Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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awful at CS???? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by bunbunprincess98
i have no idea what’s wrong with me, but i hate being on cs because i constantly feel like there’s something i’m missing. i do my best to keep everything in my head like “okay just cycle through. 1. cups/lids 2. ice 3. coffee 4. prep etc. but my fellow partners always ask me for something. and then i never have time to run trash or do dishes. i don’t wanna let anyone down so...is there something i’m not doing right? idk maybe this is just a rant? our store is always super busy and sometimes there’s two people on cs which helps a lot.
rio8envy7 30 points 2y ago
Don’t get worked up over not doing dishes or running trash. Focus on what your partners need. If im on front and we’re getting slammed I tell whoever is on cafe bar that I can grab hot coffee for them or run cafe/mobile warming items. Dishes can wait. Change a trash can if you see it’s full. I was told the top 3 priorities are ice, checking and refilling hoppers, stocking cups/lids.
bunbunprincess98 [OP] 3 points 2y ago
that helps! i just always feel so bad for night shift coming in to dishes and trash overflowing but i’m only one person, right? i do my best to stay on track but i get overwhelmed when it’s busy.
rio8envy7 2 points 2y ago
I get the overwhelming. If I have nothing to do what I’ve started doing is looking over and managing mobile orders. That could be helpful. You have 2 people running cs sometimes right? Can one person focus on cycle tasks and someone else do more of the restocking? That way you’re getting those pieces done so night crew doesn’t have to deal with it? I generally late afternoon/preclose and sometimes we have to run trash anyway. Closing shift may also understand if you don’t run it because they know you were busy. Im sure they see the numbers. The morning or mid shift may even tell them it didn’t get done or write it in the book.
bunbunprincess98 [OP] 2 points 2y ago
we occasionally do! it’s rare that it happens snd that’s usually how we do it when there is. but when we’re not it’s god awful. today i did warming and cs and tbh i wanted to cry. i couldn’t keep up on the coffee because it was so so busy. i was doing my best and there was so much prep left for night shift.
rio8envy7 1 points 2y ago
That’s something the night crew should understand.
is_it_soy 4 points 2y ago
I guess just practice? I personally loved CS and was damn good at it too.
I would repeat the same mantra in my head: COFFEE, ICE, SLEEVES, BEANS, SIGNALS, LOBBY
Fresh coffee is #1 always. Fill ice accordingly; don’t let it drop over half. Sleeves as in coffee sleeves. Keep those espresso beans FULL, including blonde/decaf. Letting it go more than 2/3 empty affects shot quality. Signals include anything else needed.
The key is to always be looking around, especially when you’re doing stationary tasks like grinding coffee or filling cups. Depending on the time of day, you can guess where you should start restocking.
Is it morning? You probably need hot cups, lids, and stoppers. Is it a warm afternoon? You probably need iced cups, refreshers, and inclusions.
Remember, each cycle will get you closer to fully stocking the store. Don’t expect to do it all at once. Also, don’t fully stock one item if you see that you need several other things too.
For example: you see your fridges need to be restocked with milks and refreshers, but you also see you need syrups and a new mocha needs to be made soon.
Here, just grab one of each milk/refreshers to last you for one cycle, replace the syrups that will not last longer than 30 minutes, and make that new mocha. Once your critical needs are met, you’ll be able to go back and finish what you needed to in your next cycle.
I would repeat the same mantra in my head: COFFEE, ICE, SLEEVES, BEANS, SIGNALS, LOBBY
Fresh coffee is #1 always. Fill ice accordingly; don’t let it drop over half. Sleeves as in coffee sleeves. Keep those espresso beans FULL, including blonde/decaf. Letting it go more than 2/3 empty affects shot quality. Signals include anything else needed.
The key is to always be looking around, especially when you’re doing stationary tasks like grinding coffee or filling cups. Depending on the time of day, you can guess where you should start restocking.
Is it morning? You probably need hot cups, lids, and stoppers. Is it a warm afternoon? You probably need iced cups, refreshers, and inclusions.
Remember, each cycle will get you closer to fully stocking the store. Don’t expect to do it all at once. Also, don’t fully stock one item if you see that you need several other things too.
For example: you see your fridges need to be restocked with milks and refreshers, but you also see you need syrups and a new mocha needs to be made soon.
Here, just grab one of each milk/refreshers to last you for one cycle, replace the syrups that will not last longer than 30 minutes, and make that new mocha. Once your critical needs are met, you’ll be able to go back and finish what you needed to in your next cycle.
bexbux 3 points 2y ago
i applaud the people who regularly CS. I literally cannot do half the things done. I’m pretty bad at prepping because I cannot memorize measurements, dates for date dots. I have a partner who was a high school friend and she is our CS during peak and I feel so bad for her. barely any training, my SM bullies her, and she has arthritis so I feel like heavy tasks can get difficult for her. not to mention she had COVID and has a cyst that is hindering her performance at work. She still does it all and we’re appreciative of her. I’m sure your partners are extremely happy to have you as CS and think you’re on top of it.
StellaLuxx 2 points 2y ago
I can't speak for everyone, but I always used the cycle as more of a guideline. Yes if it's slow by all means do it, but if it's busy I prioritize. What do they need right now. Also I don't know your whole situation but don't be afraid to ask for help. You're not a one person army. Even if you're a barista you can delegate/ask for help. Your store should be a team and work together. I love CS but I know it can be easy to get caught up in the details.
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