Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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How to avoid the urge to help out other stations? (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by godlysmasko
Hi! I had my probation review with my SM this week and the only thing he flagged up was that I am overly helpful. My intentions are good and I am genuinely trying to help and reduce wait times, often by jumping onto an unattended cold bar, but I need to stop this.
It is SO hard to stand around doing nothing when there is clearly things I could be helping out with. In most jobs, you would get into trouble for doing nothing when there is work to be done.
We don’t have planted positions at my store except during intense rushes and generally move between stations quite a lot. We also only have one barista on both hot and cold bar. We are a cafe & DT store but EVERY drink (cafe/DT/hot/cold) go into the same queue.
One thing I never, ever do is hop onto bar and start grabbing drinks (unless I’ve been specifically asked to). However, there are some occasions where what I believe is common sense prevails.
Today for example, the person on bar had a line of hot drinks for DT - no hot drinks for cafe. There was a Frappuccino at the end of the line - the only cafe order in the queue at the time, with the customer waiting at the handoff point. Cold bar was empty and I wasn’t doing anything. To me, the logical thing to do here is to make the Frappuccino so that the cafe customer isn’t waiting for a line of DT drinks to be made when it’s not really necessary for them to wait, you know? I asked the bar person if they’d like me to grab the Frappuccino for them. They said yes, but I got the feeling I annoyed them by asking.
Another time while I was on DTW, the customer was waiting for a refresher, the empty cup was unattended at cold bar while the bar person worked through a rush of hot drinks, my “don’t stand around doing nothing” initiative took over… I went to make it myself, but was told by my SSV to leave it alone. So I just had to stand there and… stare at the empty cup I was waiting for? It makes me feel so guilty! I could make that drink and have the customer at the window served and gone.
It is little instances like that, where helping out feels natural and obvious to me, but that my SM has asked me to be more mindful of in case other baristas feel I am overstepping.
On the other hand, sometimes when I hop in to do things, I get a genuine thank you from the person I’ve helped where they do appreciate what I’ve done. For example, sometimes the person on bar hops over to take a DT order when they aren’t busy, and if I hear the customer order a drink that requires shots to be pulled into the glass, I’ll get those shots queued up and pulled so that by the time the bar person gets back to the bar, their shots are ready. It shaves 20 seconds off the customer’s wait time.
I just feel really overwhelmed as to when to be helpful and show initiative to reduce wait times, and when to step back and stick to the rules of the (very loosely followed) floor plan.
How do you guys overcome that natural instinct to help? I’m finding it really, really difficult and am now overthinking everything I do on the floor.
It is SO hard to stand around doing nothing when there is clearly things I could be helping out with. In most jobs, you would get into trouble for doing nothing when there is work to be done.
We don’t have planted positions at my store except during intense rushes and generally move between stations quite a lot. We also only have one barista on both hot and cold bar. We are a cafe & DT store but EVERY drink (cafe/DT/hot/cold) go into the same queue.
One thing I never, ever do is hop onto bar and start grabbing drinks (unless I’ve been specifically asked to). However, there are some occasions where what I believe is common sense prevails.
Today for example, the person on bar had a line of hot drinks for DT - no hot drinks for cafe. There was a Frappuccino at the end of the line - the only cafe order in the queue at the time, with the customer waiting at the handoff point. Cold bar was empty and I wasn’t doing anything. To me, the logical thing to do here is to make the Frappuccino so that the cafe customer isn’t waiting for a line of DT drinks to be made when it’s not really necessary for them to wait, you know? I asked the bar person if they’d like me to grab the Frappuccino for them. They said yes, but I got the feeling I annoyed them by asking.
Another time while I was on DTW, the customer was waiting for a refresher, the empty cup was unattended at cold bar while the bar person worked through a rush of hot drinks, my “don’t stand around doing nothing” initiative took over… I went to make it myself, but was told by my SSV to leave it alone. So I just had to stand there and… stare at the empty cup I was waiting for? It makes me feel so guilty! I could make that drink and have the customer at the window served and gone.
It is little instances like that, where helping out feels natural and obvious to me, but that my SM has asked me to be more mindful of in case other baristas feel I am overstepping.
On the other hand, sometimes when I hop in to do things, I get a genuine thank you from the person I’ve helped where they do appreciate what I’ve done. For example, sometimes the person on bar hops over to take a DT order when they aren’t busy, and if I hear the customer order a drink that requires shots to be pulled into the glass, I’ll get those shots queued up and pulled so that by the time the bar person gets back to the bar, their shots are ready. It shaves 20 seconds off the customer’s wait time.
I just feel really overwhelmed as to when to be helpful and show initiative to reduce wait times, and when to step back and stick to the rules of the (very loosely followed) floor plan.
How do you guys overcome that natural instinct to help? I’m finding it really, really difficult and am now overthinking everything I do on the floor.
monicamac52 4 points 1y ago
Maybe ask before helping out first? Not sure. I’m the same too with helping. I always ask the person starting the drink if they want me to finish it or if anyone needs me to stock lids and cups and stuff… kinda weird you were told to be overly helpful….
Adeptness-Lucky 3 points 1y ago
I’m sorry you have to deal with such a problem, I’ve had similar experiences, and I have to say I have not changed my behavior. Work ethic and common sense for me wins out over being perceived as annoying (me to my coworkers, probably not the same in your case) or out-of-bounds. I probably could help it if I tried, but I do not feel strongly enough about changing this behavior. I feel like it’s the right thing to do at times when I am able.
For you my advice would be to try to talk to your SM or any Shifts that might be able to help correct the NEED for you to do what you’re doing. See how as a team the issue can be fixed, that silly things like that one cold car drink waiting won’t happen, or at least, won’t happen often. I know it’s a long shot, but it’s the only advice I can think of.
Good luck!
For you my advice would be to try to talk to your SM or any Shifts that might be able to help correct the NEED for you to do what you’re doing. See how as a team the issue can be fixed, that silly things like that one cold car drink waiting won’t happen, or at least, won’t happen often. I know it’s a long shot, but it’s the only advice I can think of.
Good luck!
persona-2 2 points 1y ago
I can see why some of this might be an issue.
So window is planted. Essentially no matter what your job is to talk to the customer at your window. If there is a car there you don’t move. It’s a position starbucks takes really seriously. Even if there is drinks to be made, even if there is food to be run, as long as you have more then 2 partners on the floor you don’t move.
If I’m on bar and you queued shots for me I would be unhappy. If I haven’t started steaming milk I would just end up with gross shots and need to dump them and requeue myself. If you aren’t making a drink start to finish and I don’t ask you something like “can you ice that?” I don’t want you touching part of a drink.
The part where you aren’t planted and ask the bar partner if they want support is really good. That is how it should be done as long as it doesn’t take away from what you should be doing. It should be the shifts job to find/assign bar support and make sure things keep moving.
So window is planted. Essentially no matter what your job is to talk to the customer at your window. If there is a car there you don’t move. It’s a position starbucks takes really seriously. Even if there is drinks to be made, even if there is food to be run, as long as you have more then 2 partners on the floor you don’t move.
If I’m on bar and you queued shots for me I would be unhappy. If I haven’t started steaming milk I would just end up with gross shots and need to dump them and requeue myself. If you aren’t making a drink start to finish and I don’t ask you something like “can you ice that?” I don’t want you touching part of a drink.
The part where you aren’t planted and ask the bar partner if they want support is really good. That is how it should be done as long as it doesn’t take away from what you should be doing. It should be the shifts job to find/assign bar support and make sure things keep moving.
Responsible_Snow7109 2 points 1y ago
I agree with this. I don't know why you had a downvote but whatever. Anyway I'm not sure about the first part since I don't work in a Drive-Thru store. I work in a cafe / Mobile store. But I agree with all the other stuff you said because I have experienced it at my store. If I'm on bar, I'd rather have a co-worker asked me if I need help rather than just jumping in because I'll have my own Rhythm and my own system going on with the drinks. And if somebody jumps on bar and starts making drinks with me then it'll just throw off my drink sequencing and I won't be able to become faster at that. I've been with Starbucks for a little over two years now like two years and 2 months. And a couple months ago and I had my performance and development conversation with my manager, she told me that I'm always having help on bar and she wants me to be able to do things on my own and I tell her that I never ask for help unless it's during Peak or Rush times where I need it. But I told her most of the time it's just other people jumping in and grabbing cups or stickers and starting drinks without even asking me if I need the help. The point she was trying to make was that I'm very good on bar, the second fastest in my store actually, but she wants me to get better at sequencing between hot and cold drinks but I always have somebody jumping in and it prevents me from bettering myself with the drink sequencing speed between hot and cold bar
One time I was on bar and it was completely dead in the store and I literally only had two drinks that I was working on. One of them was on the one espresso machine and the other drink was on the second espresso machine. One of my co-workers came in for his shift and clocked in and then she made a beeline straight over to bar and stood in front of the one machine. I'm assuming she was waiting for the shots to finish pulling so she can finish the drink. But I said to her "oh i dont need to help right now cuz it's really slow and dead and I only have these two drinks that I'm working on but I really appreciate it but I'll definitely let you know first if I need help." She said "i just wana finish this drink"....but the shots were still pulling for it and she just stood in front of it instead of checking in with our SSV who was in the back to see if they want her to do something specific or where they need her.
But sometimes I'll be on hot bar and then I'll have somebody jump in and pull the next sticker and start making that drink even if it's a hot drink. I feel like in that situation the most efficient thing to do would be to pull like two or three stickers and see if there's a cold drink somewhere in there that they can do but I already have Hotbar covered at that point
One time I was on bar and it was completely dead in the store and I literally only had two drinks that I was working on. One of them was on the one espresso machine and the other drink was on the second espresso machine. One of my co-workers came in for his shift and clocked in and then she made a beeline straight over to bar and stood in front of the one machine. I'm assuming she was waiting for the shots to finish pulling so she can finish the drink. But I said to her "oh i dont need to help right now cuz it's really slow and dead and I only have these two drinks that I'm working on but I really appreciate it but I'll definitely let you know first if I need help." She said "i just wana finish this drink"....but the shots were still pulling for it and she just stood in front of it instead of checking in with our SSV who was in the back to see if they want her to do something specific or where they need her.
But sometimes I'll be on hot bar and then I'll have somebody jump in and pull the next sticker and start making that drink even if it's a hot drink. I feel like in that situation the most efficient thing to do would be to pull like two or three stickers and see if there's a cold drink somewhere in there that they can do but I already have Hotbar covered at that point
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