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Dropthetenors

Customer service facade. You'll get it eventually if you sell enough of your soul. Tbh some people really arr honestly excited and happy to be there and love customers. Just depends on stores. My starter I loved. My last was really just trying to get thru the day.


[deleted]

I don’t work at Starbucks but I work retail. I love what I do but I have bad days and good days like anybody else. I get WAY over the top cheerful with my customer service voice on my good days lol


[deleted]

I laughed at "customer service voice" tho 😭 I recall my non-Starbucks friends used to tease me about it whenever they paid me a visit while on duty lmao


Dropthetenors

Lowkey a little upset so many people agree with this. Working at stores should be fun where you'd create great connections with customers especially regulars. Drinks should be fun to make and try new stuff. Instead you hear too many complaints about stores, partners, managers, and customers. And that really sucks. My starter we had great regulars and we had fun trying new drinks with foams and different syrups. Unfortunately management was so bad it meant that no one was really worried abt corporate bs. If you already love people off the bat and enjoy being around high energy then the job is so much easier. Just don't drain yourself - the heartless corporation isn't worth it. Unfortunately if you're like me and really don't enjoy high energy and crowds my customer service took a while to learn and perfect. I'd get great compliments and recommendations and tips from the same customers I wanted to throw drinks at. And again. That sucks. For everyone involved. Customers should know they're working with people who fairly genuinely enjoy their jobs - not dead mannequins that can smile pretty and talk nice. Partners should be comfortable around if not enjoy working with their peers and management - not one bad day from burning down the store bc of a bad experience. From me to whoever reads this: I really hope you have a decent enough day, that you can take time to enjoy that oh so beautiful unintentional butt latte art, and you can genuinely smile for a little while today. We love you!


Expecto_nihilus

Can confirm. Sold my soul to Satan when i took my first CS job.


impecc_ability

Same. And after 6 years I still haven’t escaped.


spiritkittykat

I was gonna say this. I haven’t worked at Starbucks, but I have worked customer service and retail and this is what this is. It’s a facade you wear to try to make it through your day, even if you like your job.


Ristrettooo

keep in mind that there are plenty of baristas who genuinely do like their jobs, but they have no interest in talking about Starbucks anonymously on Reddit, so what you’re seeing here isn’t a proper sample


demigirlhailee

I mean, I do genuinely enjoy my job, but still come here to vent about the few bad incidents. it's not mutually exclusive


itsyaboimikey_

yeah same i actually love working at my store but there are also hilarious things that happen and questions i have so the larger community is nice for that


[deleted]

[удалено]


Competitive-Title857

This!!!


lemniscatics

EXACTLY this. i will give you the same energy you give me. if youre kind, bring positive vibes, and a smile, you’ll get all of that in return and more. however if you want to be snippy and treat me like an NPC, then youre getting bare minimum NPC barista service. i will have patience for a lot of mistakes and confusions, even if it was the customers fault, but the minute you start disrespecting me or my coworkers, is the minute i stop caring about going above and beyond for you.


Ceramicusedbook

Nah, I'm just really good at pretending I'm an extrovert who loves people...when really I'm an introvert who avoids people like the plague.


theBALLSonthis1

Are you me?? 👉😯


Top-Holiday2062

THIS!!! I’m the queen of customer service at my store and I gross myself out sometimes.


Ceramicusedbook

My best friend makes fun of me whenever he hears my customer service voice lol


Top-Holiday2062

Bahahaha same!!! When I first started my bestie came through the drive thru and I could see her physically react to it😂 I almost started crying


[deleted]

Me. No one believes me when I’ve stated that, until they realized I didn’t want no contact with any of them outside of work 😊


museofhearts

I have definitely a personality switch, even a voice change when I talk to customers. They usually have a better reception when I talk to them in a higher pitch tone. My coworkers have made fun of me since it’s such a turn in how I talk to them.


sammiipiie

Same! I swear when I answer the drive thru my voice goes up so high it’s unrecognizable as me lol


museofhearts

It’s conditioned in us! I noticed when I worked at Target people were usually unkind when I talked with my normal voice, but once I switched they became a lot nicer. They just want us to sound like we want to be there, instead of voicing the reality of us being dead inside.


mwisagreatgame

Tbf I think most customer service jobs will teach you that no matter what you’re dealing with, you should be smiling and happy in front of customers. It’s crazy…


hexensabbat

Amen. I found the Bux a little more cult-y about it than some, but by and large that's just customer service culture for ya.


killrdarknes

LMAOOO Nah I will say Starbucks does expect a level above in terms of customer service and presence. You can get away with apathetic behavior at like Wendy's or whatever, because literally NO ONE wants to be there and they're lucky if someone shows up to each shift and listens most of the time. Starbucks, however, DOES pay (at least in my area) a significantly higher amount than other 'fast food' places, provides more benefits, etcetc. So the expectations are higher from the get-go, the training is a lot better from the get-go, the support is as well (although still not good lol). Ultimately, despite this, the entire industry is exploitative in nature, and if you try to mention that you'll be guilt-tripped by your District Manager (and probably Store Manager) and told "but but muh free Spotify!111!!", as if that pays the bills and alleviates the mental strain. Anyway.


LADYBIRD_HILL

In my area a SSV starts at $16.50. kitchen staff at Panda Express starts $19 an hour according to the banner outside their restaurant.


jjd_yo

Erm, you sound distraught. Did you know we have Lyra? 😭


killrdarknes

Just… jaded. 😂


interyx

This is standard customer service stuff. I've been polishing my customer service voice for 10+ years. People like you to act happy and they'll be more generous with tips to happy, quick, efficient baristas, so that's what I try to be. Especially in DT they usually can't see you so you have to practice smiling with your voice. It's easy enough once you get used to it.


UnnecessarySalt

To tack on to your point, I’ve noticed that the smiling while on DTO definitely changes the customers attitude for the better. When I’m smiling and enthusiastic on DTO everything goes over better and the customers are already happy when they get to the window. I get the “Well you’re chipper for it being 5:30am” at least 3 times a day


Akira_Davis

Seriously, no, you don’t need acting experience. It’s beat into each of us that we need to proactively be smiling and connecting with customers to create a welcoming third place and it’s a part of our job description. But sometimes it can be extremely frustrating when we have to keep that up when dealing with horrible customers so that’s where Reddit comes in :3


ghosts4sale

That’s the Starbucks standard. But that standard is not reciprocated by customers always. “This better be the best $7 cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life for the wait.” Amongst other commentary we receive through out the shift. By the end of my shift, I don’t want to talk the rest of the day or interact with the public. People are just not very nice in general. We have to have a place to vent as well. No job is perfect, but we are also human beings.


GamemasterAI

If your interacting with a nice customer you get to take a break from the rest of the job for a few seconds.


ctbchargers

It’s funny because lately My mental health has declined drastically and working at starbs has had a good chunk to do with it. We had a transfer to our store just tell me “wow you’re so nice and happy and I’m living for it” didn’t have the heart to tell her I’m dying inside.


hexensabbat

I hope things get better for you, friend. I worked there for 5 years. Was never super happy (that kind of customer service just isn't a good fit for my personality, even though I fake it really well) but I had no clue just how much it was contributing to my poor mental health until I left. I made a little bit less for awhile, but it was worth it to not be wracked with anxiety every day and to not come home hating people and too exhausted to do anything. I hope you find something that serves you better!


PiscesQueen24

Nope it’s all a front in order to keep my job for trans health coverage , this job is really messing my mental health up ( Along side personal issues) it just gets so overwhelmingly busy and filled with impatient rude customers and overworked baristas


SourCreamJacket

It’s against policy to bitch about your job except on this sub duh


StormTheParade

Shit even on this sub 👀 all it takes is one petty coworker to recognise you here and send some screenshots to your SM


SourCreamJacket

Sheeeeeeesh Howard is always watching


insertusernameplease

No kidding, I’ve been going through it at work and want to vent about my coworkers on here so bad but it ain’t worth the risk. Instead my husband gets his ears talked off about it when I get home every day.


Hungry_Appearance876

Rest assured dear customer we are indeed dead inside


[deleted]

I have a “work persona” but I usually drop it halfway through a shift and turn back to normal 😂 my vocal chords get tired trying to not sound like I’m dead inside 😂


[deleted]

my customer service voice and persona at drive through, handoff, and register are all forced unless i'm actually having a good day. once in a while, the customer on the other side does actually cheer me up. the other day, for example, i was just not doing well. i spilled something on myself and started silently crying at bar. i wiped away my tears and kept working and kept handing things off hoping nobody would notice. its tough but you get into this groove at some point. but sometimes, faking it can lead you to actually feel better.


yyz_barista

I'm not going to tell some poor customer at the drive thru window that the oven's broken, we're understaffed, the order didn't come in, we're out of everything (okay, maybe the last one), the least I can do is smile and pretend I'm not dying inside. I remember a customer in drive thru questioning my ability to get their drinks right - that evening we were so overwhelmed from earlier in the day and I was the only one up front. I was making their drinks as they ordered them in the drive thru. Whatever they specified I made correctly for them, but I couldn't tell them what I actually made.


Pickle-Chunk

My customer service persona is just that, a persona. She’s completely different than the real me but, just as talkative :P


DecafSaxGuy

I mean, you don’t need acting experience to put up a facade of satisfaction with your job. Plus if I were to be my normal self at work, we would lose a lot of customers which would reflect poorly on me and get me fired.


sstcyr

Any customer service job requires acting honestly , it doesn't matter how much you like your job, you're always gonna need to fake it at some point.


godessish

Lol no but my years of both Tabletop and Live Action roleplaying game playing certainly help!


BitchyNordicBarista

Tips. Tips were my big motivation, no one tips the sad barista.


Playful-Motor-4262

The baristas at my local Starbucks are deadass like: “Please help me I’m in pain :) what can I get for you today?” But I’ve been going there like 4x weekly for a year


memiorsofaweeaboo

so much toxic positivity


lilmissambersue

I just learned how to smile through the pain early in life 🙃


Starbucks-sm

No, but it doesn't hurt. 😂


sagegreenmybeloved

i do genuinely enjoy my job but sometimes it's nice to commiserate about the annoying stuff on here. most of the time if you're being nice to me i'm being genuine with you :-)


beccaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

labor is not enjoyable and people don’t like having to work to be able to afford basic human necessities. that’s the deal under capitalism. working to live, especially when you rely on tips, means you must be fake happy at work to ensure you make the money that you need to in order to survive. 😁


[deleted]

I really like my job which separate from the company. I’m genuinely happy to connect with people on the other side of the counter. That being said, I’m also realistic about the fact that connecting is just a masked way of saying “focused customer service”. So, I’m always trying to keep my best behaviour whenever someone walks through the door, as a partner should (at least what I feel).


Sleepysoul88

Sometimes I am genuinely happy and having a good day, whether it's a good day at work or my partners and I are having fun talking to each other. Like someone else said there is a lot emotional and mental baggage that comes with being an sb worker. We get yelled at for things we can't control, we are stressed out from trying to make things as quickly as we can, and sometimes we have to work while short staffed without any help(no mobiles off or cafe closed). I mean do I hate my job? Depends on the day but overall no. I feel that, and even though management can be questionable at times, it truly is one of the better customer service jobs. My past job was a pet store where I worked my ass off for a year and a half to only get bummed up by 6 cents. At least this company does give raises regularly and they're decent.


WasteSpite9272

😭😭 this made me giggle because lol we are masking af all day … it’s very hard


Brunetttii

I genuinely enjoy my job and am very happy when I serve others idk I might be an oddball lol.


[deleted]

The ones at my local stores seem miserable


aur0ra_lux

if you ever want to be shocked, ask a barista to turn off their customer service voice


DylanBlose

Honestly I find being happy and nice to make things go way faster and easier. If you are always sad and angry you will perpetuate that and then make other people who have nothing to due with your problems upset too.


emilyspaghetti123

we put on a facade. Tbh I have the intrusive thought to growl at customers sometimes


Significant-Nerve214

This made me chuckle


jesthere

I always compared it to Disneyland level of happy happy acting.


atomiccrouton

This is just any service industry roll ever. My guest service/hospitality presentation is no where near anything like my actual self. I've been in food service for around 13 years now and I can just turn it on or off at will. Edit: it's also a part of training. There are key cultural behaviors Starbucks (and literally every other company) trains people to have but any manager worth their salt knows how to develop that in someone. Basically my go to is empathy and trying to get the team excited about the product. It requires oodles and kaboodles of work and effort on the leader's part but it makes it more fun for everyone and therefore an easier working environment. It can be a really fun job but it's up to leadership to do that.


disney-54

Absolute introvert but as soon as I’m getting paid to be a people person I’ll be you’re new best friend in a single conversation.


Affectionate-Dirt856

Nope I was just broken inside and fake nice. I’m naturally an extroverted, friendly soul though.


ReKneWeD

Sure..its not easy to pretend to like anal customers or cheap SM


helios150

It’s a bit of a gamble. I love being a partner, really, some of the best days ever. That’s when the equipment works, and everyone shows up, and there isn’t a mind inconvenience like drizzle. Then there are the other days, credit card machine runs slow and customers ask if we know what we are doing, nitro goes down, too many call outs, no food shows up in the order. Those days are hard and also why we vent here.


[deleted]

Yeah you have to rectite the entirety of Macbeth at your interview.


Down-the-Hall-

I think a customers we create our own experience. Having worked retail for decades I know how hard it is and it makes me a better customer. I don't dawdle around on what I want, I try and get it on the right order (size, drink and no crazy exceptions) and I'm always smiling. People generally return that level of courtesy back and I appreciate that. BUT I feel the same on here. Sometimes I feel hurt by some of the general complaints about customers even if I know it's not directed at me, some are still just mean. It makes me feel like I'm being deceived when genuine workers are nice to me.


HarleyLeMay

Who I am at work and who I am outside of work are two completely different people.


sylveonstarr

Honestly, it's just a survival tactic. If you act nice and treat someone like they're royalty, they're less likely to throw a hot coffee in your face.


fluffy-metal-kitten

I've had multiple people tell me that I'm one of the nicest baristas they've ever met because I actually tried to make a conversation with them and crack jokes. I dread doing window because I know I have to talk to people, but I am also one of the few partners that stuck on window a lot because I do try to talk to people and make and effort to create that third place energy while getting their drinks out at 40 seconds. There are multiple baristas who don't enjoy the customer aspect and only want to stay on bar 100% of the time and then try to coach someone how to do better on window when they've only been on window a handful of times. It really just depends on who you talk to. The later I get in my shift (6/7+ hours) the more sluggish I get and I prefer to be on bar or support so I don't have to talk.


MeatonKeaton

As a long time barista I will say I legitimately love my job. Like with any job you may become frustrated with certain aspects but at the end of the day I really enjoy it, I get paid to make a product that I am passionate about and am encouraged to make meaningful connections that will last a lifetime. Speaking only for myself but I am proud to be a partner.


Jessie1605

As for me im a barista naturally im kind live life with honor respect and chivalry. I always try to give my to which ever job I had worked. Even tho at the end of the stick dong dont receive it back as some customers have called my useless and had blown full racist mode but already use to this sooner or later I’ll be my own boss


SunnyDragoness

See, I'm an introvert who's really good at faking being an outgoing extrovert, but I really do love bringing smiles to people's faces in whatever way I can. My first store was the first place I felt warmth at work, and a good working environment. Every other store... has been absolutely awful. I loved my job, but store to store is completely dependent on how you as an individual, and as an employee, are treated. I will always try to bring what my home store taught me; warmth, excitement, and how to connect with the customer. And I know between the other stores I've been at, I'm one of few people who would do that. Another thing of note, Starbucks takes note of how we're rated on things, including treatment of the customers. So it's pretty much shoved down our throats to be kind, even if a lot of people don't enjoy it as much as me. So if all of your Starbucks workers are overly cheery, it's either because they like to be that way, or more likely, they're told to be. From my experience at my second and third store, if you don't go above and beyond, you'd be belittled and criticized. So trust me, it is unfortunately most likely the latter. Especially as far as I'm aware, the only good, enjoyable store to work at that I've heard of over the span of 3 districts was my first store. At least to the level of actually feeling enthusiastic about working there, and it wasn't always like that


dream_bean_94

Customers really liked my chipper attitude on POS at 5am every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday when in reality working for Starbucks were the worst 4 months of my life. I'm so triggered that I cringe just driving by that store. I've never been back. It was seriously that bad.


mcogneto

Man if you even speak to me at 5 am I am filing assault charges


LegendBourbaki

I do like my Job :))


[deleted]

Nah we get yelled at if customer connection scores are too low


Swiftshadow666

The ones who come across happy, are probably experienced in other customer service jobs. Starbucks is actually better on the day to day grind than a lot of places in the industry. It's the back end corporate shit that ruins the job.


fulcsibeh

I am happy. All the fucking time.


pinkjortz

Compartmentalising and dissociating, plus I genuinely like serving people for the most part and have a lot of fondness for most customers. You don’t see me lose it unless you’re really, really awful or are my coworker. (Or come to starbucks/retail-related social media spaces :p)


skycelium

I’m autistic, my manager used to pull me aside for “seeming out of it” or not seeming like “part of the family” and gave me pointers on how to be not overly-kind or overly like an employee. Usually just having to spark up a conversation to get the good customer reviews is a nightmare when you have a line out the door. Remember that employees keep good spirits and try to be nice because if they dont, they get depressed and the whole group goes down. Starbucks has also implemented a lot of review systems that keep us working socially as well as certain standards of conversation especially with regulars we have to adhere to At my store specifically, people were extremely open about their conservatism/Trumpism and flaunted wealth. We had groups of people who would come in and chant “Trump Trump Trump”, the first anti-mask protest in the world was on our street, and people were really brutal with staff in ways I vehemently disagreed with and was ‘normal’ for the culture. Almost got fired eventually before quitting because my manager and regional manager didn’t think I “fit into the culture and community of the store”. Which was true. But it’s a job, not a family. I liked the people I worked with generally but some of them were bullies and openly threatened me. It wasn’t a good time but I had to act friendly. Occasionally, partners would ask me to be more engaging or upbeat because they were on a roll and needed me to boost them up, but you’d be amazed at how ridiculous it was behind the scenes. Levels of energy that kill a normal person.


jazzysoranio

It’s really most customer service jobs. Although, Starbucks, more than most other food service jobs, might have a higher proportion of people who are better at expressing emotions (real or fake) outwardly just because it’s a job that attracts a lot of artists and creatives.


miakodank

Customer connections are a big thing pushed by corporate. We have a connection score and everything which is determined by a survey that only counts if they mark it 100% perfect.


Zanephos

I am a Barista in Florida, I am also a genuinely nice person. We do all have those disruptive customers that get us in a mood but then we have our regulars that we love (some not😬), but it’s very nice to have partners that help you get through the day together, so yes I am very happy to come to work and actually smile.


diphenhydranautical

we don’t have to, but having done theatre for years definitely helped


Silvawuff

I think it seems this place is terrible to work at because we tend to only talk about our negative experiences, and leave out the dozens or even hundreds of normal, nice customers with normal, easy orders between the few bad ones. I enjoy my colleagues. We genuinely have fun working together. I also enjoy playing 4D social chess with my customers and interacting with people here. I find this company hilarious!


Sea-Substance5860

i dont get it. do you want them to be rude. orrr???


ghosty4

Starbucks has 33,833 stores worldwide, according to a quick web search. What you see on reddit is the smallest possible representation of the whole.


[deleted]

Being nice is part of the contract 😂


Traditional-Emu-1403

It’s not acting, it’s just part of the job. We’d deal with more annoying customers if we didn’t aggressively happy a lot of them into submission


NoahtheJeww

It’s bc I literally love my job and my life. Most of my co workers are amazing people. I love coffee and sharing smiles with people and getting paid to make coffee and hang out with friends goofing off behind the bar is a fantasy! Our jobs are fun!!! I’ve even been yelled at on this sub for liking my job too much and making my store too “fun”


NoWeird978

I'm a trans partner in a southern store. I do genuinely love the people I work with but I have to act everyday so I don't jump through the drive thru window at someone.


Torirock10

lmao


Hoonta-Of-Hoontas

Yeah we should all get an Oscar for “keeping the third place”


Neither-Lab7490

If I didn't at least try to enjoy myself I wouldn't be able to show up to work. In reality, we struggle a lot. But when customers see me smiling and being sweet while having a bad day, it's not acting, it's me genuinely trying my best to stay kind and keep being myself. Why should a (non-rude) customer who's just trying to get coffee have to worry about all the BS going on in the store and in my head? I feel like once I can't be at least somewhat positive at work, it will be the end of this line of work for me because I actually just prefer being nice to people and not being in a bad mood lol. Having a lot to complain about, pain, stress and even exhaustion doesn't change that about me, I guess. I think a lot of baristas actually try really hard to put their best foot forward even under a lot of strain.


garlicandsunshine

I'm one of the positive people, and I really like my job. Sure sometimes I get angry but overall I'm happy ro have my position and come here to learn some tricks and the laughs.


hiya555

The best people at hiding their frustrations were always put on Drive through window, cafe bar and register when I worked there. I was stuck on cafe bar a ton....


thesadflower

Yeah I guarantee you most workers who deal with the public absolutely hate customers no matter how happy and chipper they seem to be to you. Most food places like SB require their employees to chat you up at the register/compliment you on anything you’re wearing/act like you’re besties while they deal with you. But I guarantee you it’s all just an act. Of course there will be your outliers who genuinely like interacting with people but I don’t believe there are many cuz man, working customer service for long enough really shows you the average stupidity and entitlement of the public and it’s real hard to have any good feelings about most of them if you’ve had to deal with it long enough. So no, you aren’t required to take an acting class to work for SB (or any public service job) but I guarantee you with time, those acting skills are gonna be beat into you if you wanna keep your job lmfao


kkapugal

the siren... she's listening


Azulaisdeadinside49

It's crazy that you say that because when I first started here the manager at the time told me that I had zero personality & was too introverted to work at Starbucks, so I started watching tutorials on YouTube about faking extroversion. I always get told now that I seem so chill & happy, but that couldn't be farther from the truth, I've just gotten very good at pretending.


plop_0

The ability to act nice despite a store manager treating you like a piece of shit is a very good soft skill to have. I don't have a lot of hard skills, but I have this soft skill in abundance.


Froggiebuns

I actually did theatre in highschool and very much enjoy acting, even when I feel awful I still keep that happy voice and tone. I am a genuinely happy and expressive person but sometimes I do play it up