Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Today was the day it finally happened (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by aph-twizzlerland
A guy comes in and orders a venti iced pumpkin spice latte so I make it without a problem. And then I see him just standing by the hand off counter so when I look at him he immediately just goes "Ah, I meant to order a pumpkin spice with chai" so I'm like ok no problem and make him the same thing with chai added. It's pretty busy and i wanna say about 10 mins pass and he's still there when I look over. And as soon as I do he was like "I'm sorry 🙄😐 can I just have an iced chai with vanilla syrup" and I SHOULDVE refused but it was so busy so I said yeah ok and made him one.
But then I notice he's talking to these other two guys that came in and ordered 9 drinks and the two guys PUT THE TWO PREVIOUS DRINKS IN THEIR DRINK CARRIER. AND THE ONE GUY WHO GOT THEM PROCEEDED TO TELL THEM WHAT WAS IN THEM AND TALKED ABOUT HOW THEYRE A NEW THING???
And then he left and the two guys were taking the two first drinks with them!!! He literally lied the whole time and I was so mad oh my god if your friends have money to buy 9 customized drinks they can buy two more?? I'm SO mad I didn't refuse the last request or ask for the first drinks back to dump out 😭 I have never had this happen until today and it's so annoying
But then I notice he's talking to these other two guys that came in and ordered 9 drinks and the two guys PUT THE TWO PREVIOUS DRINKS IN THEIR DRINK CARRIER. AND THE ONE GUY WHO GOT THEM PROCEEDED TO TELL THEM WHAT WAS IN THEM AND TALKED ABOUT HOW THEYRE A NEW THING???
And then he left and the two guys were taking the two first drinks with them!!! He literally lied the whole time and I was so mad oh my god if your friends have money to buy 9 customized drinks they can buy two more?? I'm SO mad I didn't refuse the last request or ask for the first drinks back to dump out 😭 I have never had this happen until today and it's so annoying
healthypenguins 215 points 9m ago
This is why I take drinks back and dump them out. It just sets the tone that we're not tolerating nonsense like that.
I had 2 girls order venti strawberry lemonade refreshers and ask for them to be half water. I made them half water just to have them come back up and complained they were too watered down and wanted more refresher base on the side. I took the drinks and asked them how much water they actually wanted, and they just kept saying they don't know they just need more base. So I poured them out and they tried to throw a fit about it, which told me they were probably trying to get a third drink out of the situation.
I had 2 girls order venti strawberry lemonade refreshers and ask for them to be half water. I made them half water just to have them come back up and complained they were too watered down and wanted more refresher base on the side. I took the drinks and asked them how much water they actually wanted, and they just kept saying they don't know they just need more base. So I poured them out and they tried to throw a fit about it, which told me they were probably trying to get a third drink out of the situation.
aph-twizzlerland [OP] 37 points 9m ago
That's so ridiculous omfg
threeivy 27 points 9m ago
I’ve had people refuse to give me drinks back after asking for a remake because “oh no, we’ll keep these ones, it’s starbucks policy that you can’t take them back.” I was new and scared and so I just gave them the new ones and I felt so awful and like I was taken advantage of. I wish I knew how to handle it better because they definitely just wanted free drinks :(
LY-_- 10 points 9m ago
Yes! I’ve meet so many ppl who offer it to the person bc we r just gonna throw them out . Like clearly they did this to get a free one
Wanderer1521 11 points 9m ago
If I'm pretty sure it's an honest mistake on one or both of our parts I'll just let them take it if they want. If I have any sense they did it on purpose the first ones going down the drain.
LY-_- 2 points 9m ago
Oh I mean like people who say there’s something wrong with it then I ask what’s wrong so I can fix it they say they don’t know so I remake it then they hand the remake to a friend type of thing. If they offer to pay for a new one or try to find a easy fix or are nice I let them keep the old drink but some ppl give the free drink to the people who scream over it
luvduvbunny 63 points 9m ago
This is why you need to take back the “incorrect” drinks and dump them out.
Additionally, i would’ve confronted him about his 3 very different drinks. I get you’re busy, but don’t let customers think they can get away with this shit.
Additionally, i would’ve confronted him about his 3 very different drinks. I get you’re busy, but don’t let customers think they can get away with this shit.
aph-twizzlerland [OP] 20 points 9m ago
We're instructed to let them keep the drink unless they give it back on their own. Since the first two were pumpkin and he said he forgot the chai I thought it was genuine and at the last one I assumed he changed it up because he looked disappointed or disgusted but it was probably acting
Sequential-River 48 points 9m ago
Just hold out your hand like you're taking it back and say "oh no problem, I'll remake it real quick"
9/10 people will auto-react and hand the drink back without you directly asking for it. There's a lot of mind games to be played with, but sometimes it misses the mark.
I'll repeat the order at the speaker box AND and the window before charging their card and they'll still hit me with the "oh this was supposed to be-" at that point just don't take it personally because regardless of how fast or slow times are, we're getting paid the same.
9/10 people will auto-react and hand the drink back without you directly asking for it. There's a lot of mind games to be played with, but sometimes it misses the mark.
I'll repeat the order at the speaker box AND and the window before charging their card and they'll still hit me with the "oh this was supposed to be-" at that point just don't take it personally because regardless of how fast or slow times are, we're getting paid the same.
luvduvbunny 5 points 9m ago
I guess different stores taught different things. But watch out for this guy if he comes back
Necessary_Low939 2 points 9m ago
That guy should be an actor
MountainGoat999 -6 points 9m ago
I don't take drinks back because I don't want to touch a cup that someone else drank out of potentially. However, if it's clear they haven't touched it I'll take it back, or if it's clear that they are just pulling some BS like above I'll say "well that wasn't what your ordered. The register is that way." However if it's busy I get like not even thinking about it.
broookeee_ 41 points 9m ago
We’ve only ever let customers keep drinks if we actually mess it up and they’re upset by asking if they wanna keep it.
If it ‘doesn’t taste right’ or has some other lame excuse it gets dumped bc ppl try and scam
If it ‘doesn’t taste right’ or has some other lame excuse it gets dumped bc ppl try and scam
AdNo1495 22 points 9m ago
That is actually infuriating.
floofxs2 14 points 9m ago
Yeah we had a girl tell us her drink was made wrong 3xs (same drinks) and then passed them out to her friends. Told the SSV and they called her out.
mr_epix18 10 points 9m ago
People who like to take advantage of us… I hope they have a terrible night sleep.
gay_crocs 2 points 9m ago
& I hope their melatonin bottles are empty.
Callesandra 9 points 9m ago
I have a thing. If I realize I've screwed up on your drink or you point out a thing that is on the sticker but I missed, I'll remake it and you can keep the other one. If I'm remaking because you don't like something about it or you "forgot" to order a modification, that one is getting dumped.
nghtmrafterxmas 9 points 9m ago
There have been a few times while working at a licensed store where I heard someone's exact order, made it to order, and when I handed it off they would say "This was supposed to be iced, hot, blended, different size, etc." And yes, sometimes people do make mistakes and forget to order how they actually want something, but after a while, you definitely could tell when some of those customers just wanted free drinks.
MrsOceanGrown 6 points 9m ago
I had a lady do that with egg bites! She mobile ordered bacon but said she messed up and wanted egg white bites. So i go to take back the bacon egg bites and i KID YOU NOT she held on to the bag. What i mean is, we played LITERAL TUG OF WAR with the bag. She tried every excuse. “Oh i know someone i can give them to if your going to thrown them away”. No we will find a good use for them. “Oh i can give them to the homeless guy on the corner”. No I’ll take them back and get you what you paid for 🙃
Necessary_Low939 4 points 9m ago
Next time u have to take the drink back. I always do that before remaking. Not because I wanna save the company money etc. but if everyone starts abusing the system—even when Starbucks can afford to, the one getting abused is the workers. Like why am I making extra drinks when the drink I made the first time was correct? This is why I don’t like to give out the caramel drizzle after since they didn’t pay for it. Because not I gotta go out my way to uncap the lid and do all that and recap. Those who just say who cares just do it, it’s ur job, either don’t work at Starbucks or just like being abused.
potterlyfe 8 points 9m ago
This so much!! So many times I'm hit with "It's not coming out of your pocket, why make it an issue?" Because dude! Every time I indulge a customers shitty behavior or make exceptions to policies, I'm making it more difficult for all the partners after me. I still remember one lady was was being charged for an espresso macchiato when she was really getting a latte. All it took was one SM who agreed to charge her less because she pitched a fit and now years later, I was still dealing with having to tell every new partner this ladies deal and then put up with her telling us who she wants to make the drink so it gets made right. Basically for the 10 minutes shes in store it interrupts our whole flow just to accommodate her. Do I care if Starbucks bottom line is affected? Not really, they can afford it. But I do care about piling more work onto myself and my coworkers and making our lives easier during our shifts.
Necessary_Low939 3 points 9m ago
Generosity brews bad behavior in Starbucks apparently. Like I get it, it’s expensive. But if I do it for this schmoe, I need to do it for every schmoe now. So no. And that lady u mention is just horrible. Her skin must be really thick for her to argue everyday. If I ever work at ur store, I’ll straight up tell her to call customer service. I don’t budge when it comes to these people.
gay_crocs 1 points 9m ago
I have an exact customer like this who we named ‘Chai Lady’. She gets a venti chai, adds a ton of additions and 14 pumps of extra chai to it - and then throws a fit when we upcharge her.
I guess she went to our SM and corporate about it and now we have to charge her for a regular chai and tiptoe around her, so that we don’t get screamed at.
I guess she went to our SM and corporate about it and now we have to charge her for a regular chai and tiptoe around her, so that we don’t get screamed at.
Murder-of-Crows8 4 points 9m ago
Yep - unless I messed up, I always take the drinks back! I can understand wanting to “fix” it the first time, but would have said no to the second. Really dude?? I hate to say it but people can really suck!
darklordnickel 2 points 9m ago
I had a lady order a frapp and got rung up with coffee, but she wanted it without (apparently). I handed out the drink, she looked at it confused, i noticed and asked if it was supposed to be without coffee. She says yes, so i take the drink back (she pretty much handed it to me), say I’m sorry and I’ll make it without the coffee this time, i proceed to dump it out and remake the drink. She tells the barista standing by the handoff plane that she doesn’t know why everyone in this store is such a bitch and that we ruined her day….
I normally would have let that ruin my whole life, but i know for a fact that i was kind to her and did exactly what i was supposed to. I always take drinks back that are “wrong” because I’m tired of people scamming and getting free shit because they think they’re entitled to it
I normally would have let that ruin my whole life, but i know for a fact that i was kind to her and did exactly what i was supposed to. I always take drinks back that are “wrong” because I’m tired of people scamming and getting free shit because they think they’re entitled to it
thechamelioncircuit 2 points 9m ago
To be honest 9 times outta 10 I let them keep the drink because it’s clearly a mistake/not what they ordered, but sometimes I’m just like… yeah… you’re giving me *scammer* vibes, which isn’t very “seeing the best in everyone” of me, but I digress.
Shoddy-Trainer-8051 2 points 9m ago
That’s why you take them back and either leave them on the counter for the time being or dump them but either way, dump them. No one pulls this anymore at my store cause we just dump it if you’re not a regular
spicyspinach 1 points 9m ago
Just happened to me this morning. Two ladies ordered two drinks, one of them are chai latte extra hot. So I made extra hot! Passed the drink, the lady came back said she asked for extra hot and it’s not. So I asked her to leave the drink on the counter for me then went to make new one in 200F. Passed the new one, didn’t see the old one, later found out she passed it to the man sitting with them.
What’s wrong with people these days?
What’s wrong with people these days?
SurfPopcorn 1 points 9m ago
I left Starbucks not long ago. But this is why I take the drinks back. I find a lot of people do this on purpose. Even had a last say once, I get to keep this right?
elinor435 1 points 9m ago
yeah if they aren’t trustworthy, it seems like an honest mistake, and if they’re really nice i’ll give them the mess up drink. but unfortunately i don’t really give out free drinks like that anymore my customers have been getting more and more shady especially where i work
edit: typo
edit: typo
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