so tired of getting told to “connect more with customers!!!”(self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by madsthegamer13
i know it’s policy and they are only doing their job.. but it’s only one of my SSV, it feels like every 10 seconds i’m getting told to “connect with the customers more!!” NOT EVERY CUSTOMER WANTS TO TALK!! lolol, i can’t name how many times i’ve tried talking to a customer that is playing on their phone while waiting, they say “yep”while never looking up at me and continue doing what they’re doing.. couples in the car usually like to talk to eachother, yesterday i had just finished a convo with a woman in my DT window, we talked about her day, my day, the new drink she was trying, and her car, i turn around to grab her drink, and at the same time, my SSV is walking up and says “make sure we’re focusing on the customers! we need better communication!” .. if a customer wants to talk, i’ll talk. if i can visibly tell that someone doesn’t wanna talk because it’s before 6 am and they haven’t had their coffee yet, i’m gonna let them stare off into space while they wait like they’ve been doing. if you tell me to talk to a customer repeatedly saying i can do it and to just talk, and the customer can hear it and see me being too nervous to talk because of the pressure.. i will have a panic attack. please stop this lmao, not every customer wants to talk and the more pressure you put on anyone.. with anxiety or not, the worse it will get
FirstRunThenWine76 points1y ago
Honestly I know this sounds rude but I wish there was a button at the drive thru speaker I could push that says “I don’t want small talk”. I LOVE how nice my local Starbucks people are, but my answer to “what are u getting up to today” is always gonna be “not much just getting my coffee”, and I’m sorry but sometimes I just don’t wanna talk lol
madsthegamer13 [OP]17 points1y ago
this exactly, i can tell with just some body language that some people just dont want small talk and when i’m forced to try, it just pains me cause i can tell they don’t want to, and the only reason i’m trying is to prove my point to my SSV, some people just don’t want small talk and somehow not everyone realizes this
[deleted]1 points1y ago
I honestly got this job because of cc. I feel this so badly a lot of them wouldn't even tell us their names and a lot of it is cause of pronouns. I ask if they have a nickname or something else they want written on the cup.
onapapersun39 points1y ago
All of that while being told "make sure we are keeping those times under a minute". It's incredibly annoying and confusing because it's do you want customer connections or do you want fast dt times?
jams101518 points1y ago
My frustration is that customers don't stop talking to me, like they anticipate we are supposed to be chatty and they just won't stop talking and I can't hear the customer in my ear trying to order, I can't step away to make a quick shaky drink to help out my drive bar, I'm just left to stand in the window to nod and wither away emotionally and mentally as they yap at me. I feel trapped when it happens, because I can't help my team and I feel rude cutting the conversation.
I think some of it might be my age. I am a 40+y/o barista and a lot of our customers are around my age. Similar to when you go to the grocery store with your parent growing up and they always find another grown up to talk to in each aisle and you just want to hurry and leave but your parents won't stop talking... They automatically assume I want to talk about recipes and parent activities and trade dated movie quotes and references, lol. But I'm at work and I have a job to do and baristas to support and listening to you wax poetic about the sale at Bed, Bath, and Beyond or some shit is not it.
kdoggwatchestv18 points1y ago
Costumer here. I don’t care either way. I worked at a coffee shop(not Starbucks) with a drive thru and you really don’t know where someone is at with their day. If they’re wanting to talk or not. If the DT person starts a conversation, I indulge Bc I know there’s an out of touch manager waiting to see if the person working is “connecting with costumers” 😒. I also worked retail and had similar requirements. Sometimes people go to the store, or to the coffee shop to be alone and get some quiet time.
stealingsight11 points1y ago
cult like behavior...
can you ask to be placed on a different position? i'm much more comfortable "connecting" on cafe bar because all i have to do is say hi welcome in and thank you have a great day
PiscesQueen2411 points1y ago
Literally , some days like today nearly every single customer is cranky /rude , flat out ignore being asked how they day is and all.
sero50749 points1y ago
My biggest frustration is i believe everyone on this planet is burnt the f out right now. The pandemic has put a lot of strain on everyone! At this point, a lot of people are just tired. Tired of working, tired of doing the same crap every day. It gets redundant. Some people need conversation to pick them up, but most of the time people just want to be left alone. When i work dt, i just keep it to the bare minimum and make sure they get that perfect cup of coffee.
navkabar7 points1y ago
most customers who want to talk will start the conversation. im so sick of being told to connect when it's actually just me being awkward
madsthegamer13 [OP]2 points1y ago
exactly this.. forced conversation isn’t fun for anyone
madsthegamer13 [OP]1 points1y ago
exactly..
Berry_Barbara7 points1y ago
The other day the SSV I was working with was on register and she asked a regular how their day was and he said “I don’t want you to ask me about my day, I just want my drink. Don’t ask me anything else.” He was so rude and I felt bad for my SSV because she is so nice and was just doing what is constantly forced down our throats. I never make small talk with him because u can tell by his body language he just wants his drink and nothing else. I’d suggest mobile order to avoid contact but he wants his blonde shots fresh 🙄
canidieyet_5 points1y ago
we used to have a regular who would get pissy if you asked about his day or how he was doing. i didn’t bother asking one day bc i knew he would just get mad and he apparently didn’t like that either bc he said “wow so you’re not even going to ask about my day?! kids these days are so rude…”
fuckthisshit____6 points1y ago
If it weren’t for the forced customer connection bullshit I might not be so eager to quit honestly. Forced connections are the pinnacle of cringe. But as long as Starbucks is a global corporation, out of touch executives will be thinking up stupid ways to increase branding and profit margins whether they’re *actually feasible in the stores* or not.
GrafixCard255 points1y ago
This is why I’m so glad I quit
[deleted]3 points1y ago
People just stick their phone out to pay and don’t bother looking my way 💀
PumpKiing3 points1y ago
Both before I got the job and even after when I come through as a customer: I don't wanna partake in small talk and I try to make it clear to folks working "you dont have to force conversation on me, I know neither of us want that"
It's the same when Im in an Uber or Lyft, let me just vibe with my headphones in. I'll thank you when you pick me up and drop me off, give ya 5 stars, tip and we'll both be off on our merry way.
[deleted]2 points1y ago
My main problems is I have gotten so many creepers at Starbucks trying to flirt through their names at night. I told my co workers this. I literally also post about incidents like this on the thread to protect other women on here.
GeneralSparklezz1 points1y ago
Customers should connect with us if anything we ones working they ones chillin
[deleted]1 points1y ago
[deleted]
madsthegamer13 [OP]1 points1y ago
lmfaooo i do this.. i’m not talking to anybody but if you looked at me you would think i am cause i just stay directly facing out the window
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