Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Frustrated :( (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by RecommendationLife34
Okay so I’m a 17 year old dude who legit looks 12. I am 5’4 and my facial features make me look like an actual 7th grader. People are always asking me how old I am, and how I’m able to work as a barista. I don’t really care about those. Recently though, this one lady has not allowed me to make her drinks because “I look 10” and I’m apparently not qualified enough to serve her. I’ve been at my store for almost a year, which is longer than most of the people who work there. It makes me so mad.
idealgothgf 163 points 1y ago
fuck her. if she insists that you cant make her drink, just let the other people do it for ya. one less customer for you to worry about 🥱
darkwolf523 10 points 1y ago
^
roovols 10 points 1y ago
^^^^^^^^
chinksauces 67 points 1y ago
honestly fuck them
I’m surprised your asm/sm or even your shifts allow this. This is discrimination
imagine if ur brown and they said they didn’t want you making your drink cus you’re brown
I’m surprised your asm/sm or even your shifts allow this. This is discrimination
imagine if ur brown and they said they didn’t want you making your drink cus you’re brown
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 37 points 1y ago
funny thing is i’m brown as well hahaha this was a middle aged white woman saying this shit
chinksauces 31 points 1y ago
I would of straight up just called her out for being racist instead
like u wanna be dumb, I’ll make u look dumb
like u wanna be dumb, I’ll make u look dumb
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 14 points 1y ago
bro i shoulda done that fr😭
philosopher_cat_lady 30 points 1y ago
We had a customer say that. Our DM told her she couldn't say that.
chinksauces 26 points 1y ago
literally tho
if a customer ever tells me they want someone else to make their drink im gonna straight up call out their ignorance
ur gonna get ur drink from me and no one else just to spite you
if a customer ever tells me they want someone else to make their drink im gonna straight up call out their ignorance
ur gonna get ur drink from me and no one else just to spite you
betsylang 6 points 1y ago
Your dm should have banned their racist ass. I hate that customers are valued more than our actual safety and constitutional freedoms
philosopher_cat_lady 6 points 1y ago
Totally. What happened was the customer told a partner that she wanted a white person to take her order
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 22 points 1y ago
they allowed it just fine. my manager was like “just stand back it’s okay” and i had to just take it like a coward. i genuinely wanted to spit in her drink
audiob1ood 25 points 1y ago
Call Ethics & Compliance. This is NOT OKAY for your leadership team to say. DM me if you need your phone number.
monzoink 6 points 1y ago
call michael scott for an ageism lecture
ItzBoogieMan 56 points 1y ago
Just say “Okay and?” That usually does the trick
philosopher_cat_lady 29 points 1y ago
That woman needs to be reprimanded for her ageism. She's probably breaking the third place policy. Also, she's stupid. Starbucks doesn't employ children.
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 16 points 1y ago
tbf i was hired at 16 and i do look young but the audacity to not let me make her drink pissed me off
hungrymuffin123 14 points 1y ago
You were hired legally so it shouldn’t be a problem. How you look isn’t your actual age, I’m 26 and I get told I look 18 all the time. I would’ve had a supervisor tell her that you’re on bar making drinks so she can either take the drink or just leave.
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 3 points 1y ago
my manager made me ring up because the lady wanted someone else to make her drink. didn’t even stand up or anything
hungrymuffin123 4 points 1y ago
Dumb. I’m sorry. Not all managers are created equally /:
philosopher_cat_lady 3 points 1y ago
Ugh
strawberry_sprite_ 24 points 1y ago
i get saying “you look too young to be my doctor” but to make coffee???? what? people blow me away sometimes
Thee_Lizard_Head 16 points 1y ago
Last year they literally enabled us to deny customers service if they are discriminatory towards any partner that they don't want to make a drink. I.e. if they are aren't wearing a mask/if they are, if they're too old or too young/if they aren't a preferred gender.
It was literally in a weekly update last year.
If your SSV or SM isn't supportive of that then talk to the DM if there is any way you can.
It was literally in a weekly update last year.
If your SSV or SM isn't supportive of that then talk to the DM if there is any way you can.
Elmo_the_Dragon 10 points 1y ago
This is it. In that weekly update, as a SSV we were instructed to tell people 'no, they can't have someone else make it.' It was around when the vaccine was available to everyone so people wouldn't say that they wanted someone specific to make it because of that, but extends to any reason for requesting someone else to make it. I had a customer shout at me because I wouldn't back down about letting one of my baristas make her drink. My SM supported me when I explained what happened after the incident report.
You should definitely inquire of your store manager about that. And if you get flak for it, 100% go to your DM.
You should definitely inquire of your store manager about that. And if you get flak for it, 100% go to your DM.
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 3 points 1y ago
thing is i work at a license store. it used to be corp, but then the qfc next door bought it. i was never made aware of this
idealgothgf 5 points 1y ago
fuuuuck, you work at a krobux then. i know that kroger is moreso a customer oriented kinda company- meaning that it's a lot harder to refuse a customer service. but im interested (i work at ralphs, also owned by kroger), are you guys still in a stand alone? or do you work kinda like in a kiosk within the store? i could give u more kroger rule-type of advice but i dont wanna keep spewing nonsense lol
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 6 points 1y ago
oh shit u feel me then haha mine is attached to the qfc next door, but it's a full size store and has newer machines, since it was only bought by kroger in early 2020. so we got 2 mastrena 2 machines, two ovens, nitro taps, mobile order, a huge ass lobby and fireplace, and our own bathrooms. our store gets hella busy and its in a popular suburb of seattle. but now that kroger owns it, nobody wants to deal w having the same responsibility as a normal barista, while getting literally zero benefits. not even free drinks. so we are short staffed as hell, and our store is broke as fuck so they don't have the budget to schedule the other people as much. i got school in the morning, so i always end up with the 3 to close shifts. i'm alone literally every single time from 3 to close, bc as soon as i come in, the midshift has to go home. in the morning rush we have two people working, and in rare cases MAYBE three. but i am always closing by myself, and i have to deal with >7 ppl in lines + mobile orders regularly. since our store is so damn huge, i gotta sweep the whole lobby, mop our long ass bar/kiosk, and turn off/clean both ovens and machines. we close at 7:00 but i usually end up needing to stay until 8. it's annoying as hell to be working completely alone in a store that's designed to have AT LEAST five people working at any given time.
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
sorry for the rant !! and no pls do haha i want more kroger advice cause i don't know how long i can take it anymore :)
idealgothgf 2 points 1y ago
no worries! thats so interesting though. my starbucks is a kiosk inside of a ralphs so i dont recieve any benefits either (although our managers/department heads tend to turn the other cheek, since we think its unfair).
so with my experience so far, we have had some customers that are kids from the local middle school by my store. they would cause a ruckus, order whip and water, and leave a mess. my ralphs store manager gave us the okay to refuse them service. however, most times ive noticed that they choose to honor the customer. what i would do in your case, talk to your dept head/sbux manager and also with the qfc store manager. explain the situation and how it makes you feel, thats truly the best you CAN do for right now (which i hate to admit) but once it makes waves in management, they know to look out for her. each time she does this to you, report it again. if she seems to repeatedly be a problem they will most likely look into getting her banned or turned away. you should also have a starbucks district manager (employed by starbucks but they keep an eye on licensed stores, you *should* have one), talk to her whenever she visits and ask what she believes your options are. they also speak to the store managers (qfc, not your starbucks managers) directly with instructions on how to run the place, and usually yell at the grocery store managers to fix things that may not be to standard etc. see if she can help you as well. i havent taken that avenue myself but i believe they are supposed to maintain starbucks standards to the best of their ability alongside the store's rules. unfortunately the store trumps the starbucks now, which sucks, but that also might mean you're union or going to be. if you're not in the union, join asap (you can be removed from the schedule and terminated for not paying dues, even if you dont know you have them). if you are, file a grievance if nothing is resolved with your managers. i
hope this helps!!!
also, ik the feeling of your mid leaving and being alone for hours. just today i was alone from like 4-8 and closed alone, granted i probably have a lot less space to clean. but ive also worked at a corporate drive thru so i know all the pain 😭
so with my experience so far, we have had some customers that are kids from the local middle school by my store. they would cause a ruckus, order whip and water, and leave a mess. my ralphs store manager gave us the okay to refuse them service. however, most times ive noticed that they choose to honor the customer. what i would do in your case, talk to your dept head/sbux manager and also with the qfc store manager. explain the situation and how it makes you feel, thats truly the best you CAN do for right now (which i hate to admit) but once it makes waves in management, they know to look out for her. each time she does this to you, report it again. if she seems to repeatedly be a problem they will most likely look into getting her banned or turned away. you should also have a starbucks district manager (employed by starbucks but they keep an eye on licensed stores, you *should* have one), talk to her whenever she visits and ask what she believes your options are. they also speak to the store managers (qfc, not your starbucks managers) directly with instructions on how to run the place, and usually yell at the grocery store managers to fix things that may not be to standard etc. see if she can help you as well. i havent taken that avenue myself but i believe they are supposed to maintain starbucks standards to the best of their ability alongside the store's rules. unfortunately the store trumps the starbucks now, which sucks, but that also might mean you're union or going to be. if you're not in the union, join asap (you can be removed from the schedule and terminated for not paying dues, even if you dont know you have them). if you are, file a grievance if nothing is resolved with your managers. i
hope this helps!!!
also, ik the feeling of your mid leaving and being alone for hours. just today i was alone from like 4-8 and closed alone, granted i probably have a lot less space to clean. but ive also worked at a corporate drive thru so i know all the pain 😭
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 12 points 1y ago
context: my manager was ringing up and i was the only one on bar. the lady saw me about to make her drink and told my manager right in front of me “i’m sorry he looks ten. i don’t want him making my drink. can you make it please?” and my manager dismissed me to the back and she made the drink. i literally felt like shit for the rest of the day.
cookiemonstah87 11 points 1y ago
I would bring it up with your manager. Just let her know how you felt when that happened
joviante 6 points 1y ago
oooooo boy i would have clocked out then and there
godskrimp 9 points 1y ago
You should start giving random answers. "In dog years in 80" "I was born on a leap year so im really 58" "Im about 150,000 hrs old" "Im not really sure, I was raised pescatarian for most of my childhood and they dont believe in age"
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 2 points 1y ago
LMAOOO IM GONNA
[deleted] 9 points 1y ago
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RecommendationLife34 [OP] 4 points 1y ago
i knowww
xxbleeding_outxx 6 points 1y ago
ive had a similar problem. i am a 19 year old 5’2” woman and ive had a customer come up to me and, while she meant well, she said “omg you are so small and must be protected at all costs!!! so small and cute!!!” it is very frustrating and im sorry this happened to you :(
happybowlita83 6 points 1y ago
At this point you can deny service yourself and let them know if they want a refund they have to go to the register and you can just let your SSV know why you're refusing service.
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
yea i would’ve but i wasn’t the one ringing up. it was my manager and she just told me to ring up while she made the drink. i never spoke to her.
happybowlita83 4 points 1y ago
Your manager is a butt for prioritizing that lady smh
Capricious-Coco 5 points 1y ago
I had a customer repeatedly question if I could count to 4 even after I put 4 scoops of matcha into her remake right in front of her… I have a bachelors of science 🙃 it’s hard but try not to let petty/dumb people get you down. You can’t control what they do but you can control how you react and handle it.
Nogood1111 5 points 1y ago
Kind-of reminds me about this 1 lady at my store who only accepts her drink if a white barista makes it. Dumb bitches will be dumb bitches my friend, and we shall succeed against them out of spite.
RecommendationLife34 [OP] 1 points 1y ago
oh my god what the fuck
SportsChick79 3 points 1y ago
When I was 17, I looked like a kid too. Heck, I got married at 32 and people on my honeymoon did a double take between my premature graying DH and I (we are 2 years apart). Even now, at 43, my fellow partners do not believe that I'm in my 40s.
People tend to be flippant with people who they deem "too young" to do a job. I've always just come back with, I am perfect qualified to do XYZ for you, that why I am employed here. Hang in there, don't let the ageist folks get you down.
People tend to be flippant with people who they deem "too young" to do a job. I've always just come back with, I am perfect qualified to do XYZ for you, that why I am employed here. Hang in there, don't let the ageist folks get you down.
YellowSphinx 3 points 1y ago
don’t worry about it, you get paid regardless of how many drinks you make. so stand back and get paid to stand there looking pretty. baristas overwork themselves anyway.
sunkissedcreation220 3 points 1y ago
I had someone ask me if I was 11 when I was actually 19. Some old lady who didn't know her ass from a cup of coffee. I'm sorry that happens to you. I know the struggle
ihateyousoymatcha 2 points 1y ago
That's not acceptable at all.
If I saw this happening I'd march right over and apologise to YOU and say I'll never force you to make *her* drink loud enough for the customer to hear.
But even before that, if you're on bar, she has no right to request someone else make her drink based on the fact you look young.
"Well, I'm the one making drinks right now so if you don't want me to make them it's going to be a minute before someone else can finish what they're working on and come make yours. Thanks for your patience."
Or maybe
"Ma'am, I'm 17. I'm very aware I have a youthful appearance but I've been here a year and am fully capable of making your beverages. If there's something wrong with how I make them, just let me know."
If I saw this happening I'd march right over and apologise to YOU and say I'll never force you to make *her* drink loud enough for the customer to hear.
But even before that, if you're on bar, she has no right to request someone else make her drink based on the fact you look young.
"Well, I'm the one making drinks right now so if you don't want me to make them it's going to be a minute before someone else can finish what they're working on and come make yours. Thanks for your patience."
Or maybe
"Ma'am, I'm 17. I'm very aware I have a youthful appearance but I've been here a year and am fully capable of making your beverages. If there's something wrong with how I make them, just let me know."
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foxfenelle 2 points 1y ago
Okay I totally understand your pain bc I'm 23 and get called kiddo at the airport
But if you haven't already report this to your sm or asm. If they won't do anything then talk to your dm
It may seem trivial but it's honestly disrespectful. Today and this time it's because someone is too young
But the next time? It could be worse. And honestly you don't deserve that
But if you haven't already report this to your sm or asm. If they won't do anything then talk to your dm
It may seem trivial but it's honestly disrespectful. Today and this time it's because someone is too young
But the next time? It could be worse. And honestly you don't deserve that
rfpetrie 2 points 1y ago
You are a professional. Doesn't matter age, you've been trained and you do the job all the time! Some people are just rude...
Foreign_Service3102 2 points 1y ago
I have the opposite issue! I'm a 17 yr old girl and get people asking me what my major is all the freaking time. And creepy old men.
betsylang 2 points 1y ago
I'm in my 30s and look like a young teen. I've just got a baby face. I've found that dead-eying really conveys my age via the horrors my eyes reveal. Or i cackle like the fairy tale witch I long to be.
At your age it sucks. If it's just this one biddy eff her. But if it's a lot of folks try the dead-eye or have a name tag that says "yes I'm 17."
At your age it sucks. If it's just this one biddy eff her. But if it's a lot of folks try the dead-eye or have a name tag that says "yes I'm 17."
210Church 2 points 1y ago
Now you should exclusively serve her
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