Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Customers are such assholes (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Conscious_Ad_8241
Yesterday I had a guy throw a stopper at me in the drive through. He didn’t like overhand it but yanked it out of his drink and kind of frisbee it into the window. I fucking lost it. I snatched it up and said if you don’t want it the kindly let us know and slammed the window in his face.
I am honestly always nice to customers regardless of how awful they are. Like I ALWAYS get put on window because of it. But I just had it with this guy, he is a rude ass regular.
I don’t care if we have to “make it right” none of us deserve to be treated poorly.
I am honestly always nice to customers regardless of how awful they are. Like I ALWAYS get put on window because of it. But I just had it with this guy, he is a rude ass regular.
I don’t care if we have to “make it right” none of us deserve to be treated poorly.
Disastrous_Excuse247 86 points 2y ago
That really sucks. He definitely deserved it. And just because someone is having a bad day, bad week, or bad year doesn’t give them an excuse to be rude to people. As workers we have to deal with alot all the time. I think people forget we are human behind these aprons😭You didn’t cuss him out or anything of that sort so that’s good. You just told him straight up in like the best way possible. Anyways Hopefully that rude ass regular stops being rude
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 36 points 2y ago
I hope he had a reality check but I doubt it, you can just tell he is a miserable person. Sometimes I come home just beaten down after a shift, people can really be awful. I always make a point to be extra kind to any worker, I even tip well! Lol
Disastrous_Excuse247 7 points 2y ago
Im glad nice people like you exist. Customers like you keep me going💕
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 5 points 2y ago
It’s sad when people are taken a back when you are kind. I’m glad you exist! 💕
killerwhaletank 62 points 2y ago
Sometimes “making it right” means “teaching them the manners they didn’t learn in childhood”.
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 17 points 2y ago
Haha for real! It should be “We make it right”*
*unless you are a rude ass person
*unless you are a rude ass person
Coffeeapples 34 points 2y ago
The other day I had a customer throw his empty cup at me because I wouldn't give him a refill in that same exact cup.
We are in a fucking pandemic sir.
We are in a fucking pandemic sir.
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 11 points 2y ago
Rude! One of my coworkers had someone spit on the floor while she was handing him his order. She is way to sweet to say anything, I was so pissed for her!!
Coffeeapples 4 points 2y ago
I just glared at him. I really want to know what goes throw a grown mans mind when he throws a tantrum to someone half his size and age.
Dantesdeception 7 points 2y ago
We had a customer throw a full bottle of sanitizer at the shift who was just covering for our store. They also spat at her too. Insane
mpaktx 20 points 2y ago
I love when a customer harasses us or says some awful stuff and when we push back, they're like "YOU just LOST my business." Like okay.... you singlehandedly are not going to sink a multi-billion dollar coffee company.... good day. Also 99% of the time I see them two days later.
KaiserShauzie 15 points 2y ago
This is why I don't work with people anymore. Done it for 10 years and never again. If that was me he would've been wearing the hottest liquid I could find.
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 4 points 2y ago
What do you do now?
Most of the time I don’t mind it but there is always one person who just fucks it up for everyone
Most of the time I don’t mind it but there is always one person who just fucks it up for everyone
KaiserShauzie 9 points 2y ago
Once I decided I was too violent for barwork I went to pest control. Good job if the reason you left your last one is that you kept thinking about interesting ways to kill things. I actually looked after every Starbucks in Edinburgh for a year. I won't say anything though. I realise where I am lol.
To be fair the managers do actually take pest control as a No1 priority there. They do exactly what they're told and give you awesome coffee so was always a good part of my day :)
Turned out I wasn't people friendly enough for that iether though so now I shout and swear and smash buildings up all day with big machines. Then tidy it up and shout n swear some more.
If anyone, including the managers annoy you while your concentrating it's generally ok to shout and swear at them if they genuinely shouldn't be there.
It's not for everyone but if you can handle an all male atmosphere and all the polava that comes with that then It's generally a good laugh.
To be fair the managers do actually take pest control as a No1 priority there. They do exactly what they're told and give you awesome coffee so was always a good part of my day :)
Turned out I wasn't people friendly enough for that iether though so now I shout and swear and smash buildings up all day with big machines. Then tidy it up and shout n swear some more.
If anyone, including the managers annoy you while your concentrating it's generally ok to shout and swear at them if they genuinely shouldn't be there.
It's not for everyone but if you can handle an all male atmosphere and all the polava that comes with that then It's generally a good laugh.
dodofishman 6 points 2y ago
I would say that was assault and refuse to serve him again. Maybe it's dramatic, but you can't throw shit at people! Even a stopper!
DeezBerriesArePoison 5 points 2y ago
I once got a pound of coffee beans chucked at my head by a mentally ill man who was panhandling for cash in the store, which was a regular occurrence. I was informed that I should “avoid” him from now on. No consequences for him. Anyway, I feel your pain.
jfmdavisburg 5 points 2y ago
Risky move if he really is a 'regular'
SirenIsOurOverlord 14 points 2y ago
I think it seemed a pretty appropriate response, and honestly, mean regulars get way too comfortable with us and think it’s okay to treat us this way when it’s not. If we don’t accept behavior like that on a consistent basis without escalating the issue, I think it is better than sucking it up and letting them to continue a cycle of behavior.
Cheerio_cherico 3 points 2y ago
Yo that’s happened to me before too! But honestly fuck customers
Xrixnnxx 2 points 2y ago
If it makes you feel better, I don’t get put in drive thru because I am the exact opposite! I wouldn’t given a second thought to throwing it back! I’ve been with Starbucks for 5 years and the customers are only getting worse. I’ve demoted myself back to a barista after I had my first child, and everyone says I came back nicer, but I have only been back for 3 months and have had to pull a shift supervisor out of the window to help her from being verbally abused, and got into a cussing match with a middle aged man. (Who other partners turned a deaf ear to, lol) People are shitty, and we can always find another job, and at the end of the day.. throwing it at him was a way cooler story to post than having not had done it!
BuffyBoltonVampFlayr 1 points 2y ago
Hey this is completely off topic and not exactly "pc" so you totally don't have to answer if you don't want to. But I was jw if they set your pay back to the amount you started at after stepping back down to barista?
I've been thinking about demoting myself for a while now too but I've heard that the company loves to screw your wages up if you do decide to do that.
I've been thinking about demoting myself for a while now too but I've heard that the company loves to screw your wages up if you do decide to do that.
Xrixnnxx 1 points 2y ago
Yep, demoting your position also demotes your pockets.
BuffyBoltonVampFlayr 1 points 2y ago
But like, all the way down to your starting rate? Not just losing those shift lead extra wages?
Xrixnnxx 2 points 2y ago
You should be able to negotiate with the amount of time you have spent there (so any pay increase you’ve had with a review) example: if you got a 2% increase before, you should get what a barista makes wherever you are located + a 2% raise of that.. does that make sense? Say minimum wage was $10 where you are and you’ve previously gotten a 2% raise, now you’d make $10.20..
But with the corporate wide pay increase to everyone I’m sure they’d give you a hard time. I would run it by someone you trust above you?
But with the corporate wide pay increase to everyone I’m sure they’d give you a hard time. I would run it by someone you trust above you?
Khmera 1 points 2y ago
This is where the face shields are now more useful than ever, to avoid getting stuff thrown in your face by these horrid human beans!
jag614 1 points 2y ago
When I worked in fast food I damn near cried every shift. People are RUDE AF. And think its acceptable to take it out on those in service industries. Ive had people cuss me out so hard I had to take my headset off, I've had people demand things for free after the slightest wait, and people pull up 3 hours before we opened to try and place an order.
It is not for the faint of heart, I always tried to remember that the people like that probably had something going on in their lives, undeserving anger usually originates from personal pain
It is not for the faint of heart, I always tried to remember that the people like that probably had something going on in their lives, undeserving anger usually originates from personal pain
alphagoddessA 1 points 2y ago
Honestly, people are such assholes. That’s what my years in the service industry taught me.
You’re a better person & they have to live with their nasty selves, so you can take comfort in that, at least. Bless you.
You’re a better person & they have to live with their nasty selves, so you can take comfort in that, at least. Bless you.
[deleted] 1 points 2y ago
[deleted]
rio8envy7 -69 points 2y ago
Tell a shift or your SM they can fill out an incident report or handle the situation.
Retaliating against a customer isnt the answer. I understand your frustration I’m on window a lot too and have to straight up deal with people. But acting as badly or retaliating isn’t the answer. If anything if could make things worse.
You also don’t know what customers go through. What their lives are like. Maybe they lost someone to covid or lost their job or have something going on at home. You don’t know. Sometimes people act out because they’re stressed or dealing with a lot. Doesn’t make taking anger or frustration out on you but we don’t know what goes on in people’s lives. My best advice is kill them with kindness.
Retaliating against a customer isnt the answer. I understand your frustration I’m on window a lot too and have to straight up deal with people. But acting as badly or retaliating isn’t the answer. If anything if could make things worse.
You also don’t know what customers go through. What their lives are like. Maybe they lost someone to covid or lost their job or have something going on at home. You don’t know. Sometimes people act out because they’re stressed or dealing with a lot. Doesn’t make taking anger or frustration out on you but we don’t know what goes on in people’s lives. My best advice is kill them with kindness.
tang0foxtr0t 55 points 2y ago
Nope. And OP didn’t retaliate they politely told the customer to not do that next time and ended the transaction. A customer could literally have just watched a loved one die in front of them and it gives them no right, no excuse, no reason to treat us like we’re sub-human while we make them their coffee they voluntarily asked and paid us to make. Period.
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 39 points 2y ago
I could not agree more. Me making your lattes does not make me a lesser person. Me making minimum wage does not make you better than me. You are not important just because you come in everyday and spend money on coffee.
Thank you for understanding!
Thank you for understanding!
rio8envy7 -6 points 2y ago
I’m not saying them treating us like shit is ok. I just mean we don’t know what they’re dealing with. Nobody should be treated badly and treated like less of a person but sometimes people snap
Abrakadanni 6 points 2y ago
We may not know what customers are dealing with but they don’t know what WE are dealing with either. Customers are also responsible for their behavior and it’s completely appropriate to respond the way this person did. If we are holding ourselves to the standard of treating others with respect, it’s expected that customers treat us with respect as well. It’s actually part of the third place policy. I’ll forgive someone with an attitude and kill them with kindness but if someone throws something at me? Fuck no. I don’t care if it’s as small as a stopper. It’s well within our rights to set a boundary the way this person did. It wouldn’t be tolerated at my store for a second, they would be given a refund and asked to not come back.
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 33 points 2y ago
This dude is an asshole. He has been a regular for a loooooong time and has always acted like this. I killed him with kindness for too long. I immediately went to my shift and told them what happened. I’m not proud of myself for getting so angry but this guy just pushed me to the edge. I was the one having an awful awful day.
jewel28655 14 points 2y ago
A regular threw a stopper at me once when I was in the window too. I’m so sorry you went through that 🥺 We were super busy and it was my second week working. I was being really kind and handed out his 5 drink order (4 were in a carrier, one not), but I guess didn’t hear him say “no stopper” for the one outside of the carrier. So after I handed it to him he’s like “I SAID NO STOPPER!!”, threw it at me and sped off. It landed on the window sill thing. So I started crying because wtf! And the next car pulled up as I was about to pick up the stopper off the windowsill. And she had seen the whole thing and was like you didn’t deserve that, just leave it there, I’m sorry that happened to you. So that kind of restored my faith in humanity slightly. But I had to get off the floor for a second because like how could anyone be so entitled and pressed over a literal piece of plastic to treat the people serving their coffee like that!! Im just trying to do my job sir! Whatever you’re going through is never an excuse to treat us like crap
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 8 points 2y ago
Omg!!! That is awful, I just don’t get it, I would never throw anything at someone like that. It’s crazy how legit traumatizing it can be to have people treat you like that. 99 people will be amazing but it only takes one to ruin it for everyone. I’m so sorry you had to deal with that also. I just don’t get the entitlement people have when they come to Starbucks.
grizzlynicoleadams 18 points 2y ago
Not having objects thrown at you is a reasonable boundary to set at work. Asking someone to not throw something at you is not “retaliating” and I would be very sad if my manager considered it that way.
Conscious_Ad_8241 [OP] 10 points 2y ago
Thankfully I have a really supportive manager. Next we need boundaries on how many alteration people can make on mobile orders!!!
rio8envy7 -5 points 2y ago
It is a reasonable boundary I’m not saying it isn’t but slamming the door in their face kind of is.
tang0foxtr0t 7 points 2y ago
Bro it's a freaking drive through window he probably didn't even notice.
draahstopter 6 points 2y ago
But we’re not allowed to respond like this? We’re stressed because customers like this think it’s okay to treat us like shit. Screw the third place and “making it right”. Treat us like humans and we’ll go from there.
amazing_redhead 4 points 2y ago
If I can go to work, act nice, and give the best goddamned customer service a week after my step dad killed himself then I know for damn sure they can learn not to throw shit at us. I don't give a fuck what they're going through because they don't give a fuck what I had to go through. Respect goes both ways. We work in customer service not as doormats. Baristas are people firsts, not a punching bag to let your frustration out on. There is no excuse to behave as badly as they do. I was panicked at work when we had to shut down due to covid wondering of I was going to be homeless until I got a negative test because I wasn't allowed home sick and had nowhere to go and yes I mentioned it to a coworker but in front of customer it's just, "Hi there! What can I get started for you today?" It is not unreasonable to expect adults to conduct themselves as adults in public.
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