Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind
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Another tiktok hack (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Height_Careful
I will admit, I fell for this one.
This car full of teenage girls pulls up to my window, as per my stores policy we hand them food and then ask for a form of payment. They didnt have much, just a few cakepops, but as I stated the total (and they had begun eating) one of the girls says, “Can you take the food off? We cant afford it.”
My immediate response was confusion, my manager who was nearby took it off as I blankly kinda just stared at them WHILE THEY STILL WERE EATING.
I ended up having to just sigh it off, and when I gave them their receipt their ring leader laughed and said she saw the “hack” on tiktok.
Ugh. This was during peak too.
This car full of teenage girls pulls up to my window, as per my stores policy we hand them food and then ask for a form of payment. They didnt have much, just a few cakepops, but as I stated the total (and they had begun eating) one of the girls says, “Can you take the food off? We cant afford it.”
My immediate response was confusion, my manager who was nearby took it off as I blankly kinda just stared at them WHILE THEY STILL WERE EATING.
I ended up having to just sigh it off, and when I gave them their receipt their ring leader laughed and said she saw the “hack” on tiktok.
Ugh. This was during peak too.
CBukowski808 533 points 9m ago
Yeah they don’t get anything until I see money lol.
I had a car full of teenage girls try this once and they ordered a TON of shit. Like 6 sandwiches, 6 pastries, and 6 drinks. In typical HS girl fashion, they were all laughing the whole time while giving their order. I found it weird so when they came up I had the scanner gun ready and they just looked at me like they were expecting me to have all this shit ready for them. Then they spent 5 minutes trying to pull together cash for their very large total. They ended up paying with a combination of change, cash, and 2 different credit cards.
The whole transaction took 9 minutes but it was hilarious to see them scramble for money they didn’t have. I definitely took my lovely time handing out each item one at a time.
I had a car full of teenage girls try this once and they ordered a TON of shit. Like 6 sandwiches, 6 pastries, and 6 drinks. In typical HS girl fashion, they were all laughing the whole time while giving their order. I found it weird so when they came up I had the scanner gun ready and they just looked at me like they were expecting me to have all this shit ready for them. Then they spent 5 minutes trying to pull together cash for their very large total. They ended up paying with a combination of change, cash, and 2 different credit cards.
The whole transaction took 9 minutes but it was hilarious to see them scramble for money they didn’t have. I definitely took my lovely time handing out each item one at a time.
Water-is-h2o 40 points 8m ago
Wat how did you split it between two different credit cards?
Fann-Brulee 92 points 8m ago
you can type in a cash amount and press card to do separate card transactions like if you were doing card and cash
Water-is-h2o 30 points 8m ago
Ooooh that makes sense. I knew you could do that to split cash and card but didn’t know you could type an amount to pay with card. Good to know!
1_Just_Trying 4 points 8m ago
This is so smart!!
IdoItForTheMemez 12 points 8m ago
This is why it's bonkers to me that the official standard is to begin handing out items before taking payment (when possible).
short_4_furnace 332 points 9m ago
And this, fellow baristas, is why we take payments first then give them their order.
lilmissambersue 84 points 8m ago
My thoughts exactly!! I always make sure the payment goes through before I give them anything
pettingneos 57 points 9m ago
this is not the standard but i wish it was :(
sleepykilljoy 138 points 9m ago
screw the standard? i will not be manipulated by customers
toasterstrudelboy 48 points 8m ago
I mean, if I follow standard and they drive off without paying. They committed the crime, not me. Honestly, I don't really care so long as I'm not the one in trouble.
Sequential-River 47 points 8m ago
Our goal is not to save a few bucks in the Siren's wallet, it's to get the customer from "order to gone" as fast as possible.
My paycheck is the same whether I am "being manipulated by customers" or fighting back.
The best way to keep your mental is to just keep going through the bad customers as fast as possible and let either the SSV/SM deal with it for the future, it's not our job to play as a vigilante at the window and it's just not worth it.
My paycheck is the same whether I am "being manipulated by customers" or fighting back.
The best way to keep your mental is to just keep going through the bad customers as fast as possible and let either the SSV/SM deal with it for the future, it's not our job to play as a vigilante at the window and it's just not worth it.
JavaWasp 2 points 8m ago
But if we follow standard and it’s failing the standard will be changed. Enough drive offs and they’ll change it.
[deleted] 1 points 8m ago
[deleted]
Better_Dust_2364 34 points 8m ago
“For large orders such as this it’s precautionary to take payments first for our store. Sorry for any inconvenience” with a big ole smile :D
Luna_Raccoona 18 points 8m ago
We don’t get paid enough to give a flying fuck about the standard
pettingneos 13 points 8m ago
imo we don't get paid enough NOT to follow this standard. starbucks won't miss that $20 every now and then. it's not my job to worry about it
princessofwhaIes 24 points 8m ago
I agree with this. Starbucks is very good at making underpaid baristas and supervisors feel personally invested and responsible for the customers who cut corners and cheat the system. Is it shitty to watch someone cheat the system to walk away with free product/drizzle/shots they didn’t pay for? ABSOLUTELY. But it’s not your coffee shop, not your money lost, not your bottom line. It’s awful that moments like these make partners upset or stressed, because at the end of the day, you will be paid hourly no matter what happens during your shift. The customer cheating the system probably cheats like that in all areas of their life and will get theirs in the end. Who fucking cares if Starbucks loses money. Don’t let Starbucks or shitty customers affect your happiness, peace of mind, or take up any extra thought. That’s the real crime. Before I left the siren, changing my outlook to “I’m here to make drinks, I literally don’t care what else happens,” was my key to happiness.
pettingneos 3 points 8m ago
when you right now recovery a whole order 🥵
melkorarose 6 points 8m ago
This is the standard at my stores and every other store in my state, weird. We NEVER give the food first, period
pettingneos 2 points 8m ago
look up the drive through register routine on partner hub! it's very clear and nation wide! no exceptions
Blocked_ID 3 points 8m ago
I literally have never seen someone follow it
darkwolf523 0 points 8m ago
Nah fuck that. Do we all follow standards here? I aren’t getting manipulated when money is involve.
linseeded 43 points 8m ago
My manager (like the SM) told me off for not handing out food/drink in exchange for their money/card. She called it a “trust” transaction so you’re not just “taking their money”. (I hate her lol).
darkwolf523 21 points 8m ago
Ask her what happens if that trust is misuse
blandrogyny 7 points 8m ago
i mean i do this but just because it's faster, giving and taking at the same time gets them out of my window faster
Galactic_9 11 points 8m ago
This is my main qualm, my manager will get on my ass for not hanging out food as soon as I get payment. Like, no screw you I'm not going to have a guest get their shit, bolt out, and then I look on the screen where it says "Insufficient funds" and I am left looking like an idiot because drive thru times are more important that getting payment. And don't even get me started on connecting with customers. Take too long, I'm fucking up our times. Go too fast and don't connect, well I am not bringing the third place. Get off my ass damn
Height_Careful [OP] 6 points 8m ago
My managers dont let us take payment first :( We have to give out food items, payment, then drink. Or if no food is there, one drink, payment, drink
emmykat621 3 points 8m ago
As a customer, I’m always floored when my coffee is handed out before I pay. I go through early in the morning regularly and a new guy for two weeks straight almost forgot to scan for payment. I swear if I didn’t have my phone hanging out the window I could have driven off without paying multiple times…
gabby24681 1 points 8m ago
Yeah except apparently the standard is to give them their order first as a “sign of trust”
Our DM lives in town and makes us follow crazy rules.
Our DM lives in town and makes us follow crazy rules.
mmms444 191 points 9m ago
Just take the drinks off if they don't have those yet. And take payment first. Your manager should have that first because of this. They aren't entitled yo free shit
They can't afford it or don't want to pay, then they don't need it
They can't afford it or don't want to pay, then they don't need it
Height_Careful [OP] 80 points 9m ago
I wanted to so bad!!
My manager overtook the interaction. She cares more about making them happy
My manager overtook the interaction. She cares more about making them happy
mmms444 40 points 9m ago
It's ridiculous. We gdo enough for free stuff as it is. I'm so sick if them wanting all of this crap free. If they don't want to pay, they don't need ut and quite frankly the managers should care more about this crap. I understand people trying a drink a different way to get it close to what they originally wanted if the original is too much. But this? No. They don't need no damn cake pops and if they can't afford it, no drink for them, they can pay for what they ate or fuck off. This how we get such entitled people every where. At my previous job ( deli in a grocery store) we had set rules. Deli manager and store managers drilled into us. Store manager would break it all the time.
Yes manager you did good by telling us it's not allowed, and then doing it every single time. Either follow it or don't yell at us for it.
I'm sick of these managers allowing entitled assholes to do this shit
Yes manager you did good by telling us it's not allowed, and then doing it every single time. Either follow it or don't yell at us for it.
I'm sick of these managers allowing entitled assholes to do this shit
Height_Careful [OP] 37 points 9m ago
EXACTLY!!!!!!!
Managers would rather protect a customer than their own employees
Managers would rather protect a customer than their own employees
QuothTheRaven-Yikes 22 points 9m ago
Well here's the reason I'll never be a manager, I care less about happiness if people are trying to screw us over.
mmms444 16 points 9m ago
I've always said if I was an owner/ manager of a place, my employee will love me, customers most likely not. Because I would absolutely back my employee, unless they actually were in the wrong. And I would not put up with customers disrespecting the workers
QuothTheRaven-Yikes 7 points 8m ago
If it wasn't for the fact that small cafes near me offer zero insurance, I would have never quit my last job. It really felt good to handle a situation where the customer is clearly in the wrong and is trying to scam us. Now? I just smile and take it.
One day I will return to manage small coffee shops, like a phoenix with a flamethrower
One day I will return to manage small coffee shops, like a phoenix with a flamethrower
laughingashley 2 points 8m ago
I've had my ASM look away while I told some girls that by ordering just shots over ice in venti cups, then filling them to the top with milk from the carafes in the cafe, they were stealing. They balked at that word, and I stood firm and repeated it. I asked if they had ever been banned from a store before, and explained that they were about to be. They left and acted all offended, but I never saw them again lol
I'm not recommending this at all, btw, just saying I did that and I probably shouldn't have. The confrontation of it all felt really bad, but in principle I still think I was in the right - it just wasn't worth my nervous energy, looking back. The other baristas were really excited about it, though lol
I'm not recommending this at all, btw, just saying I did that and I probably shouldn't have. The confrontation of it all felt really bad, but in principle I still think I was in the right - it just wasn't worth my nervous energy, looking back. The other baristas were really excited about it, though lol
cats_with_tentacles 13 points 9m ago
My SM is like this too, she will do anything and everything a customer asks /eyeroll
My favorite is when someone is asking for something that we aren't supposed to do (we have a lady who likes a warm lemon loaf) and I'll tell them no and SM will come up behind me and be like "Oh we can do that!" like thanks for undermining me and making me look like an asshole AND letting the customer walk all over us
My favorite is when someone is asking for something that we aren't supposed to do (we have a lady who likes a warm lemon loaf) and I'll tell them no and SM will come up behind me and be like "Oh we can do that!" like thanks for undermining me and making me look like an asshole AND letting the customer walk all over us
Mysterious_Tap6386 7 points 8m ago
ur sm is completely wrong that can literally start a fire it’s really unsafe to ignore potential hazards like that for the happiness of a customer absolutely not
Ok-Interaction2251 87 points 8m ago
Never hand off food until you receive payment. That's not a hack, that's them being a bunch of thieves.
Mysterious_Tap6386 28 points 8m ago
Yea what I do is I “trade” them the food for their payment I never just start handing out loads of food before I even see a card or money in their hand
A_Will_Ferrell_Cat 11 points 8m ago
I think that's how that is meant to be. Honestly I just hate handing out food first because then they start eating it and it gets awkward when I'm trying to hand them their drink while they munch away...
dnims24 3 points 8m ago
That’s the way I was taught too
nmartin190 71 points 8m ago
That’s not a hack, that’s theft
Thrasheon 56 points 9m ago
I never hand over anything until payment clears, unless they are a regular guest at my brocation.
jazzysoranio 49 points 8m ago
I think the REAL hack is your manager.
Ceramicusedbook 19 points 9m ago
I know we're supposed to hand drink or food first but I don't.
Height_Careful [OP] 5 points 8m ago
My manager watches cameras like a hawk for drive. Its ridiculous
sakuramads 5 points 8m ago
Your manager sounds ridiculous.... Never heard of the handing out stuff first. I knew we usually trade the card for the drink or food but never just giving them everything and then paying... that's really weird. In my 5 years i've also never heard of someone watching cameras at all.... let alone during peak. That's weird to me too.
Enkeria92 3 points 8m ago
Since when? When I worked at Starbs (320), we received payment first and handed out after.
Ceramicusedbook 3 points 8m ago
We have an instruction poster thing on how to do drive thru and it says to do hand out first then take payment.
Enkeria92 3 points 8m ago
That’s just straight bullshit lmao. Starbucks needs to do better.
Vegan_Sweetie 19 points 9m ago
This is why I take payment first
mrcupcake18 11 points 8m ago
This is a thing?? Man of course it is -___- also yeah I remember as a new bean I was told to hand them things before paying and I REFUSED to do it because it made me so uncomfortable and I was like “there is no way this is what we are really suppose to do”. Well it was and everyone in my store refused to do it because we knew it was stupid and would cause problems and none of the managers pressed us about it thank god. And sorry OP I’m sure that was annoying as hell! Also can I just say that when teenagers come through my drive through I swear I brace for impact because sometimes they are cool and chill and sometimes they are judgey and or giggling assholes lol
Responsible_Snow7109 8 points 8m ago
Oh yea we had giggling assholes at my store today. Im a cafe/mobile store. These couple of girls came in to order at the register. One orders and walks over to the hand off area to wait. The mobile order drinks are put on these black risers on the counter there next to hand off. And the one girl orders first and goes to wait. She grabs a frappuccino and says "omg this looks so good" and shes holding it for a minute staring all at it. And then when her friends finished ordering and went to wait with her, they were literally giggling lol. But like please dont grab someones damn mobile order drink. I wish the customer it was for came in while this troglodyte of a teenager was holding it
mrcupcake18 3 points 8m ago
Omg I would of loved that!
Responsible_Snow7109 1 points 8m ago
Lol yea unfortunately, that other customer came in as those girls were about to be walking out but i would have loved for this other person too see a random teenager holding their drink that they paid good money for🙃
muthafackin_g_420 10 points 8m ago
i love how managers will give people shit for free just to make customers happy, but if we take more than our allotted weekly markout we can get fired lol
purseEffphony 9 points 8m ago
Call the police for theft! "I saw that hack on TikTok!"
darkwolf523 5 points 8m ago
For real. They got cameras at drive thrus for stuff like that.
Agreeable-Ad7225 9 points 8m ago
I always take the payment first
impasse602 8 points 8m ago
I dont handout anything until i get the payment.
Radiant_Advisor4734 7 points 8m ago
for this very reason, i take payment first before i hand custies anything.
geekgurl81 2 points 8m ago
Exact same
psionicillusionist 6 points 8m ago
I'm extremely sorry to anyone who got duped by this. The scam may actually have a good result of removing that stupid fucking policy about handing out food before taking payment. Also, it occurs to me that if Starbucks tries to fire you for giving customers free food because their rules backfired, then fight with everything you've got.
Enkeria92 6 points 8m ago
I’d write their plates down and then call the cops for theft bc that’s what that is. It’s not a “hack” by any means.
Darius_Acosta 6 points 8m ago
Our stores policy is tit for tat.
Money first then you get what you paid for.
Money first then you get what you paid for.
RoccoSteal 5 points 8m ago
Plate number, call the cops. That is theft.
purseEffphony 5 points 8m ago
I agree that is stealing and awful but It doesnt come out of our paychecks .
What I do is take payment and while it is processing hand out their order. If they get to the window and say they changed thier minds about food or what not I will take it off before accepting payment but then keep it aside and offer it to the next car.
What I do is take payment and while it is processing hand out their order. If they get to the window and say they changed thier minds about food or what not I will take it off before accepting payment but then keep it aside and offer it to the next car.
Brgnbo 4 points 8m ago
I usually take payment before handing anything out, or I’ll hand out the food after I have their card
Embarrassed_Ad841 3 points 8m ago
“Taking the food off” sounds like they had a drink or two as well. If so, I would’ve told them that “unfortunately we can’t take the food off as you’ve already begun eating it, however I can take one of those drinks off for ya to lower your total!”
I totally get giving people their items before taking payment, they teach it at my store as well, but some folks just don’t get it. I personally don’t give anyone anything before payment, unless they’re a regular.
I totally get giving people their items before taking payment, they teach it at my store as well, but some folks just don’t get it. I personally don’t give anyone anything before payment, unless they’re a regular.
Xx_alittlelamb_xX 3 points 8m ago
Honestly teens don’t care, they get some weird kick out of stealing especially from places like Starbucks. They are aware of our business practices enough to know how they can manipulate the system to get free shit and it’s disgusting. My store had 2 girls steal hundreds of dollars worth of drinks by turning off their cash app cards and using them on Apple Pay to make it look like our machine was broke when in reality they didn’t want to pay. I finally got fed up when they started adding food and let them know the entire store knows what they look like, knows their order and will be requiring them to come inside to pay instead of spending 15 mins in window harassing baristas over their lack of payment. They’ve yet to return.
ConductorMeaty 3 points 8m ago
this is why we should just deny service to any high schoolers. they are a cancer to modern society
Druid_of_Twilight 3 points 8m ago
Why are yall giving food before payment...
transpterodactyl 3 points 8m ago
They TOLD YOU it was a hack?? What the hell so scummy
sakuramads 3 points 8m ago
This post made me so angry lol
dnims24 3 points 8m ago
Looking back with this knowledge I think someone tried to do this to me the other day. I handed them a drink since that was available first but they also ordered two or three sandwiches. They told me they couldn’t afford the food so to please take it off the bill. I had them in my hand when the girls said it but I just set it down and said no worries. They looked so distraught and I felt bad for them. But now knowing they were possibly trying to scam I’m not sure how I feel anymore
emiistarrchilld 2 points 8m ago
My favourite line: "Okay. That will be *total* and while you're doing your thing, we'll grab your stuff for you." Then let them put the card through and watch from a short distance while everything is grabbed. Never hand them anything until that transaction goes through. Another "hack" is the birthday thing with kids that do the "you have to. It's complimentary on my birthday.. I saw it on tik tok." If you ain't a rewards member, all I can give you free at my store is a sleeve saying happy birthday and a complimentary water. Get tik tok to reimburse you if that's the case cause I ain't doing shit. 🤷♀️ #crotchetyoldbaristahere
sam_thegod 2 points 8m ago
So a policy that allows people to steal lol
W0lf_2020 2 points 8m ago
I always hand them one thing as I take the payment like a swap and haven’t had a problem so far
WarPutrid9625 2 points 8m ago
One of my first days as a green bean I handed out the whole order, and then they drove off before I could even charge them laughing and joking about it
kayleeispunk 2 points 8m ago
Literally Starbucks is the only place like this and this is why people think they can get away with anything and everything. I’ve worked at 3 different places with DTs and we ALWAYS took payment before we handed ANYTHING out. I understand it’s done so to make DT time faster but if they don’t have the funds or they drive off without paying we now have to make the next car wait longer while we get a manager to void the whole thing.
darkwolf523 2 points 8m ago
Rip OP’s store. I wouldn’t give them fuck all until I see that payment. If they throw a fit, I’ll give me a warning but if they keep insisting it then I’ll say get out or I’m calling security
Brief_Coat6526 2 points 8m ago
What cunts
MiaLedger 2 points 8m ago
That's just rude of them.
Veldora12 1 points 8m ago
These people should learn that the I my thing they accomplish with these hacks is getting a new policy implemented by corporate
cecicoot 1 points 8m ago
Over a year ago when I started there was some Apple Pay hack/prank. I was recorded by some kids in drive thru twice after they asked at the box and again at the window if we accepted Apple Pay.
[deleted] 1 points 8m ago
[removed]
baristabby_ 1 points 8m ago
i literally always took payment first because of these issues. our sm experienced a situation like this which then resulted in our payment first transactions. after the payment went through i’d literally shove their stuff out the window as fast as possible and one time ended up setting a store record somehow 😌
th3_thing 1 points 8m ago
And this is why I only give half the order till the payment clears. Window times during peak be damned, I'm not having to explain why someone basically stole product, money and time from us
whookyshooky -8 points 8m ago
i dont rly mind giving ish out no charge.. i see it as the company benefiting and why tf should i care about whether or mot the billion dollar company misses out on $5 ? idc.. this scenario is annoying as the girl seems to gloat abt it but i believe in karma.. anyway ive never understood why so many of you guys are such sticklers in this area, i mean we all like free stuff.. hell do we all not, as employees and baristas, complain about pay, the amt of work we do, etc. some of us even go on to uni0niz3 due to the conditions of our work envirnment.. we’re all just as prissy as these silly customers that try to “hack” their way through life just for a free coffee.. my point is that were all silly idiots, take it easy ;)
🙂😽
🙂😽
purseEffphony 11 points 8m ago
I had a woman come through and tell me
"hey my card might get declined i have $10 cash - if its more than that can you please take my coffee off and Ill just take the sandwich and apple juice?"
And I put the order thru and then pretended to run her card and that it went through (for her pride) and then comped the order because the sandwich and apple juice was given to her kid. She also asked for a knife to cut the sandwich in half and "oops we made an extra sandwich do you want it? "
If you're a starbucks barista you know the struggle. Someone trying to feed their kid something somewhat nutritious is much easier to believe in assuming the best intentions. Even if she never comes back I know that she and her child had something to eat that day, she got a coffee which may have been a luxury she goes without regularly or she may have been having a tough week with an unexpected bill.
I have a lot less empathy for a few entitled brats who probably have money or access to it trying to scam us. As far as they know the comps are counted against us and they don't give a shit.
Its only a matter of time before Starbucks starts counting shrinkage against to stores if they arent already doing so.
"hey my card might get declined i have $10 cash - if its more than that can you please take my coffee off and Ill just take the sandwich and apple juice?"
And I put the order thru and then pretended to run her card and that it went through (for her pride) and then comped the order because the sandwich and apple juice was given to her kid. She also asked for a knife to cut the sandwich in half and "oops we made an extra sandwich do you want it? "
If you're a starbucks barista you know the struggle. Someone trying to feed their kid something somewhat nutritious is much easier to believe in assuming the best intentions. Even if she never comes back I know that she and her child had something to eat that day, she got a coffee which may have been a luxury she goes without regularly or she may have been having a tough week with an unexpected bill.
I have a lot less empathy for a few entitled brats who probably have money or access to it trying to scam us. As far as they know the comps are counted against us and they don't give a shit.
Its only a matter of time before Starbucks starts counting shrinkage against to stores if they arent already doing so.
Enkeria92 3 points 8m ago
LOOK AT YOU DEFENDING THEFT! Wowwwww.
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