OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: Care to help a writer with her 'barista secrets' story?

This comment was posted in the "historic blizzard" thread below: "I'm an editor at a major online magazine website and writing an article called '20 things you barista won't tell you.' Please reply with your contact info if you're interested in contributing!" He/she doesn't post an e-mail address for responses, so feel free to post your "secrets" here. Or -- since this is an OPEN THREAD -- feel free to discuss anything Starbucks-related. || Jump to the third page of comments.

Comments

[Jack]

1. We're not suppose to charge for 1 pump of syrup.

2. We have no way to track how many refills you've had with your registered starbucks card.

3. Most pastry items have a 3 day shelf life.

4. A triple long espresso is cheaper then a tall americano.

[Starbuckers, Inc.]

If you're a jackass to the employees, your regular drink might actually be a decaf (or even more irresponsibly, a decaf might be a regular). Same goes for nonfat vs. whole and so forth.

I don't endorse it at ALL, and it's far from Starbucks policy, but it's also a fact that it happens.

[BAYAREABUX]

what a beat-the-dead-horse topic starter! puhleese, that article's already been written a million times

now, who wants to discuss tips and VIA hard selling? any takers?

[Waltie]

"1. We're not suppose to charge for 1 pump of syrup."

Unless the policy has changed in the past few months, I don't believe this is accurate. I believe we most definitely are supposed to charge for any amount of pumps.

"3. Most pastry items have a 3 day shelf life."

I don't think any current pastry items have a 3 day shelf life. Many have a 2 day shelf life, but even to say that those are in the majority would be disingenuous at best. The majority of stores probably receive more AM pastries than PM pastries, all of which have 1 day shelf lives.

"4. A triple long espresso is cheaper then a tall americano."

That may be so, but it tastes awful, in my opinion.

So far, this "article" is off to a great start! With "facts" like these, this writer is sure to win a Pulitzer Prize.

[Georgia Latte]

Jack # 1& 3 are both incorrect... Number of pumps means NOTHING. None of our pastries have a 3 day shelf life.... I agree with bayareabux... I think this site it getting rather stale.....

[Jazzhands]

So, to continue beating up on Jack, for everyone who has the symphony system, it charges by the shot, making a triple anything more expensive than a tall(two shot) americano.
Also, who cares how many refills they've had? They're free, which is why there is an in-store refill policy.

[ash_sk8s]

Actually, MOST baristas aren't dumb enough to give a decaf customer a regular shot. But giving decaf to a rude customer? Absolutely happens.

[Coffee Soldier]

In any food establishment you should live by the rule don't mess with, be rude to, demand, or piss off the server, employee, barista...whatever... before they've made your drink/food/salad.

Ever see Waiting? Things happen...getting decafed is nothing compared to what goes down in restaurants!!!

[anonymous]

Jacks info is woefully innacurate.

I can add though, I have seen baristas give people decaf when they wanted regular, and regular when they wanted decaf. However, I have only seen the latter when the barista knows the customer gets regular usually and isn't hyper sensitive.

I have seen baristas swirl dirty rags in drinks, spit in them and give the wrong milk, syrup, dead shots etc. I don't do such stuff and I don't think most baristas do. Usually you have to really anger someone for them to do it at all.so its not as widespread as it might seem. But this stuff does happen.

Thing is though it does occasionally happen, best practice is, be nice and it really shouldn't ever happen to you.

Do I endorse this behavior? Of course not, but the reality is it happens.

[-]

Blah.

Decaffing is petty and the people that do it are making a pathetic attempt to exercise the extremely limited amount of "power" they think they have.

The folks you're decaffing probably don't care (or even realize) and move on with their days. The person decaffing the customer, though... they're getting the ultimate shaft by having to stay on as a retail foodservice employee and having to do such an unskilled job being treated one-up from an elementary school student by their management.

Whatever.

[anonymous]

Shrug, like I said I don't endorse the behavior but it and worse stuff is done to peoples drinks.

[I <3 music]

Yup whatever....enjoy your decaf

[Venti Urnex Latte]

1. Your light frappuccino might not be light after all.

2. Your coffee might be bitter/rancid not just because it is old and stale but because the urns are filthy.

3. The milk carafes might be crusted with dried milk on the inside.

4. That half and half in the milk carafe might really be skim mixed with heavy cream. Or that skim might really be whole.

5. That pastry might be *beyond* its 3-day shelf life.

6. Those wet-vac things are used on the food surfaces as well as on the floor.

[Red cup]

This is an original idea by this editor. Also what is it with all the insults towards baristas(unskilled, dead end, etc) most people on here are saying they don't endorse they are just saying they know of this behavior.

[PDPtoCustomer]

Oh, let's see.......

1. Know why it "never tastes the same at home"? Because your coffee pots aren't charred with oxidized coffee residue. You're lucky if your store does a weekly urnexing/scrubbing.

2. Part of my job is to be awesome at pretending to give a sh*t. I honestly could care less about your dilemma about what to do with your afternoon off, or what b.s. to add to your 1,000 calorie white mocha to make it taste even less like coffee. Most of the time I'm 'helpful' by suggesting a 400 calorie pastry to round out your sugar coma because my DM or SM is within earshot and I could really use those points on my review.

[Ex San Diego head barista]

Check the labels on the carafes, you'll notice that there is old encrusted dairy stuck under the stickers.

Every now and then while loading the pastry case, we'll put one or two pastries in by hand.

Frappuccino light base includes a chemical called carrageenan, which is a main ingredient in sex lubricants, and also why, on it's own, light base feels like sex lube.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrageenan

[Waltie]

"I have seen baristas swirl dirty rags in drinks, spit in them and give the wrong milk, syrup, dead shots etc."

In five years with the company -- across three districts and two states -- I have never once seen or even heard of anybody doing such a thing. That isn't to say it's never happened, but that if it has it has been so rare as to be statistically irrelevant. It doesn't happen.

"1. Your light frappuccino might not be light after all. "

But %99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 of the time it will be exactly as ordered.

"2. Your coffee might be bitter/rancid not just because it is old and stale but because the urns are filthy."

Again, this is possible, but so rare as to be statistically irrelevant. If you work at a store were the urns are dirty... clean them! It takes about ten minutes to do properly and it is so easy even a monkey could do it.

"3. The milk carafes might be crusted with dried milk on the inside. "

They might be. Then again, while you are getting milk at the condiment bar, an asteroid might crash into the store.

"4. That half and half in the milk carafe might really be skim mixed with heavy cream. Or that skim might really be whole."

Only if the baristas at that store are complete morons. It's possible to go to a store where many baristas are complete morons, but very, very rare to go to one where they all are.

"5. That pastry might be *beyond* its 3-day shelf life. "

There are no pastries with a three day shelf life, so we can rest assured that this poster doesn't have a clue.

[Happily promoted to customer...AT PEETS AND DUNKIN!!!]

1. The pastries in the case are not made in the back of the store, but are usually either delivered from a warehousing company that freezes them, or are kept in freezers within the store. (I actually have had customers think that we baked everything on site.)
2. The 20 dollar tumbler you just bought at Starbucks can be purchased at almost anywhere else for at least half what you paid for it.
3. The oatmeal you just paid almost 3 bucks for is a packet of Quaker instant oatmeal with some packets of fancy raisins and walnuts on the side.
4. Most Baristas are forced by management to come to work ill..the person making your skinny vanilla latte could have the flu, a bad head cold, or could have explosive diarrhea...BOTTOMS UP!!!
5. At a good number of the stores I have worked at, partners rarely ever washed their hands between handling cash, or when starting a shift or returning from lunch or a break.
6. Some baristas regularly come to work still drunk from the night before, stoned off their goards, or returning from a 4 beer lunch.
7. We are forced by management to try to sell you everything under the sun. Most baristas loathe this hard sell to our customers. It is what we now have to do to get the few hours a week that management allots us, or to get a decent enough review to get a raise in our meager salaries.
8. Starbucks claims to be an equal oppourtunity employer but has made the job so physically difficult and stressful that disabled partners are either forced to quit or are fired for not meeting hour availability or are told that they are no longer meeting job expectations.
9. I had a Shift Supervisor demand that I find my own coverage and offer me phone numbers when I called in because my mother was in ICU on a ventilator. RESPECT AND DIGNITY...HA!

[baristamclane]

Eeew, just eew.

For the reasons above, I have an espresso machine at home, and will RARELY go into a Starbucks where I don't know at least one of the partners.

[Jazzhands]

This sure brings out the best in everyone. Does not one person working for Starbucks actually like their job anymore? I hate to think of the customers who read this site, believing all the hype on here, and subsequently that as soon as they leave the store, all we do is bitch and moan. That is, of course, after making their drink incorrectly, and then likely spitting in it for good measure.
By the way, @Happily.... Good for you. I'm sorry that your experience was that terrible, but not all stores are like that, and for once, you did exactly what you should have: you quit. Hopefully your next job isn't so horrible.

[baroosta]

@Jazzhands - "Does not one person working for Starbucks actually like their job anymore?"

It's easier to find a barista who hates their job than one who actually enjoys their job...

[Darth Sidamo.]

I think what they were saying is that The world Light in things does not always mean it is very light but just a lighter version.

1. There is a three calorie difference between a nonfat orange mango/strawberry vivanno and a regular but it made you feel better about asking for it.

2. Asking for nonfat milk but keeping whip makes little difference on calories on many drinks.

3. Foam is supposed to be dense and creamy and pour like honey off of a spoon, so contrary to belief nonfat does not make the best foam. Milk with more fat cells to coagulate is much better.

4. Ive had a fellow partner be forced to finish her two weeks before going on disability for mononucleosis.

5. We sweep the parking lot at some stores every two hours, even though one cigarette butt has never prevented anyone from wanting their latte.

6. It is illegal in a non smoking establishment to smoke by a drive-thru window or within 15 feet of a door in many states.

7. When doing the VIA taste challenge we put our Italian VIA up against Pike Place, one of our worst received coffees. Instead of letting people try actual Italian Roast and Italian VIA so they could actually taste the difference.

8. Reduced Fat is a play on words that means you have to lower the fat content by I believe 30 percent of the original value. This means that our reduced fat coffee cakes are not low fat by any means or even very healthy, just slightly better than the super fatty version.

[Jamie]

Wow, sounds like I should have called the Health Department as well as the Starbucks corporate office. Maybe tomorrow morning.

[108represent]

1) There is no such thing as fat free or sugar free eggnog lattes!!! Any barista that has told you that you can get one is wrong!!!

2)The sanitizer bucket is not changed as often as it should at some stores. And not every barista rinses off the cloth before putting it back into the bucket

3)Baristas work their asses off when it is busy. When you see a line up, don't assume it will take forever to receive your latte. If the store you visit has a SM who enforces proper deployment, the line up should move quickly. And standing there, rolling your eyes while you wait in the lineup? We see you

4)The tip jar is not a "leave a penny, take a penny" container. Please, for the love of cheese, don't think that if you are short 10 cents, think you can "borrow" a dime. We accept other methods of payment, such as debit, most major credit card, and of course, our Sbux card.

5)Speaking of the line up, there is nothing worse than you being on your cell phone!!! You may think you are multi tasking, but us baristas cannot read your mind and know what you want. Lay off the phone until you are done ordering!!

6)Venti iced cups are actually worth something. If you request a Venti iced water, don't be surprised if every store doesn't comply for you. You may get a tall, you may get a paper cup. Don't worry, we'd be happy to refill your water.
And god help us when we get TRENTA ICED WATER REQUESTS!!!

7)If the tumbler you bought years ago has suddenly stopped keeping your beverage hot or the lid doesn't close like it used to, do not return it to your local Sbux and expect to exchange it for a new one. Accept that the tumbler's life has come to an end and buy yourself a new tumbler.

8)If you run out of sugar at home, please do not take several sugar packs from my condiment bar. Go to a store and buy some!!!

9)If you love the newest Sbux card design, please do not take one and put it in your wallet to add to your collect. Technically, you are stealing. If you want the card, please load it before taking it from our stores.

10) Don't order a coffee and ask for more cups and hot water- just order the number of coffees you need. We'd be happy to inform you we can charge you for a short/tall and add hot water for you.

)And finally, don't order Iced Espresso shots in a Venti cup and go to the condiment stand and fill it up with milk(probably nonfat). You maybe saving money, but you are not saving your health- you have no idea how long that milk has been sitting on the condiment stand!!!

[anonymous]

Jamie has a vendetta apparently, talk about overreacting lol.

[Waltie]

I guess what this article should be called is that a few who post to a blog seem to work in poorly run stores and do absolutely nothing to change them for the better.

Work at a bad store where things aren't don't correctly? Don't blame the people back in Seattle, blame yourself. Harsh but true.

[hearbutloud]

If you want extra caramel (which so many people seem to) there is no charge... but if you tip regularly, you're bound to get more caramel.

And I'm with Waltie on every single post.

Watch out for baristas with a vendetta and management that is too confused to see it.

[barista again]

@Darth Sidamo. I was supposed to be Pick and Colombia Via when we did the taste challenge. Not Italian

[javagirl666]

As a long time partner..I can say that there are certain stores that I will not get anything milk based from. And while being in other stores have taken it upon myself to instruct them about the ease of Urnex. I agree with Waltie..if your store is nasty..do something about it. If your SM has his/her head in the clouds..talk to the DM. These instances make us all look bad.

[Hirayuki]

@Darth Sidamo.: My (so far very successful) diet pays more attention to fat and other things than to calories per se. Whipped cream adds about 7 grams of fat, which is a significant amount. (Though the non-difference between 2%/NF Vivannos is surprising.)

[barista #4]

1. The Pike Place roast is promised to be in store within two weeks of being roasted, but this is rarely the case. All other coffees generally sit in the distribution center for weeks (months sometimes) before being shipped to stores. Coffee is stale after 12 days (give or take a day or two.)

2. With a little research and some trial and error, you can probably find a locally owned coffee shop that has better, fresher coffee and a comparable price.

[Darth Sidamo.]

Agreed about the diet, calories arent everything but it is still a good part of the equation. Often the word light isnt as light as people think. You might be right about the columbia but it was VIA vs Pike place. If Sbux was really all about it tasting the same they would have went with the obvious Italian vs Italian VIA.

[CoffeeBean330]

1. Don't draw attention to the fact that you're putting a quarter in the tip jar. We just think you're cheap.

2. If I'm trying to put your order in the register and you're practically waving your card in my face, I'm going to take my time.

3. We are not there to wait on you hand and foot. Walk up to the counter and order like the rest of the customers. Don't just stand somewhere else expecting us to stop what we're doing to wait on you.

4. We call out the drinks for a reason. Don't assume that the first drink I put on the counter is yours. If you ordered two seconds ago, wait your damn turn.

5. When I have a long line of drinks, don't come up telling me you want a cup of water/a pastry/to buy a cup. There is a front counter for a reason.

[Darth Sidamo.]

http://news.starbucks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=271

Was supposed to be Columbia vs Pike.

[Waltie]

"1. Don't draw attention to the fact that you're putting a quarter in the tip jar. We just think you're cheap."

No... YOU think that person is cheap. Don't speak for all of us because you are petty. I can honestly say that I don't pay attention to the amount a customer puts into the tip jar. I just make a note to say "thank you," no matter what.

"2. If I'm trying to put your order in the register and you're practically waving your card in my face, I'm going to take my time."

Or you can, you know, have a conversation with the customer. You can engage him or her while inputting items into the POS. Right? That's just good customer service.

"3. We are not there to wait on you hand and foot. Walk up to the counter and order like the rest of the customers. Don't just stand somewhere else expecting us to stop what we're doing to wait on you."

Actually... that kind of IS our job. No, we don't have to take drink orders while we're cleaning the lobby, but if a customer needs something, it is our job to give them assistance, direction, or help. And if you are behind the counter and see somebody who looks lost, it would be nice if you went over and offered help.

[veg barista]

usually the customers who are immediately waving cards in our face are not the ones who want to be "engaged"... trying to talk to some of them is pointless because they are so self-absorbed

[WeatheredBarista]

If you pay close attention, most Starbucks have fruit flies in their pastry cases and quite often flying on to the top of milk containers which are open.

[ibblet]

i am very glad i dont work in yalls stores. My Sm is a clean freak. We have set days of the week to urnex and about 10 diffrent timers letting us know excatly when they want everything cleaned. If the timers are not taken care of promptly we pay dearly.

and yes decaffing happens. and it really dosent hurt anyone and just maybe it helps keep a smile on the poor slaves face while they try to get through the last half of their shift. Yes its silly and passive-agressive.But we cant do anything else to the bitch who just screamed at you because there was a line and she was already late to work when she came in and it was our fault we didnt let her cut in line.

[Waltie]

"But we cant do anything else to the bitch who just screamed at you because there was a line and she was already late to work when she came in and it was our fault we didnt let her cut in line."

Of course there's something else you can do: Get over it, move on, and do your job.

[spence]

Personally, I've never seen or heard of most of the crap I'm reading here. The worst offense in my area (of all the Starbucks) is some fruit flies / flies in the summer.
Anyone who participates in what I've read should be fired! Anyone who contributes to someone trying to destroy Starbucks credibility should be fired! Seriously, this site is mostly for losers. I read it because sometimes I get good info. Mostly I get crap.

[Noah]

Darth Sidamo - with respect to weight, calories are everything. It matters not if a calorie is sugar, fat, or lettuce, it is a calorie. Take in more calories than you expend, and you grow fatter period end of story.

[formermanager]

The $2.00 cup of drip coffee you purchase actually costs about, what, $.35?

Take a whiff of the inside of even the cleanest milk fridge.

[I.Heart.Spirit]

I stopped reading because the majority of you seem to work at disgusting stores who need to focus on doing your job correctly.

[Ken]

If I see a fly in a store around food, I never return to it. Stores need to do a better job at maintaining cleanliness.

[usorthem3]

@Waltie Asteroid. That gave me a giggle.

@DarthSidamo Man I feel honestly bad they make you sweep the parking lot. That sucks.

@baristmclane I'm with you, if not I scope before deciding what to have. They can't screw up a water and a blueberry bar.

As to the rest of the thread, it doesn't really matter if it's Starbucks or not, some of what is posted here is just a complete lack of character. I don't care how mad you are at anything, some of this should NEVER happen.

[DOPE-eeo]

Here is something for the article: many of us come to work and stay at work when we have the flu, diarrhea, or are otherwise ill. It is often at my store implied that we will not continue to have the hours we need if we are unable to come in without finding someone to cover our shifts. I had a doctor's note for 3 days once and only got one covered. In my entire district, this is extremely common. Also my manager works 20 hour weeks.

[j-d-m]

I am horrified at some of these responses! I am a six year partner and my store is the complete opposite of some of this stuff. We deep clean our urns once a week, deep clean our ice machine frequently, have timers for everything (including sanitizers), rotate our milks, put expiration dates on everything, and do not force our partners to come to work sick. We don't even make them cover their own shift. And this is coming from a store where people aren't that stoked about their jobs but recognize that these things ARE their jobs at the moment.

I think this is actually a good example of how Starbucks needs to re-evaluate how they chose their management. There seems to be more of a focus on favoritism and things that should not be that important (such as looks) instead of how well they would actually run a store.

And, to the person who said they will not go back to places if they see a fly: REALLY? Do you live in some sort of super pristine anti-fly atmosphere? I only ask because, everywhere I've lived in my entire life, flies are able to, you know... fly inside. Stores are busy and the door(s) open constantly. Bugs get in. Would you rather I stop everything and try to catch one in a cup (impossible) or let it fly around harmlessly and make you your drink? Unreal.

[Alexander]

Part of the job ANY barista is paid to do is upkeep store cleanliness. I know it's hard to deep clean sometimes, but come on. IT IS PART OF YOUR PAID JOB.

So you're not rolling in bank for pushing buttons and following the Major Steps set up by corporate. I'm sorry.

I work for a different coffee franchise and get paid $6.75/hr with my tips taxed to eternity. This is less than you make, I'm petty sure. I do not complain about it, and I still show up with a smile and clean my store until I drop because that is what I'm PAID to do. I do not know what working for SBUX is like, but I've worked enough in the coffee house industry to know that you guys can sometimes have it easier than other joints.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

[DOPE-eeo]

Although Waltie's posts seem to indicate that he believes all Starbucks are run the way his is, I stand by this: "YOU think that person is cheap. Don't speak for all of us because you are petty. I can honestly say that I don't pay attention to the amount a customer puts into the tip jar. I just make a note to say "thank you," no matter what."

...just say thank you.

And J-D-M as a shift supervisor when I try to enforce any of this I get eyes rolled at me. The SM enforces nothing, so I give up. I am actively looking for another job.

[Rawr]

My store doesn't do any of those things mentioned. The worst that may happen to your drink is the shots aren't timed every hour, or the decaf may have sat for 45 minutes instead of 24. But the partners I work with are amazing at cleaning, organizing, and deep cleaning every little part of the store. Granted we are a slower store, and therefore can find opportunities to clean. My manager also puts in a lot of extra time to make sure things like the mats are scrubbed, and climbing under the counters/behind fridges to scrub the walls.