Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Maskless Customers? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by oatmeal_bro
A guy came in with no mask and held up a doctor's exemption paper when my shift questioned him. The shift patiently read the dude's paper and had no problem serving this man. Shift asked the guy if he could possibly wait outside for his drink to be ready, but he refused. The shift continued to be okay with serving the guy and actually invited him to stay NEAR THE BAR because his drink was almost ready.
I felt so unsafe that I stepped away and asked SM and assistant SM what to do and they told me to just have someone bar for me until the customer leaves, as if I shouldve known that. Someone kindly took over for me. The way that was handled did not put any of us in any less danger.
How the hell is it okay for us to serve customers like that?! Aren't we a private company, can't we refuse service to people? What's the protocol? What do your SM's tell you to do?
I felt so unsafe that I stepped away and asked SM and assistant SM what to do and they told me to just have someone bar for me until the customer leaves, as if I shouldve known that. Someone kindly took over for me. The way that was handled did not put any of us in any less danger.
How the hell is it okay for us to serve customers like that?! Aren't we a private company, can't we refuse service to people? What's the protocol? What do your SM's tell you to do?
violetskies7 29 points 2y ago
we ask customers to stay outside if they have an exception or use the drive thru. i don’t know if there’s anything in the policy that says medical exemptions are even allowed. there’s no reason for him to refuse to go outside lol
Beap92 21 points 2y ago
So, what the base claim is with those stupid medical exemptions, is that if Starbucks refuses to serve them, it’s discrimination on medical grounds.
What these nimrods (and many shifts, and SMS) refuse to acknowledge, is that providing altered service (like making them wait outside, and taking the drink to them), covers Starbucks legally.
I mean it also makes the employees’ lives safer, but we all know by now they really don’t care about that
What these nimrods (and many shifts, and SMS) refuse to acknowledge, is that providing altered service (like making them wait outside, and taking the drink to them), covers Starbucks legally.
I mean it also makes the employees’ lives safer, but we all know by now they really don’t care about that
ambientwhispers 7 points 2y ago
I literally told a guy, "This is not discrimination. The Americans with Disabilities Act only requires that I provide a reasonable accommodation. Me bringing your drink to you outside or you using our drive-thru is my reasonable accommodation."
borntired2 13 points 2y ago
Customers like this make me want to vomit
Kalhm 10 points 2y ago
The policy IS to provide altered services. Me and my mom did look this up, and that’s what the policy said. I work in a kiosk in a mall, so we the only altered service we have is Mobile order, and our store manager will tell us that we HAVE to server the people without masks at the register. Serving them when they mobile order still makes me annoyed, but it’s better than them in my face for a minute or so. I really can’t wait to see what happens within the next few weeks tho
NervosaNervous 4 points 2y ago
You can refuse service and should have honestly. You offer them alternate options, such as drive thru. But as far as medical exemptions, the ADA has stated there are no blanket exemptions that allow people to refuse to wear a mask, especially when it comes to the health and safety of literally everyone else.
Automatic_Owl_7243 1 points 2y ago
i have felt so unsafe with the way starbucks is handling covid. it doesn’t seem like my higher ups give a shit at all about keeping us healthy. just want more $ doesn’t matter the cost
anythingforcelina -12 points 2y ago
After a 2 hour phone call with my districts assets manager, I can tell you that your shift did the right thing. And you absolutely did the right thing for yourself by asking someone to take your place. It’s 100% unreasonable that the customer refused to wait outside and I totally agree that medical exemption people who want to follow their own rules are the WORST.
Starbucks’ policy protects medical exemption people (whether it’s BS or not) because of HIPPA and the shift’s responsibility is to just avoid conflict and get the person out ASAP.
Think about it- anti-maskers are doing it for the conflict. The best thing we can do is to just tell them that mobile order or drive thru is their only option next time and get them out of the store as fast as possible. I wish we could refuse service too but doing what your shift did at least avoids a viral video. I haven’t had to deal with an anti-masker more than once, so hopefully he isn’t a repeat offender.
I’d love to hear input from someone who has had to deal with this crap on a recurring basis from one customer.
Starbucks’ policy protects medical exemption people (whether it’s BS or not) because of HIPPA and the shift’s responsibility is to just avoid conflict and get the person out ASAP.
Think about it- anti-maskers are doing it for the conflict. The best thing we can do is to just tell them that mobile order or drive thru is their only option next time and get them out of the store as fast as possible. I wish we could refuse service too but doing what your shift did at least avoids a viral video. I haven’t had to deal with an anti-masker more than once, so hopefully he isn’t a repeat offender.
I’d love to hear input from someone who has had to deal with this crap on a recurring basis from one customer.
aspen_silence 7 points 2y ago
You simply stop serving them.
The ADA protects against discrimination but those protections stop when there is a public health emergency (like a pandemic which has killed over 300,000 citizens in the US alone). Disallowing service because the customer refuses to follow laws/mandates and also refuses to acknowledge Starbucks alternate ordering options falls within the legal guidelines we can and should follow, regardless what ANY of you upper managers say.
A doctors note saying a particular customer doesn't have to wear a mask doesn't mean they can put other people at risk.
Now you also said something about HIPPA and HIPPA only protects people from their Dr giving out personal medical information or sharing willy nilly with the general public, that's it. The Dr cannot ring up a Starbucks and start to give us a patient's medical history just because, but once the patient has told us or shows a note saying the reason, HIPPA protection is over and they are now under the ADA (if they fall under it to begin with).
Know your legal rights and the protections people are claiming is my basic point. My SM has and will continue to tell me and my other shifts to protect ourselves and our fellow partners at all costs, we've yet to shut down to to Covid, and we're a cafe only store right next to a major university.
The ADA protects against discrimination but those protections stop when there is a public health emergency (like a pandemic which has killed over 300,000 citizens in the US alone). Disallowing service because the customer refuses to follow laws/mandates and also refuses to acknowledge Starbucks alternate ordering options falls within the legal guidelines we can and should follow, regardless what ANY of you upper managers say.
A doctors note saying a particular customer doesn't have to wear a mask doesn't mean they can put other people at risk.
Now you also said something about HIPPA and HIPPA only protects people from their Dr giving out personal medical information or sharing willy nilly with the general public, that's it. The Dr cannot ring up a Starbucks and start to give us a patient's medical history just because, but once the patient has told us or shows a note saying the reason, HIPPA protection is over and they are now under the ADA (if they fall under it to begin with).
Know your legal rights and the protections people are claiming is my basic point. My SM has and will continue to tell me and my other shifts to protect ourselves and our fellow partners at all costs, we've yet to shut down to to Covid, and we're a cafe only store right next to a major university.
Beap92 2 points 2y ago
Your SM sounds great and I’m jealous
aspen_silence 1 points 2y ago
He's probably the best manager I've had at any job for what it's worth. I wish everyone could work for him or a manager similar.
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