London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 05, 2025

We asked Starbucks baristas which customer habits annoy them most. Here are 5 things they want you to stop doing right now.

We asked Starbucks baristas which customer habits annoy them most. Here are 5 things they want you to stop doing right now.

If you want to get on your Starbucks barista's good side this holiday season, avoid doing these five things when ordering or visiting the store.
Red-cup season at Starbucks is well underway, and holiday cheer has begun to fire on all cylinders. The signature reusable cup started out as a marketing tool, and now nearly everyone on the planet looks forward to its release as the mark of the start of the holiday season — even baristas. 

"Love red-cup season," Tayla, a former Starbucks barista who's based in the UK, told Insider. "Festive drinks are all super simple to make and spirits are lifted."

While many memories from seasons past are holly and jolly for baristas, some are a bit grinchy — and they don't have to be. Insider spoke with three current and former Starbucks baristas about their biggest customer pet peeves, and what customers can do to make the holiday season more cheerful. (The baristas asked to omit their last names for privacy and professional reasons, but Insider has verified their identities and employment with documentation.)

1. Blaming your barista for shortages

It's super frustrating when your favorite item is amiss as a result of supply-chain issues. But some customers direct those strong feelings toward their baristas.

Tayla said that product shortages tend to bring out the sensitive and aggressive side of customers. "We'd once ran out of a particular bagel," she said. "One woman was very unhappy about the situation. She tried to get her order for free as a result, but fortunately I was able to hand her over to my manager."  

When customer frustrations reach a boiling point, baristas said they're trained to roll with the situation and offer alternative beverage suggestions or explain to the customer how supply-chain problems continue to be an issue. Rather than having a pout or tossing around complaints about missing menu items, baristas ask that customers navigate the scenario with a bit of grace.

2. Ignoring the tip jar

If a server or barista goes the extra mile, it seems like a common courtesy to offer something on top of that $5 cup of coffee. Unfortunately, some baristas have found that tipping at Starbucks is a courtesy that's not so common.

"Sometimes a customer buys $15 worth of drinks, pays with a $20, and tells us to keep the change," Jack, an Indiana-based barista, told Insider. "The customer calls it doing his part." 

Baristas also have the ability to try and sway some extra tips their way by placing clever voting-themed tip jars out on the coffee counter. Some folks who stumble upon these tip jars laugh and throw a bit of extra change their way, but for the most part, Jack said, these jars go unnoticed.    

3. Ordering something complicated, then not picking it up right away

Two baristas said that customers ordering complicated drinks is a big pet peeve. 

"People that order all kinds of amendments to their drinks, where the beverage doesn't even resemble the starting drink, are not ideal," Meg, a former barista from downtown Indianapolis, said.  

"Any hot day sun's out, Frappuccino's out," Tayla added. "Frappuccinos take so long to make, and you usually get soaked in the process." If you're ordering something complicated, they said, be ready to hear your name called and pick it up — no one likes to see a hot drink go lukewarm at the end of the coffee bar, especially a barista. 

4. Correcting the spelling of your name

Speaking of your name, Tayla said, don't correct the spelling if a barista gets it wrong on your cup. "It's all part of the fun."  

5. Not cleaning up your mess

Tayla said messy customers are a pain — for example, if they stick a muffin in their coffee cup and leave it out for a store worker to pick up. "They are horrific to clean," she said.

"Just be nice. Clean up your trash," Meg added. "Don't leave your cups for others to discard and don't leave your wrappers, napkins, and stir sticks to be your barista's problem. If you have difficulty locating the trash, feel free to ask your barista."

All of the baristas that spoke with Insider agreed that mean customers were few and far between when compared to the kind ones. They also said that, at the end of the day, they enjoyed their jobs.

"I did love working at Starbucks," Tayla said. "The community behind the bar was always lovely and, in my experience, so were most of the customers."
Comments

Anna 3 year ago
Gee just think someday these people will have to get a real job and deal with real problems

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Receives $23.7 Billion Tesla Stock Award
Texas House Paralyzed After Democrats Walk Out Over Redistricting
Mexican Cartels Complicate Sheinbaum’s U.S. Security Talks
Mark Zuckerberg Declares War on the iPhone
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
Tesla Seeks Shareholder Approval for $29 Billion Compensation Package for Elon Musk
Nvidia is cutting prices on its RTX 50-series graphics cards after sales slowed and inventories piled up
Ghislaine Maxwell Transferred to Minimum-Security Prison Amid Ongoing DOJ Discussions
U.S. Tariffs Surge to Highest Levels in Nearly a Century Under Second Trump Term
Matt Taibbi Slams Media for Role in Russiagate Narrative
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
×