I supplement my income working as a starbucks drive thru barista. Let's do this.

This was my friend and shift lead. I overheard it on my headset. This lady pulls into the drive thru while there's a line, and another car immediately pulls in behind her. She asks for a breakfast sandwich we ran out of that morning, and that's it. My lead: "I'm so sorry, we're out of that sandwich for the day. Can i offer you any of our other sandwich, or a drink instead?" Customer: "No. I wanted that sandwich." Lead:"I'm so sorry about that." Customer: "So what am i supposed to do now?" Lead: "Unfortunately, you're going to have to wait to pull forward." Customer: "I can't believe this. This is ridiculous." Lead, looking at me, both of us shaking our heads at this point: "I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do. i can offer you a drink though." Customer: "No. that's not what i want."

We had a ridiculously busy morning, and unfortunately when it's busy, mistakes get made. It's part of life. We prepare for complaints on those days, it's okay. We will remake your item for free when you come back in, or refund you. Problem solved. So today, I happen to be the unfortunate soul who answers the phone for a woman who immediately launches into a tirade about how her drink was made badly and how we never have the bagels she wants when she comes in, blah blah. okay. "I'm so sorry ma'am, let me give you over to my supervisor, she can help you out." customer, verbatim: "NO. I DON'T WANT A SUPERVISOR. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT...THAT YOU GUYS REALLY SUCK RIGHT NOW." *hangs up.* Obviously knew that she was being ridiculous, and wasn't looking for any kind of help or solution. just wanted to yell at someone. Handled just like a spoiled toddler.

This just happened on Friday. With it being a holiday weekend, everyone was leaving town. Add that to the rainy weather, and we were fucking slammed. Busier than I'd ever seen it. Standing room only in our huge café, and we had 20 people who had nowhere to sit waiting for their drinks, plus everyone sitting down. We were moving quickly, there was just no way to keep up. Especially with the multitude of mobile orders coming in too. I'm working my ass off, getting a bunch of drinks out, i'm doing my best. Then this bitch walks up, in front of people who had been waiting much longer than her, trying to start a fight with me about her drink. "It's JUST a black iced coffee. It shouldn't take this long. WHERE is my coffee. I have to get going." Ask her name. It's the drink I was just about to put out. Smile, hand her the drink and say "have a nice day! in my cheeriest voice. She walks off in a huff. Your drink won't take as long to make if it's a simple one, true, by you have to observe your surroundings and judge for yourself if you have the time to wait it out. Your baristas are only human. We are not twiddling our thumbs, we are working as hard as we can.

I was assigned to both take orders at the drive thru and accept payment/hand drinks out. We were understaffed, so i was making drinks and helping out anywhere else i could, because i had to. I poke my head out of the window to hand my customer her drinks, and am immediately greeted with "ma'am, you need to pat better attention to your customers. i have been out here yelling for you, honking, everything." I had literally left her unattended for about 30 seconds, in order to take an order and put lids in her drinks. You can easily see through the drive thru window, and it was plain to see i was in the midst of several tasks. I, however, cannot hear jack shit outside once that window closes. Especially when i am listening to another customer's order and questions. It costs exactly $0 to be patient for a half a minute.

We have an average time to maintain at our drive thru. You should ideally only wait at the window for 40 seconds. Our regional wants us to hit 35. We are rushing to get your food out the window and get you out of there as fast as we can. It's considerate to the people behind you, too. One weekend, we had a guy and his family of 5 come through, everyone ordering drinks and at least one food item. it takes them near TEN MINUTES to complete their order. Well, they get to the window and ask for THREE MORE breakfast sandwiches. Each takes about a minute to cook. With the sandwiches that others have already ordered already going in the oven, it takes about five minutes to get these other sandwiches out. When they're finally done, i bring the sandwiches to the window, ready for this guy and his family to fuck off forever. BUT NO, my coworker brings me back two sandwiches. "They decided they want these ones cut in half." We share a venomous glare of solidarity, I cut the fucking sandwiches like this grown customer is my own small child, and we finally, FINALLY, send them on their way after about an eight minute wait. I felt so bad for everyone waiting behind him.

This is very understandable when you are the only car in line, maybe even the last of three cars. And when I don't say what your total is out loud. But when sandwich-cut-in-half-dude is two cars ahead of you and i very clearly told you what you were going to have to pay? Why do you wait to dig into the depths of your purse until you pull up to the window???? Be prepared! Don't hold everyone else up because you suddenly realized you dumped exactly 37 cents in your bag two months ago!

thanks for reading what was essentially a huge rant into the void...if you read it. enjoy one of my favorite shitty coffee puns and have a wonderful day!