February 2011
1 post
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January 2011
10 posts
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I Hate Working Weekends
But not why you’d think. People just seem stupider on weekends. Our weekday regulars know what they want, and WE know what they want, and we have them in and out quickly. We sometimes even have time for a friendly chat.
The weekend people don’t want to hear that a Caffe Latte is the same as a Latte, or that a Mochachino is the same as a Mocha, or that Tall = Small. WE know what...
4 tags
Clarity
I always repeat an order when a customer says it to me, just to make sure I write it on the cup correctly. I don’t want mistakes down the line because it’s just a hassle.
I’ll ESPECIALLY do this, sometimes multiple times, if the customer has an accent.
A foreign woman came in and ordered a dopio espresso. After she received her drink, she got mad that another one...
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Why Do I Hear About Big Changes At Starbucks From...
I was at work yesterday morning, with my manager, and instead of informing me that Starbucks now has a new Trenta size Iced cup (31 oz), we just went about our normal day. It wasn’t until I was checking my twitter account later in the day that I ran across a CNBC tweet about the whole thing.
Full Article Here.
Thirsty? Need 31oz of refreshment?
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Stereotyping SB customers →
This is…this is.
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Pay Attention!
You know what’s really easy to do? Pay attention to what’s going on around you.
You see that the person in front of you didn’t get their drink or food at the register, they’ve moved to the other side of the store. Humm. Maybe you should go over there and wait for your drink too. Or, did you hear what the person in front of you ordered? Or see what the person in front...
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Honey, Flies...You Know How It Goes.
I opened this morning. I was in one corner slicing bagels and my shift supervisor was in the other corner vaccuuming. A guy walks up to the counter and just shouts his order at us. Doesn’t even wait for us to greet him, or, for that matter, doesn’t even greet us. My back is turned, so I think my shift has got this one. I give it a minute and realize he’s not being helped, so I go over.
He orders...
December 2010
8 posts
5 tags
Christmas Time
Let me start off by saying, yes, I complain a lot. But we do have some pretty awesome regulars at my Starbucks.
This Christmas, I got many cards and small tokens, and one regular bought the whole store lunch! She also gave a few of us small gift boxes.
One day, we even had carolers come in because one customer (who was part of the group) was so impressed by our service. He gave me a shout out...
Starbucks Hacks
Starbucks Hacks
Submitted By AppleWilkes
5 tags
Trash.
We semi recently ended the “Treat Receipt” program. During that time, we would give everyone who bought something before 2pm a receipt, because when you come back with your receipt after 2pm, you get any iced grande drink for $2.
Some people didn’t care about the program. Understandable. But, why, when I hand you your receipt, would you hand it right back to me? You...
5 tags
Everything That's Unattainable You Want, And...
I work in a touristy Starbucks, and we only have one restroom. Co-ed. The line for the restroom is sometimes longer than the line for coffee. A customer once came up to me and asked where the restroom was. I pointed to the line. He looked at it and said:
“If we want to use the rest room we have to wait in that queue?!”
| tall |
3 tags
Accepting Submissions! →
Submission Sundays!
Baristas! Tell your stories about customers/coworkers/food mishaps/store surroundings/anything!
Customers! Voice your complaints about your regular (or non-regular) baristas/store cleanliness/weird things that happened in-store or around the store/anything!
Everyone! Submit anything you’ve overheard at a Starbucks!! It’s your time to eavesdrop on customers and...
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I Thought You Meant The Kind With Cyanide
Customer: Can I have a tea?
Me: What kind?
Customer: The kind you put milk in.
| grande |
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Rudeness Is Ugly
I went to a Starbucks in a Target and ordered, in proper Starbucks lingo, two drinks. My sister didn’t want whipped cream on her Gingerbread Latte, so I said “no whip”, and the woman looked at me and said:
“We don’t have whipped cream.”
And I looked right back and said:
“Good, because I don’t want any.”
Then I ordered my unsweetened,...
November 2010
9 posts
3 tags
Equal Opportunity Complainer
I have this one coworker who is very dirty. Not personal hygene-wise, but making your latte-wise. I feel bad for the customers every time she is on bar. I’ve complained to my manager, and I’ve even spoken to this partner about her habits, but she just doesn’t care.
For example, she doesn’t clean the steam wands after every use, so there’s caked on milk on them. ...
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What I Wish I Could Say To Most Customers...
“Take your Pike and take a hike!”
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Freeloaders
If the Barista knows you, you can usually get away with murder. Free coffee, and sometimes free frilly drinks too. But, if you come in, and there’s a Barista that DOESN’T know you, you have to be prepared to pay full price.
A guy walks in in a cocky way. He asks for a coffee refill. I ask where his cup his. I’m already being generous, because you aren’t supposed to...
2 tags
Wait Your Turn Part 2
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t RED the universal color for “Bad”, “Do Not Enter” and/or “OCCUPIED”?!?!
So, how is it possible that people - yes, foreigners included - will go look at the bathroom door, try the handle (which is locked), and come and ask me if there is a key to the restroom, when CLEARLY the lock is turned to RED which even reads...
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Correct Me If I'm Wrong But...
There was a Pagan Festival across from where I work recently, and this guy comes in with all the insignia, and he says to me:
“You’re going to be getting a lot of witches and wizards in here today. There’s a Pagan Festival on.”
Now, I just smiled, and handed him his change, but after he left, I frowned, and started thinking; since when are Pagans witches and wizards?
I...
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Our Morning Customers
As my Shift says:
“That’s exactly what I want to smell 1st thing in the morning!”
| grande |
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Butter She Said, and Butter I Did!
A woman comes in and orders a drink and a plain bagel with butter. Then she asks me to put the butter on the bagel before I toast it. I just looked at her. Then smiled and said ok.
Normally, we toast the bagel and give you individually wrapped butters or cream cheese on the side because we are a FAST FOOD chain. But she was the only person in line at the time, so, I didn’t say anything.
Then she...
October 2010
9 posts
2 tags
Starbucks Digital Network to Include Award-Winning... →
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Identity Theft
I wrote my name on my iced grande green tea cup and when I was riding the subway, I realized that people could read my name on the cup. So I covered my name with my finger. The I realized that I was an ICED cup, and you can see through the other side!
I can now understand why people don’t like to give their names when they place their order.
| tall |
peterklibowitz asked: When a barista tells me they don't have the bold pick of the day, but could do a pour over, what the heck does that mean?
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I'm Not Giving You A Fist Bump With A Coffee In My...
Please please please please please please please don’t try and grab your drink, or the drink you THINK is yours out of my hand. Let me put it on the counter.
These drinks are hot. I spill the contents on myself WITHOUT your help most of the time. And I don’t care how good your eyesight is, your big ol’ mutton hands trying to grab a flimsy cup from my dainty fingers spells...
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Maybe You Can Answer This For Me...
What is a “REGULAR” size? I’ve never seen that on ANY menu ANYWHERE.
Can someone give me an answer? Maybe in Starbucks lingo (tall, grande, venti) or in ounces (12, 16, 20) or in any measurement possible?
I’m actually very curious. Customers will come in and ask for a “regular size”. When asked to clarify, some will point to tall, and some will point to...
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Knight In Shining Starbucks Apron
A very cute boy was on line behind a older woman and they were chatting. I assumed she was his mother. It was very sweet to behold. We took their orders and made their drinks, and they were still chatting away at the register. It was a slow Sunday, so I wasn’t about to rush them away.
I go to clean, and ten minutes later, I come back and one of my co-workers is laughing. She looks over...
September 2010
9 posts
Waiting outside the men's room at Starbucks, a woman is waiting close by for the women's room.
Woman: You're on deck?
Me: What? Oh, uh, yeah.
Woman: Actually, you're at bat for the men's room. My husband's in there.
Me: Oh, okay.
Woman: I'm on deck for the ladies room.
Me: (silent)
A woman comes out of the women's room and the On Deck Woman goes in.
Me: Hit it out of the park!
Me: (in my head) I have forsaken everything I stand for.
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Beauty Is Skin Deep
I work very early in the morning, and now matter how much make I wear, I always look tired.
I have a regular customer who comes in every morning around 5:30/6am who will order, scrutinize my face, and then tell me whether or not I look good that day. His exact words are “When you paint your face, you look good!”
Newsflash! I always wear makeup, just sometimes, I’m not...
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I Know We Live In The 2000's, But I Am Not A...
I really wonder how people’s brains work sometimes. Like the customers who will rattle off a complicated 5 drink or more order, including pastries and items that need to be scanned in, all in one breath, and then stick their money in my face like I’ve already processed the whole order in my computerized brain and downloaded it to the Barista who has magically made all the drinks...
3 tags
Rude Ordering
A woman came in with her friend who didn’t speak English very well. He was understandable, but he spoke very softly. I could tell he wanted to practice his English, so he did the ordering.
I had to ask him to repeat himself, not because I couldn’t understand him, but because I didn’t hear his order. The woman rudely yelled their order at me because she thought I was being...
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Wait Your Turn
There were 6 people working on the floor and I was busy making a coffee traveler with my back to the line when a guy shouts his order at me. Now, there were other workers taking orders and ringing and making drinks-it’s not like we were backed up. And the guy who was on line is a semi-regular customer so he knows how we work. I said I’d be with him in a minute, finished the traveler with the other...
1 tag
You Don't Need To Order "Cups"
A guy came in and ordered a traveler. A traveler comes with an assortment of milks and sugars, napkins, swirl sticks and of course, cups.
So, he orders the traveler, I punch it in, and then ask him what else he wants.
“You know. A box of coffee.”
“Yes sir, I already rang up the traveler. What else would you like?”
“Umm. Cups.”
“The traveler comes...
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Pay For Starbucks With Your Blackberry →
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10 Things Your Barista Doesn't Want You To Know →
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August 2010
4 posts
2 tags
Skip A Starbucks Day (Week) →
For Charity.
Can you do it?
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Cops Eject Starbucks Customer Who Wouldn't Use... →
The title of this article is so misleading. Firstly, the customer was being an asshole. Saying “I’ll have a plain multigrain bagel” IS confusing when we offer both plain and multigrain bagels. What do you want? A plain bagel? Or a multigrain bagel?
It is LESS confusing to say “I’ll have a multigrain bagel with nothing on it”. It’s not...
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How Starbucks Plans to Capatalize on Free Wi-Fi →
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Don't Like Coffee? Go To Starbucks! →
They are testing new drinks that are coffee that doesn’t taste like coffee. What will they think of next!?
Seriously. Just start selling beer and soda. Come on.
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