Dear Baristas,

I am a long-long-longtime customer of Starbucks. I pick up coffee every morning on my way to work. At this point, I haven’t missed a day in over two years. Sometimes I use the drive thru, but mostly I place my order on the app and run inside to pick it up.

What I am met with, each and every day from the baristas is a smile and a warm hello. Yes, I’m a regular, so they all know me at this point. But I see them do it to everyone. Whether or not you’re asked by management to do this is beside the point. It’s genuine, and I can tell.

To all baristas: Thank you. I’m convinced you don’t hear that enough.

Morning is an interesting time of day. When you see your customers, their day has either gotten off to a good start, or a bad one. Too often you’re on the front lines of someone fighting a bad day. They make you the face of their problems and lash out, nearly always, for no reason. I’ve seen it happen.

I can’t think of a place that requires multitasking more than Starbucks. I watch you. I’m in awe of you, honestly. You are taking endless orders, all customized, while handling cash transactions and listening to gripes from customers. And the Karens. There are so many Karens.

The teamwork you display on a minute-to-minute basis is inspiring. As a hiring manager of my own firm, seeing Starbucks Barista on a resume will always get my attention. You are such a talented and hardworking group. You may argue that there are exceptions, and surely, anytime you employ as many as you do, there will be exceptions. But they are so few and far between. They are not who I’m talking to. I’m talking to YOU. Thank YOU.

Your coffee literally makes my day better. Even when there’s not enough cream. Or too much cream. Or it’s not hot enough. Whatever. It’s coffee. The world will not begin or end with my coffee.

But I know my day will begin with a smile from my barista. And for that, I am grateful.