we are actually told to leave at our scheduled time because we don’t have the earned labor to stay past. and we would get shit on if we stayed too late.

I can't believe this argument is cropping up again between this sub and the main sub. Every year we go over the "openers vs closers" debate and it's so fucking stupid - i don't mean that to be a personal attack, I mean it in general.

A good close is a good open. Good handoffs during the day will equal a good close. All dayparts need to be in sync with each other, or someone will fail and it will fuck over everyone else. It's not one versus the other, it should be "hey, closers are really struggling this week, how can openers and mids make it easier?" Y'all are supposed to be a team.

Not to mention every store gets run differently, so while for your store there's "no consequence" to staying late, other stores may punish closers for staying too late. SSVs can be written up for staying past close too often and it can mess with the available labour if multiple employees are staying 1-2 hours late every day. Additionally there may be *personal* consequences for each employee for staying late - lack of sleep exacerbating burnout symptoms, family/home life issues, ride availability, schoolwork if they're in school, etc.

Counter point. A good close means a good open. Closers usually work with half the staff and have to bust out break down and prep so that openers don't have a shitty open. Both have their ups and downs, but they are dependent upon each other to share the workload.

Strongly disagree. Closers get all kinds of backlash for lolly gagging. Like being penalized with one less person on future schedules!

both are difficult and complaining about either does nothing but drive you and your partners further apart. take it up with your manager for not scheduling enough people at open and close

At my store we are limited with time. We only have half an hour to close and that’s it.

I think it def depends on how much preclose is done during midday. At my store the shifts are supposed to have everything done 30 minutes after close, and if they don’t my store manager usually isn’t happy. I actually switched to mornings and midday instead of close just bc the shifts go by so much faster in the mornings. Im so much better mentally when I’m opening, either way after work I’m exhausted and brain dead though. Our store is the most or second most busy in the district depending on the week. Tbh I think midday people need to be the strongest similar to how CS works. My store is luckily well staffed though (most of the time) so I’m sure that also makes a difference.

I feel like this really dependent on your store and team dynamics. When I first started working at Starbucks I had a lot of mid and closing shifts, but my schedule changed and eventually I was an opener \~5 days a week, and I found opening more difficult in comparison to closing. My store wasn't busy later at night, and honestly, night crew just did not have the energy or sense of urgency that morning crew had. I found when I was closing we would actually leave early, but when I started opening, I never felt like I had enough time to get what I needed to get done done.

Then, we got a new manager, our turnover was really high, and all of our closing baristas were like, high school students who could only work 10 hours a week. Nothing against green beans, we all started there, but they were slower (since they didn't really have any experience) but they also didn't really work often enough to learn how to do things well. I felt so bad for closing shifts because it probably is really hard to close a store with only two other people who don't really know how to do anything yet. And then the closes were really bad, counters were sticky, floors weren't done, cold brew wasn't dispensed when it was supposed to be, backups weren't made, etc...all of which made our opens more difficult, which made the mid shift more difficult, which then made the close more difficult.

But it wasn't the closers fault our store wasn't properly staffed, that's all on corporate. And they're really the only ones who can fix the issue. Even just having one more person in the evenings would have made a huge difference!

nope. in my store we get in trouble if we stay too late- also. no one wants to stay late? maybe it’s not for you but getting out late could be a consequence especially if it means something like missing a bus and having to wait while it’s dark out. i know the closers at my store try their best to get everything done with the limited about of time we have but still there’s (some) openers who will find something to complain about which is really annoying.

The problem isn’t that the work is hard. The problem is that the openers who complain are usually the ones who never closed before and always find the smallest most nit picky thing to complain about. I’ve been both an opener and a closer and I can definitely vouch for the fact that openers complain way too much about the closers. It becomes recreational to just complain about the dumbest things and if there isn’t anything wrong people will just make something up. I’m definitely not saying that opening is any easier. It the point isn’t who’s job is harder, it’s who complains about the other more.

From a SSV who works both opens and closes I will say they are “different”.
Closers feel it a lot more if they are short staffed as they might have only 66% of the staff on the floor they normally would have as opposed to an opener who might have 87.% of the staff if they are short one person, so in the morning you don’t feel it as badly.

Both also have their different challenges. Openers have a set time to get everything done by, as mentioned. Also openers tend to get little to no notice if someone is not going to be there.

In general it is best for openers to try to coexist with closers and vise-versa as opposed to being at war, as you should be helping each other out. Perhaps take a few evening shifts to see how closing is and how it is different.

That being said if I’m your store closing tasks are consistently not getting done that is a conversation that needs to be had with your SM. Literally just had a conversation with my SM today about one shift who tends to get disproportionately less done on her closes.

Also, remember to be realistic with expectations. I don’t think I have ever seen a “perfect” close. Good ones I see all the time, but someone will always forget one little thing. Remember to take it in stride and not let it ruin your day that you had to get a sleeve of cups from the back.

This shouldn’t even be a debate as a store you should work as a team. We try to break things up so everyone day part does something. As a opener and a mid we try to set up closers to have a great close, so that in return they can set up for a great open. I’ve been both and both have their challenges and perks.

Oh god here we go again….

Closers are responsible for cleaning the entire store every single night. Every dish, every part, every dang toilet and drain gets cleaned. Openers complain when the closers don’t prep the tea for them by putting a bag in the pitcher. Sorry I was busy washing the tower of dishes you left to “soak” all day.

There are real consequences to staying more than 30 minutes past close though, and if it’s a consistent issue the ssv can lose their job. But as a ssv who opens mids and closes, I think everyone needs to be more understanding. Closers have to deal with the mistakes of the openers too. Depends how your store divides up daily tasks but at most of the stores i’ve worked at, closers simply have far more to do. Check your store’s half hour report for the day sometime, my store usually has a second peak mid afternoon, and sometimes a third early evening.

I also think it’s just about choosing your battles sometimes. If they’re missing big things like the floors aren’t done, bathrooms didn’t get cleaned, etc. that needs to be addressed. If you need to prep iced tea in the morning or make a mocha, it’s truly not a big deal. That’s the shit i get annoyed with when i’m opening. I don’t want to hear baristas complaining about the closing crew at 4am. Mainly bc I close too and i know it blows (at my store).

Really wish this sub and the main sub would make a rule against posts that are ‘openers vs. closers’. They don’t do any good.

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y’all can downvote me all you want i will die on this hill idgaf