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Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind

Full History - 2021 - 08 - 10 - ID#p206dv
6
Witnessing a scary mood shift in a customer (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by FfierceLaw
She gave me a big lipsticked smile in the cafe and ordered a tall black tea. I confirmed that it would be unsweetened (because we're in the Southeast) and she said yes. Then she said "That's the large one right?" I pulled an empty trenta and an empty tall and showed her the difference and was kind of jovial about it, because that's the kind of day I was having, kind of light hearted in the cafe, it was nice. Whoah baby! She flashed anger, I guess she thought I was being a mean barista, but really I was just being light hearted and (I thought) friendly. We completed the transaction for her trenta black tea but I was shaken, no words just the total change in her demeanor as if I started the transaction with one person and completed it with someone totally different. Anyone else have something small and simple yet unsettling like this with a customer?
StormTheParade 3 points 1y ago
Twice! One violent, one non-violent but very hostile. Both of them were very startling when it doesn't feel like there's any real buildup/context to the switch.
FfierceLaw [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Thanks! I’m convinced it’s not our fault, it’s something the individual is burdened with and something that some people find intimidating about the store
StormTheParade 3 points 1y ago
Honestly that's the mindset you need to maintain. It isn't normal for people to totally flip a switch like that. Know that just because you may have been there and interacting with them, that their total loss of control is not your fault.

Pull back a bit and look at how many interactions you have throughout a normal shift. This was *one* interaction out of maybe 1000. People don't normally act/react like that, so don't take it personally!
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