A Target Starbucks barista shared the downsides to the job in a video that’s been viewed over 50,000 times.
The barista, TikToker @augustte3n, crouches down in the restroom as his text overlay reveals little-known things about working at Starbucks locations situated inside Target stores, such as, “We’re not allowed to take tips.”
“But it’s okay tho because no one tipped anyways,” the text continues.
“Starbucks/Target Starbucks baristas don’t get paid enough for the shit they do,” he wrote. “I was alone and had a line of 10+ guests. They were all customizable drinks and frappes. I got the most dirtiest f6ck1ng looks ever for being ‘slow’ and not a single fucking please ‘please’ did I get for any order that I took.”
@augustte3n thank you for coming have a good day ! 😇 #starbucks#Tarbucks#fyp ♬ Originalton – marta
Viewers, implying they also work in the service industry or at Target Starbucks specifically, resonated with @augustte3n’s video.
“They never say please , it’s always ‘get me a’ or ‘I need a,’” one commenter wrote.
“Had a girl ask where her strawberry cream was while she watched me sequence 10 different frappes before hers with only ONE functioning (blender)… like,” another wrote.
“Yea this lady ordered so many (motherfucking) drinks, like over 10, and only tipped a penny,” a third said. “I was working alone with tons of waiting customers.”
Another argued that they still tip the Target baristas because they are usually working alone and “make the best drinks.”
According to shopfood, baristas who work at Starbucks locations inside Target stores are employed by Target, not Starbucks. And these locations are operated by Target, which has been licensing the brand name since 1999. A Reddit post from 2014 seemed to back up the claim these baristas can’t accept tips. “As a Target team member, you cannot accept any tips. … If [customers] seriously insist on [tipping], I tell them that I have to put it in the register and they probably already given enough money to Target,” a redditor wrote at the time.
The Daily Dot has reached out to @augustte3n via Instagram direct message regarding the video as well as to Starbucks via email.