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Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind

Full History - 2022 - 06 - 25 - ID#vka2sq
4
feeling guilty about upselling (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by raditudelover2006
i’be been working for a few months at all decently small store. what i’m working at atm is upselling (namely lemonade refreshers and venti sizes) which is a suuuper big deal at our store and super important to progression.

i feel like actual human shit when i ring up a customer for a drink that costs £4.50 when it’s only really worth like half of that, it’s not that i don’t know how to upsell, i just feel super guilty bc that kind of thing goes against all of my morals. does anyone have tips on how to feel less guilty about it? :(((
TheycallmeV_ 14 points 1y ago
I am of the opinion that people know Starbucks is expensive. If they eat at Starbucks, they make way more than me.

If not... well I wouldn't spend $6 on eggs from a coffee shop. Nobody told them to spend that much money. It was their idea.
ktfuelling 10 points 1y ago
Don’t think about it as upselling. You’re just asking a question and they have the right to say no.
SelocAvrap 4 points 1y ago
Upselling that people find is annoying: "Can I also get you a croissant with that?"

Upselling that feels like a recommendation: "Have you tried it with X syrup yet? It's amazing" / "Would you like to add an extra shot of espresso this morning?" / "Do you want to make that a trenta, our extra large size?"

**As long as it feels like you're trying to make their current order better, people are likely to take it.** If it sounds like "also order this random thing," it feels pushy

Edit: for your specific upsells, I recommend: "Do you want to make that a venti?" instead of "what size?", and depending on how much you want to push it, start with "Thanks for stopping at Starbucks, can we get you started with a [name of base] lemonade refresher to beat the heat?" or *customer orders refresher* "And would you like to try that made with lemonade today?

I get why you would feel bad, but part of why baristas are supposed to be knowledgeable about drinks is to help people find a drink they'd like best. Sometimes making a drink taste better means adding something, so you're just helping them get a better flavour or stay more hydrated
Torirock10 3 points 1y ago
eh they can afford it and idc
piratedashel 2 points 1y ago
I watch people order $9 drinks on their own. It’s not like you’re determining prices for lifesaving medical procedures lmao. If they don’t want it they will say no. Don’t feel guilty about it. -from your friendly anxiety ridden barista with guilt issues.
dedsloth1998 1 points 1y ago
Think of it as you're helping you and your coworkers. Depending how your store works, the upselling helps your total sales which means more hours for the team!
GreenTourmaline13 1 points 1y ago
Re lemonade (etc): Starbucks is the king of making people believe their choices *matter* and yay they can have alllll the choices: when a SAR is ordered, for example, you're giving the customer the illusion of control when you "organically" ask, "great. Did you want that (regular*) with water, lemonade, or coconut milk?" Then they're like oooh shiny. *sometimes regular implies less special and aids the upsell. Sometimes it backfires if a person is like, oof no don't want the "irregular" thing :)
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