Starbucks’ mobile ordering system was designed in part to help customers avoid lines. But after a barista blasted a customer for placing their mobile order right in front of her, viewers agree that we may be abusing the technology.
TikTok user Haley (@christianhaybale) works as a barista. The content creator recently shared a phenomenon she has noticed that “grinds her gears.”
“It’s the people that come into the store and stand in front at the register with their phones and like, ‘I’m ordering on the app,’” she shared. This trend annoys and confuses the barista.
Haley also revealed how a customer did this to her on two separate occasions. It was the second occasion that ticked off the content creator. He ordered his black coffee and left. An hour later, he returned, complaining about the drink being warm and demanding a new one. Wanting to avoid an argument, the barista gave in to the customer and gave him a new drink.
“It was warm because you came an hour ago,” she stated. “Of course, it wasn’t hot anymore. It was old coffee.”
She wraps up the video by wanting to return to the “good old days” of ordering in the store.
@christianhaybale barista thoughts
♬ original sound – haley
The Daily Dot reached out to Haley via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment. The video garnered over 17,000 views where viewers resonated with former and current Starbucks baristas.
“when i worked at starbucks people would drive up EVERY DAY asking where their mobile order was that they just placed .5 seconds ago,” one barista wrote.
“i once had someone pull up to the speaker and tell me they were currently ordering on the app. like,” a second recalled.
“me @ the people who order in the parking lot and come in and immediately ask where theyre order is,” a third commented.
On the other hand, customers shared what they do when they mobile order.
“I always mobile order from the parking lot at work so it’s ready when I get there, or I wait until I get the notification that it’s ready to go inside,” one viewer shared.
“I mobile order because I don’t really like talking to people but I always sit down to do it,” a second stated.
Haley isn’t the only barista to feel this way. A group of Starbucks baristas called out customers who expect their mobile orders to be ready instantly through a skit. Another barista revealed how an old man made sexist remarks because his mobile order wasn’t ready immediately.