Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Starbucks cold cups/hot cups/tumblers PSA (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by hidethenight17
One of the grossest things I think customers do, is grab a cup off of our dusty shelves. Cups that customers touch daily, and look at, open and close etc.
Customers take the cups, and then ask us to put their drinks in them. Which we can do, no problem sure.
But the fact that people want us to use these dirty cups, that other people are touching, during a global pandemic is blowing my mind.
Maybe I don’t get paid enough to think about these things. Maybe I shouldn’t worry about it. But holy cow do I think it’s gross.
(I have offered to wash these cups real quick to customers, they sometimes say yes. But most times, like during peak it really isn’t possible to run to the back and clean them.)
Customers take the cups, and then ask us to put their drinks in them. Which we can do, no problem sure.
But the fact that people want us to use these dirty cups, that other people are touching, during a global pandemic is blowing my mind.
Maybe I don’t get paid enough to think about these things. Maybe I shouldn’t worry about it. But holy cow do I think it’s gross.
(I have offered to wash these cups real quick to customers, they sometimes say yes. But most times, like during peak it really isn’t possible to run to the back and clean them.)
shimmyeatworldpeace 30 points 1y ago
Ur not weird! I feel the same way! Honestly, after you have smelled a dressing room after people have trashed it and have left clothes they tried on… it scars u. People are gross, in general. You gotta wash new items u purchase before they are actually urs. Otherwise, ur just using something that gross strangers also “used”…
shimmyeatworldpeace 27 points 1y ago
It’s so gross and also says a lot about consumerism. We imagine that we are the first to pickup an item that we find in a store. We imagine that they are untouched, untainted, and nonexistent up until the moment we happened upon said item. Why do we do that? Because, shopping and consuming is a very entitled mindset.
hidethenight17 [OP] 22 points 1y ago
I used to be guilty of this before I worked retail with clothes. I used to not wash shirts/pants when bringing them home. That was until I worked retail and realized how many people could potentially try on the object I’m purchasing.
My boyfriend still gets mad at me when I wash certain things of his right after he buys them. But I’ve seen some nasty filthy people try on clothes and not buy them, I don’t want that touching my skin. Maybe I’m the weird one. But it drives me crazy
My boyfriend still gets mad at me when I wash certain things of his right after he buys them. But I’ve seen some nasty filthy people try on clothes and not buy them, I don’t want that touching my skin. Maybe I’m the weird one. But it drives me crazy
Vilali 12 points 1y ago
I love buying cold cups. If I'm going to use it that day when I buy it, you bet your sweet ass I'm going to the back and I'm washing it. If I'm at another store and see a cup I like? I wait until I get home, wash it, then use it. People are NASTY.
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Edit: I'm going to add that I'm the one who usually puts out the cold cups, and I'm also the one that cleans the shelves. I know how nasty it gets.
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Edit: I'm going to add that I'm the one who usually puts out the cold cups, and I'm also the one that cleans the shelves. I know how nasty it gets.
hidethenight17 [OP] 3 points 1y ago
This! Me too! That’s probably why I think it’s absolutely so gross.
goodtombs 9 points 1y ago
Nah every time someone asked even after we’ve started taking reusable cups I’ve told them I’ll just give them the discount but I won’t put it in the cup because they’re gross. The amount of times people have seemed annoyed with me is crazy. I watch hundreds of people touch them every day and you want me to put a drink in them without cleaning them? Ew
Edit: I’m surprised you’re allowed or would even be willing to clean cups for customers. We’re not allowed nor would I want to to be honest.
Edit: I’m surprised you’re allowed or would even be willing to clean cups for customers. We’re not allowed nor would I want to to be honest.
hidethenight17 [OP] 4 points 1y ago
we only clean the new cups off the shelves, if someone gives me a cup for their latte and it has crusty milk in it I’m definitely denying them.
goodtombs 0 points 1y ago
I don’t work anymore for Starbucks, just recently quit but even while I was working there I wasn’t gonna clean em. In Canada at least we weren’t taking reusable cups from people until aug 24th and only if they’re clean. We’re not to clean them for them no matter what, so I used that as my excuse to be lazy cause I can’t be bothered, sorry 🤷🏼♀️
hidethenight17 [OP] 5 points 1y ago
Yeah, I’m in Canada. We only take clean cups, like I said if they’re giving us a nasty milk coated mug I’m saying no. But when it comes to our display material that’s for sale my shifts told me that they’re technically, “not dirty.” Even though 9/10 when someone hands me a cup to fill them, I tell them they’re dirty and are they sure? But yesterday my shift told me, “we don’t question customers like that, our merch is clean.” But no sir, it is not clean. I clean those shelves, I put out the material, I know how filthy it is and how many people touch them daily.
goodtombs 1 points 1y ago
Guess I lucked out and had enough bitter coworkers like me that we all agreed to not put drinks in em or clean em. In all fairness for us we were entirely understaffed all summer and most of the time when people asked they asked in a rush when we had no time so we just all agreed to not take any merch to clean even fresh off the shelf
FfierceLaw 5 points 1y ago
Yes, it’s gross, I have to agree but probably not deadly. I don’t understand the motivation to do this, virtue signaling? It just one less Starbucks cold cup, but from the moment they’re manufactured, they’re headed to the trash! I pick up many more unused from the floor. I love the planet, I dive and I’ve seen the ocean from 90’ below
rio8envy7 3 points 1y ago
Actually we can’t put their drinks in it. If they want to take the cup we give them and put it in that’s fine. If we do put their drinks in a new cup we have to wash and sanitize it because besides people touching it all day it collects dust and who knows where people’s hands have been. It’s part of the protocol even pre-pandemic which we’re still in.
hidethenight17 [OP] 5 points 1y ago
Really? In our weekly update a few weeks ago we were told we can take all cups now. My location is even using for here cups/plates again.
rio8envy7 2 points 1y ago
Oh. I was on vacation a few weeks ago so I may have missed it in the update. We do still have to wash and sanitize it though if they just purchase it and want something in it.
feisty314 2 points 1y ago
Please look for that weekly update and read it. It may also be in Partner Hub under personal cup standards. We are not supposed to touch customer cups at all right now. That means no washing, and you're supposed to put it in a For Here mug (or a steaming pitcher, whatever is more available) to carry it around behind the bar.
rio8envy7 1 points 1y ago
That’s what I thought.
Due-Most-1763 2 points 1y ago
I was always able to convince everybody to take it home and wash it at least once before use because wearhouses in general are really disgusting. And I would tell them I know this because my husband worked it one lol. It worked for all but one women who was like fuck it if the military hasn't killed me yet this cup won't 🤣
ittybittybakerkitty 2 points 1y ago
My store refuses
breadcat3 2 points 1y ago
At my target starbucks, we still aren’t taking personal cups. When I tell customers this, they’ll still buy the dusty, very dirty cup off the shelf, buy their drink, and then pour their drink into the cup without washing it. I don’t know how half of these people are alive
BookDragon1996 2 points 1y ago
Yeah at a minimum I would rinse it really well
hereironically 2 points 1y ago
Our store won’t allow us to fill cups with drinks right off the shelves. They have to bring it in personally. Because of THAT exact reason!
hidethenight17 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
My shift just kinda handed it to me and I was like, “uh this is really gross?” But they didn’t care and said rinse it if I felt that way.
Realistickmhart997 1 points 1y ago
We will either wash them, since they just bought it from us, or we tell them that we can't use them until they wash them
[deleted] 1 points 1y ago
[removed]
coldcatsoup -1 points 1y ago
Definitely gross.
I would say at least fill it with hot water from the brew tap.
I would say at least fill it with hot water from the brew tap.
hidethenight17 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
When it’s super busy I give it a quick rinse if I’m unable to clean it. Still so gross to me.
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