Starbucks Coffee Company

Barista

May - August 2023 • Charlotte, NC

What I liked

Making drinks and interacting with customers

What I wish was different

Better location and conditions

Advice

Make sure to speak up to work better cohesively with your team

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Barista

March 2021 • Dartmouth, MA

What I liked

I love customer connection and making people's day brighter with a drink and a smile!

What I wish was different

My schedule was sometimes very overwhelming. I would wake up at 4 AM for an opening shift. Going forward, I'd like later hours.

Advice

Starbucks is all about connecting with customers and making sure they are satisfied. To do so, you need to be personable and learn how to correctly craft drinks.

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Barista

July 2019 • Rutherford, NJ

What I liked

Meeting new people and building Friendships.

What I wish was different

Advice

This job has helped me developed great skills that I can use for my future such as working under pressure, working with minimal supervision, etc.

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Barista

November 2018 - August 2020 • Arlington, TX

What I liked

I liked being able to communicate with team mates and customers openly and construct through any issues together and make drinks.

What I wish was different

To be honest, nothing really!

Advice

Practice practice practice.

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Barista

November 2020 - August 2022 • Vernon Hills, IL

What I liked

Pay scale and benefits

What I wish was different

Scheduling

Advice

If you consider an easy place to make some cash work here but don't expect consistency. Hour change every day and so doe your hours paid. If you are more flexible and have a less busy schedule this might work best for you.

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Barista

May 2021 - August 2022 • Sioux Falls, SD

What I liked

I liked getting to talk to customers and I enjoyed learning how to make drinks

What I wish was different

I wish there would have been more fun things, like small things to make customers happy over timing of finishing drinks

Advice

Dont take it personal when customers are rude

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Barista

May - August 2022 • Blaine, MN

What I liked

It was fun to get to know my coworkers more

What I wish was different

I wish I had done a pre-professional internship instead

Advice

Try not to work at a regular summer job and try your best to get an internship instead.

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Starbucks Barista

May - August 2022 • Pompton Lakes, NJ

What I liked

I loved the variety in roles and not simply performing one task my entire shift. The team I worked with also made going to work feel like I was going to spend time with my friends. It was a great work environment and I enjoyed the direct contact with customers.

What I wish was different

I wish there were more opportunities for receiving tips. Cash tips were great to collect but so many more people use their cards or phones and then do not have the ability to leave us tips. I also wish that the level of activity in the store was taken into account to our wages; our store was exceptionally busier than other stores in the area but we are all still paid the same wage despite us doing more work.

Advice

Don't take the stress of customer service personally, it will only make you hate the job. I liked to think I was in a restaurant simulation game and that I can be any person I want to be with each customer. It is refreshing to approach each person with a clean slate and it trains you not to project personal problems onto others.

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Barista

March - August 2020 • Okemos, MI

What I liked

The team members, the opportunity for tips.

What I wish was different

The flexibility of hours, the willingness to let employees go when they needed to quit for school.

Advice

Starbucks is very fast paced, and you constantly deal with difficult customers. It is stressful and definitely not a good fit for your first job.

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Barista

June - August 2022 • Roseville, MN

What I liked

My coworkers and bosses were amazing people, getting to make drinks was so much fun, plus the benefits were quite good.

What I wish was different

I'm not sure there was much of anything that I wish would have been different relating to my personal experience.

Advice

Sometimes it's a bit stressful and sometimes the customers aren't the best, but you can't take anything personally.

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Barista

May - September 2021 • Milwaukee, WI

What I liked

I loved the support I got from my co-workers.

What I wish was different

I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to go back to school.

Advice

To don't be too hard on yourself when starting out and have patience because it is a lot of information thrown at you all at once.

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Barist

March 2020 • Ankeny, IA

What I liked

The benefits were very nice for a part time employee. I had the opportunity to invest in a 401k free coffee everyday and a free bag of coffee each week

What I wish was different

Advice

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Shift Supervisor

July 2018 • Moorpark, CA

What I liked

I liked working with a diverse group of people and being able to make coffee.

What I wish was different

More staffing at this particular location!

Advice

You have to love people and human interaction to work in this role

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Check Out Cashier

May - August 2021 • Lawrenceville, GA

What I liked

It was a very nice to work at. Everyone was friendly, from employers to coworkers to customers.

What I wish was different

Nothing i can think of right now.

Advice

A smile goes a long way with customers!!

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Legal Assistant

June 2021 • Seattle, WA

What I liked

Great company

What I wish was different

More integration with university recruiting

Advice

Keep trying until you get a job you like

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Barista

July 2021 • Lorton, VA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Try to be patient and prioritize tasks as best as you can. Also, constantly communicate with your co-workers, supervisors, and managers to avoid misunderstandings and sort out any concerns you may have.

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Barista

November 2021 - September 2022 • Victorville, CA

What I liked

Good work atmosphere, and flexible hours

What I wish was different

Better benefits

Advice

Keep an open mind!! lots of different recipes are constantly changing

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Barista

December 2020 - September 2021 • Rancho Cucamonga, CA

What I liked

Working at Starbucks gave me a good sense of learning how to manage stress, although it was entirely stress the whole shift. I had great co-workers that had each other's backs and a great manager that was understanding that we had lives outside of work and would work with us to plan our schedules.

What I wish was different

I wish there was an emphasis on partner safety between customers and baristas. Many baristas became burnt out due to the emphasis on customer experience and trying to make any accomodation regardless of the item was actually in stock or not. I, in fact, got burnt out due to the reason of other partners calling off during the last hour, which would not only be detrimental to the store, but also to the partners that were actively working. It became a routine, and I wish there would more consequences on this. The emphasis on customer satisfaction over partner health (mind and body) was excessive, and the reason why I became a partner diminished with every shift.

Advice

The one piece of advice I took from this experience is to learn how to say No. The world has been in a state of shock since COVID-19, and one thing the people inhabiting this world has learned was the subject of entitlement and the misuse of policy. Saying No is not detrimental to the customer, if we do not have it in stock, then it is impossible to create that beverage. Suggestions is always another piece of advice that is helpful when serving, but make sure it is tailored or the customer will be upset.

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