# It's that time again, ask the Starbucks Barista anything **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264 "2009-08-13T07:04:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/61 "2009-08-20T02:23:34Z")
Some chai questions (I don’t drink coffee) . . . (1) What exactly do you use for the chai component in your chai lattes? When I first started drinking chais, I couldn’t really differentiate between the different kinds, but I’ve come to really dislike the powders such as Big Train. I suspect that Starbucks uses a concentrate, but haven’t gotten around to asking. (2) Also, I was bummed to find out that I can’t get a chai frappuccino in skim. (Apparently there is a light version of the creme mix or whatever it’s called, but nobody around here seems to have it.) So I asked if they would be willing to make me a skim iced chai and just belnd it, but they didn’t think that would work because it would come out too thin. Couldn’t I just ask (and pay) for an extra “shot” or something? I’ve ordered blended iced chais in other places and they always seemed OK. And a non-chai question . . . (3) Have you read Michael Gates Gill’s book **How Starbucks Saved My Life**? If so, do you think it accurately portrays the experience of working at Starbucks, or is he just blowing sunshine up our collective skirts? ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/62 "2009-08-23T21:35:54Z")
> [@InkBlot](#): > > Most mornings, I stop by a gas station with a self-serv coffee bar - different machines with things like hot cocoa, cappaucinos, etc., then a couple of different styles of coffee (light roast, medium roast, and so on). > > What I like to do is grab their biggest cup, fill it halfway with hot cocoa (which seems to be a powder/water mix machine), then the rest of the way with ordinary coffee. > > How would I order something like this at Starbucks? I feel somewhat silly saying, “half cocoa, half coffee, no whipped cream,” but it’s the best I can think of. You could say coffee misto which is half coffee and half milk and then say X pumps of mocha, that would be the easiest way to rder > [@Scarlett67](#): > > Some chai questions (I don’t drink coffee) . . . > > (1) What exactly do you use for the chai component in your chai lattes? > > When I first started drinking chais, I couldn’t really differentiate between the different kinds, but I’ve come to really dislike the powders such as Big Train. I suspect that Starbucks uses a concentrate, but haven’t gotten around to asking. > > We use a concentrate which is one sold probably to just use > > (2) Also, I was bummed to find out that I can’t get a chai frappuccino in skim. (Apparently there is a light version of the creme mix or whatever it’s called, but nobody around here seems to have it.) So I asked if they would be willing to make me a skim iced chai and just belnd it, but they didn’t think that would work because it would come out too thin. Couldn’t I just ask (and pay) for an extra “shot” or something? I’ve ordered blended iced chais in other places and they always seemed OK. > > And a non-chai question . . . > > (3) Have you read Michael Gates Gill’s book **How Starbucks Saved My Life**? If so, do you think it accurately portrays the experience of working at Starbucks, or is he just blowing sunshine up our collective skirts? We don’t have light creme any more. We should have light coffee base which they would use. They pshould be using light coffee base with chai pumps. But they will blend you a regular chai latte if you want but its not our favorite thing to do ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/63 "2009-08-23T21:43:30Z")
How does becoming employed at Starbucks work? Do you apply directly to stores, where the management of that store decides who to hire on their own whims, or is it like Apple stores where you’re actually applying to Apple itself and national recruiters decide what applicants are acceptable to be passed along to regional managers? Do you have to take a personality test first, like through a company such as Unicru? What do the hiring people generally look for? Is a friendly, bubbly attitude preferred to reliability and skill? Are employees expected to project some kind of image, or encouraged to be outgoing etc? Are you encouraged to “upsell”? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/64 "2009-08-23T21:50:28Z")
> [@ChrisBooth12](#): > > For the millionth time we don’t have free wifi What about the Starbucks that do have free wi-fi? ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/65 "2009-08-23T22:00:10Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > What about the Starbucks that do have free wi-fi? Nearly every starbucks has AT&T wifi, which is free in a few senses. If you have an iPhone on AT&T, you can use its online magics for free. If you have AT&T DSL at home, you can use your account information from that to log into AT&T wifi for free. Or, if you get one of those starbucks gift card thingies, you can use it to sign up for a free 2 hours. I used to pay $60/month for unlimited T-Mobile hotspot usage, back when Starbucksen wifi was T-Mobile, so free\* (\*with AT&T DSL, which I already have) is still free to me. ---
**Author:** ![Emmy2635](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/919ad9/32.png) [@Emmy2635](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emmy2635)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/66 "2009-08-23T23:02:35Z")
What is the most shots you’ve seen someone order? Someone at my local Starbucks orders 23 shots over ice every morning. ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/67 "2009-08-23T23:06:16Z")
> [@Emmy2635](#): > > What is the most shots you’ve seen someone order? Someone at my local Starbucks orders 23 shots over ice every morning. Maybe they’re using it as an engine degreaser. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/68 "2009-08-25T04:05:07Z")
> [@Emmy2635](#): > > What is the most shots you’ve seen someone order? Someone at my local Starbucks orders 23 shots over ice every morning. Commonly like 6 maybe the most ever probably about 12 or maybe a little higher. I do not know why people waste money like that they are just doing it because they can. Might as well just get a couple coffees ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264/69 "2009-08-25T16:34:59Z")
> [@wierdaaron](#): > > How does becoming employed at Starbucks work? Do you apply directly to stores, where the management of that store decides who to hire on their own whims, or is it like Apple stores where you’re actually applying to Apple itself and national recruiters decide what applicants are acceptable to be passed along to regional managers? > > Do you have to take a personality test first, like through a company such as Unicru? > > What do the hiring people generally look for? Is a friendly, bubbly attitude preferred to reliability and skill? Are employees expected to project some kind of image, or encouraged to be outgoing etc? Are you encouraged to “upsell”? My husband has been a barista at Starbucks for 8 years now, so I will jump in here - you apply at individual stores, or sometimes a few stores in one area will get together and have a little hiring event (well, they do here in Seattle, anyway, where there are a lot of stores). I don’t believe you have to take a personality test - my husband didn’t, and I know he’s helped his manager with some hiring stuff and a personality test was never mentioned. As for what the manager looks for - well, look at the baristas that are in your local Starbucks! You need to be friendly enough but ALSO reliable. Bubbly is not critical - my husband is an introvert through and through. The manager is probably also looking to see if your schedule availability meets the store’s needs - if you’re only available from 3pm-6pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, there’s a good chance you won’t get hired because the manager needs people with more availability. Or if you can only work until noon every day, but the manager needs people to work the closing shift, you could be perfect in every other way and you still might not get hired. Generally, there isn’t a lot of upselling. Sometimes they’ll have a promotion that they want the baristas to, um, promote, but it’s pretty low-key. Starbucks knows that that tends to piss customers off, and they do tend to shy away from things they KNOW customers won’t like. There have been only a handful of times over the last 8 years that my husband has come home and told me about some new thing they’re required to do, and we roll our eyes at it because it’s kind of lame, but then it eventually goes away. So, that’s been our experience! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-that-time-again-ask-the-starbucks-barista-anything/506264.md?page=3)