Hey Starbucks Lovers! I got a question.

Honestly, the things I look for most is a good attitude. Smile, ask how to spell my name and double check my order. If all three happen, I'm more likely to throw a tip in the cup or via the app. I'm fairly easy to please with drinks (almond milk latte or flat white) but if I'm feeling indulgent I'll order a dirty chai (chai latte with a shot of espresso).

I always order my drinks in the next cup size up so I'm not shorted:

I'll take a grande americano, but can I please get that in a venti cup? That way, the barista doesn't even ask "Should I leave you room for cream and sugar?" I used to say yes, then realized I was getting less than a "grande" of coffee...

I also ask for mine as a kids temp so I don't burn another 1/4 of my tongue off when I take my first sip...

Jason said:

I'll take a grande americano, but can I please get that in a venti cup? That way, the barista doesn't even ask "Should I leave you room for cream and sugar?" I used to say yes, then realized I was getting less than a "grande" of coffee...

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Along these lines, when a customer asks for room for cream? LEAVE ROOM FOR CREAM. I'm not talking about filling the cup to 1/16" from the top. LEAVE. ENOUGH. ROOM. FOR. CREAM. Don't fill the cup so that I have to either pour some into the trash or sip it down unadulterated.

Sorry. It's a peeve that happens across the board, no matter where I get coffee.

Heh, I think a lot of this stuff is stuff you can't win on -- I'd say light ice means like, LIGHT ice, like a little float of cubes, but I'm sure someone else who says it means something else, same as someone who says leave room will probably get mad if you leave what they perceive as too much room.

Hence, I'll say the thing that I realize is somewhat my thing but is also a real thing that has made me walk from more than one Sbux -- please, for the love of god, practice good hygiene.

I have seen baristas open trash bin, tie up the bag, go outside, opening the door both ways, come back behind the counter, ask what I wanted and pick up a cup and then hold it, fingers inside to write on it, without ever washing hands.

I have seen a barista get the brewing pitcher of iced tea and reach in to fish out the giant teabag with a bare hand (she'd just been working the register).

I've seen them drop a cup on the floor as they were walking to go make a drink, pick it up and keep moving.

Please, basic food-handling hygiene protocol. I am a germophobe but I'm not the *completely* nutty kind I swear, just ... basic. Wash your hands if you've been touching money (or put on gloves to do one thing and then *change* them -- endless people seem to think having gloves on means everything they do is magically sanitary, and wear the same set of gloves as they handle money, trash, go outside to smoke, come back in to make drinks....), or taking out the trash or whatever that requires going out in the front of the house and touching door handles and stuff. Baristas do touch the insides of cups, lids, touch the pour spoons, parts of the food in the case, etc., without thinking about it. Also, please, use a spoon or tongs to fish the teabag out! That was so gross, heh.

I'll second the pleasant, relaxed attitude. You don't need to chat, but just smile and look what you're doing is fun and not some awful chore.

And always ask the customer if they want whipped cream, even on the drinks that normally require them. Some of us are watching our weight and need to forego it.

redheadedgremlin said:

Do you get shorted much? From the drinks I made so far, everything was filled to the top, unless someone requested whipped cream on a drink it didn't come with, or they specifically asked for it to be diluted more. I totally understand about the temperature. During the first part of my training, I got to try everything, but from all the hot drinks, I still can't feel my taste-buds.

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Yes, I used to get shorted by about 10% (16 oz cup, I'd lose about 1.6 - 2.0 ounces). That may seem petty, but when you're paying a premium (starbucks grande white mocha is at about $5 these days), losing 10% just so I can add my own cream and sugar? Come on - just serve it in a bigger cup rather than shorting the beverage...don't be so cheap

*That "don't be so cheap" is directed at Starbucks corporate, not you the new hire because I know you're just following their training lead on what you are supposed to do

redheadedgremlin said:

Maybe it's just the Starbucks I work at but I have yet to see any of my coworkers and supervisor ask a person's name during my training; I'll definitely keep that in mind though. I know I would be irked if someone spelled my name wrong too. But thank you! I'll have to try the Dirty Chai. I didn't think I'd like the original but I tried it with whole milk and I was pleasantly surprised.

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Your location is not, I'd guess, crazy busy. I think that's more when they ask names, as there can be a lineup and three or four or six people all waiting on a grande latte but all with particular specifications, or not, so they ask (and if you read notalwaysright you'll see the endless stories of people making off with other people's beverages, even ones that are totally nothing like what they ordered, then coming back to bitch out the baristas, heh). Also I think the locations that do the orders not by physically ticking the boxes on the cup but with the computer-printed sticky order thing they slap on the cup are maybe prompted by the program for a name? Dunno but every time I've been in one of those they ask, though it could be because they're busier.

I have also seen a theory circulating online that the name misspellings are purposeful, so that people will snap the cups and post them on social media for fun, thus spreading the logo/cup/idea of going to Sbux.

redheadedgremlin said:

Totally understandable. I'm paranoid when it comes to food-handling hygiene, because it's literally been drilled into my head. Between being a Pre-Med student and having an autoimmune disorder, I take that very seriously. Germs really aren't something to mess around with. But thank you!

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You're my kind of barista. I don't mean it's everyone, but I am vaguely nutty about it, and see people do stuff that... gah. Oh, also, though I clearly don't need to mention, please keep separate things separate because allergies and people make blended things in one pitcher and then sorta vaguely rinse and...

As for drinks -- have you tried coconut milk in stuff? Like hot chocolate?

Coconut milk is actually a really good idea - I'm apparently becoming lactose intolerant as I age, so for cream in my coffee and tea, I am using coconut milk these days and really like the flavor.

Jason said:

Coconut milk is actually a really good idea - I'm apparently becoming lactose intolerant as I age, so for cream in my coffee and tea, I am using coconut milk these days and really like the flavor.

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At home, I use the Almond Breeze 'fresh' Almond/Cashew blend, because it makes the best, richest foam in my milk foamer (after much experimentation), but at Sbux I'm all about the coconut, yeah, because it's the creamiest and I like the flavour (which for anyone who hasn't tried it, isn't like HI COCONUT, it's subtle).

I think all Sbux have it now, usually in the fridge behind the counter, like back with the barista, and they'll steam it in the alternate milks pitcher if you want a steamed milk drink but if you just want to add it cold to coffee or tea or whatever, ask for it and they'll usually (in my experience) hand you the box and ask you to bring it back when you're done.

Occasionally, someone has just poured some into an empty cup and given that to me, presumably because sometimes ppl don't bring back the carton and they can't go chasing it (I think the supply may be more limited than almond maybe, just on the basis of they seem to guard it more closely, maybe because people don't know it's widely available or don't care).

Coconut milk also gives a little more of a sweet hint than regular or almond, so less sugar needed