The Drive-Thru Behavior Starbucks Baristas Absolutely Hate, According To Reddit 

It's safe to assume that most of us strive to become better Starbucks customers at all times. However, it's particularly important in the drive-thru, given that drive-thru workers can exact reasonable revenge on awful customers. With that in mind, if you swing by the Starbucks drive-thru to pick up a drink from the coffee chain's dreamy fall lineup, be sure to avoid an all-too-common behavior that baristas can't stand — saying "Hello?!" immediately when you pull up to the drive-thru speaker box. Although on the customer's end, it might seem totally polite and normal to address the barista right away, it's actually quite frustrating for baristas.

Starbucks' drive-thrus (and almost all fast food drive-thrus) have sensors, so employees are more than aware when a customer is waiting and will attend to them as soon as possible. When customers loudly declare "Hello?" within seconds of pulling up, it can seem impatient and entitled. Plus, it's stressful for baristas, and it certainly won't help you get service any faster.

In a discussion on the subreddit r/starbucks, many baristas expressed frustration with customers who immediately say "Hello?!" in the drive-thru. One user noted that they hear a bell ring every time a car pulls up, and it can be quite stressful for baristas when customers start talking before they can walk back to the drive-thru area. Others suggested that these impatient coffee clients may just end up waiting even longer. As another Reddit user put it, "Any time that happens, suddenly I have to take three minutes serving the customer at the window before I can take your order."

Another user expressed the irritation in terms even those who've never worked a drive-thru can understand: "Oh, how it makes my blood boil sometimes. It's like when you are about to take out the trash and your roommate says, 'Hey, can you take out the trash?'" It's safe to say none of us would like to inflict this enraging feeling on anyone, so the next time you stop by the Starbucks drive-thru (or any drive-thru, for that matter), try your best to be patient and wait until the barista speaks to you — you may actually get your hands on that flavor-packed fall Starbucks drink even faster. And if you order your Starbucks drink in the correct way, you might just make your barista's day.