As a student worker at my campus Starbucks, I have plenty of stories that could keep you laughing or fuming for hours. Being a barista is harder than it looks and more fun than you would think. Here are just a few things you should keep in mind next time you visit your campus Starbucks. Just remember, thanks a latte and have a grande!
1. We're students too.
There is a really good chance that 50% of the workers at your campus Starbucks are actually student workers. This being said, it is ok to talk and make conversation with us. We understand what you are going through and we also understand the importance of caffeine while you are going through it. We get you fam.
2. We have feelings too.
I know it may be hard to understand but we have lives too. We too have hard classes and wacky sleep schedules and we're just trying to have some form of income. So, next time you're getting your caffeine fix, remember that before you get all cranky about your order.
3. We know what we're doing.
For the most part (there will be exceptions anywhere you go), we do know what we are doing. We make drink after drink for the hoard that is caffeine deprived college students so we do know a little about how they're supposed to be made and what goes in them. We know coffee is a serious business, but we got your back. You don't have to try and scare us into doing right.
4. We can make mistakes.
This one goes along with number three. While we do know what we're doing, we still are susceptible to making mistakes. So, for those of you who love standing there and watching us like hawks during the drink-making process, if you see we added something wrong or maybe misread the cup please say something. There have been quite a few times where poor handwriting or just the quick paced environment has led me to make mistakes. However, if you do want to say something and get it corrected you should do so when you see it. We won't bite your head off, especially if you're nice about it and it was our bad. We understand. Starbucks is expensive and you're a broke college student. You deserve what you pay for.
5. We've tried most everything on the menu.
Between all the staff that is working, we have probably tried everything. You would be surprised by the number of customers that come through that don't have clue what this Starbucks thing is all about. If you don't know what something is or what you might like we can give some pretty solid advice and help you decide. There are a lot of weird words and drinks with names longer than the ingredient list.
6. We're only trying to help you.
We know what we're doing. We can make mistakes. We want it to taste good too. If you are a nice human and ask kindly we will hook you up. We'll help you out and do the best we can to make it taste amazing. At that point, the drink will be made with love and we all know it will taste 100,000% better if it is made with love.
7. We love the secret menu.
OK, the secret menu is a real thing. Look it up. Use it. It's fun. Personally, I love it when a customer comes in with a really cool new drink that I haven't made before. Just show us the recipe and we'll be happy to experiment. Just the other day I made a Pumpkin Cheesecake Frappuccino for someone and it was super cool (y'all should try it, it's pretty good ).
8. AN UPSIDE DOWN CARAMEL MACCHIATO IS JUST A VANILLA LATTE.
Just going to throw this out there, when you order a caramel macchiato upside down you are literally just getting a vanilla latte with caramel drizzle. It makes no sense to pay differently. IT MAKES NO SENSE.
9. The register is really confusing.
So picture this. You go through the line and you take your time to order and all is right with the world because coffee will soon be in your hands but then you get upset because the cashier is taking too long. Let me tell you, the register is an enigma. You have to coax it to work just right. There are a million different pages and tabs and they are all abbreviated and one could easily spiral down into the trap that it is. When you are upset, just know that the cashier is internally screaming because one wrong move and the register will likely just explode.
10. Your attitude can make or break our day.
This sounds stereotypical, but the way you talk to us or treat us could very easily make or break our day. There have been times when I was having a particularly rough day and was just going through the motions at work and someone will compliment my whipped cream skills and things honestly turned around. Or when they ask how you're doing while you make their drink. There have also been times when the day has been kinda on the edge and a rude customer was the straw that broke the camel's back.
11. We won't chase you down.
When you order your drink, we are trying to make it for you as quickly as possible. This being said, please don't run away or go to the restroom or whatever else you do. When we call your name and drink, please just be there to get it. I will call a drink max of three times before I get annoyed and quit trying.
12. We can only go so fast.
Just a tip that this friendly barista will hand out for free: if you have to be at class in 5 minutes and there is a line, you should probably just wait until your class is over to come and get a drink. We personally can't make the espresso machine pour any faster or the milk steam any faster. So, it's just kinda goofy to get grumpy at us and tell us to hurry up when we can only go so fast without burning ourselves or not making your drink correctly.
13. vENTI vidi vici
You came. You saw. You coffee-ed.
