Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
↑
83
↓
It finally happened -- a stupid customer complaint (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by [deleted]
A guy, let's say, Joe, walks in and orders a venti white mocha. I fill it up not quite fully to make room for whipped cream. I fill to the top with whip. Joe takes the drink right away as soon as I call out his name. A few minutes later, when I'm hit with all these mobiles, he walks up to hand off with his drink.
Joe: "You didn't fill my cup all the way. You filled it up to right here." \*points to a lower line than where I actually filled it\*
He showed me his cup, and it looked like he had already taken a few sips or the foam/whip had dissolved into the drink. That means he waited for quite some time before he took a sip.
Me: "Oh, the whipped cream must have melted off. I could remake it for you."
Joe: "No that's okay. But you didn't fill my cup. You put \*this\* (points again to his cup) much milk in there. That's not enough. I didn't even ask for whipped cream."
Me: "Our white mochas come with whipped cream. I can definitely remake it for you."
Joe: "No, can you just put a little bit more coffee in there or something?"
Me: "Yeah! Do you want an extra shot of espresso?"
Joe: \*Looks unhappy.\*
Me: "I can remake it for you. It's no problem at all for me."
Joe: "Okay, remake it then. No whip, no foam on that."
He should have just said no foam in the first place. Seriously — these customers don't know what they're ordering. They think the barista cheated them out of a full beverage when it's them who waited too long to pick it up and/or drink it. Then he refuses a remake while trying to get me to say something he wants to hear (probably 'sorry my bad pls forgive me good sir'?). But I've decided that, while I remain kind and cordial, I won't apologize to a customer when I didn't make a mistake.
Edit: I definitely should have held off on the foam for his white mocha! It wasn’t a dramatic amount, but probably enough to make his whipped cream sink quickly. 🥲 My bad Joe, my bad.
Joe: "You didn't fill my cup all the way. You filled it up to right here." \*points to a lower line than where I actually filled it\*
He showed me his cup, and it looked like he had already taken a few sips or the foam/whip had dissolved into the drink. That means he waited for quite some time before he took a sip.
Me: "Oh, the whipped cream must have melted off. I could remake it for you."
Joe: "No that's okay. But you didn't fill my cup. You put \*this\* (points again to his cup) much milk in there. That's not enough. I didn't even ask for whipped cream."
Me: "Our white mochas come with whipped cream. I can definitely remake it for you."
Joe: "No, can you just put a little bit more coffee in there or something?"
Me: "Yeah! Do you want an extra shot of espresso?"
Joe: \*Looks unhappy.\*
Me: "I can remake it for you. It's no problem at all for me."
Joe: "Okay, remake it then. No whip, no foam on that."
He should have just said no foam in the first place. Seriously — these customers don't know what they're ordering. They think the barista cheated them out of a full beverage when it's them who waited too long to pick it up and/or drink it. Then he refuses a remake while trying to get me to say something he wants to hear (probably 'sorry my bad pls forgive me good sir'?). But I've decided that, while I remain kind and cordial, I won't apologize to a customer when I didn't make a mistake.
Edit: I definitely should have held off on the foam for his white mocha! It wasn’t a dramatic amount, but probably enough to make his whipped cream sink quickly. 🥲 My bad Joe, my bad.
FfierceLaw 41 points 1y ago
you're right, you made him exactly what he ordered now he's being a fussy PIA
[deleted] [OP] 7 points 1y ago
Thank you! 😭 He kept insisting he didn't need a remake, but he wouldn't stop pointing at his cup to tell me I made it wrong. And I had 10 other people staring at me waiting for their mobile/cafe orders.
FfierceLaw 6 points 1y ago
I've been there, stuck squatting low trying to hook up a new cold brew, struggling to get it to click and a guy with a later order leaning waaay over the counter looking down on me saying "do you have my americano?" Like I have nothing else going on
arkhamsprincess 12 points 1y ago
I’m with you on that last statement. I remake the drinks or do whatever to make them happy, but I don’t apologize anymore when I’m not in the wrong. The other day, a woman paying more attention to her phone than me, ordered a “grande iced white mocha”. When I started putting the ice in, she quickly says “I wanted a HOT white mocha”. I blurted out “well you said iced” just as quickly as she did. I told her I’d remake it for her, but I wanted her to know she was in the wrong. You don’t say “iced” when you want a “hot” drink.
[deleted] [OP] 6 points 1y ago
YES 👏👏👏 Thousand times yes to not giving in to their assumption that they're always in the right! Idk on what basis they're so sure of themselves when they're arguing with the baristas who make hundreds of the same drinks and take hundreds of the same orders on a daily basis lol.
sagansaid7 7 points 1y ago
my coworkers and i are all pretty much on the same page for this too. we hardly ever apologize bc we all know what we’re doing, and on the rare occasion that we make a genuine mistake, we take responsibility. we’re not rude, we’re just tired of customers swearing they know more than us!! they’ve all gotten more and more entitled during the pandemic and think they can walk all over us 🙄 i’m glad our leads have our backs as well, i know there are leads/ managers that still have the “customer is always right” mentality unfortunately :/
Weird-Abalone-2008 12 points 1y ago
that reminds me of when people place mobile orders for cappuccinos and then complain that their cups are almost half empty when they pick them up
Necessary_Low939 8 points 1y ago
When he think it gets coffee instead of shots
[deleted] [OP] 3 points 1y ago
maybe i should’ve just asked him “dark or pike?” instead of offering a remake💀
Necessary_Low939 3 points 1y ago
U did the right thing. He complained about something so stupid. If I were u, I would’ve say how u expect me to put the wc and close the lid? And if he said no wc I would’ve been like lemme get it back and remake it. As for the no foam? This is why I don’t even aerate it that long unless it’s a cappuccino or flat white. They complain too much foam for anything. But then again if it’s me. I would just take the drink back, make it, and set it on the table.
anonbiotch01 6 points 1y ago
Gotta love em
serialsquisher 4 points 1y ago
you’re a better person than me because i would’ve said “oh, your whip must’ve melted in” and turned around to continue what i was doing. i refuse to engage with customers like that at this point
[deleted] [OP] 0 points 1y ago
[deleted]
minimii90 3 points 1y ago
Former barista here. This customer sounds quite annoying, and in the same situation I would’ve been frustrated too. But doesn’t the white mocha come without foam to start? (He should’ve specified without whip though). I could definitely be remembering wrong
[deleted] [OP] 2 points 1y ago
The online menu says mocha/white mocha comes with milk foam. So at least the customers expect foam in their hot drinks with whip? 😭 So confused! Maybe corporate changed the standard. I plan on checking the resources app when I go back.
minimii90 1 points 1y ago
Let me know what you find! I’d be curious to know
[deleted] [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Okay! I looked at the resource app on the iPad, and it says "fill the cup with steamed milk to 1/2" below cup rim" for mochas and white mochas. For caffe lattes, it says "fill the cup with steamed milk and 1/4" foam to 1/4" below cup rim". So it looks like there should be at least less foam (if any) in white mochas/mochas than a regular latte. So, you're right! Even though it doesn't say "use a spoon to block foam", there should definitely be less foam to no foam in the hot drinks that come with whipped cream. Maybe Starbucks doesn't enforce the 'no foam' anymore for faster drive times? It tells the customers that they're gonna get foam in their mochas. 🤷♀️
minimii90 2 points 1y ago
Thanks for the reply! Honestly, this is the type of thing I don’t think Starbucks cares in the least about. I’ll definitely ask for no foam to clarify if I ever get one 😂
SimplyUnhinged 3 points 1y ago
So sorry this happened to you. I had a customer recently that ordered something (totally forgot what it was, so must have blocked it out) and when their drink apparently came out wrong, denied offers to remake their drink and instead stood there and complained.
[deleted] [OP] 3 points 1y ago
Yup yup yup 🥲 some people just love the feeling of being right and believe they’re entitled to unlimited apology like bottomless mimosa. Sorry it happened to you too!
SimplyUnhinged 2 points 1y ago
Unfortunately there are people like that everywhere :,) they're always the people that make me want to throw a pitcher. The saving grace is that I know, for the most part, they'll be out the door soon enough.
Loolander 3 points 1y ago
Just as an aside, the customer sucks, but all beverages that get Whipped Cream also come standard with no foam. Always keep a grooming spoon to stop the foam on any drink getting whip, as they both melt together in a way that really does leave a lot of room at the top of the drink after only a minute.
[deleted] [OP] 4 points 1y ago
Really? Is it possible Starbucks changed its standard? The ordering app says milk foam is the standard for a hot mocha. I’ll go check the recipe cards when I go back to work! I would hate to be the one who causes inconsistency. Wish they would clarify all this during training.
Loolander 2 points 1y ago
The best way to check, is to look at the POS when you type it up. In the "Custom" box at the very bottom along the right side, you'll see an F which stands for foam on lattes, flat whites, any espresso steamed milk beverage that doesn't come with whip. In contrast the Mocha will be lacking an F in the custom box and will instead say WC for Whip Cream.
[deleted] [OP] 2 points 1y ago
You were right! POS says "F" on the customizations tab on the POS. And the F is absent for mochas and white mochas. I said this in another comment, but the recipe cards do say "pour steamed milk" in mocha/white mocha, contrary to "pour steamed milk AND foam" in caffe lattes.
But my question is, why does Starbucks tell its customers that they're getting milk foam in their hot drinks with whipped cream (e.g. mocha/white mocha)? From what I see, the 'no foam rule' is not enforced these days like they were before. All the baristas at my store just free-pour \[the milk\] in the hot drinks with whipped cream.
I'm still confused! Should I do no foam on those drinks? or do less foam unless I get instructed 'no foam'?
But my question is, why does Starbucks tell its customers that they're getting milk foam in their hot drinks with whipped cream (e.g. mocha/white mocha)? From what I see, the 'no foam rule' is not enforced these days like they were before. All the baristas at my store just free-pour \[the milk\] in the hot drinks with whipped cream.
I'm still confused! Should I do no foam on those drinks? or do less foam unless I get instructed 'no foam'?
Loolander 1 points 1y ago
Definitely hold back the foam, you can do an experiment with a foamy mocha and a non foamy mocha both with whip and see how much they sink.
jellyleggzz 2 points 1y ago
Do you happen to work at a store in central indiana? I used to work there and Joe did this al the time. Daily.
[deleted] [OP] 1 points 1y ago
Nope 😅 There must be a Joe in all the 50 states!
[deleted] [OP] -1 points 1y ago
[deleted]
[deleted] [OP] 0 points 1y ago
Hm first time I heard that. I haven’t been given instructions to keep foam off hot drinks with whipped cream. At least at my store, we keep the foam unless ‘no foam’ is requested by the customer.
This nonprofit website is run by volunteers.
Please contribute if you can. Thank you!
Our mission is to provide everyone with access to large-
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
scale community websites for the good of humanity.
Without ads, without tracking, without greed.
©2023 HumbleCat Inc • HumbleCat is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Michigan, USA.