That's it. I've had it. I just had the WORST caramel macchiato I've ever had at my new store. I watched my co-worker make it and this is what she did:
1- filled the cup with ice FIRST
2-added too many pumps of vanilla
3 poured a little milk in, at which point I told her I wanted light ice, which was WRITTEN ON THE CUP, so she scooped a little ice out and added more milk, added the shot and then the caramel. I am drinking it now and it tastes DISGUSTING!
WHAT THE F? And the manager is constantly on MY **** because I prefer to splash a little water in the americanos so the shots don't die! This is not the first time I have seen someone at my new store absolutly butcher a drink or let the shots die, and it wouldn't bother me if the manager wasn't constantly nit-picking how I make my bevs!
AAAGGGHHHH!!!!
So, I give up. I'm tired of being nice to them, of making up excuses for their stupidity, for trying to help them be a decent store, and for trying to improve their speed of service. I just can't take it anymore. As soon as I get my training for my new job done, I quit. I'm going to study and trian at every waking moment of my life until I can start working. Then, I'll call their **** in with every hotline starbucks has a cure little coffee-themed name for and make sure all hell brakes loose. I will tell my manager EXACTLY why I quit, and won't spare any details. Until then, I'll just dream...
Bashing my head against a wall...
(21 posts) (7 voices)-
Posted 4 years ago #
-
That's absolutely ridiculous, and thank god that you're leaving. I've had fellow partners look at me like I was retarded for putting water into the cup to save the shots; usually we throw in ice because we can get away with it. Or partners bitching because I mark the cups sbux standards unlike their stupid short-writtings. "STRBLM" for Blended Strawberry Lemonaide?
Or the new girl who writes "L" for Lemonaide and gets mad when I correct her.
Just dream about sticking their faces in extra hot no foam extra frothy mocha koppa frappachinos with extra caramel and no ice. -rolls eyes-
Posted 4 years ago # -
They made that drink really wrong, I'll admit. At the same time though... I don't believe you are supposed to put water first in an americano. I am pretty sure the manuals say the shots go in first. I am also pretty sure that water cannot save shots anyway, so it's kind of pointless in the first place (I could be wrong there) I don't remember anything in the manual about splashing water, or wtf ever.
Not that a manager should **** at you for it, I don't really think an americano is a drink that can be screwed up in the first place, so your manager is being a ****/****.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yea I just never ever ever ask my co-workers to make my drink. It will never be right no matter how slowly I explain it. Nobody cares about this job, so you can't expect them to care if they are following the rules. I don't care anymore. Dead shots, sure. Why not?
Posted 4 years ago # -
water first then shots, that way you can preserve the crema. plus there wont be a ton of bubbles on top.
Posted 4 years ago # -
That's not the standard though, and that isn't an americano fyi, that's a long black.
A long black is shots on top to preserve the crema, an americano is shots on bottom.
Of course both long black and americano are made wrong at starbucks because the true formula is supposed to have a much higher espresso to water ratio, whereas Starbucks makes it REALLY watered down.
I mean, americano/long black is already really watered down as it is, and then Starbucks really really waters it down. Since I started working at Starbucks I have made it my business to go outside Starbucks and read up and learn about real coffee culture. And it is staggering how many things Starbucks has bastardized.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I know it's shots first, what I'm saying is, that's the only time I don't make drinks to standard, and I think that's acceptable. So getting **** when someone can even make a caramel macchiato is justified. I always make drinks right, and if I'm not sure, I check the recipe card. What pisses me off more is that starbucks says to save shots with milk or water for hot drinks, but doesn't give a **** about iced drinks. When you pour espresso directly over ice, it ruins the shot because of the temperature shock. That's why I don't like double shots. It's just sludge. So why do they care about Americanos? Beats me.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Simple, because you are making your sms entire staff look like **** and your sm is responsible for their training, so your sm feels the need to cut you down to size.
My advice, stop giving a **** about saving shots, just do everything so exactly to standard that they cannot complain about a single.damn.thing.you.do.
And then all they can do is twitch and squirm and moan as they look like idiots and you continue to torment them. Then you get another job and then report every single **** violation to ecosure, the health department and every hotline you can think of, as well as the media if you can find health/safety/labor violations.
Or, you could stop showing all of them up, and stop giving a **** so that you have less stress to deal with at your job. Or try to get a transfer to a store that doesn't suck.
Either way, I agree that you should find another job as soon as possible.
A partner that really really really cares in a store that doesn't give a **** is not a good situation, and would be best if that partner can either transfer or just find a job with a better company. You know Starbucks used to be number seven on fortune 500's best list of company's to work for...
Yeah, ummm, they have slipped to 24th... that **** quickly.
And as far as I know, those are just the results being updated from surveys and evaluations that were done by fortune 500 last july.
Just wait until next years updates which are made with the results from evaluations and reviews and surveys done this year...
I doubt we will even make the list anymore.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yeah, I have another job lined up, but not until the end of the summer. I think that is my new plan; make everything perfectly to standard no matter what so they can't say anything. Until then, I'll just try not to let it eat my soul.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I make non-standard drinks too [read: better] but luckily nobody gets on me about it because the most nitpicky people moved to a different store.
Posted 4 years ago # -
I am looking for another job. Today, after I finally thought things were going well, my manager said I better get a better attitude or she's firing me. Apparantly a couple employees and a customer complained about me, and when she told me what the complaint was, they weren't true! I had said some things I shouldn't have, but not the way she was saying! She said I have to ALWAYS say yes to the customer, even if they ask for a 230 degree latte! WTF? That's against policy, and a safety violation! I told her that was not what my former DM told me. I also told her about the caramel macchiato incident from my first post. Apparantly that barista is young and doesn't work very often, so it's ok if she has no idea what she's doing. Then, she felt bad about making me cry, again, so she started going on about how wonderful she thinks I am, and how great my personality is. WTF? She doesn't even know me! And if I'm so great, why would she fire me after people lied to her to get me in trouble?!
I can't wait to put my 2 weeks in.Posted 4 years ago # -
What she meant was, always nod and say yes to the customer, then disregard whatever they said. This is basic customer service here!
Posted 4 years ago # -
I can't wait to go to a place where I don't have to do that. I usually try to be nice and accomodating, but not if it's unreasonable. "Just say yes" is the biggest line of **** ever created. Other countries don't have service like that, and no one cares! No one gets **** if you tell them no! Why are Americans such big babies that have to get their way all the time??
Posted 4 years ago # -
It's very simple, they want it 230 degrees? Just say yes!!! Then give them 200...
LOL.
Posted 4 years ago # -
No, because they'll probably complain, and I'll get fired. Even though my last manager told me to do exactly what you just said. I'll just ask her to do it, because she's so much better, and I don't want to get burned and I'm sooo clumsy, and blah blah blah, you do it, you manipulative ****.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Well Starbucks is in the business of making money. Not being good people and educated coffee people.
Don't just say yes. The customers never know what the **** they're talking about.
Posted 4 years ago # -
If I steam milk to 180 I call it w/e temp I want and I have never had a customer not be fooled by it. You just have to sound confident, what are they going to do, pull a thermometer out of their pocket and stick it in the drink?
Honestly, I think you need to let go a bit, I do agree your sm is not very supportive and your partners suck. But customer service in many ways is acting like you are giving in to the customers unreasonable demands when you really aren't doing any such thing, the illusion of giving them their way.
Oh, and I do like your idea though, get one of the other "partners" to do it. Trick them into doing that kind of thing for you, tell them you are afraid you will make a miss steaming it that hot, etc. etc.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yeah, I've just given up on them. If someone asks for a 230 degree latte, I'll get the other transfer to do it, because I know she'd love to show me up. I'm just looking forward to the day I put my 2 weeks in, and I can tell her to shove it. I can't wait to tell her that she and the other baristas have no idea what they are doing, and they can quit telling me what to do, because I know I am a good barista. My old store was even nicknamed "the perfect store" because we kicked all the other store's **** at everything. But I guess we were wrong, because my current manager knows everything, and it's all the opposite about what I know.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Lamericana- you must not let it get to you. I'm not saying you're overreacting, but you have to calm down. I nearly had a breakdown these past few months at my store, and for the past week or so I've been trying to stay very calm and be very detached at work. It's all I can do to preserve my integrity and avoid feeling a)crushed and jaded or b)angry.
This is the best advice I can give. I'm so angry with my SM and with the corporation at large, but I am trying not to let it adversely affect my life outside of work. It's hard, and I'm not there yet, but so far I'm calmer and happier. It's like standing on the shore and watching the ship sink itself - don't help it, don't warn anybody, just do your job and watch it go down. If they wanted our advice, they'd have asked for it by now. We're just the experienced slaves making the money.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Just Say No - thanks for mentioning the long black! I love espresso poured over water, but I thought it was just a variant on the Americano. Now I can annoy everyone by asking for a long black... ha. Who am I kidding? I'll just make it myself.
Also, when I was hired I was told that a "ristretto" shot was a shot without crema - as in, let the shot pull but pour it before the crema pours. Then I found out that "ristretto" is a short shot, made with less water, as opposed to a long shot, made with more water - and felt cheated. Why does Starbucks propagate a fake coffee culture? Who knows.
Posted 4 years ago # -
Yeah, that's what I'm gonna have to do. I put in a few applications elsewhere, and I'm putting in more tomorrow. I really wouldn't mind if I had a crappy job elsewhere, just as long as I can get away from my psycho manager. I don't need benefits, and I've got everything I need to make better espresso at home, so I can fuel my addiction to espresso...which starbucks can't satisfy anyway because starbucks espresso sucks.
@Coffee mart wrench- starbucks propogates a fake coffee culture because that's the only way it can convince people to buy their **** coffee. Real coffee enthusiasts know better.Posted 4 years ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.