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Starbucks Baristas: The daily grind

Full History - 2022 - 10 - 19 - ID#y8bl2m
168
My DM asked if I can bar and connect at the same time and I broke down on the floor (self.starbucksbaristas)
submitted by Cultural-Ad1167
I felt so insulted. Cafe bar, nonstop mobiles, partners say I’m killing and I got compliments from customers last week saying I was great at attending everyone’s needs and greeting them. DM asked me that question and I’m floored. I answer “no” because I figured they must not think so if they’re asking. They said how can you get better, I said with practice, and they said, and how do you do that, and I said by doing, all the while I would stop and start barring to pay attention only to be told to keep barring. (I was later to told that was an exercise to practice.) I started crying silently and they asked if I was frustrated and I shook no, and they asked if wanted to be removed and I said no. They left me alone and I kept barring, tears streaming down my face. I feel like no matter how much I improve or how good I feel, it’s never enough for these people and I’m so traumatized. I just want to feel like I can do my job well and do it happily sometimes. 😭😭😭 I feel so hopeless.
HamburgIar_ 160 points 8m ago
Next time, use this...
" I appreciate you coaching in the moment, but for me I need to be able to see it while I'm being coached so would you mind demonstrating how you would like this process to be done for a few minutes so I can completely understand your expectations?"
Cultural-Ad1167 [OP] 64 points 8m ago
Shoulder to shoulder tactic, I like it. It’s also good because I hate that they say a “vision” and yet there’s no real way there! Let’s be realistic! Show me it’s possible and I will gladly shoot for it!
RyusuiJL 29 points 8m ago
YES! YES!

No manager should ever ask of their reports that which they can't or won't do themselves. I would have LOVED to hear what the DM would have done in that instance.

For OP: I want to echo the prior sentiments, and say that I am sorry you had to experience this. The suits really know how to dehumanize people. Sounds like your partners recognize your abilities, and those are the opinions that truly matter. The people who hit the front lines with you everyday. Not some faceless, soulless, sad excuse for a "person".
neilgreenbreen 78 points 8m ago
Corpos aren’t people. They’ve killed off the part of themselves that does human things like feeling empathy, understanding others’ point of view, noticing when they are making people uncomfortable etc so as to better advance in this company and make more money. You weren’t talking to a person so much as you were talking to a corporate mechanism or apparatus. I’m sorry your manager, shift, and other staff left you out to dry without speaking up, though. Maybe take a sick day or two to recover. Wishing u the best
Cultural-Ad1167 [OP] 25 points 8m ago
Thanks, I hate taking sick days after breakdowns because I feel like it makes me seem weak 🥺 but I also want to prove that I’m not easily dissuaded, I need to start believing in my self - I AM good at my job, and while I can be better, my coaching should come from a place of aspiration, not of quotas. Thank you so much for this.
neilgreenbreen 26 points 8m ago
This company will grind us down into dust if we let it. Do what you gotta do to be healthy and sane.
Cultural-Ad1167 [OP] 14 points 8m ago
Yea, you’re right. It’s a dumb, toxic relationship reinforced by capitalism is on both fronts. Thanks again for your kind reminders.
biclimbercatmom 24 points 8m ago
DM’s & RM’s expect way too fucking much from us. They claim to know exactly what to do & don’t understand why we can’t do it to their “standard”, but they have no idea what we face day to day. Next time, tell them to come behind the bar & demonstrate. They’re asking you to multitask, which you definitely know how to do, but the way they go about asking is so manipulative that you end up believing you don’t know how. Keep your head up & just keep doing what you’re doing!
Cultural-Ad1167 [OP] 3 points 8m ago
Thank you 🥺 I try to tell myself what you said but for some reason I keep trying to hold myself up to their expectations, even though I KNOW it’s unrealistic. I appreciate your kind words!
Brgnbo 15 points 8m ago
It would ruin my entire day when my DM would come in. They would stop me on cafe/mobile bar mid peak and ask me why I’m not smiling. I was like …. I have a counter full of stickers, I’m working on three drinks at a time, I’m concentrated why would I be grinning. I was friendly to everyone that came up and greeted everyone and it’s never good enough.
narviat 10 points 8m ago
say what you will about wearing a mask, but i havent been told to smile in almost 3 years ;)
Brgnbo 5 points 8m ago
That’s the one thing I miss about the masks tbh but my DM did this during covid too lol he said he could tell we weren’t smiling through the mask
narviat 3 points 8m ago
Next time someone tells you to smile, give them the most grotesque smile you can possibly muster. Like tongue sticking through the teeth with some spit coming out and no upturned corners of the mouth.
the1noir 11 points 8m ago
This legit happened to me too
Except I laughed out loud and said no, that’s literally impossible.
The DM said it in front of customers and I like started talking to them saying how crazy it was she was asking me to do that and they laughed and agreed with me. DM walked away and I had a 1 on 1 with my SM lol. My DM doesn’t like me.
AJ1385 5 points 8m ago
I don’t know how you guys don’t tell these people to go fuck themselves. I’d be fired so fast if I worked there. I’m sorry you all have to put up with it 😔
wankmasterr_69 5 points 8m ago
Hey I'm sorry you had such a bad experience some ppl just aren't meant to be in Management talking to their employees like that. If I were you I would step away next time this happens. You are entitled to a open and hostile-free workplace. And what they did was create insecurity and became hostile towards you for no reason. This is not how you give feedback to people. So yes you have rights and once again I'm sorry you they made you feel this way 😞
Necessary_Low939 3 points 8m ago
If u bar, u can’t connect. Just saying.

I’ve seen it myself. I saw a sm connect, he was making a lot of people wait tho. A lot were annoyed. A lot saw the people and just left.
tumblrsalsa 2 points 8m ago
I know that feeling friend. It’s hard to feel like you’re good enough for yourself and everyone else but trust me when I say this, it’s just coffee. It’s gonna be okay and you’re doing great, and I know all of us and others are proud of you. Keeping barring it up and connecting when you can but don’t hurt yourself over it, you matter more. You’re doing great bestie
JunipherStar 2 points 8m ago
I don’t know how they expect us to keep up with the rush of doing cafe bar and perform perfectly at everything else, we’re human. I’m so sorry you went through that, honestly been through the same and it’s so frustrating.
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