A Starbucks employee offers "a few things you can do to hack the system"

Before you get all worked up, this employee is hardly a SBUX-basher -- and what he/she shares is hardly new to most people. The person writes: "Let me just say, that a lot of people don't understand why Starbucks drinks are so expensive. We hand-make everything. Well, not everything, but most of it. We make our own whipped cream, the Frappuccinos are hand made with real coffee and milk, teas are full leaf, the mocha is made fresh everyday and the Chai concentrate is all natural." || Read "STARBUCKS HACKS"

Comments

[5 yr partner]

I dont know if anyone caught this or not... in the article it said if the customer acts like they are in a rush they'll be offered an americano for the same price as a coffee.... ummm NO!

You're still going to get charged for an americano.

[SM]

I laugh..I have a pain in the ass"supercustomer" every day four seperate transactions "can you add a little steamed milk-doesnt pay-can I have the extra shot-No more extra milk(routine) he always holds up line then always asks why am I being charged I am Supercustomer----jackass once he called seattle to complain he had to pay..Now hes just getto

[xwhipGBL]

Is my Starbucks the only one where we give away 20 free drinks on a daily basis?

[Red cup]

@buttonpusher
Ok we are button pushers so what? This is just a job for a lot of us we are going to school. How about you find something else to write about because your button pusher argument is getting boring.

[Mr. Who]

Darth Sidamo-

A brown eye is a sexual term. Just saying it on the floor, especially in front of customers, is going to cause problems.

[newbie no more (was sbuxnewbie)]

Had a customer today ask for a venti americano - no water, "just fill the rest of it with coffee". I told her I'd have to charge her for the coffee - figured that a tall coffee and quad espresso was the cheapest way to go. She said she never pays for that (I've never seen her before). I told her that coffee costs more than water, and she said "fine, I'll pay today, but won't get my drinks at this store again."

Where do these overly entitled pretentious people come from?

[formermanager]

Ha, ha, the ghetto latte. We had a customer come in and order 4 venti iced espressos (in venti cups of course). When we saw her come in, we immediately went out and put out 2 carafes of heavy cream and a 1/2 and 1/2 carafe with maybe 4 oz in it. So she'd go out there to the condo bar after ordering and make 4 heavy whip ghetto lattes. Yes the cost of goods was higher, but it was just classic to see that mess made. Imagine iced heavy whip. You see what whip does on iced drinks, imagine a whole drink made of that. They probably all have had a heart attack since...

[Darth Sidamo]

I know what a brown eye is. Its not a sexual term, as it is another name for your sphincter. Exactly what VIA tastes like. That is the same as saying your mouth is a sexual term since it can be used for sexual acts.

[Starbucks Barista 2005-2008]

I don't know what else to say except that reading the article did a great job of pissing me off.

[Starbucks Barista 2005-2008]

Hey, so here is a question for all current baristas. It is my understanding that baristas are required to pull double shots, and can not pull singles anymore, and that it applies for any espresso based beverages. Say you are making an espresso based drink that requires 3 shots. Obviously, you are going to pull two doubles, which means you will have one left in the end. What do you do with the remaining shot? Do you give it to the customer for free if they want it, or do you toss it out? What is Starbucks' official stance on this?

[...]

official stance is to dump it since a customer would never be motivated to upgrade a beverage if it was always free.

[dirty chai]

Agreed with ..., but this is only for the older machines. The Mastrenas can pull single shots, so this isn't as much of an issue anymore.

[meme]

Regarding iced Ghetto lattes. They are inferior also because when you pull shots over ice it causes them to bitter. Ice is frozen (32 degrees or less) Upon hitting the ice the oils in the hot shots immediately start to separate and cause a bitterness to occur. Starbucks recipes are created in a certain way for a reason. When you pull shots into room temp water (as for americanos) or into room temp syrups or even chilled milk (above 32 degrees obviously) it allows the shot to cool down at a slower rate than shocking it over ice. So shots over ice = bitterness not sweetness. Its no wonder people think our drinks are only as good as McDonalds, You get what you pay for. And for folks who have had bad untrained baristas tell them to get their drinks over ice or make them that way unknowlingly sorry, so soRRY, so VERY SORRY, our training dept has failed miserably over the last several years.

[getsomeknowledge]

dirtychai is right about an iced latte, although we have found taste wise, it's best to put a little milk at the bottom, then pull the shots, then add the rest.
I can't believe you've been pulling them onto plastic. It's ...common sense.

[...]

wasnt there a barista need to know about shots are only pulled into shot glasses for caramel macchiato's now?

[BaristaBot]

@hearbutloud

the discount code still works for the free tall coffee with the purchase of 1lb. of coffee, therefore it's a valid offer throughout all the stores.

@...

espresso is poured into shot glasses for caramel macchiatos, for here cups, personal cups and all iced cups.

[cafenoir]

The only "cheat" I ever offer to my customers is to those who order a dirty chai. I suggest they get a regular latte and add chai to it. That way, the drink isn't as watered down, and it usually doesn't cost as much as a chai + add shot. And since there isn't a prescribed way to ring up a dirty chai, I don't feel bad recommending this ordering protocol to a regular customer.

However: one of the partners at my store is always trying to teach people to cheat. "You don't get charged for only one pump of syrup." Uh, yes you do. "If you ask for a latte add cinnamon dolce it's cheaper than a cinnamon dolce latte." Yes, but that's not the right way to ring it.

Sigh. Oh well.

[SBsmooth]

@buttonpusherhater,
even on "manual" machines such as la marzoccos a button is pushed to initiate the shot. Some machines have handles to steam milk, some have knobs but most all push a button for shots. so don't hate the button or the button pusher, since even your beloved indy's tecnically push a button. find another reason to hate starbucks. Being intimidated by success for example.

[buttonpusherhater]

@sbsmooth
Its all in the knowledge and SKILL behind the button. It takes absolutely NO skill to push a button, have the machine dose, grind, tamp and pull the shot for you. The Mastrena even tells you when to adjust the grind!
You saying this proves my point even more. Thanks for the props!

[Waltie]

"although we have found taste wise, it's best to put a little milk at the bottom, then pull the shots, then add the rest."

Who is "we"? Just because you think something tastes better doesn't mean everybody will agree. Just follow the recipes, people. If you want to invent your own drink recipes, open your own coffee shop. Just follow the recipes.

[getsomeknowledge]

I seriously hope pple are not pulling shots into personal cups. Is common sense really that uncommon? You seriously don't know how clean it is.

[getsomeknowledge]

it's not inventing a new standard. It's how all other iced drinks are made. No latte is made with the milk in it first. Use that grey matter in your head. It was put there for a reason.

[Waltie]

Read the recipe card. You're doing it wrong.

[sw6blues]

If you Baristas, etc are advocating these "Cheats" and helping customers cheat...you ARE UNDOING YOUR EMPLOYER. Don't you realize that these customers are paying your bills? They're taking advantage of you! Yes, it's good to be nice and help your regular customers, but surprise and delight them with a free drink when they're having a bad day, don't help them save .30 cents every day, when that 30 cents multiplied by many customers can turn into $$$$ over time!

Good lord, who TRAINED you people?!

And shots are poured into milk to stabilize the shots! If they sit at the bottom of a cup with no milk, they sour the same way they would if you had left them in the shot glasses!

[getsomeknowledge]

seriously, recipe cards are great. Common sense? just wow. I hate when people talk about drinking the kool aid, but now I understand

[Waltie]

I *don't* understand. How is it common sense to disregard the recipe cards? I'm not saying they're great, I'm simply saying that we are paid to follow them, not improvise in ways that we *think* are better. It's about consistency from store to store, as well as working with prove, best practices.

Don't get mad at me because I just pointed out that you're making drinks wrong. Just stop making them wrong.

[sw6blues]

Baristas are not paid to use their "common sense" they're paid to follow the recipes and the other procedures dictated in recipes and manuals.

Standard via the manual(s): shot glasses are to ALWAYS be used in Caramel Mac's and all iced drinks.

Drinks that are ordered with a syrup, get charged for the syrup, or extra caramel or what have you, they are a la cart additions. For example, a Vanilla bean frapp with caramel sauce.. plus 40 cents. Though the Simphony POS system does this for you as long as you press the button. One pump of syrup is a charge, no matter what the customer tells you that the "other" Starbucks does it...

Refills (this one really irks me) are for same store, same day visits ONLY. A customer can't go from store to store getting a refill at refill price. And tea lemonades don't apply for refills. Cup discounts only for these customers.

The only thing is that "just say yes" nixes these policies anytime you come across them.

When in doubt, ask your store manager or ASM.

ok... /rant

[Waltie]

Well said.

[getsomeknowledge]

shot glasses are not to be used in iced drinks. For those who think they know it all, it's quite ironic

[usorthem3]

@getsomeknowledge Perhaps it is you who needs to be retrained on beverage production. Waltie is correct, you are wrong. Shot glasses are to be used for ALL personal cups, macchiatos, and cold espresso beverages. End period. The whole problem with this company is that employees like you "decide" what is correct. I speak to customers all the time that say they have to teach baristas across the country how to make their drink. I think the cancellation of training time has done more harm than will be known for some time. Or perhaps your a prime example of from customers we hear, "Why does my drink taste different than the other store?" Please god let you not work anywhere close to me because I'm all good with calling out a barista when it comes to recipes. Do the world a favor and get the recipe flash cards and read them, it is what you get paid to do.

Just a labor thought, does anyone else run a negative 2-3% every week or is it simply my store? It's been this way( apart from I think three weeks) for the last 9 months.

[I <3 music]

I was told you can pull shots into a personal cup if it will fit.

[meme]

I <3 music who ever told you that is making s*@t up. Don't follow their lead to much you'll end up ignorant of how to do your job.

[iendedupquitting]

Maybe if the staff actually felt appreciated by corporate, they might not enjoy helping customers cheat the company out of its profits. Every person working in every store I've been at has been grossly underpaid for what they are expected to do. Like every company, the staff doesn't see any raise in their pay when their practices result in higher profits for the company, so I don't see why anyone expects them to care.

And to all those people who think Starbucks is a great employer, go to work for them as a barista, a shift supervisor, an assistant manager or a manager. Then come back and try to tell people how wrong it is to take advantage of a company that treats you like dirt while insisting you act like you're high on crack day in and day out for minimum wage. The only good stories I've heard about Starbucks are quitting stories.

[Red cup]

waltie is a well known kool aid drinker.

@buttonpusher you belittle us because our sorries consist of filling up a retail wall, I wonder what you do I bet your biomechanical engineer, I bet you went to yale im honored to have posted in the same forum as you. You probably have a wife and kids and have a great life thank you from all of us for taking the time to tell us we are button pushers that argument must have taken you a lot of time to research and develop.

[getoveryourself]

@waltie our manager wants us to do them at way. You are always full of yourself and need to be taken down a peg or 13

[I <3 music]

It was my SM during our training.

[buttonpusherhater]

@red cup,
You'd be surprised at what I know concerning SBUX and coffee in general.

[whatajoke]

@buttonpusher yes, your informative posts have shown just that. bahah

[Waltie]

"@waltie our manager wants us to do them at way. You are always full of yourself and need to be taken down a peg or 13"

I'm sorry who are you? Are you talking about making iced drinks incorrectly? Well, then your manager is telling you to do it the wrong way, so you should have the leadership courage to take a stand and to say, "That's actually not the proper standard." When your manager is either misinformed on the rules or just thinks the rules shouldn't apply, then it becomes the responsibility of each partner to do things the right way.

And, no, that's not called being a koolaide drinker, it's called being an adult.

[Stan]

no waltie, the manager runs the store. they are not paid to go against their manager. the manager is the face of the company to his/her baristas and SS. the manager if caught doing things incorrectly should be corrected by the DM. this is how a chain of command work.
undercutting your managers authority is not a good thing to do.
what you can do is go in the book, show your manager, and if they change, they change. if they want you to do it their way, you do it their way.
as much as starbucks would like you to think you have power as a barista. look up above and see how many people can fire you, and the more people who can, the less power you have.

Look at Lean, look at better beverage, if baristas had a say, most that i know would not be for these changes. Bev Rep Routine is supposed to slow up production for us to connect. In the second month i've already heard that we need to get speed of service back up.
2 months of the new way to make beverages.

[Waltie]

Stan, you're wrong. When a manger is telling the shifts and baristas to do things incorrectly, those baristas and shifts need to speak up and correct the manager. I'm not saying the manager will listen, but that having leadership courage is something that separates a mediocre shift from a great one.

If your manager is teaching people to make drinks wrong and you either can't or want step up and discuss this with the manager (respectfully, of course), then you shouldn't be a shift. I'm not talking about you personally, of course, since I don't know you or what role you play in your store (if any), I'm simply talking in general.

And talking to a manager about things he or she is doing wrong isn't undercutting his or her authority. It's being respectful and mature. Going to the DM and letting him or her hear about it first would be undercutting and cowardly.

"what you can do is go in the book, show your manager, and if they change, they change. if they want you to do it their way, you do it their way. "

No. When a manager tells you to do something that contradicts the book, you don't have to do it their way. If your manager wanted to cut all mochas by one pump to save the store money, would you do that? I would hope not.

And Bev rep routine isn't supposed to slow us up, it's supposed to make us faster. If it's not doing that, you're doing it wrong.

[Red cup]

@buttonpusher
Im amazed that you have so much sbux knowledge, where do you find the time in your busy important life? Do you research it in between shuttle launches? I bet your an austronat

[buttonpusherhater]

@ Stupid buttonpushers,
I have worked for years as a coffee buyer, roaster and equipment design engineer. I have started and sold 13 very successful upscale "real" coffee shops that continue to be the top places in their markets. I have been instrumental in the development of super-automatic espresso machines that are making your jobs obsolete. I regularly consult with manufacturers (including your beloved Thermoplan)concerning the way coffee drinks will be produced in the next generation of equipment.

That being said, the reason I "hate" is because even though the skill sets required to be a barista (esp at SBUX), have been selectively obsoleted, the vast majority of buttonpushers I have encountered have a ridiculous, almost nauseating attitude. If they were the true artisans they think they are, then the "uniqueness" they all fight to exude would maybe, possibly be tolerable.
The only thing that needs to happen is for SBUX to begin to care about the customer enough (AGAIN), to improve the experience at the stores. In my experienced opinion, this would include putting the hammer down on these attitude ridden juveniles. The employees, even the buttonpushers, have the power to turn this once great company back around. If you cant self regulate, then the guys at the top will have to start doing the responsible thing and "parenting" all these snotty nosed brats.

[Red cup]

@buttonpusher
You continue to amaze me I love how you resort to namd calling. Im convince a person of your intellect must have gone to yale. Your so right sbux has all those problems the company is sure to go bankrupt anytime. Oh wait!

[justthink]

everyone is forgetting logic here. the idea of pulling shots into a full cup of milk (not an accepted way to make an iced latte anywhere else)makes as much sense as the new lame ass routine

[dirty chai]

@justthink, you're not pulling shots into a FULL cup of milk. You pour milk to the second green line on the cup, and then pull your shots, and fill with ice to the top. Regardless of how any other establishment makes an iced latte, this is how Starbucks has decided they want to do it.

[justthink]

it's not about "establishments". there is a correct and incorrect way to make coffee.pulling shots into a full cup of milk (and yes, to that line is a full cup of milk) affects the taste of the drink and how the espresso reacts. I'm starting to understand kool aid comments

[Stan]

@waltie BRR is not supposed to make us faster, it's supposed to give us time to connect with customers. I've heard this from every bit of leadership in my area. because if your quick and efficient at bar already, it will slow you down. Using one machine as opposed to 2 machines slows you no matter how you cut it. I can make two drinks on two machines quicker than two drinks on one machine. BRR didn't change anything of what i did to become a quick and efficient barista except cripple me one machine. If this made you faster, you were doing bar wrong from the very beginning.
or your still doing it wrong by using two machines, when in reality you should be using one.

the other part of this equation is perfect world. you imagine that it exists, the thought that all managers are understanding and won't make your life a living hell if you show them up. The reality is that you & I don't make the decision, nor do we get paid for that privilege. what we do is listen to our management. as long as your management is not ask you to do something unethical, you should oblige. If quality was still on the table, and i hate to say it... buttonpusher is right... then we should've never gotten rid of manual machines, Pike place wouldn't be served everyday, and our labor wouldn't have been cut from .03 +- to 0. Why just beat them, because it's the only thing we do.

You absolutely don't have to listen to your manager, and by doing that you are undercutting the authority that is bestowed on them. And by telling people to not listen to their boss, your not being a team player, your being self indulgent.

[Waltie]

"And by telling people to not listen to their boss, your not being a team player, your being self indulgent. "

I never said that. I simply said that when a manager asks partners to break the rules or violate policy, people should stand up and say no. They should inform the manager of the correct policy. Why would you infer that that means somebody should never follow anything the manager says? That's quite a leap in logic you made that was completely unrelated to anything I said.

As for Bev rep routine, it absolutely is supposed to making baristas faster and to make the customer wait times more consistent from store to store and drink to drink. It has sped up every partner at my store, most of whom were already fantastic on bar, myself included.

[buttonpusherhater]

@ red cup
I didn't say they were in financial trouble, neither is Walmart. Does that mean they have money troubles? I don't think so. Does it mean they could be world's better. Of course it does. What will the long term repercussions be, that remains to be seen.
Point is the stupid, childish behavior by the front line SBUX employees has to stop to keep the company's reputation as strong as it is.