Workers Reveal What It's Really Like To Work At Starbucks

Starbucks is known for more than just their signature hot espresso drinks and icy cold Frappuccinos. The coffee chain, which is the largest one in the U.S., is also supposed to be a notoriously great place to work for part-time and full-time employees alike. In 2018, Starbucks was named the fifth most admired company worldwide by Fortune. It has also appeared on Forbes' lists for Best Employers for Diversity, Top Regarded Companies of 2018, and Best Employers For Women, among others. 

Part of what makes Starbucks one of the best companies to work for the benefits they offer employees, the teamwork that comes with the job, and great manager and partner relationships. But like any other customer service job, working at Starbucks has its fair share or ups and downs — just ask the actual employees, who are never shy about sharing their experience on the internet via Reddit or in an interview. Take a look at what it's really like to work at Starbucks, according to the people who know best. 

One thing Starbucks is known for is getting your name completely wrong. Once a customer orders and gives their name, an employee writes it on a cup, and somehow, it always manages to be something totally out there, whether it's an odd spelling or just an incorrect name. Apparently, employees have a lot of fun with this. One employee told Cosmopolitan that they have intentionally misspelled names on cups "just to mess with people," adding that they "love to see their reactions." 

These misspellings often get a lot of social media attention, and the same employee said her manager manager admitted "most Starbucks employees use it as a marketing tool. Most people aren't going to post a photo to social media of a cup with their name spelled right." 

Starbucks denied this to BuzzFeed News, saying, "We've never asked or directed any of our partners to misspell names of our customers for any reason." Either way, it's always fun to see what your cup says every morning.

Ask any barista which drink is their least favorite to make, and they'll probably all give you the same answer: any of the Frappuccinos. These icy, creamy blended drinks are a Starbucks staple, but they are apparently really annoying to put together. One barista told New York Magazine, "I used to love Frappuccinos. But now I hate them. There's a lot of barista-hate against the Frappuccino." Why? Apparently, they take a lot of time to make and can easily throw off a routine, which can make things complicated if it's very busy.

A barista on Reddit added that not only do they hate how time-consuming Frappuccinos are to make, but they also "hate the ingredients for it, and prepping for them too." They explained that they found the drinks were made with way too much sugar and not enough espresso, saying they're easily one of the most unhealthy menu items they have.

Although a lot of employees may cherish the friendships they've made with regular customers, most of them will also say that rude customers are an unfortunate part of the job. Belen Jimenez, a Starbucks partner, wrote a whole blog post about it on The Barista Life. Jimenez explained that she often has to deal with customers who don't know much about coffee, saying, "Customers come in day after day, minute after minute, asking for things that make absolutely no sense, thinking they are the caffeine gods and this Starbucks is their Olympus. I get the occasional customer that actually knows a thing or two about coffee... But, more often than not, I get teenagers who demand their saucy, sweet blended beverages and the older customers that get irritated at the amount of foam on their espresso macchiato." 

Another Starbucks barista on Reddit expressed the same sentiment, saying, "Starbucks has created a very specific, niche, and entitled customer-base that can make your life hell sometimes. If you can handle rude people, maintain professionalism, and maintain composure in situations where someone might literally be screaming in your face because you forgot a single pump of their skinny vanilla syrup, you'll be just fine."

Another barista on Reddit explained that though rude customers may be expected, it gets worse than you might imagine. According to this barista, customers often call baristas names while they're making drinks, take a really long time order, never tip, and miss their drinks when they're called. The employee warned, "Don't work at Starbucks unless you are prepared to deal with, undoubtedly, the dumbest, rudest, most entitled customers you will ever meet." 

Another thing employees almost universally hate? The idea of a "secret menu," which is supposedly a list of drinks Starbucks can make you that don't appear on actual menus. Baristas, however, say the secret menu is not an actual thing. When speaking to Huffington Post, one employee explained, "I hated when people would ask for 'secret menu' drinks, because they don't exist. Starbucks employees are always happy to customize your drink, but we never know what's in those crazy ones!" 

On Reddit, one barista wrote, "There is no recipe for drinks called a Clint Eastwood, Undertow, Tear Drop, Tuxedo, Bloody Tuxedo, or my most recent favorite 'Butter Beer.'" Someone may have made up a tasty drink and slapped a fun name on it, but more than likely, your Starbucks barista doesn't know anything about it it.

As another barista explained to New York Magazine, you can't just give them the name of a drink you read about online and expect them to make it. Instead, tell them exactly what's in it, and they'll make it for you.

If working as a barista seems like it might be overwhelming and confusing, that's because it can be, especially for brand new hires. In fact, many of the employees feel like the training at the beginning was the toughest part of their job. We can't blame them — can you imagine trying to learn how to make all those drinks? 

A former Starbucks employee explained to Huffington Post that new hires go through two weeks of full training days where they learn how to make every drink and practice doing things wrong so they knew how to fix the mistake during a rush. 

One Starbucks barista wrote on Reddit that some new employees don't even make it through the training, saying a lot of the people they trained with "quit immediately because they took the job for the 'aesthetic' of being a barista," adding, "It's not glamorous, it's not beautiful." 

At the end of the day, though, that training pays off. The former employee told Huffington Post, "Practice makes perfect, and after you spent a few shifts on the bar (where the drinks are made), it was like second nature."

Although parts of the job can be tough, what many employees like the most is the teamwork that comes with their position. In order for the store to function properly, working together is essential. You have to admit, they do always look like they're having fun behind the counter!

One Starbucks employee, Alecia Li Morgan, wrote on Quora that the teams were "amazing," saying that although there were certainly people who didn't really care about their job much, it was overall always a great experience. Describing the teams, she said, "They were diverse, they were fun, and they were passionate." She added, "We all took ownership in our stores, and when that happens, everyone wins." 

Another former employee told New York Magazine about the "green apron board" at Starbucks, which is essentially a thank you card system. They basically write each other little notes that are full of compliments as motivation. They said, "So you always find little notes in your spot like, 'You kicked ass today!' Or 'I'm so happy I get to work with you.'"