Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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How to chat with baristas (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by ObiJuanKenobi1993
Customer here! I have been a regular at my local Starbucks for a couple months now. I come in pretty early in the morning usually (like 6am) and read for a couple hours before I have to go to work. The baristas are really friendly but I haven’t chatted with them a whole lot. I would like to talk to them more! It’s usually pretty much empty whenever I go in as well. What are some good conversations starters/topics to bring up that aren’t like too personal?
ihateyousoymatcha 13 points 1y ago
Drink suggestions, how little control over the music we have, figuring out if you share any hobbies.
We ask a lot of questions to get to know customers, but customers tend to talk about themselves more and not ask about us. If you want to talk, ask us about ourselves and remember conversations.
My favourite customer is one that trades hiking suggestions with me
We ask a lot of questions to get to know customers, but customers tend to talk about themselves more and not ask about us. If you want to talk, ask us about ourselves and remember conversations.
My favourite customer is one that trades hiking suggestions with me
Ordinary-Theory-8289 9 points 1y ago
Little control over the music? Bruh Starbucks is the only place I’ve worked that has a whole list of playlists to choose from lol. Anywhere else you’re getting whatever vibe corporate has decided on
greenChainsaws 7 points 1y ago
we have zero control over how many times heatwaves plays at our store. funnily enough, there IS a way to control it from our ipads, but we dont have the passwords.
edit: its not the ipad password. its a unique password for the app
edit: its not the ipad password. its a unique password for the app
BatWeary 9 points 1y ago
fight song plays at least 6 times an hour. we hate it.
mrcupcake18 9 points 1y ago
If I hear this girl is on fire one more damn time I swear to god I am going to loudly sing the gay parody version just to feel sane
“THIS BOY IS A BOTTOM!!!”
“THIS BOY IS A BOTTOM!!!”
greenChainsaws 2 points 1y ago
i would quit /j
TarantulaTeeth13 5 points 1y ago
Someone in my store “hearted” all the Taylor Swift and N’Sync and so now I just exist in 9th grade as a 34 yo. I can’t tell if it’s awful or amazing.
juicyspitwater 4 points 1y ago
i just take the aux. disconnect it from the back of the black receiver and pop your own tunes.
ihateyousoymatcha 1 points 1y ago
I'm very careful with that because someone was written up for it at the other store near us
liansu_ 2 points 1y ago
Have y’all heard the “LET IT RAINNNNN” song? that one i stg plays every hour or more. we change the playlist so it doesn’t and i swear it finds us every time
Cool_ginge_1203 1 points 1y ago
Wait really? Your SM password protected it? You gotta get that fixed lol
greenChainsaws 1 points 1y ago
wait yall can access the music app?
Ordinary-Theory-8289 0 points 1y ago
How do you clock in or check recipes or do the covid coach if you don’t know the iPad password
greenChainsaws 1 points 1y ago
its a different password.
also, i check recipes on the PoS because i know the motions to make all the drinks, and despite hours of combing over the ipad and the partner resources site i cannot find any recipes i need.
and we have a tablet next to the covid checkin station that doesnt lock(because its on a dock) with the covid coach on it.
also, i check recipes on the PoS because i know the motions to make all the drinks, and despite hours of combing over the ipad and the partner resources site i cannot find any recipes i need.
and we have a tablet next to the covid checkin station that doesnt lock(because its on a dock) with the covid coach on it.
gingergal-n-dog 11 points 1y ago
Ask if they have suggestions on changing your drink up. Or what they're drinking. I like showing customers what new combination they can try. My early morning regulars are awesome. One or 2 minutes when you place or pick up your order is totally fine. Many times we don't want to bother you!
lmaoitsbeebebluff 5 points 1y ago
Let those people work. Talk to yourself or a relative who’s obligated to listen.
No barista that I have worked with has ever said, “boy I wish the customers would talk to me more.” Especially not between open and 12pm.
No barista that I have worked with has ever said, “boy I wish the customers would talk to me more.” Especially not between open and 12pm.
ObiJuanKenobi1993 [OP] 10 points 1y ago
I mean a few of the baristas have initiated conversations with me in the morning and they seem to genuinely want to talk to me. I’m just trying to make some polite chit chat for a minute or so. If I tried to talk to a barista and they really seemed to not want to talk to me for even that long I’d leave them alone.
esaeklsg 7 points 1y ago
I’d mostly just try and return questions asked of you. If they ask how you are, or doing anything fun today, etc, ask them in return. If they’re comfortable chatting they might bring up something they’re doing or something. But keep in mind being friendly and chatty is part of the job, so you can’t read social cues like you do in the wild. Also most baristas are either or both still waking up at 6am and in a rush getting ready for the day, even if it doesn’t look like it’s busy yet. Part of the whole ~make your customers feel good~ thing is not showing stress if they’re busy or have six million tasks on their mind while a customer is trying to make small talk.
Now, I DID enjoy talking with some customers as a barista… but yeah. If they aren’t actively chatting with you, it’s easier to assume they don’t want to be chatting.
Now, I DID enjoy talking with some customers as a barista… but yeah. If they aren’t actively chatting with you, it’s easier to assume they don’t want to be chatting.
BatWeary 5 points 1y ago
^ great points. i love my regulars, but i hate it if they try to talk to me while i’m on bar unless it’s super slow.. i can’t bar and talk, and it feels rude to turn around mid conversation to work on cold bar drinks.
5AV1OR 5 points 1y ago
My biggest pieces of advice would be
1. Try to be attentive at how busy they are if it is slow usually they can chat a little while they stock and work. But if it’s busy it can be stressful to try to maintain the conversation while working.
2. Start small and build up, honestly most customers do not engage in conversation beyond answering the simple “how’s your day going” so when starting a conversation they might be a little caught off guard you actually want to talk to them if that makes sense?
3. Honestly the fact you want to make conversation with them means you are probably already a delightful customer so they will probably enjoy some chatting!
4. Does the store have a drive thru? My store does and it’s always pretty empty in the lobby but we get super busy through drive! So just make sure if it’s empty in lobby that doesn’t always mean it’s slow!
5. All in all I love this sentiment and I’m sure they would enjoy getting to chat with you! I love talking to customers and getting to know them!
1. Try to be attentive at how busy they are if it is slow usually they can chat a little while they stock and work. But if it’s busy it can be stressful to try to maintain the conversation while working.
2. Start small and build up, honestly most customers do not engage in conversation beyond answering the simple “how’s your day going” so when starting a conversation they might be a little caught off guard you actually want to talk to them if that makes sense?
3. Honestly the fact you want to make conversation with them means you are probably already a delightful customer so they will probably enjoy some chatting!
4. Does the store have a drive thru? My store does and it’s always pretty empty in the lobby but we get super busy through drive! So just make sure if it’s empty in lobby that doesn’t always mean it’s slow!
5. All in all I love this sentiment and I’m sure they would enjoy getting to chat with you! I love talking to customers and getting to know them!
Poptart0911 5 points 1y ago
I personally enjoy talking to people when it's slow 🤷♀️
lmaoitsbeebebluff 4 points 1y ago
You’re asking advice on how to initiate the convo yourself. My personal advice is don’t lol. If a barista wants to talk to you, they will. Otherwise, let them work in peace.
Popperz4Brekkie 5 points 1y ago
Personally, I find customers that talk to me too long very annoying. In my line of work, there isn’t downtime and there is a lot besides making drinks that I need to accomplish early morning (inventory, placing orders, putting the order away, planning deployment, restock, checklists and the paperwork to complete, finishing the case and food cart). If you were busy at work and someone was oblivious to it and tried to start convo w u, how would u feel?
But that’s just my outlook. To clarify, I give all 700 customers I see in a day about 30 - 45 seconds of time, and I am very personable and pleasant.
But that’s just my outlook. To clarify, I give all 700 customers I see in a day about 30 - 45 seconds of time, and I am very personable and pleasant.
ObiJuanKenobi1993 [OP] -3 points 1y ago
I’m not talking about super long conversation lol just 30 seconds to a minute, and if I see them trying to get away from the conversation of course I wouldn’t keep chatting their ear off. And I enjoy chatting with my coworkers at my own job if it’s brief or if I’m not super busy.
Do you have any convo topic ideas then or nah?
Do you have any convo topic ideas then or nah?
gilbasrevenge 5 points 1y ago
Just being fully honest, when I was an opener I found any conversation really difficult in the mornings. It was a struggle to come off as charismatic and friendly lol. Some baristas actually are chatty in the mornings. So it depends on who you get. I would test conversation lightly at first to see who are the morning people lol
ihateyousoymatcha 2 points 1y ago
I'm 50/50 in the mornings but one of the most interesting conversations I've had was finding out our earliest regular and I both like classical music AND dubstep
Not saying I was wide awake, but it's pretty slow at 4:30 so I don't mind chatting
Not saying I was wide awake, but it's pretty slow at 4:30 so I don't mind chatting
aspiringgrandpa 1 points 1y ago
lol right my brain could hardly process words that early so having a conversation is impossible
Popperz4Brekkie 1 points 1y ago
Good icebreaker “I bet you have some crazy customers”
[deleted] 4 points 1y ago
honestly just don’t, let us do our thing for you.
greenChainsaws 4 points 1y ago
ask about their pins! a lot of my coworkers have at least a few
ilholtstilin 1 points 1y ago
I’m giving you the grain of salt first: Most of us are too busy for a full-on conversation (it’s not you; we’re always understaffed).
However I will make an exception if I’m doing prep work behind the counter (not taking orders or making drinks), I personally enjoy explaining to customers what I’m doing—I like sharing the behind the scenes processes with customers because as a closing SSV that’s like 90% of what I do 🙂
However I will make an exception if I’m doing prep work behind the counter (not taking orders or making drinks), I personally enjoy explaining to customers what I’m doing—I like sharing the behind the scenes processes with customers because as a closing SSV that’s like 90% of what I do 🙂
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