Starbucks Team Leaders

[Hardlinesmaster]

Any tips on memorizing all the drink codes? Some are obvious but there are so many >.< Just processing it all while drinking up the guest's order and calling the drink out in a timely manner. Don't know what will happen when I finally get thrown into the wild with those long morning lines >.<

Here is an link that may help you out, too.
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[redandkhaki]

I hope so because I just hired one!

 

[Yetive]

I have but never for long. I had one TM that was a Merchandise Brand TM that worked at Starbucks and I would schedule her with us once in a while. She ended up quitting.

And I imagine your store is more like a free standing one than most. I've had good luck with other licensed baristas, but not sure about a corporate one. I guess there won't be much training time invested if he doesn't work out!

 

[Yetive]

I hope so because I just hired one!

What kind of volume are you? With our hours, we open and close alone, with short mids on weekdays and longer ones on weekends. I think that would be an adjustment for a corporate barista!

 

[Coqui]

And I imagine your store is more like a free standing one than most. I've had good luck with other licensed baristas, but not sure about a corporate one. I guess there won't be much training time invested if he doesn't work out!

I have one barista that came from another licensed store where she's used to working alone and with us she is always with a team so it was a pleasant surprise for her. She still works both and her other store and I share the same DM. I find the corporate baristas a little challenging because they sometimes come in with this "I know more than you" kinda attitude but when you show them things that they didn't know, they tend to ease up.

 

[redandkhaki]

What kind of volume are you? With our hours, we open and close alone, with short mids on weekdays and longer ones on weekends. I think that would be an adjustment for a corporate barista!

Sounds just my store.

 

[Asuras]

So it has been 3 days worth of training. I have the weekend off. Feels like all the info has flushed out of my head already =*(

I'm being trained in along side another new SBTL. Her store only gave her until next Tuesday and she is thrown to the wolves. So I mainly focus on taking overs and the codes for the cups. And brewing the 3 coffees. I was shown the basics on some of the drinks. And feel confident on the shaken Iced Tea Drinks and making a Americano (only things I found easy).

Anyone mind posting the order of creating:
Latte
Cappuccino
Frappuccino
Macchiato

Just so when I go back on Monday. I'm not so clueless >.<

 

[Yetive]

For frappuccino, there are stickers that should be by the frapp station. They have the order and basic recipes for frapps. Ours is on the top of the milk fridge under the frapp area, so pull that out a little bit, and it should be there. Pretty easy, like the shakers.

The hot drinks all start by steaming the milk. Pull down the pitcher until you hear the tearing paper sound, count to 2/3 for lattes/macchiatoes and 5 for cappuccinoes then put the pitcher on the tray to finish steaming.

Next, cue shots. Push the button for the appropriate number/type of shots. For macchiato use shot glasses.

While the machine is grinding the beans for the shots, pump syrup, if needed, into the cup. For lattes and cappuccinoes put the cup on the tray for the espresso. For macchiato, set cup to the side.

Once milk and espresso are done, assemble the drink and hand off.

 

[Coqui]

Also going off of Yetive's guidance, the espresso machine should have a sticker on it detailing each step that Yetive just said just like the Frappuccino steps on the cold bar station. You follow that order every time either skipping a certain step when applicable. For example for a vanilla latte, you steam milk, cue shots, as the beans grind pump your syrup into the cup, place cup on the drip tray and pour the steamed milk into the cup once espresso and milk are done. If it was iced you would just skip the "Steam milk" step and move on to "cue shot".

 

[redeye58]

Lattes & cappuccinos are the same EXCEPT for lattes you use a spoon to hold back the milk foam as you pour it in the cup (1/2 inch from the top) & top it with a dollop of foam; cappuccinos are poured WITHOUT holding back the foam (aka 'free pour').
Sometimes guests will request lattes with 'no foam'; the foam acts as an insulator & keeps the drink hot a little longer.

 

[Yetive]

Also, steaming milk seems to be the scariest thing for learners. Remember to pull the lever all the way forward. If you pull it part the way forward, it won't shut off automatically and will probably boil over. I'm pretty sure everyone has had this happen at least once while training. No big deal, but you don't want to burn yourself.

 

[Asuras]

Thank you so much again for the support. For the sake of it. Could you post the frappacino instructions? I'm off this weekend. Just want something look at and mentally practice the order of things.

Stopped by my home store to check on things. The current Sbtl is on vacation. We lost 2 TM last weekend. So that left lots of gaps in the schedule. Tomorrow we only have 2 openers. One if which is our new tm who transfered in. And no closer, in addition the milk steam has been down since Friday night. Yikes. I might have to go in and help or try to. But I'm still at the point where I still need guidance >.<

The entire week I still have training at the another store.

 

[Yetive]

First of all, I wouldn't go in to your store. You might have to cut some training hours to avoid OT, and you want all of the training you are allowed.

You might want to call the LOD and have him make sure there was a work order for the mastrena steam wand. There should have been someone out to fix it yesterday. The Mastrena guy is usually out within a couple hours.

 

[Asuras]

According to someone there right now. The steamer is still down. But a work order was placed Friday night. They plan to close Starbucks down at 5pm. Because they couldn't find anyone at another store to cover. And anyone that was cross trained are on vacation. And other sbtm are either on vacation too or burnt out from. Already work ot last week due to the gap from losing a 2 tms.

Still don't recommend going in to help or cover their breaks atleast for a short while?

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Do not go in. Relax! Here is your chance to see how your mgt work without you being there. Hopefully, they will get caught with Starbucks being closed.

 

[Yetive]

Don't go in. Tbh you aren't trained enough to close alone.

 

[Coqui]

Do you have TMs from your previous work center that you can start cross training once you're trained? That's what you need, reliable people.

 

[Asuras]

I had 2 of the younger TMs already set to go on LOA for school. So my old department isn't in the situation to pull them away yet. The current SBTL is still around for a unknown amount of time until they sort out his transfer. So I have his support until than. There are 2 TM that use to work in SB but left to get away from it. They can help to but with a lot of convincing.

I have one interview (has Caribou Coffee experience) tomorrow but both myself and the SBTL are away. So am having another TL do the interview for me. My AST Certified TM is in talks with another TM interested in transferring to out department.

 

[Coqui]

Make sure that the TL doing the interviews for you communicates your expectations. I would let them know that attendance and reliability is what you need and their ability to not only work independently but work as a team because Starbucks is a workcenter that needs everyone to pull their weight especially in stores that sometimes just have two team members working from open and close. If the opening TM doesn't do their part, the closing TM has an added workload and that is what makes people quit.

 

[Yetive]

I find that if you can give definite timelines to people, they are more willing to help. Level with the 2 experienced tms that you need their help, and give an end point. They may think it's a slippery slope back to the department if you don't.

I have one AST barista who does first interviews for me. She knows what we are looking for, and has great judgment. I realize that this wouldn't fly everywhere, but it works for us.

 

[Coqui]

I'm confident you can fix that department, they just need solid routines and accountability. Definitely give them timelines like what Yetive said, it'll help them know what is expected of them and peer pressure is just as effective as pressure from their TL. No body wants to work with someone who doesn't show up or is constantly late and who doesn't pull their weight.

 

[Asuras]

All the TMs remaining are for sure pulling their weight. Like I said, we lost 2 TMs last weekend. One new TM just stopped showing up. And the other just quit without putting her 2 week notice to work for a Corporate Starbucks. The later TM was also know to show up late or constantly calling in.

The 2 TM already got approved and worked 42+ hours to cover last week. They were just too burnt out to cover anymore going into this week. Or had time offs. Honestly, the current SBTL should have talked to the team and rearranged this weeks schedule to fill in the gaps. It was just left as is and left it to HR to fill in the gaps (which as of today, nothing as been done). Are steamer is still broken and wont be looked at until tomorrow. And now I learn the one of the hot water faucet is not working either. In addition to SB closing in an hour.

Not complaining or anything. I appreciate them working so hard until I get back. I just wish I could do more right now to help them. And thank you guys again for replying back. It helps a lot to speed up my training during my down time on my weekend off. I have one more full week of training. And hope to jump into the action. And hopefully get the department running at 100% again.

The AST Certification Training is a whole other mess... The current SBTL only set aside one 8 shift together to cover it. While he used the remaining training hours as regular shifts. Since we are given 184 hours. I was given 3 weeks of training hours. So I feel like the 3rd week training hours used for mostly regular shifts is worrisome.

 

[Coqui]

A lot of the training is done on the floor so don't be too worried. Plus leverage your team and have them help you, it'll only be beneficial in the long run. Recognize and reward those TMs that worked that OT for you, that shows a lot of work ethic on their part. Sounds to me like those two will be your support when you're there.

 

[Yetive]

Definitely a good idea to finish your training as coverage. Also, it's good to get some training in your own store. I wouldn't sweat the AST training. You already have the food safety part down from the meat department. Also, lots of it is common sense.

When I took over sbux, there hadn't been a TL for months. I was trained in house by a barista except for two 5 hour shifts with a TL. The DM came in, walked the store, gave me a 3 month timeline to do the AST training (self paced), and that was the last I ever saw her! It was 3 more months before I got a new DM. I know that its a lot being thrown at you, but you will be fine.

Next week, you should get lots of practice making drinks. By Friday I'll bet you are much more comfortable doing it. In week 3, you can work on more of the TL specific

It's a great idea to have your team recruit people who already work at Target. That way, you have an idea of how reliable they are. I have turned down a couple of tms whose attendance was lacking.

 

[Coqui]

Great advice and be picky when selecting TMs both internally and during interviews.