A current Baltimore barista stated that there are no restrictions on what people can order. Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Insider interviewed over a dozen former Starbucks baristas, who admitted that they are tired of receiving complex orders.
Baristas stated that many people would find it "disgusting" to have slow order times and slow service. Some are based upon TikTok trends.
Insider was told by a Starbucks representative that custom orders are easy and that the company values customization.
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Starbucks customers are sometimes pushing Starbucks customers to customize their drinks beyond the limits with modifications that some baristas consider "excessive", "ridiculous" and "disgusting."
Insider spoke to more than a dozen baristas from the US and Canada who said they had grown tired of complicated lattes and cold brews.
Most custom orders are not difficult. Insider was told by a Starbucks representative that 75% of custom beverages were made with fewer than three modifications.
However, baristas stated that complex drinks slow down order times and customers can sometimes get angry when customized drinks aren't made to their liking.
They suggested that this could be an issue with mobile orders and added that sometimes customers' requests on Starbucks could be confusing.
"The modifications are out-of-control"
A current Baltimore barista stated that there are no restrictions on what people can order.
A former Los Angeles barista stated that "Some of these things I see are just horrifying."
Some drinks were marked with "mile-long stickers", listing customizations. Sometimes, there wasn't enough room to hold everything. According to company policy, custom drinks must still fit in the cup size requested by customers.
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The former Los Angeles barista stated, "I have made Frappuccinos before that literally didn't have room for milk in it," "The modifications have gotten out of control."
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Many baristas claimed that customers had ordered drinks with 20 pumps or more of syrup. Nat El-Hai shared an image with Insider that she took of an iced latté she made for a customer who ordered 12 shots of coffee with five shots of hazelnut syrup.
According to the former Los Angeles barista, one customer ordered a "absolutely insane" drink that was topped with nonfat cold foam and sweet-cream cold soda.
The person stated that people believe that adding more is better, but there are limits to what they can achieve. "I cannot imagine anyone ordering this drink and not finishing it."
Many baristas claimed that they have turned down requests from customers for brownies or cake pops mixed into drinks. One even said that she was asked to mix egg bites into a drink.
Insider was told by El-Hai that a customer asked her to mix banana and milk and use it as a base for a latatte.
She stated that some customers had shown her online drink photos that had been "clearly" edited. She said, "And then people get really upset when they can't do this."
Starbucks employees generally aim for around 45 seconds per drive-thru order. Sarah Ann Austin, a North Carolina barista said that large numbers of modifications can slow down baristas.
Starbucks representative stated that they ask their baristas make every order right. However, we would expect a customized beverage to take more time to make.
Eric Fellner, an ex-barista from North Carolina, stated that complex orders would "totally screw you" if they were not based on the standard base Starbucks recipes.
He said that the problem is because everything is dependent on time. "The whole idea is about speed, so everything must be organized in order to make that happen."
According to a barista in British Columbia, "If a drink seems complicated, assume it's complicated."
Insider was told by a Starbucks representative that most customizations are reasonable requests from customers.
A representative said that Starbucks' customer service and baristas' expertise in crafting the perfect beverage for customers is what makes it so special.
Are you a Starbucks employee? Have a story you want to share? Send a message to gdean@insider.com. Use a non-work email.
Business Insider has the original article.
