Do any of you remember this? Does anyone have the link for the long list of these things? I can't remember, but it was amazing!

Starbucks workers who know what fairy food (or sponge candy) is (see: http://www.spongecandy.com)...

Well, okay, if you LIKE fairy food, you should probably take an equal amount of chocolate curls and caramel brule topping and eat them. Because it pretty much tastes like fairy food (which I cannot find in my new location) and it makes me happy and feel like I'm home. :D

I started looking up photos of matcha powder in order to reply to another thread in this community, and came across many horrors of matcha pastries and other debacles. I know there are many people out there that enjoy matcha, but I'm definitely not one of them. I've inhaled matcha too many times. I've covered myself in matcha far too many times. I've covered the floor, cabinets, wall, and counters in matcha waaay too many times. Thus, all of these following pictures make me want to ralph.

( MOAR HERE )

Boredom tonight led me & another barista to attempt to make the most disgusting tasting drink ever. & I believe we succeeded.

( Drink #1 )

As a former partner of a very hectic DT store, I have many fond memories of my barista days and of my awesome co-workers (the exception being the unhinged rage-a-holic SM, but that's a whole other story). I made some comix awhile back based on my experiences and below the cut is one I hope everyone likes. Enjoy!

( clickage for picage )

you've been working for starbucks (or coffee in general) when talking to a voworker about your love life you make a milk analogy...

To the couple who ordered two venti ristretto five shot 175 degree extra whip with caramel drizzle and extra topping caramel brule lattes, but wanted us to let the shots sit for a minute before pouring them into your drinks:

YOU ARE A MORON. You did not sound superior when you asked me if I knew what a ristretto shot was because I was confused as to why you wanted them, but wanted me to let them expire, since that sort of defeats the purpose. You just sounded stupid. And like a total bitch. And you probably got decaf so maybe next time you're going to fork over $15 for two ridiculous beverages, trust that we probably know a hell of a lot more than you do, and let us do our damn jobs without being a condescending jackass. I get that you want your drink to be "special," or some shit, but really, you're just STUPID.

UGH.

I HATE THOSE CARAMEL DRIZZLE BAGS.

Way to cut costs and be a pain in the butt Starbucks. What annoys me is that they've cut costs in this and other stupid ways, like buying substandard dishwashers all over the UK so now partners are getting electrocuted left, right and centre, and they break down all the time anyway. We flooded the stockroom of a Thornton's chocolate store below us and owe them SO much money now. Also, our store is MASSIVE so we have always hired an external cleaning company, which they recently got rid of, so now we have to clean our whole store, without being given any extra time or labour to do so, when sometimes an hour for our close is not even enough time to get behind the counter clean, especially on a Saturday when we are mad busy.

But yet when the new ordering system was first implemented and we weren't allowed to change the ordering on the computer, we we're routinely throwing out £100s worth of food a night. And now they have this new 'flat white' coming in that we are all receiving special training for. And surely there will be extra costs for promotion and the like.

Ughsofrustrating!

Was talking with a friend about my life as a Barista, and I mentioned about how weird and crazy customers can be.

Her reply? "They just buy coffee, they can't be that crazy, right?"

And with that, I filled her in with the multitude of crazy-s I've met/served.

Her reaction? 0_o "But, they just buy coffee!"

There is a costumer who order 1%, then tastes it and adds breve till it’s perfect. I wanna recommend just trying 2% but I know that would be rude.
Any one else feel like sometimes costumers order their drinks with modifiers just so that the drink is special?

I'm sorry, but I've had it with people (whom I have NO CLUE who they are) from different stores calling me to ask if I can cover shifts for them. I *hate* it when people at my store give out my number.

Does everyone else's store do this too? Is there some kind of policy regarding this? I've been thinking about asking my SM and my SS's if they could please not give out my cell number, but I wasn't sure if there's any rule to back me up.

Customer comment of the day (perhaps of all time):

Me: Would you like a copy of the receipt?
Teenage Girl: No, receipts are for gay people.

ETA: I kind of regret not telling her that I'm gay myself.

Now post your own ridiculous remarks you've heard customers make!

. . . or does anyone else ever get the urge to put handmade signs that say "NOT A TRASH CAN" on, in, or near very nearly every damn thing in your entire damn store that is not, in fact, actually a trash can?

Been with Starbucks a year and three months now, and these are my only real complaints..besides that I am in desperate need of a vacation and I so cannot wait until holidays are over so I can actually take said vacation...

1. Dude who ordered the "large" coffee a few weeks ago, and corrected my buddy Sean when he repeated it back venti. "I'm from the midwest, I don't say anything but large." Really? Really? Last time I checked I was from the midwest too. I mean, I was born in Colorado, but, you know, I've lived here the past 21 years of my life. I wasn't aware that people in other areas of the country used different words.

2. When I am on cafe bar, and I call out your drink/hand it off, don't sit there like an idiot after I've called it THREE times, and shouted TWO times, and ask "Is this the venti mocha." Yes. Yes. It. Is. Or "Is this the decaf latte iced." Well, it's the only drink sitting there, and it's iced, so yeahhh, it is.

My boss is such a shithead. It's been crazy-snowing ALL DAY. And why does he want me to start my own shift a little earlier? BECAUSE ONE OF MY PARTNERS WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET TO WORK. I can't turn him down because I need the hours desperately, But according to him, we've had almost no business all day. A smart man would call our DM and say that's it's too risky for his workers, but not my SM, oh no. He'd much rather see us all injured and trapped in snow banks rather than miss out on the slim chance that someone might get some coffee.

So this really weird and rude guy calls us up like four times today trying to find where we are located. He shows up to our store and proceeds to bark orders at us. He orders 8 drinks demanding initials on all of them and like 4 stainless steel tumblers. Spends about $200 and had a ridiculous attitude. One of our partners helps him outside to his car and I guess got into a conversation with him. She runs inside ecstatic and says to me: "Do you know who you just made drinks for? FLEETWOOD MAC" to which I jokingly said: "Wow, maybe I shouldn't have decaffed them all" (Even though Stevie Nicks' was already requested decaf) so she proceeds to tell us the conversation she had with the guy; apparently he's their roadie and they had a show at Sydney's Acer Arena last night and tonight and our store was the closest without making him go into the city. Stevie Nicks had a Decaf Grande Soy Extra Hot Latte. He said that he didn't wanna say anything inside so as to not get us too excited. At the end of my co-worker's gush I replied: "So do they know that their roadie is a tool?" which made my ASM laugh which then made my co-worker say: "I'm so mad I wasn't making their drinks cause I can't claim that I did and and YOU DON'T EVEN CARE!!!!" I did but it's so fun to mess with my co-workers.

I'm not a Starbucks person, but I have love for the lower U District Starbucks in Seattle.

A) It's flipping cold in Seattle.
B) Seattleites are completely incapable of handling winter.
C) It's the Monday before finals week at the college literally one block from them, and I'm definitely not the only person pulling a double all-nighter.

They were uncomfortably busy today, but I watched them working while waiting for my drink, and they were just beautifully coordinated with each other. It was like watching some sort of dance.

Last night I received my first FAKE recovery certificate.



I always question anything I get so I as soon as I got the certificate I went to my shift and showed him. He went into the safe and brought a real one and there was a total difference. The color of the real one was a much bright orange than the fake one, which look faded. The couple who had given me the certificate were patient enough when I said we had to check and it would be a second (asking why I couldn't just highlight the paper like a $100 bill and I told her it wasn't the same thing).

Anyway, when we told them it was fake they flipped out and said they got it at a store 20 minutes from here (I know this store, it's sort of in a shady already). I said that we would give them their drink this time and they asked what should they do if the barista hands them a fake certificate? I told them I thought they might've been recycling old certificates at that particular store (even though they're not suppose to) and that we'll give them a call to tell them what she said and to check their certificate supply.


I hate that they still got a free drink. I mean, it's a courtesy to get drink certificates and to rip me a new one simply because "a barista from a bad part of town" gave you this is in no way my fault. I'm sure this is going to be a recurring issue and there are probably a million more fakes out there.



What have you done when receiving a fake recovery slip? Is there anyway of not rewarding crime and not giving them a fake drink?

So, this is a really short "dumb customer" post, but I had to share these two gems from closing last night.

Cast:
ME - Me!
DTG: Drive-through guy
DTL: Drive-through lady

Incident #1
ME: Oh, sorry sir, this seems to be a Canadian quarter.
DTG: What? You don't take that?
ME: Uh, no. Just American money here.
DTG: That's racism.
ME: Uh... is it?
DTG: And isn't the currency the same over there anyway? This is ridiculous.
ME: Errr.., no, it's a different country. See how the quarter is different from ours?
DTG: Fine, whatever. This is ridiculous.

Incident #2
DTL: Hey can you tell me what's in your wild berry smoothie?
ME: Well, it's a premade concentrate, so I'm not really sure. I can check the box if you like.
DTL: Does it have pomegranate in it?
ME: It seems unlikely. We do have a pomegranate-mango smoothie.
DTL: Is there pomegranate in that?
ME: ... :(

Oh also, since I am forever interested in the differences between Caribou and Starbucks, what do you guys mean when you say "DT bar"? Do you have two separate espresso bars in your DT stores?

Hi all the awesome baristas! I am a huge fan of this community! I am too young to be one, but I think that the baristas are what makes Starbucks so...cozy and sweet and stuff. I'm not a coffee drinker myself, but I love green tea latte and pretty much all the teas there!;) I'm not really sure if I'm allowed to post some icons here, but if it's wrong, you can delete this post:] So, 15 icons with some Starbucks stuff, i really hope you enjoy them!:)*
( Under the cut... )