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

[Anonymous]

Are you buying the coffee or the barista?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

It's still very convenient. They control some great real estate and in the suburbs, their drive-thrus are everywhere. Finding a convenient independent shop, parking (or trying to find parking!), and running in every morning to grab a coffee is a non-starter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

$15 / hour x 30 hours* x 50 weeks is $22500 a year. Can you live here on $22500? Would you be tidy and cheerful if you did? On your feet, handling food, and dealing with the public?

*Lots of baristas don't get scheduled for 30 hours/week, I'm being generous to Starbucks here. And hardly anybody tips.

There is a tremendous labor shortage right now. People who are great in customer facing positions can do better, and they have.

[Anonymous]

The good workers upgraded their skills and got out to make more money OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

You can’t be serious that this is news to you? It is true n every food service job I’ve ever heard anyone have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

$15 / hour x 30 hours* x 50 weeks is $22500 a year. Can you live here on $22500? Would you be tidy and cheerful if you did? On your feet, handling food, and dealing with the public?

*Lots of baristas don't get scheduled for 30 hours/week, I'm being generous to Starbucks here. And hardly anybody tips.

There is a tremendous labor shortage right now. People who are great in customer facing positions can do better, and they have.

I thought Starbucks was on the upper end of the service industry? If there are 380k Starbucks baristas in the US, where did say... 100k of them segue to? 100k loss is probably on the low side. And the new replacements are bad, so even would-be new Starbucks baristas are avoiding the place to work... where instead?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Who did/do you think cleaned it up? They do t have a magic cleaning fairy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

$15 / hour x 30 hours* x 50 weeks is $22500 a year. Can you live here on $22500? Would you be tidy and cheerful if you did? On your feet, handling food, and dealing with the public?

*Lots of baristas don't get scheduled for 30 hours/week, I'm being generous to Starbucks here. And hardly anybody tips.

There is a tremendous labor shortage right now. People who are great in customer facing positions can do better, and they have.

not all jobs are designed to support you living in a SFH raising 2 children. There are jobs out there designed for teens, or kids in college, or retirees etc…….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

$15 / hour x 30 hours* x 50 weeks is $22500 a year. Can you live here on $22500? Would you be tidy and cheerful if you did? On your feet, handling food, and dealing with the public?

*Lots of baristas don't get scheduled for 30 hours/week, I'm being generous to Starbucks here. And hardly anybody tips.

There is a tremendous labor shortage right now. People who are great in customer facing positions can do better, and they have.

not all jobs are designed to support you living in a SFH raising 2 children. There are jobs out there designed for teens, or kids in college, or retirees etc…….

Ok so don’t complain about the quality of worker you get or when you have to wait for your coffee because they’re understaffed. Clearly you get what you don’t pay for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Yeah this is true for all small stores/restaurants. I worked at The Container Store while in college and had to help clean bathrooms.
Who did/do you think cleaned it up? They do t have a magic cleaning fairy.

[Anonymous]

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

Oh please! The cost of living has sky rocketed. What, is Starbucks supposed to pay $30/hour? Starbucks is perfect for students, or a second gig for 20 somethings, or someone who lives with family and has low rent.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, did you just wake up from a coma?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

$15 / hour x 30 hours* x 50 weeks is $22500 a year. Can you live here on $22500? Would you be tidy and cheerful if you did? On your feet, handling food, and dealing with the public?

*Lots of baristas don't get scheduled for 30 hours/week, I'm being generous to Starbucks here. And hardly anybody tips.

There is a tremendous labor shortage right now. People who are great in customer facing positions can do better, and they have.

not all jobs are designed to support you living in a SFH raising 2 children. There are jobs out there designed for teens, or kids in college, or retirees etc…….

Ok so don’t complain about the quality of worker you get or when you have to wait for your coffee because they’re understaffed. Clearly you get what you don’t pay for.

I’m not sure who you hang with, but I know many 20 somethings who can clean up & be professional. My Starbucks is actually quite good. Lots of friendly workers- super friendly, actually. It sounds like some Starbucks are not keeping up. I would complain to corporate, OP.

[Anonymous]

100% - wrong orders, take too long, not friendly, and lots of turn over too. I also think mobile orders are crushing them and they haven't worked out effective process to delivery in-person and mobile correctly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

$15 / hour x 30 hours* x 50 weeks is $22500 a year. Can you live here on $22500? Would you be tidy and cheerful if you did? On your feet, handling food, and dealing with the public?

*Lots of baristas don't get scheduled for 30 hours/week, I'm being generous to Starbucks here. And hardly anybody tips.

There is a tremendous labor shortage right now. People who are great in customer facing positions can do better, and they have.

I thought Starbucks was on the upper end of the service industry? If there are 380k Starbucks baristas in the US, where did say... 100k of them segue to? 100k loss is probably on the low side. And the new replacements are bad, so even would-be new Starbucks baristas are avoiding the place to work... where instead?

I don't know if you're aware but about 1 million Americans have died of covid in the last 2 years. Some of them were Starbucks workers, and some of them held better jobs that former Starbucks workers now hold.

Another PP tried to spin Starbucks jobs as "designed for" teens, second gigs or retirees. I don't agree that's naturally the case (why shouldn't you be able to support a family by being a full time barista?) but, if that's who was working those jobs, and they're still alive, then there are some obvious alternative occupations like school, being retired, different second gigs, or switching to one full time gig. Pre-covid it might have been a fun way to earn money but people who had other options, even non-paying options, decided it wasn't worth the risk.