slow, it's the customers each taking three to five minutes to order."

Even if all the slow customers would be behind the counter/window, and we would be the customers, taking thirty seconds to order, they'd still take five minutes to put everything into the computer.

To sum it up: We already provide the best service possible, and the customers don't realize it.

I just wish we had more empathy. Living in a capitalist society, we’ve also just accepted that “it is what it is” and poor peoples only purpose is to make money for rich people.

Yes! As a teen, I worked at Arby's for 2 days before I quit. I did not have thick enough skin. Now I teach 8th grade, so I guess my skin got thicker. 😅

Especially during a fucking pandemic. I feel people are 10 times worse with a pandemic going on.

I hate how Starbucks is all about “assuming the best” in the customer as if it’s okay for them to treat us like crap just because they have issues going on in their life. I would NEVER be rude or throw a hissy fit to a retail employee regardless of what’s going on in my life. Even if they’re going to a funeral they shouldn’t be rude.

I worked at a sandwich shop for 3 years and I’ve never seen any customer be nearly as rude as a Starbucks customer. I think the pieces of crap that abuse baristas are not only terrible people, but their mood is worse because they haven’t had their caffeine yet. Starbucks might actually have the worst customers in the world.

agreed! my dad and I both strongly believe everyone should work at least 6mo fast food & 6mo restaurant service!

the way people treat fast food and restaurant service employees is appalling. esp people who have never worked in one and do not understand that 75-90% of the time they’re yelling at someone for something out of their control

We had a lady today who ordered the most complicated espresso drink I’ve ever seen (like 4 sauces in different pump amounts, in a venti double cup, extra foam hot dry foam, skim milk extra steamed, salt topping, etc...)

Then she hands me a gift card and says she wants to reload it and then use it to pay for her order.

Have to void the order, fill the card, redo the order, then process it.

Whole process took literally 10 minutes during peak and the line behind her was out the door.

She also started telling me how to punch it in (in the order she wanted it punched in) to ensure “the barista gets it right” like lady no matter how I punch this in the barista is gonna read the whole thing and laugh at you.

Then the guy behind her was bitching at me about how slow I am and “this is my job” Like bro did you hear this shit? You try and punch that in.

I’ll catch myself at a Wendy’s or In N Out drive thru going “Jesus can they hurry it up?” but then I recall yesterday of me working a Starbucks drive thru and I just calm down and wait patiently

Counter point; No one should be exploited for labour or be forced into a degrading position to accumulate wealth for another person.

So I run doordash occasionally when I need extra money. Doordash gives you a credit card (the "red card") to pay for orders at certain restaurants. I went to pick up an order that wasn't paid for yet (a normal red card order) and it turned out the restaurant hadn't even received the order. I arrived at the restaurant and doordash was like "yeah place order and pay for it" and I was like ??? So I placed the order, paid with the red card, and then had to wait. It was a fancy hibachi restaurant and the order ended up taking a whole hour to be prepared (time I could have spent picking up other orders and making money). I texted the customer early on to let her know what was going on, and I expected her to be upset. I would be too tbh. She ended up being SUPER nice about the whole thing, she completely understood that it wasn't my fault even though I couldn't explain why it got screwed up so badly. When I got to her house to drop it off, she gave me an extra $5 (on top of the $10 she had already tipped digitally) and said it was to make up for how much time I lost on her one order and I literally cried about it.

Anyway, TLDR, she had so obviously worked in the service industry. She understood that it wasn't my fault and she went out of her way to make sure I knew she wasn't upset with me and it meant so much. People with that experience tend to treat other service employees better and it shows. Everyone should work a service job so they learn a little respect and learn that we aren't just lower class trash that can be treated like shit.

At my old job, we had this one customer who was berating and screaming at one of my coworkers because she was doing her job correctly and he didn’t like that. One of my coordinators went over and took over for her, then told the gentleman if he thinks he can do her job better than she can, he is more than welcome to try. He actually did try, but the coordinator kept saying all of the things he was doing wrong. Finally the guy gave up and went back to his place in line. My coordinator said, “That was only two minutes you lasted. She has to deal with rude people like you for 8+ hours a day 5+ hours a week. So unless you are actually willing to stand here and be berated the same way you berated her, you need to suck it up and stand in line. She’s a HUMAN BEING. You do not get to treat my employees like that.” He was my favorite coordinator for obvious reasons. He always stood up for us against the Karen’s and the Kevin’s of the world.

I've recently started working at Starbucks on my 3rd ish week almost finishing my training. My god how I'm starting to hate this job, how some people can be so rude sickens me. A guy shouted at me today for no right reason. I've never worked in such a job like this where it's so bad I'm starting to already want to quit but don't want to cause it's hard to find a job in this pandemic.

I’d worked three food service jobs over the course of two years, even waitressing for just 9 months. People are such dicks. Starbs is the closest I’ve been to fast food though, and damnnnnn 👀

We constantly get accused that DT takes precedence at our store. Yes we always put our fastest bar partner on dt bar but both dt and cafe bar have 1 person making all the drinks. We can’t control that someone in cafe gets a large order or that all cafe drinks get pushed back from the endless mobiles we receive. People who come into the cafe (during a pandemic no less) and get up in arms about wait times and social distancing are a whole different breed of ignorant. They don’t realize how it makes us behind the bar feel when they walk in with a group of 5 people and we tell them they need to separate and people need to wait outside. And then you have people who literally think their drinks must be made by a vending machine because they mobile order and pull into DT one minute after it was placed.... I just can’t with people

My store is across the street from a Taco Bell. One day an employee from said taco bell came and ordered a caramel frap and a pike. I called out "I have a grande pike place for *her name* , thats the first of your two drinks" and before I could take a breath she YELLS "NO NO NO, THIS IS COMPLETELY WRONG!"
She proceeds to tell me she ordered a black coffee and a caramel frap. I then explain that is exactly what I just set in front of her. I hand her the frap when its done and she rolls her eyes at me and leaves. Like, you work in service, why do you act like that??

I haven’t worked in the service industry in 12+ years, but I still remember the 5-7 years I spent working retail in high-school and college, mostly Walmart, and everyday I’m thankful I do not work in the service industry.

I have tremendous empathy and respect for those that still do and I always try to make their lives a little easier by not being a pain in the ass or the little stuff like putting my cart in the cart return so somebody doesn’t have to go fetch it or dumping the ice out of my cup before I throw it away so someone doesn’t have to drag a soggy garbage through the store at the end of the day.

You all have some of the most difficult jobs, period; long shifts, crap pay, and dealing with dick heads all day. I salute you.

I can say getting my job at starbucks gave me a helpful insight into what being a food service employee is like, but I don't think it should take someone getting a job in it for them to treat workers with respect...Before I got my job now I still made a point to show all workers, regardless of where I was, compassion and understanding. It really is not hard. The superiority complex some people have with food workers is appalling and certainly speaks for their character. Regardless, everyone should always be showing everyone common decency.

1000% agree, i work in a target starbucks...

honestly you'd be surprised how often we get shitty partners as customers- i've been screamed at by them before lol sadly this doesn't affect some people