Starbucks Has a TikTok Problem
Former Starbucks employees are exposing the company on TikTok
What do you do when your employees become unhinged and start exposing you (and themselves) all over social media?
What can you do?
Starbucks is no stranger to controversy, especially on TikTok.
Social media has made it easy and even trendy to share things we probably shouldn’t share, but why is that?
The Psychology Of Why We Do What We Do On Social Media
Though there are many reasons why we share so much on social media, these may be the top 5 reasons:
- To bring valuable and entertaining content to others
- To define ourselves to others
- To grow and nourish our relationships
- To fulfill ourselves
- To get the word out about causes or brands
When former Starbucks employees get on TikTok to expose their former employers, in my opinion, it usually appears to be for an equal mix of clout and, well, clout (i.e., #4 on the list above).
Starbucks is a big brand with a lot of fans.
And in helping to drag Starbucks’s name through the mud, almost every TikTok mentioned here garnered millions of views, more than enough views to increase follower counts and make news headlines.
According To TikTok…
You Have No Clue What’s In Your Starbucks Drink
Believe it or not, even at Starbucks, some people try to opt for “healthy” options.
But how do you do that when you don’t really know what’s in the drinks?
This former Starbucks employee took to TikTok to tell everyone that refreshers are nothing more than white grape juice with a few extra bells and whistles, depending on which one you buy.
Not only is that disappointing to those whose first exposure to dragon fruit was via the refresher, or so they thought, it’s also a disappointing reminder that many of the things we pay a premium for can be easily duplicated at home, if not made to be of higher quality.
Oh, and this guy says Frappuccinos have fake espresso flavoring in them, but hopefully you were only drinking those for the taste and not for an energy boost.
Your Local Shop Might Be Really Dirty
Though cleanliness is of the utmost importance for an establishment that serves food and beverages, sometimes it slips through the cracks.
This former Starbucks employee took to TikTok to expose how filthy her location was.
Though this TikTok received a lot of backlash directed at the girl who posted the video as well as at her co-workers for not cleaning up their messes, the TikToker did come back with a valid (but not excusable) point:
There’s never an excuse to not clean containers and cups that are used to make people’s drinks and snacks. But without enough staff members and time to clean in between customers, it can be difficult to keep up.
Not impossible, but labor shortages are widespread and devastating.
That’s undeniable, much like the residue in the cups she showed.
Your Barista Might Be Lying To You
This former Starbucks barista gave customers decaffeinated coffee on purpose when they asked for regular coffee, just because he felt like it was a good prank.
When asked if he ever did the reverse and gave regular caffeinated coffee to customers who asked for decaf, he assured people he did not.
That video received millions of views.
And this Starbucks employee pretended items were out of stock if he wanted his workday to be light.
His comments section exploded with people connecting the dots with their own experiences at their preferred Starbucks locations, realizing that the items they were ordering may not have actually been out of stock after all.
But It’s Not Just The Employees
Starbucks fans went to TikTok to start a trend of using employee codes printed on receipts to get employee discounts, even though they weren’t Starbucks employees.
Unfortunately, the burden of getting caught falls squarely on the employees whose numbers were used to get discounts, not on the TikTokers who found the loophole and exploited it.
This Reddit user had a run-in with teens potentially hoping to use his or her employee code for future discounts.
Starbucks Has a TikTok Problem
In some way, shape, or form, all the issues listed above have plagued other establishments, too.
Other employees from other companies become unhinged.
Other customers of other companies find and exploit discounts they shouldn’t be using.
But there’s a frequency to the TikToks about Starbucks that fascinates me.
For whatever reason, Starbucks employees and fans routinely find comfort in airing out all this dirty laundry on TikTok where a random post about a popular company can go viral at the drop of a hat.
And unfortunately, there’s little Starbucks, or any other organization, can really do to stop current employees, former employees, and fans from leaking bad press.
None of the TikToks mentioned here were the first time Starbucks got dragged on social media, and none will be the last.