Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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20 MtF Please help, I got myself into a stupid situation (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by lacslug
I (MtF 20) decided not to work at Starbuck's after six days of training. I kind of regret it because I think it could've gone easier with time, but I also was feeling really overwhelmed.
On half of the days of my training, I didn't have a lot of guidance because we were understaffed. I was working the register on my own on day four. I have a lot of anxiety which makes it hard to remember and concentrate under pressure and my coworkers / shift supervisor were critical when I couldn't remember the order of tasks while in each position. They said that they didn't expect me to remember everything but after a day or two it felt like they did.
However, I think a big part of my experience might've just been me interpreting things in a negative way. I have low self-esteem and now I'm thinking I should've just stayed and toughed it out, and that it would've gotten easier. But I don't think that after telling the store manager that I couldn't handle the job based on six days of training (four hours each) she will be thrilled to take me back after just two days of reflection. I also would feel a little embarrassed even if they did take me back, considering that we didn't even get to me learning how to make drinks.
It also was difficult because everyone there ignored my pronoun pin (meaning they gendered me incorrectly), but I didn't specifically introduce myself with pronouns so I guess that's not really anyone's fault?
Should I just move on and try to get a job somewhere else, and then just come back after a year or two and advocate for myself citing personal growth and job experience? I think that this job might be very important to me in the future as a source of health benefits.
TL;dr Impulsively quit during training and now regretting it.
On half of the days of my training, I didn't have a lot of guidance because we were understaffed. I was working the register on my own on day four. I have a lot of anxiety which makes it hard to remember and concentrate under pressure and my coworkers / shift supervisor were critical when I couldn't remember the order of tasks while in each position. They said that they didn't expect me to remember everything but after a day or two it felt like they did.
However, I think a big part of my experience might've just been me interpreting things in a negative way. I have low self-esteem and now I'm thinking I should've just stayed and toughed it out, and that it would've gotten easier. But I don't think that after telling the store manager that I couldn't handle the job based on six days of training (four hours each) she will be thrilled to take me back after just two days of reflection. I also would feel a little embarrassed even if they did take me back, considering that we didn't even get to me learning how to make drinks.
It also was difficult because everyone there ignored my pronoun pin (meaning they gendered me incorrectly), but I didn't specifically introduce myself with pronouns so I guess that's not really anyone's fault?
Should I just move on and try to get a job somewhere else, and then just come back after a year or two and advocate for myself citing personal growth and job experience? I think that this job might be very important to me in the future as a source of health benefits.
TL;dr Impulsively quit during training and now regretting it.
verdeuce 5 points 11m ago
With the new training you are supposed to have 10 shifts of on the floor training (4hr each) if you weren’t given that I’d reach out to the dm immediately and ask to move to another store for a better experience. Also if you’re still a partner let them know that you’re being gender bullied. They don’t really tolerate that
lacslug [OP] 4 points 11m ago
I'm think I should've reached out and talked with the store manager before coming to a decision. I gaslit myself into thinking she said 20 hours of training, not 40. And I wish I could've talked with her in person but I never saw her after onboarding, we only communicated through text.
verdeuce 3 points 11m ago
That’s not a great experience for you or any new hire. If you see your two weeks through I’d still encourage you to reach out to your DM and ask for an exit interview
lacslug [OP] 1 points 11m ago
No, I already left. I appreciate your support, but I'm beginning to see my own contribution to the problem in terms of not communicating. I felt a bit intimidated because this was going to be my first job and I feel silly now for letting that prevent me from voicing my concerns.
lacslug [OP] 2 points 11m ago
I was only going to get 7 shifts of training for some reason the SM wanted me to start doing shifts without the person training me. And we hadn't even gone over making drinks yet. I think it's a little late to ask for another store because I already said I was giving my notice.
KeyCranberry 3 points 11m ago
I was with the 'Bux for four years and it was the most stressful job I ever had. Sometimes I really loved it but it was brutal. I think you might be a better fit for a company slightly less prone to having "tolerance for emotional battery" as an unstated but important job qualification.
Also I wonder if you were having more caffeine than you're used to during your training period? Because high doses of caffeine can straight-up induce panic attacks.
Also I wonder if you were having more caffeine than you're used to during your training period? Because high doses of caffeine can straight-up induce panic attacks.
lacslug [OP] 1 points 11m ago
Thanks, yeah. I think I might try going somewhere else for a bit. Also I avoid caffeine like the plague because it makes me shaky and anxious.
I appreciate your insight!
I appreciate your insight!
crowhusband 2 points 10m ago
god yeah i felt that pronoun pin thing,,, im ftm and even the coworkers who used to always correct themselves or always get it right have stopped gendering me correctly :/
Zealousideal-Star448 2 points 11m ago
This job is hard and we sometimes forget the whiplash new partners get when thrown into a peak. I’m sorry your training wasn’t good. I’d recommend calling the manager and asking for help there. Honesty is your best friend in this case. Your manager can probably beef out your training next and help insure your pronouns are properly used. As for the anxiety and low self of steam I can relate exactly to that and had panic attacks a lot on the floor my first few weeks. But slowly I grew so much because of this job. Starbucks also has great benefits when it comes to mental health. I recommend going back and looking into Lyra. It’s an online therapy thing that I highly recommend trying out.
Before covid hit we always said it stakes 3 months to get your footing in this job and 6 to finally feel like you know what your doing, after covid an 80% of our partners have been here less than a year, those time bubbles got smaller and smaller. Push back on the bubble. Say you are still new until month 3 ask for support from your manager and shift leads. Explain your stress to your trainer. And I’m glad you found this sub Reddit, we can help guide you through this anonymously which might help a lot when it comes to the stress of this job.
Another thing I highly recommend is getting a cheap note book and journaling when you get home from a shift. In the journal write how your shift was, who was there, any significant news or events, any regular customers you saw, did you learn anything that shift.
Just ramble it all out. All the stress or confusion any annoyance just ramble it out there. Then somewhere in there neatly write when your shift start and ended, how many breaks you got (lunches vs 10s) who was the shift leads and what was your position. Write all the baristas you saw and any news, neatly this time. This is where you can flip to to see if something happened that day. I find it very therapeutic to do the rambling first but it’s up to you. Try it out and if it doesn’t stick it’s fine. I’ve also taken a cup of water after every shift, drink it all down, as I’m drinking it i usually journal it, and only while I’m drinking that water do I allow myself to stress and think about work off the clock, after that water cup is empty we throw it away and move on with our day. Some days are tall sizes others are trentas.
Before covid hit we always said it stakes 3 months to get your footing in this job and 6 to finally feel like you know what your doing, after covid an 80% of our partners have been here less than a year, those time bubbles got smaller and smaller. Push back on the bubble. Say you are still new until month 3 ask for support from your manager and shift leads. Explain your stress to your trainer. And I’m glad you found this sub Reddit, we can help guide you through this anonymously which might help a lot when it comes to the stress of this job.
Another thing I highly recommend is getting a cheap note book and journaling when you get home from a shift. In the journal write how your shift was, who was there, any significant news or events, any regular customers you saw, did you learn anything that shift.
Just ramble it all out. All the stress or confusion any annoyance just ramble it out there. Then somewhere in there neatly write when your shift start and ended, how many breaks you got (lunches vs 10s) who was the shift leads and what was your position. Write all the baristas you saw and any news, neatly this time. This is where you can flip to to see if something happened that day. I find it very therapeutic to do the rambling first but it’s up to you. Try it out and if it doesn’t stick it’s fine. I’ve also taken a cup of water after every shift, drink it all down, as I’m drinking it i usually journal it, and only while I’m drinking that water do I allow myself to stress and think about work off the clock, after that water cup is empty we throw it away and move on with our day. Some days are tall sizes others are trentas.
awkward_cat_man_ 1 points 11m ago
My coworkers don’t misgender me thank fuck but man them customers are nasty and misgender tf out of me even tho I wear my pins. I’m so close to correcting them….but I don’t want them to feel ~attacked~ or like have a rude customer say some slick shit
Edit: I’m so sorry your old coworkers are shitty. Maybe go back and transfer? My store is like 70% gays and I am the only trans man there or trans person in general.
Edit: I’m so sorry your old coworkers are shitty. Maybe go back and transfer? My store is like 70% gays and I am the only trans man there or trans person in general.
persona-2 1 points 11m ago
If you do want to stay talk to the SM? See if there is an option to do the full training and at a slower time of day? It might take a few weeks for that to happen if it can.
If the SM was one of the people not using your pronouns/respecting your gender identity then I would reach out to the district manager and explain you really want to be part of starbucks but couldn’t work at a store that wasn’t able to respect you and is there a chance you can transfer to a different location?
The idea that a starbucks allows people to be misgendered is horrifying. Our SM has no issue with correcting both partners and customers on correct pronoun usage and that really should be standard.
If the SM was one of the people not using your pronouns/respecting your gender identity then I would reach out to the district manager and explain you really want to be part of starbucks but couldn’t work at a store that wasn’t able to respect you and is there a chance you can transfer to a different location?
The idea that a starbucks allows people to be misgendered is horrifying. Our SM has no issue with correcting both partners and customers on correct pronoun usage and that really should be standard.
lacslug [OP] 1 points 11m ago
Yeah, I'm starting to piece together that a big part of why I fell apart was failing to voice my concerns to the store manager, even if she was never on site when I was. I already left but I really appreciate the advice and now I know what to do if I'm ever in a similar situation.
[deleted] 1 points 11m ago
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