A Coffee with Dozens of Syrups??? Starbucks Barista Fired After Rant on Social Media!

As one of the earliest pioneers of the secret menu trend, Starbucks once gave official status to secret menus. The International Financial News reported that Starbucks spokesperson Maggie Jantzen stated in an interview with CNBC that due to these "secret menus," Starbucks baristas learned to make over 170,000 types of customized drinks. However, because of the appeal created by these personalized beverages, some drinks eventually became official Starbucks menu items.

Baristas' Growing Frustration

While this sounds good in theory, as people's creative ideas continued to multiply, many Starbucks baristas began complaining on social media platforms: "Some customers' requirements can really make you want to vomit!" Some baristas were even fired by their stores after officially expressing their frustration...

A Starbucks barista in the United States posted on social media about a customer's order, explaining "Why I'm quitting today," and then shared this photo:

"5 banana milks, caramel drizzle on top, light cream, ice, cinnamon sauce, 7 pumps dark caramel syrup, caramel crunch, 1 pump honey mixed into the drink, salted dark mocha sauce, 5 pumps Frappuccino roast, 7 pumps Starbucks syrup, heavy cream, double blended"

What was originally a simple Frappuccino was burdened with a full 13 requirements! After reading this, I don't know if everyone else went crazy, but I believe the barista who posted this definitely went crazy, and the Starbucks partners reading this article also feel suffocated. Even the sticker had to bear more text than it should at its age...

After this post was published, the barista had already prepared to resign because he felt that not only did the company not restrict such customer demands, but actually required baristas to make drinks according to these requirements, which was preparing to drive them crazy... He also mentioned that other baristas complained that the orders they received were becoming increasingly complex, with one saying they were treated as "coffee-making robots."

However, before the barista could resign himself, the store fired him first. The reason was that his post sparked heated discussion, and the customer who placed the order stated that the barista had publicly disclosed their name and order without permission, which was extremely rude! They also mentioned that they had given a $5 tip for this order, equivalent to 30% of the price of a Frappuccino. The store also believed that this post affected the brand's reputation and decided to fire the involved barista.

After being fired, the barista realized the inappropriateness of his actions, contacted the customer to apologize in person, and with third-party video documentation, published the video online with the customer's consent. From video screenshots, although this incident made both parties unhappy, they eventually reconciled through an embrace.

Baristas Share Their Experiences

This post also made many Starbucks partners feel empathetic, so they began sharing on social media platforms... the unreasonable orders they had encountered (though some baristas still lacked awareness of respecting customer privacy...)

"1 pump hazelnut syrup, 1 pump toasted white chocolate mocha, milk foam cap, no caramel syrup, 2 pumps Irish cream syrup, cocoa powder, honey, less of it, 4 shots espresso, 1 pump mocha, then mocha drizzle on top, a little skim milk, a little heavy cream, 3 pumps caramel brûlée sauce, caramel brûlée topping, light cream, chocolate shavings..."

Is your jaw already on the floor after reading this? It's not over yet, let's continue with the next order:

"2 banana milks, use blonde espresso, 2 shots specifically for affogato ice cream, fruit peel tea, 2 pumps honey, cocoa powder, pineapple syrup, chocolate powder (different from cocoa powder), 1 pump caramel syrup, 1 pump sugar-free vanilla syrup, 2 pumps Frappuccino syrup, change to skim milk, 1 pump classic syrup, 1 pump toffee nut syrup, 1 pump pumpkin sauce, 1 pump white mocha, 2 scoops matcha powder, 1 pump raspberry syrup, 1 pump cinnamon syrup, vanilla powder, cinnamon powder, 1 pump hazelnut syrup, nutmeg powder, 2 regular espresso shots, ice, light cream, finally double blended, then drizzle with caramel sauce, mocha sauce, pumpkin caramel sauce, cinnamon sauce on top..."

Wow, almost half of Starbucks' ingredients were used!! And this isn't even the most outrageous one!!! I won't even translate all of this, my hands would cramp just from typing... Now even non-Starbucks partners can feel that suffocating sensation after reading this...

Can't we just use two fewer stickers?! Sure! But it's a bit of a headache (e) to drink...

Even when there aren't many additional ingredients, adding excessive amounts of the same ingredients can make people feel sweet just looking at it, to the point where their scalp tingles!!

The Social Media Influence

Many baristas who posted stated that all of this is caused by TikTok!! And much of it was started by Starbucks partners themselves... Many people then, out of curiosity, wanted to see if they could actually order these drinks, and then they actually ordered them... Although customers need to pay extra for these ingredients, we should theoretically make the drinks according to their requirements! However, this efficiency is very slow! Sometimes during peak hours, the appearance of just one such drink is enough to make the customers behind wait for a very long time!

In response to the baristas' sharing, netizens couldn't help but say: This is the rhythm of taking one sip of a drink and then hanging an IV of insulin! Some netizens also believe that these customers are very selfish, because Starbucks itself is a brand known for quick service, but one order can make all subsequent customers wait much longer.

Final Thoughts

Although this drink is the consumer's own choice and requires corresponding payment, some things should be done in moderation... It wastes both money and food, so why bother?

Image source: Internet

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