Is it just me or did the quality of the baristas at Starbucks take a serious nosedive?

[Anonymous]

I understand every Starbucks employee who could was collecting local and federal unemployment--and I don't blame them. But that all ended in 2020 and 2021, right. It seems the caliber of Starbucks baristas right now in May 2022 feels more like a McDonald's or Burger King than a premium coffee shop. I know they're trying to unionize stores but I thought even before any added benefits, the Starbucks pay and benefits were already pretty decent? Are they still struggling to bring back workers who left during 2020 and 2021? It's not just one store, we travel for my kids' sports and every store has been pretty bad--wrong drinks, poor training, longer waits, apathetic instead of boisterous, dirty and sloppy personal appearance, even messy restrooms and overflowing garbage cans.

[Anonymous]

I don't know who still pays 10 dollars for Starbucks, I stopped years a go and make my own

[Anonymous]

Starbucks is not considered a premium coffee shop. Maybe back in the nineties but not anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Starbucks is not considered a premium coffee shop. Maybe back in the nineties but not anymore

It can feel premium with a tight and clean cut staff. But sloppy, apathetic and unprofessional staff dings that facade.

[Anonymous]

You're expecting an awful lot out of people who aren't being paid a livable wage....

[Anonymous]

Starbucks is not a premium product

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're expecting an awful lot out of people who aren't being paid a livable wage....

Isn't a coffee shop job something suburban teens and college kids can do in-between classes? I wouldn't consider it an awful job like hard labor landscaping in brutal temps or working the frier at Burger King or making sandwiches at Subway.

[Anonymous]

8/10 troll, I clicked, I LOLed, but ultimately there could/should have been more jokes. Like “I travel for my kid’s sport and they put the wrong lid on her frapp and spelled ‘Harper’ wrong.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're expecting an awful lot out of people who aren't being paid a livable wage....

Isn't a coffee shop job something suburban teens and college kids can do in-between classes? I wouldn't consider it an awful job like hard labor landscaping in brutal temps or working the frier at Burger King or making sandwiches at Subway.

I worked there in 2009 just out of college. I thought it would be an easy job and I could flirt with boys but it was hard work. Our store did not employ any sort of janitorial service so it was our job to clean the whole store every night and as needed during the day. Especially pleasant when homeless people are in and out of the restrooms. I'll never forget a lady told me that there was a poop mess in the bathroom and watched me pull on rubber gloves. "You mean YOU'RE going to clean it up??? And then go back to making coffee?" Well yes, we don't have a magic fairy who comes out and cleans the bathrooms. If it had just been making coffee and wiping up sugar spills it would have been the perfect job.

[Anonymous]

It's the McDonalds of coffee houses. I won't drink Starbucks if there is any other viable alternative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're expecting an awful lot out of people who aren't being paid a livable wage....

Isn't a coffee shop job something suburban teens and college kids can do in-between classes? I wouldn't consider it an awful job like hard labor landscaping in brutal temps or working the frier at Burger King or making sandwiches at Subway.

I worked there in 2009 just out of college. I thought it would be an easy job and I could flirt with boys but it was hard work. Our store did not employ any sort of janitorial service so it was our job to clean the whole store every night and as needed during the day. Especially pleasant when homeless people are in and out of the restrooms. I'll never forget a lady told me that there was a poop mess in the bathroom and watched me pull on rubber gloves. "You mean YOU'RE going to clean it up??? And then go back to making coffee?" Well yes, we don't have a magic fairy who comes out and cleans the bathrooms. If it had just been making coffee and wiping up sugar spills it would have been the perfect job.

It's also very hard to get the schedule you need. Sure, you may let them know upfront that you only can work certain hours, but ultimately when other hours need to be filled, they will come to you and usually pressure you in a way that makes it hard to say no. So on top of the stress on the job, you're always waiting for the next schedule, hoping you got the right hours, following up if you didn't, then maybe YOU have to find your replacement if you can't work the hours you're given, and then they call you in last minute because someone called out and expect you to take those hours. It's a lot.

[Anonymous]

It was always a meh job but now Starbucks is filled with teens ordering annoying, complicated drinks they hear about on Tic Toc and making a mess. The job is probably miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're expecting an awful lot out of people who aren't being paid a livable wage....

Isn't a coffee shop job something suburban teens and college kids can do in-between classes? I wouldn't consider it an awful job like hard labor landscaping in brutal temps or working the frier at Burger King or making sandwiches at Subway.

I worked there in 2009 just out of college. I thought it would be an easy job and I could flirt with boys but it was hard work. Our store did not employ any sort of janitorial service so it was our job to clean the whole store every night and as needed during the day. Especially pleasant when homeless people are in and out of the restrooms. I'll never forget a lady told me that there was a poop mess in the bathroom and watched me pull on rubber gloves. "You mean YOU'RE going to clean it up??? And then go back to making coffee?" Well yes, we don't have a magic fairy who comes out and cleans the bathrooms. If it had just been making coffee and wiping up sugar spills it would have been the perfect job.

Did not know that. That is very gross. Who is the person who has to clean up bathrooms during the shift, the employee on duty with the least seniority? I would literally walk out before I'd clean up urine, feces or blood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're expecting an awful lot out of people who aren't being paid a livable wage....

my friends 17yo daughter worked there and made $15 an hour BEFORE tips. Thats not bad money.

[Anonymous]

I don't buy coffee at Starbucks anymore. It was fun when I was in my early 20s. I now associate it with McDonalds and other fast food stuff. Quality is awful, excessively sugared, ugh.