GET OFF THE F!@&ING PHONE! « I Hate Starbucks

I Hate Starbucks » I Hate the Customers

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GET OFF THE F!@&ING PHONE!

(58 posts) (40 voices)

Started 5 years ago by bdrake
Latest reply from theoneyoulovetohatexo

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bdrake

Member
Internets:5

I have to say I certainly understand a lot of the comments on the site, but for me, I have a pretty good manager and staff and things have gone pretty well so far (6 weeks).

HOWEVER, one thing I totally agree with is that by selling $5 watered-down espresso, Starbucks is getting into a habit of creating ****, cranky, snooty-**** customers. I work in an upscale area of Atlanta with a LOT of rich people. I can handle getting no responses to my "how are you?"s, but I CANNOT handle people that try to order the most complicated drinks while on the phone. That's probably the rudest gesture a customer could make. I am so close to telling them to get off the phone and order. For now, I either ask them as many questions as possible or call on the next customer in line (both great suggestions I got from this board -- thanks!).

There are so many companies that will not do business with people on the phone, why can't Starbucks?? I feel like making my own sign and putting it the top of the register when I'm working. The more Starbucks caters to these ****holes, the worse it's going to get.

Here's something else that happened tonight you might enjoy... 10 minutes before we closed I put in a drink order for a lady with a bit of an attitude. While she was waiting, she said:

Her: "Have you started on my drink yet?"
Me: "Actually, they're made in the order that they're ordered"
Her: "You only have one person working at the bar?" (we only had 3 drinks in line)
Me: "They actually come out pretty fast, but if you'd like to come back here and help out..."
Her: "Well maybe you could do something instead of standing around"
Me: "I'm assigned to the register. My job is to stand here."

Another customer came up by then, which was a shame because I was enjoying it :-)

Posted 5 years ago #
exbux

Member
Internets:16

oh man i've been in your shoes. I used to f w the people on the phone and be like "i'm doing great today! no, the weather is not too cold for me! oh ... you weren't talking to me? i thought you were I AM SO SORRY, you let me know when YOU are ready to order"

buttholes!

i worked in atlanta too

Posted 5 years ago #
SuiGeneris

Member
Internets:54

If I'm in the cafe, I'll skip over the cell phone offender for someone who is not rude enough to be on the phone.

If I'm the DTR and someone comes up on the phone, I ask them how they are, rattle off their order, and just prattle on in a friendly fashion. They are usually forced to split their attention, so their cell convo gets interrupted.

Just another way of providing that "legendary service"!

Posted 5 years ago #
bdrake

Member
Internets:5

Another "enthusiastically satisfied customer" :-)

Posted 5 years ago #

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parrotheadkrm

Moderator
Internets:1,032

I think Starbucks is like the parents that allow their kids to pretty much do anything they want, because they don't want their kids to get upset and hate them? They think they are doing their kids good by letting them do anything they want, but just end up with bratty kids with no sense of accountability. Starbucks does the same thing. They are so concerned about upsetting their customer and loosing that one customer, they will sacrifice the happiness of their employees, and even other customers in line in order to keep that one person happy. Makes no sense to me.

Posted 5 years ago #
EXslavetostarbucks

Member
Internets:177

Go too radio shack you can buy a cell phone blocker I bought one and had it hidden under the counter. They just disrupt the reception so customers cant make phone calls. look into buying one its funny when people come in the store and they phone call ends abruptly.

Posted 5 years ago #
1023652

Member
Internets:42

parrothead. i've never thought of it that way, but you are so right! and exslave, that is so mean!, but hilarious at the same time. okay. i'll try it.

now back to the topic at hand. have you guys ever had a customer on a bluetooth? i swear it is way worse!

they walk up and you think they're talking to you, but you're really confused cuz they're talking about nonsense, but you don't want to be rude, so you go along with it, and it turns out they WEREN'T. then you finally grab their attention for long enough to get their order, and it's back to them talking to someone. is it you? or is it the person on the phone? who knows? so your just standing there like - do i talk? do these people understand how rude they are? and how frustrating it is for us? i hope that some of them will read this. maybe it will make a difference. haha i wish!

Posted 5 years ago #
starsucks

Member
Internets:110

My favorite is when they are talking on the phone in front of me. I'm trying to get their attention and when I finally do I get that "surprise" look as if I popped out of nowhere.

However, most of the time if I see someone coming in on their phone (and 99% of the time they arrive at the counter still chatting away) I pretend to be soo busy (grind coffee, rinse the frap containers, etc.) so they end up trying to get my attention. (Plus I love the fact that I wear a scarf so half the time they assume I'm deaf and yes I do use it to my advantage, lol).

Posted 5 years ago #
fish

Member
Internets:8

EXslavetostarbuc that is freaking GENIUS!!!!I need to get a cellphone blocker for where i work now....I actullay quit starbucks and started working for seatles best!i didnt know that starbucks actually owns seattles best.WTF?customers there arent rude usually but there are alot of crazy customers,which is entrtaining.but we still get people on the phone alot.

Posted 5 years ago #
bdrake

Member
Internets:5

I've totally looked for a cell phone jammer online but the ones I found were expensive and/or illegal. I didn't know you could get them at Radio Shack!

Speaking of being deaf, starsucks, I had a customer come up with his order written on a piece of paper. He didn't say one word - he just handed it to me. So, naturally, I assume he's deaf and as him in sign language if he's deaf and would like help with his order (and I have had actual deaf customers before). He looks confused and says, "....what?". I told him (with as much attitude as I could) that since he didn't answer or even acknowledge what I said, he must have been deaf and that I'm also a sign language interpreter.

You should have seen his face :-)

Posted 5 years ago #
Tammy

Member
Internets:9

I wanted to put a sign for drive-thru that say that the sell phones mess up teh speeker but my Manager wouldn't let me.

Posted 5 years ago #
Anonymous

Unregistered
Internets:24

My favorite cell phone customers are the ones who actually just mouth their order to you. I just ask them really loudly to clarify their order. I also love it when these **** stop to apologize to the person they're talking to on the phone as if that's the only person they're offending.

A girl I worked with years ago had a customer come in on a cell phone. He came straight up to the register and when she tried to ask him what he would like, he put his hand up and said "I'm on the phone", so as soon as he ended his call, she picked up the store phone and called her husband so that when he tried to order she could do the same thing back to him. The look on his face was priceless.

Posted 5 years ago #
cookiemonster

Member
Internets:283

People on the phone are not where they think they are. If they are talking to someone, they are simply NOT IN LINE, even if you can see them. I let them stand there looking at them the whole time let them finish or if someone comes up behind them I just take thier order. If they ask why, I say, " I didn't want to interupt your conversation."

I have never had a bad response to this.

Posted 5 years ago #
dangerdarling

Member
Internets:5

People that talk on their cell phone while they order should be skipped- PERIOD. If I have an important call and I'm about to order, I step out of the line. It's just polite. The ONLY time I've answered a call in a line was a long distance, hard to reach relative, and even THEN I asked them to hold and put the phone down while I completed the transaction. I've never worked for Starbucks, but I think EVERY company should have that policy. It's unfair to the employees, and the people behind them. It's even rude to the person they're conversing with! You'd think people would realize that...

oh well.

The cell phone blocker is kind of jacked up, though. I'm sure this is a rare case, but when my sister was in the hospital we would take breaks from staying with her, and we'd hit up the Starbucks across the street when we needed coffee or a moment to regroup. I would have been so **** if I had missed an important call because an employee decided I couldn't have reception in the store! I can see being irritated when people are talking while trying to order, but the whole store? Anyway, that's only my opinion.

cheers:)

Posted 5 years ago #
cookiemonster

Member
Internets:283

That's a good point. And the reason why I don't get mad. It could be a very serious matter and nobody knows who they are talking to. You are right that anyone on the phone should step aside and finish or put the phone down to give undivided attention while placing an order. It's only fair. To everyone.

Posted 5 years ago #
Freakshow

Member
Internets:102

Got to love it! One time after the customer mouthing the order - yes as though they didn't want to be rude to the person on the phone - give me a break - I actaully told her I couldn't hear her and I would take her order after she was off the phone....yes I did it with the sweetest of tones and smiles - while there was a line - yeah pretty much stopped her in her tracks....and stopped her from using her damn phone in line! It is just rude....

Posted 5 years ago #
Aerin

Member
Internets:99

You know, I work in a Drive Thru in SoCal and they recently passed a law saying that you can't talk on your cel phone without using a hands free headset. I'm hoping this'll minimize the morons talking on the phone with their windows rolled up that get their panties in a bunch when we don't take their order right away. Not effective til June, though.

PS: As for the dummies that come through the lobby and are still on their phone when they come up to me? I skip to the next person. I got that 3 minute speed of service bullcrap I have to deal with. I have never, ONCE, overheard the conversation and had it seem like a life or death thing, 'cause by the time they get to me it's some variation on this:

"What, oh yeah, I'm at the front of the line at Starbucks. Yeah, what do you want? Hurry up, I'm at the front of the line. What? What do you want?"

And then I have to ring up 10 different high maintenance orders. What. The. Heck.

Maybe it's just SoCal. I'm a transfer from hawaii, we had a lot of dazed indecisive menu starers there. Here, we get a lot more of the rude phone people.

Posted 5 years ago #
Freakshow

Member
Internets:102

nope it is NorCal too....

Posted 5 years ago #
Quique

Moderator
Internets:104

"Dazed menu starers."
Classic.

Posted 5 years ago #
MaristatheBarista

Member
Internets:3

Just turn on the steaming wands (of course when your arent steaming milk) when some rude customer is on their phone waiting for their drink... and make sure you dont turn them off until they walk away.. hopefully by then they end up hanging up because they cant hear anything.

Posted 5 years ago #
cookiemonster

Member
Internets:283

DT customers talking to someone (not ordering a drink) with 3 cars behind them. "Drive around---Hey, can you hear meeee, drive around!"

Posted 5 years ago #
fireant3

Member
Internets:8

I used to work at RadioShack (for over 10 years, over 8 as a store manager) and never saw any sort of cell phone jammer. I also just went to Radioshack.com, searched on it, and got nothing. You either made that up or there's a remote, remote chance that you got it at a franchise, not company, store that can carry whatever they want. But it would be technically difficult (jamming all the cell companies' different frequencies) and probably against several FCC regulations.

Posted 5 years ago #
obxguy

Moderator
Internets:197

yes fireant3 they are against many fcc regs... and u can get the PARTS at any radioshack but not many sell them. and none legally in the u.s. not that that has stopped people from building/buying them.

Posted 5 years ago #
parrotheadkrm

Moderator
Internets:1,032

I did a little looking myself. Took me about 1.3 seconds to find this

http://www.phonejammer.com

Posted 5 years ago #
fireant3

Member
Internets:8

Ok fine, I didn't say they didn't exist, just that ExSlave was talking out his **** when he said he went to RadioShack and picked one up. Even a franchise store wouldn't want that liability. I also doubt he was able to buy a $200+ device on his Starbucks pay just to **** customers off.

Posted 5 years ago #
angrybarista35

Member
Internets:3

I like to raise my voice a few notches when calling out the drink.

Posted 5 years ago #
angrybarista35

Member
Internets:3

When someone is on the phone. Got so angry about cell phones that I forgot to finish what I was saying.

Posted 5 years ago #
Anonymous

Unregistered
Internets:24

Back when we had the LaMarzocco, we used to really **** off the cell phone customers (now, mind you, we wouldn't do this if it negatively impacted other customers). As soon as the cell phone talker would walk up, we would run both the decaf and regular espress grinders, crank up both steam wands full blast, and run both blenders with just ice in them. The look on these people's faces was priceless. The sad truth is that more than half of them still didn't get the hint, but those that did would get off the phone and sheepishly apologize for their social blunder.

Posted 5 years ago #
cookiemonster

Member
Internets:283

Tonight I had a cell phone talker in the DT. I asked what I could get for them and they told me one drink and then I asked if there was anything else. They just started talking like I wasn't there. I said OK then One White Mocca is all you're having tonight? Is there anything else (there was someone behind them) "hello? is there anything else?" and since all my help was somewhere else (I don't know what they were doing) I repeated " will there be anything else?" ... she said "Oh yeah, a grande chai" me "Anything else?" Them " No, that's all." "Ok your total is blah blah" I'll see you at the window.

Normally I wouldn't have been so impatient, but they had someone behind them, I didn't have a barista or even a warm body to help me with money. It wasn't my best evening.

blah blah blah ....thank God I have a place to rant!

Posted 5 years ago #
whydoIworkhere

Member
Internets:1

I have found that the best way to deal with the **** at the drivethru that speak so soft (because they are on their phones) is to either wisper everything to them, so they have to stop and talk to you because they can't understand you, or to be as loud as you can so that they can't hear anything but you.

Posted 5 years ago #

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