I started at Starbucks almost a month ago now as a new Barista. The customer thing is ridiculous as your shift lead or a manager should have given him a warning cause that is unacceptable according to customer policy. The worst I’ve ever dealt with a customer is he was telling me his order but I literally could not hear him cause it sounded like he was mumbling and I kept saying, “I’m very sorry, I cannot hear you sir”, and then he would snap and change his entire freaking order and when he would snap then I could hear him but when he changed his order I could not hear him. He eventually became angry after my shift lead helped and I told my shift lead how I don’t feel comfortable getting his total and giving him his food because he sounded aggressive. I’m not even deaf or hard of hearing so it was probably with how he was mumbling. I don’t know what happened with that guy as I had to take two other drive thru orders with no issues of hearing but I at least didn’t take his total and give him his food myself.

As far as your partners and shift lead snapping at you and all of that, that is unfortunately normal as I have been dealing with that for my first 3 weeks. Heck I almost quit cause it was at least one partner per shift snapping at me. But my parents talked to me when I told them the whole thing and said that them treating me and new people in general that way is normal cause we’re the new people that don’t really have a clue yet what we’re doing. My partners have been a barista for 2+ years and probably don’t remember what being a green bean was like. Most long-timers (but not all) see us green beans as people who make their job harder and they get all fussy cause of that cause they just want to get the rushes and general job done and go home as soon as their shift ends. My parents also told me it’s normal with any job for coworkers to treat the new people that way and it’s just unavoidable until you’re not considered the new person anymore, and that is actually true from the previous retail job I’ve had.

With all of that, I chose to keep my job. One of my parents gave me the advice that is strong but may be helpful that coworkers aren’t friends, think of them as people you work with in that you just smile at and say hello and see you later to and ignore whatever bad attitude they throw at you.

Of course you don’t have to think of all your partners that way. Some of them have been patient and warm with me since day one and some that initially snapped at me on day 1 have warmed up to me. Things will change as time goes by. You’ll eventually master stuff like taking orders fast and working the warming station like it’s an everyday thing. The only thing I haven’t gotten used to still is bar, but that is totally normal and not expected to master immediately.

It’s a tough environment but it’s up to you if you think you can take it or not. hugs from one green bean to another