Former Starbucks Barista Shares Lesser-Known Tips; Reveals Employees Secret Way to Treat Rude Customers

By Ilin Mathew
March 16, 2022 19:32 +08

That iced coffee you are drinking may contain human poo

A former Starbucks barista has shared some lesser-known tips of the chain that he learned while working as a part-timer for several years. The ex-employee, named Shabaz Ali, also revealed the secret way employees take revenge on rude customers. The barista from Blackburn in Lancashire in North West England came up with several claims, which he believes are the best-kept secrets of the chain.

Among the multiple claims made by the employee of Starbucks, serving decaf coffees to rude customers and making Frappuccinos using coffee syrups instead of real coffee are some of the things he learned while working behind the counter as a part-timer. The former barista, 28, also shared some tips for getting free goodies from the world-famous coffee brand.

Shabaz joined Starbucks as a barista in 2014, and the former employee said he enjoyed his time with the chain. The ex-barista is currently working as a teacher and revealed that he is still a fan of the world-famous coffee. He shared his experience with Starbucks through a TikTok video, which garnered the attention of over 550,000 users.

The fascinating video that contained the insider knowledge of the barista also garnered more than 51,000 likes.

Starbucks Secrets:

Here are some secrets the ex-barista shared about the coffee brand, like purposely writing the customers' names wrong in the coffee cup for free publicity and making technical errors as an excuse on busy days.

I was going through training, and the manager told me about purposely writing names on the cups wrong for free publicity. [I was also asked to] lookout for influencers or younger people who seem the type to make a scene about it on social media, as they'll post about it.

I was shocked, as this was probably the reason my name would be spelled wrong in the past. Frappuccinos don't have espresso coffee; they have a fake flavor version – so if you want real coffee, you have to ask for an espresso shot.

I was also told to pretend that something wasn't in stock if it would hold up a queue. Frappuccinos would usually take a long time to make, so on a busy day, I would tell them some syrups were out of stock or the ice machine was broken. This shocked me, as I know other companies must do this as well.

Tips for Free Goodies from Starbucks

Shabaz then shared some tips to avail free goodies from the shop, including beverages and baked items. He said the customers could get free drinks on their birthdays. They could also get free goodies if they visit Starbucks before closing time. He also said the customers should ask for an employee's suggestions for the best foods because the staff tries out most of the items when they come out.

"Drip/filter coffee can be refilled for free if you sit in. If you hate your drink, ask for another one, as the barista will always change this for you. If you ask for a medium drink, but want it in a large cup, chances are the barista will fill the cup for you because they always make a bit extra – so you get a large drink for free", he added.

Some Starbucks fans were shocked to know the secret about decaf, and several others said the claims about deliberately misspelling the names are true.