Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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I just want to complain about this lady (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Ashesremindme
There's this customer who comes to my store all the time. She gets a venti strawberry açaí with very light water (literally a drop), very light ice, and no inclusions. 99 times out of 100, she has a problem with her drink. Too much water, not enough water, too much ice, someone put in the inclusions. She's crafty, and sometimes when she orders, she doesn't order her usual way. Like she will forget to say no inclusions, or she'll say grande but it was supposed to be venti. I know her voice the second I hear it, so if I'm on DTO, I will make sure to repeat it back and make sure she clarifies everything before I put it through.
She does this because she thinks she's found a great way to get two drinks for the price of one (more, honestly when you consider all of the juice she's getting with minimal water and ice. She also gets a cup of ice on the side so she's definitely turning her one drink into at least two.). I am onto her scheme, so I never let her keep the "incorrect" one anymore. She gets upset now when I'm on window and I take back the drink. She started saying "do they know you're taking back drinks even though I touched it?" I tell her that yes, they sure do. I'm vaccinated and I'll dump her drink and wash my hands. But I'm not giving her any more free shit.
It's not even about Starbucks losing money. I'm more than happy to let people keep mistakes that we make, or if they make a mistake in ordering but are nice and apologetic about it. My issue is that her little scam to get free drinks makes our jobs harder, it interrupts the bar person's flow when they have to remake a drink, and it slows down the line for every single person behind her. Not only that, no one should have so many problems with literal juice. It's JUICE. If she has such a slim window of what she can enjoy, then she has deeper problems than Starbucks and should make her own juice water at home. You can't even say, well, she's paying a lot for her drink so she should get it how she wants. No, she's literally getting twice as much strawberry açaí as she should for one drink, so even if it's a little off she's still getting more than she paid for.
Sorry for the rant. This lady comes through all the time, and I'm fed up with dealing with her, especially as agitated as she's been getting that I foil her plot. At this point, if she gets more insistent about keeping the first one, I'm going to tell her that if she keeps it she's saying that it's acceptable as is and if she wants a second one she has to pay for it.
She does this because she thinks she's found a great way to get two drinks for the price of one (more, honestly when you consider all of the juice she's getting with minimal water and ice. She also gets a cup of ice on the side so she's definitely turning her one drink into at least two.). I am onto her scheme, so I never let her keep the "incorrect" one anymore. She gets upset now when I'm on window and I take back the drink. She started saying "do they know you're taking back drinks even though I touched it?" I tell her that yes, they sure do. I'm vaccinated and I'll dump her drink and wash my hands. But I'm not giving her any more free shit.
It's not even about Starbucks losing money. I'm more than happy to let people keep mistakes that we make, or if they make a mistake in ordering but are nice and apologetic about it. My issue is that her little scam to get free drinks makes our jobs harder, it interrupts the bar person's flow when they have to remake a drink, and it slows down the line for every single person behind her. Not only that, no one should have so many problems with literal juice. It's JUICE. If she has such a slim window of what she can enjoy, then she has deeper problems than Starbucks and should make her own juice water at home. You can't even say, well, she's paying a lot for her drink so she should get it how she wants. No, she's literally getting twice as much strawberry açaí as she should for one drink, so even if it's a little off she's still getting more than she paid for.
Sorry for the rant. This lady comes through all the time, and I'm fed up with dealing with her, especially as agitated as she's been getting that I foil her plot. At this point, if she gets more insistent about keeping the first one, I'm going to tell her that if she keeps it she's saying that it's acceptable as is and if she wants a second one she has to pay for it.
Normal_Human_4567 96 points 1y ago
Someone once asked me for an americano but with LOADS of cold milk, literally half the cup. I double and triple checked that "are you SURE?" she insists that yep, that's it. She came up to the till all indignant like "um?? This is cold??? And it barely tastes like coffee at all" well YEAH it's essentially 3 shots of coffee in a cup of cold milk???
TheOnesLeftBehind 23 points 1y ago
You can only give away a sample cup of milk for free, or half a short. More then that and they have to pay
[deleted] 91 points 1y ago
[deleted]
victorious_gem 5 points 1y ago
yass, I agree
AlexisFitzy 63 points 1y ago
I applaud you for shutting down her bullshit! She probably just likes walking around with her giant fucking Starbucks cup for clout and tells everyone how she can get a free drinks, but won’t tell anyone how she’s doing it. She could definitely do this herself but wants someone else to slave over her drink to make her feel special.
jazzysoranio 28 points 1y ago
I’ve started just saying no to serial complainers because my manager is one of the good ones that actually supports me in this. I got lucky to have a manager that is on the same frequency as I am about this. I won’t that for customers I don’t recognize, but for serial liars I just tell them “no.” I repeated your order back you at the speaker box and again at the window. If you don’t want it that way then you need to order what you DO want. Or, sometimes I break out the “your order has been wrong every day for the past several weeks. What can we do to make this better?” I like this one because it’s a trick shot. It makes them think they’ve won at first and when they say we can make it better by remaking the drink I pivot and say “we’ve already tried remaking your drink for you and that doesn’t seem to have fixed anything. If we’re making your order wrong every single day then either we don’t have what it takes to please you and you should start going somewhere else, or you can order what you want and we’ll make what you ordered.” Being able to say this definitely depends on how on it your manager is. I’ve definitely worked for managers who just bow down and worship the customer no matter what too.
Or, when I don’t have time to go through all that I just repeat back the order again a third time and make them sit through me reading it back and then go “that’s what they made. I watched them.”
Or, I just don’t care that Starbucks is losing money. Lol. I care by default, but it’s more the company’s job than mine to create a store where it’s harder to steal from them.
Or, when I don’t have time to go through all that I just repeat back the order again a third time and make them sit through me reading it back and then go “that’s what they made. I watched them.”
Or, I just don’t care that Starbucks is losing money. Lol. I care by default, but it’s more the company’s job than mine to create a store where it’s harder to steal from them.
Koalastars009 28 points 1y ago
100% scammer/ powertrip! I would get to know her on a first name basis. So as soon as you hear her you can call her by name
LilacFlores 23 points 1y ago
One thing I would start doing is just giving her the cup of strawberry acai with no water in it and just give her a cup of water on the side. You can’t complain if you do it wrong
Klaus_Unechtname 9 points 1y ago
I had a customer literally order an americano with steamed milk like it’s a valid hack 🤦♀️
Momo-ko_the_Fox 14 points 1y ago
I’ve had someone order a triple shot in a grande cup with steamed breve all the way to the top. I was brand new when this was pulled on me, but the next time he tried it, I charged him for a triple shot breve latte, and he just about had a cow! I told him that’s what he’s asking for and that I got in trouble for ringing it his way last time. That seemed to calm him down.
TheOnesLeftBehind 3 points 1y ago
Either put a splash in on top of the water or charge it as a latte
wtchtrsh 5 points 1y ago
I would start filling out incident reports. Or talk to my manager about it. Sometimes my manager wants to talk to people that do stuff like this.
drinkliquidclocks 5 points 1y ago
Yup I know those type of customers, I never let them keep it because they'll keep trying.
sofso 4 points 1y ago
OP, you're my hero
Assiqtaq 4 points 1y ago
I agree with you, I literally feel like you'd be better off just giving her that drink no ice no water no inclusions. Just pour it in a cup to the top and be off with her, less work, less fuss.
He11oboyo 3 points 1y ago
I would probably get to a point where I would make the refresher without water, light ice and room and then hand her a cup of water as well. Like, you are an adult, right? If you're going to be so picky, just do it yourself.
crunchycookie28 3 points 1y ago
wow you’re my idol
adventurelyfe 3 points 1y ago
This happens all the time at my store. I’m pretty new, but TONS of people order “venti cold brews with no ice and a grande cup of ice on the side”
Or the same with the refreshers. Like, hello, we know what you’re doing.
Or the same with the refreshers. Like, hello, we know what you’re doing.
IfuDidntCome2Party 3 points 1y ago
Yes there are those customers that will drive you over the wall. I learned later-- to just let it go, but stay in control. Don't let it drive you mad. Good that you verify everything on the order. I would verify everyone's order, just to give the bar a slight gap between the next order. That way you will have less stress if there is a miscommunication, you know that you called-back the order to try to ensure everything was correct. Yes I know, there are customers that will aware they ordered such and such, even though they clearly didn't. Just let it go and correct the order.
Berry_Barbara 3 points 1y ago
Preach 🙌
frenchsilkywilky 2 points 1y ago
same energy as people who order coffee, take a sip, open up the lid and ask “where’s the cream and sugar?” bestie we’ve been in pandemic times for a year a half now, we have it back here. order what you WANT and you’ll get WHAT YOU WANT
greenbeanfridge 1 points 1y ago
I had one lady get a trenta pink drink no berries light ice on mobile, she comes to pick it up and she’s like “does this have extra coconut milk?” and i’m like “no it just said no berries light ice, but i did both of those for you” and she’s like “well the app wouldn’t let me do extra coconut milk” and i was already hesitant to remake it just because that’s *so* stupid, you’re inside to pick it up anyways, just order it here where we can put in that modification, i digress. AS I’m remaking it she asks for a carrier and a bag. This was the only drink she ordered and since she hadn’t touched it, i just pulled it closer to my side of the counter (big mistake). Homegirl had a plan coming in and I fell for it!
Ashesremindme [OP] 2 points 1y ago
Lol! These people. I would've been like yeah, since you asked for light ice we added extra coconut milk to fill the space. Have a great day!
Or, I would've poured the original drink right back in the shaker (minus about an inch) and added more coconut milk. That's what I did with the lady in my post when she ordered a grande but wanted a venti. I was on bar and the green bean on window came over and said the lady wanted to know if she could have the grande. (She hadn't touched it that time.). I was like hell no she can't have it. This grande is about to BECOME a venti. I just reshook it with more strawberry.
Or, I would've poured the original drink right back in the shaker (minus about an inch) and added more coconut milk. That's what I did with the lady in my post when she ordered a grande but wanted a venti. I was on bar and the green bean on window came over and said the lady wanted to know if she could have the grande. (She hadn't touched it that time.). I was like hell no she can't have it. This grande is about to BECOME a venti. I just reshook it with more strawberry.
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