Starbucks Barista

Starbucks Barista

Green Siren

Central, TX

Female, 26

After working all day in a cubicle, I'd spend my nights as your friendly, neighborhood Starbucks barista! I remembered your name, made each drink exactly to your specifications and did it all with a bright smile. I've served celebrities, worked both drive thru & cafe stores, worked every holiday and have kept the customers from knowing about all the craziness that goes on behind the scenes... until now. Ask me anything.

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Last Answer on June 12, 2016

Best Rated

If I get called in for an interview, what should I expect? Questions they ask? How I should dress?

Asked by Emily almost 11 years ago

I dressed business casual (nice slacks and top) because I wanted to show my manager I took the interview seriously. She dropped other candidates who showed up in jeans and tshirts. Again, my manager was my manager and all managers are different.

I think it took about half an hour and she mostly asked me why I wanted to work for Starbucks, my experience and how I could apply it to the job, what I thought of their communtiy service policy (my manager really loved it) and then posed a lot of scenarios to see what I thought I'd do. For instance, she'd ask, "There are two of you working. You're on register and the drip coffee needs to be changed out, tea needs to be made, there are dishes piling in the back, you are running out of cups and you have a line out the door. What do you do first? Why? What do you do next? Why? Say the third customer in line starts yelling because you're taking too long, how do you respond? Why?"

I don't know if there are right or wrong answers to this, but since I'd already worked in a coffee shop I had an idea of what order things need to be addressed in. Part of me thinks it's just a baseline to see if you can grasp the idea that while customers are really important to Starbucks, so is quality and you can't sacrifice one for the other.

Hello;)
Just in case the manager dislikes people coming in to ask about applications, do you think its better if i call. i really dont want to annoy them bu dropping by because i know they are so busy. thanks

Asked by anna over 11 years ago

I personally believe calling is better because the manager can ask you to call back later if he or she is busy. If you come in person its hard to do that. If a store is busy the last thing the manager will want to deal with or talk to is a job applicant.

I am 15 and 1/2 and want to work as a starbucks barista. Am I too young to apply or will they hire at 15?

Asked by Nawa almost 11 years ago

This question has been answered ad naseum.

Please note: If you do not read all the questions answered and ask me one that has been asked over and over, I will delete it. That means I will delete anymore questions that say "I am X age, will Starbucks hire me?"

For the last time, this is entirely dependent on your state and availability. If your state says that a 15 year old can legally work, then Starbucks may hire you. If you are available the necessary hours, then Starbucks may hire you. It's unlikely because as a 15 year old and I assume high school student, you will have limited work hours due to class and curfews. Older workers do not have those restrictions and can work full time.

What celebrities have you served and what was it like?

Asked by Anonymous over 11 years ago

I've served a lot of celebrities between all the coffee shops I worked at. Most of them are absolutely just like everyone else, I wouldn't even have known they were famous except a coworker either knew them or recognized them. My favorite was Kristin Kreuk when filming Smallville, she was the most down-to-earth person!

I've also had celebrities (who shall remain nameless) demand certain privileges. When I refused one that wasn't allowed in my state due to hygeine standards, he said, "Well they let me do that in LA this morning." I reminded him that we weren't in LA and I worked out a way to solve his problem without breaking hygeine regulations. I didn't realize he was famous either until a co-worker pointed it out. Oops.

So, for the most part celebrities are people too and most of them don't act like it... but sometimes they do! Although, a lot of Starbucks customers make the same outlandish requests as celebrities...

After you were hired, what kind of training did you have to go through to be a barista?

Asked by Michelle about 11 years ago

This has been answered previously. Please refer to that question and answer. Thanks!

Did you have any holiday benefits? Were you able to have a couple of shifts off every so often? Were you ever allowed a full week off?

Asked by geri01 almost 11 years ago

Holiday benefits? You could potentially have time off, depending on the holiday but if you work you'll get paid time and a half (so your hourly wage X 1.5). Plus on some holidays (like Thanksgiving and Christmas) tips my be a little better.

My manager was awesome and would definitely work around her partners' schedules. I always got off every day I asked for. If the schedule was set and I needed a change, it was my responsibility to trade with another partner. Full weeks were allowed, but she needed a lot of notice to do the schedule (like the previous month).

Hey, I know the above questions may be getting a bit repetitive so allow me to change that! Steaming milk.. do you guys use temperature gauges or is there a machine that times it? Thanks in advance.

Asked by Tyler about 11 years ago

The Starbucks espresso machines (my shop had the La Marzocco brand Verissimo but others used the newer Mastrena) all have temperature gauges on them and will automatically shut off at a certain point. At my independent coffee shop we also had La Marzocco machines but we had to use a thermometer and keep an eye on it so as not to scald the milk.