Just a nice thing some baristas do when we’re slow or if a car is holding up the line with a big order and we’re waiting on items. Or if they’re just feeling nice, we have stickers to put on cups and some carry sharpies to write a nice message or in your case a smiley face on your cup
Thank you for your answer! Well honestly something as simple as that truly made my whole day :) I appreciated it. Starbucks employees are honestly the most sweetest.
Oh I have another question that o forgot to mention: is it also a nice thing if she were to give you a free drink out of the blue? This happened to me a while back and I forgot to ask.
9 times out of 10 it’s cause it was made on accident/incorrectly so they couldn’t hand it out, and so we give it it to someone else so as not to waste it
It means the store was slow, but it always comes from the nicest people! Glad that made your day! If you have the starbucks app make sure to leave a good review if it gives you a survey!
I’m glad you’re sweet and happy in the replies but seeing these posts all the time make me laugh like there will be a sticker that says “Have a great day!” and people will be like WHAT IS THIS??????? 😂
🤣 yeah I understand. Honestly I think it’s because not a lot of places do stuff like that where baristas take the time to do that and it leaves an impression. Certainly did for me. :)
They were bored. I used to do things like this too when I had the time.
“Is it a sign of flirting?”
I stopped because male customers took this to mean I was flirting, like would proceed to hit on me and ask for my info. One regular got creepy with me and kept asking me out even when I said no, even when I said I was in a relationship. Didn’t mention I was a lesbian, maybe I should have. He actually said at one point “then why did you put cute drawings on my cup?” and winked at me. Sir, it was a sun ☀️, not a heart with our initials in it.
I got sick of men mistaking me being nice for flirting. I’ve never once thought that when I’m a customer and an employee anywhere was nice to me.
Every dude forever thinks his nice barista is flirting with him, I observed this behavior for like 15 years, we’re like catnip for some reason. Even worse than being a bartender.
I'd recommend any baristas here to not draw on the lid but on the cup instead. The sharpie fumes can last for a bit and anyone with a sensitive nose can smell it when they sip their coffee.
I say this as both the sensitive nose person and as an ex-barista who used to do this! <3
I write notes for my regulars if I have a minute, or my friends if I want to say hi but don't have time to chat.
Sometimes when I have a hot minute ill pop them on a random cup.
If you're a regular or have a.distiguishable drink, your baristas like you
I bet the window or person taking orders was bored 😂😂😂 ive been there, done that. Usually drew hearts, smileys or lil positive messages on the cups like "have a great day!" "Youre amazing!" "Shoot for the stars!" etc lol
There was one time I spent my lunch time writing on cups, got a sleeve of each size and wrote punny things like you bean a lot to me! Just looked up a bunch of coffee puns on the World Wide Web.
If you regularly order from there it might have been the barista you interact with usually who recognizes your order and this is their way of still being able to interact with you. I draw hearts and smiles on my regulars drinks when I’m not in the window and I can get to it. You might be someone’s favorite 🫶🏻
Got bored and wanted to make someone’s day we have to be careful because some ppl complain about this we have one girl that does art on the cups or lids I love it
i like to draw on the cups for my customers, esp if kids are wearing a shirt with a character on it or something ill drew that character real quick on the cup before handing it to the bar barista
When it was slow at my Starbucks we would draw smiley faces, hearts, write messages, throw stickers all over lids and cups. My manager thought these acts would boost our customer connection scores. It was also just fun and time waster when we had nothing else to do.
I know that little doodles make me happy so they probably make others happy! Also I almost always do it on my favorite regulars’ drinks in case I don’t get to say hi to them so they can at least get a good vibe from my side of the store
It was slow or they were in a really good mood.
I like to do it when I can because I know the world is a dumpster fire so I am trying to be kinder to counter ut in spite of myself sometimes. I think it makes people's days
I usually do it to be nice or if that person comes a lot. Also whenever someone orders cold foam and caramel drizzle I like the make designs on the cold foam with the caramel drizzle 😆 (I’m not flirting)
My sister would always write on my cups when I would come see her and she even got her coworkers to do it too if I went and she wasn’t working!! Most baristas just do it to be nice and especially when they aren’t flooded with drinks :))
just that they had a bit of extra time and felt like doing something nice! you might have been extra kind to them so they wanted to show appreciation, or it might have been a “random acts of kindness” thing :)
sometimes i just just draw on a bunch of the bags/lids and put them back so random ppl just get doodles :) (more so on the shopping bags or pastry bags)
We have one partner who loves to doodle little drawings on our lids. When we are slow she will do a bunch of them and we randomly pick one up as we are finishing a drink. Our customers love it
Nothing bad! Before the pick time I already pre made some bags with “enjoy 💓” or if it’s delivery from a regular I write: “glad to have you again! 💓” stuff like that, I genuinely like to wrote positive things 🦭
their manager is yelling at them about customer connection and telling them they need to up the store score and figure something out before everyone gets written up
Usually just means it was slow, you were nice, and we were in a good mood. *very* rarely it might mean we thought you were cute but don't read into that, there will be other signs lol
I want to make it clear any of these points on their own don't mean anything - working in customer service, politeness gets misconstrued for flirting a lot. That being said, if the barista talks to you a lot more than the polite, necessary customer service conversation, it could be a sign they're interested. If they light up when you come in and it seems genuine, or if they genuinely laugh at your jokes or playful comments, it could also be a sign. If that happens a lot, it could be worth asking if they'd like to connect on social media. Only ask this is you're willing to respect their answer even if it's no. Crossing the customer/barista boundary can be really scary for both parties and can end badly if one goes about it wrong. Wishing you all the best :)
If I got people's orders that I recognized I would draw smileys or hearts on them. Especially regulars that all of us loved. Obviously if the vibe was correct.
My husband and I are regulars at Starbucks and our baristas draw smiley faces and hearts and often put stickers on the cups too. I agree with you - it always makes my day too! Just reminds us how much small acts of kindness can mean to others in this world! Whether they are bored or not, it feels personal and sweet and that's all that matters!
for being nice, but apparently some customer got mad but idk if my supervisors didn’t like that i was treating customers nicely cause i heard 2 different stories from them about the sharpie thing
Yeah back when I was at a drive-thru store when we had hold ups wed write little notes on the sleeves. It honestly was something our customers thought was really sweet. Would even have some customers come back the next day and tell us they needed that. Some kept the sleeves. It's just baristas being nice
Nah. Most of the time it doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes I’ll even do latte art knowing the customer will never lift the lid up to see it. Just something we do when we’re bored sometimes I suppose. At least for me and my coworkers as far as I know.
Depends for each store. My old store we’d do it for the ones we thought were hot. My current store we do it for the ones we hate in order to tell them to make their drink with decaf without saying decaf out loud
Just a nice thing some baristas do when we’re slow or if a car is holding up the line with a big order and we’re waiting on items. Or if they’re just feeling nice, we have stickers to put on cups and some carry sharpies to write a nice message or in your case a smiley face on your cup
Thank you for your answer! Well honestly something as simple as that truly made my whole day :) I appreciated it. Starbucks employees are honestly the most sweetest.
I really appreciate this ❣️they don’t go unnoticed the drawings help when I can’t break out of work and go see some friendly faces ☺️🥰
Oh I have another question that o forgot to mention: is it also a nice thing if she were to give you a free drink out of the blue? This happened to me a while back and I forgot to ask.
9 times out of 10 it’s cause it was made on accident/incorrectly so they couldn’t hand it out, and so we give it it to someone else so as not to waste it
Okay 👍
It means the store was slow, but it always comes from the nicest people! Glad that made your day! If you have the starbucks app make sure to leave a good review if it gives you a survey!
Will do
I’m glad you’re sweet and happy in the replies but seeing these posts all the time make me laugh like there will be a sticker that says “Have a great day!” and people will be like WHAT IS THIS??????? 😂
“Have a great day!” WHAT IS THIS???? Lmao so accurate, i have definitely seen posts like that
🤣 yeah I understand. Honestly I think it’s because not a lot of places do stuff like that where baristas take the time to do that and it leaves an impression. Certainly did for me. :)
This is the reason I draw and write notes on cups!!! I’m glad someone appreciates it, even if it’s not at my store.
You’re awesome!
Aww, I’ve never gotten one, but would definitely appreciate it. Nice of you.
It actually means there is poison in that one :/
It’s all poison babe. Slowly killing us. No lie
Oh nothing much, just that you’re next
This is like the third comment saying something similar to this I don’t understand what it means LMAO
It’s quiet
They were bored. I used to do things like this too when I had the time. “Is it a sign of flirting?” I stopped because male customers took this to mean I was flirting, like would proceed to hit on me and ask for my info. One regular got creepy with me and kept asking me out even when I said no, even when I said I was in a relationship. Didn’t mention I was a lesbian, maybe I should have. He actually said at one point “then why did you put cute drawings on my cup?” and winked at me. Sir, it was a sun ☀️, not a heart with our initials in it. I got sick of men mistaking me being nice for flirting. I’ve never once thought that when I’m a customer and an employee anywhere was nice to me.
Every dude forever thinks his nice barista is flirting with him, I observed this behavior for like 15 years, we’re like catnip for some reason. Even worse than being a bartender.
Sorry you to deal with that.
Yeah. Sorry, we are always wrong in every situation.
You need to get into witness protection right now
Pardon?
It's just a joke.😊
A barista once wrote her number on my latte cup. We’ve been together 13 years and married for 6.
That’s cute!
Adorbs ♥️
just means we’re bored during opening and start doodling on cups
Watch your back
Excuse me?
lol just joking. When I worked at Starbucks and it wasn’t busy in the morning I would write nice sayings on stacks of cups.
👍
You have been marked. Leave a cup of lamb's blood on the windowsill tonight or suffer the consequences.
Is this a reference to something LMAO
=)
Wtf what is happening 🤣
It means the SIREN’S EYE is watching you! 😱😱😱😱
They’re bored.
you’ve been marked for death
Lol
I prefer they write on the cup, not the lid. It makes me feel a little icky when it is on the lid, and once it transferred to my big nose.
tbh i wouldnt sip out the lid at all, they get pretty gross and come in direct contact with strangers hands, i always hand out straws
That they were bored, most likely.
Means uve been targeted : )
It means they wanted to do something nice. That's all.
😊
I'd recommend any baristas here to not draw on the lid but on the cup instead. The sharpie fumes can last for a bit and anyone with a sensitive nose can smell it when they sip their coffee. I say this as both the sensitive nose person and as an ex-barista who used to do this! <3
Also black dot on your nose, I had a barista that did that and always had black marks on my nose and never knew why
Listen to “you don’t know my name” by Alicia Keys and you’ll know!!!! 😛😛😛
🤣bruh
😁😁😁
Run.
Why? 🤣
You have been chosen. They are coming.
Chosen for what 🤣🤣 please elaborate
Idk I'm just quoting Sims 1 lol
Don’t they speak gibberish? 🤣
[image](https://www.google.com/search?client=ms-android-tmus-us-rvc3&sca_esv=11c12ff814d391b1&sxsrf=ADLYWIJzCAcH1kGhJEjbVBLuRcGoyzC0Qg:1719625233091&q=you+have+been+chosen+they+will+come+soon&udm=2&fbs=AEQNm0A9vmJuxO--aXo5xJ5L67ZMO_3_OL-WfKb38qrQIJeb9CjWeASvbYil7YV-_O_FnsBSyW0it2Q_GfgMaXPC2aMBbeTHe1_LzWgVUi57Xtuh7BiGrhIIxVdn-E6y9VrW0LGHSeNMG8l7U2jDWWR1iMo3ukMp7Qpr4J6FcfeBsJ610AGqBblHiWprOhNWv6IK3DE4CHIMSCrF8vkDwhII4DeHgjUKag&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjk6qiZ1_-GAxWxJTQIHXAfDGcQtKgLegQIGhAB&biw=384&bih=729&dpr=2.81#vhid=M2ngCepnbftV_M&vssid=mosaic)
Simmish 🤣
Aww!!! This is so sweet! 🥰
Yeah it really made my day
I write notes for my regulars if I have a minute, or my friends if I want to say hi but don't have time to chat. Sometimes when I have a hot minute ill pop them on a random cup. If you're a regular or have a.distiguishable drink, your baristas like you
I am a regular there so that might be it haha
I bet the window or person taking orders was bored 😂😂😂 ive been there, done that. Usually drew hearts, smileys or lil positive messages on the cups like "have a great day!" "Youre amazing!" "Shoot for the stars!" etc lol
There was one time I spent my lunch time writing on cups, got a sleeve of each size and wrote punny things like you bean a lot to me! Just looked up a bunch of coffee puns on the World Wide Web.
And I chose my favorite four, split each cup size into four sections and spent my time writing it on each cup.
We used to draw cartoon characters or write messages on the side of the cup so it’s just either they are bored or honestly trying to brighten your day
One time when the store was super slow I drew an entire Jurassic theme on the cup with dinosaurs and trees 😔🤚 my coworker did a space one
When a customer mentions it’s their birthday I like to write happy birthday on the cup and draw two sets off ballon’s on each side.
it could also mean you were nice to them after someone who wasn’t so friendly
If you regularly order from there it might have been the barista you interact with usually who recognizes your order and this is their way of still being able to interact with you. I draw hearts and smiles on my regulars drinks when I’m not in the window and I can get to it. You might be someone’s favorite 🫶🏻
That would be nice 👍
we think you are cool! or you were very nice
It means the barista was in a good mood. A happy barista in captivity
That it’s slow and we are bored so why not show some love 💕
Got bored and wanted to make someone’s day we have to be careful because some ppl complain about this we have one girl that does art on the cups or lids I love it
Aw I think that’s so sweet. I’d love a smiley face on my cup!
i like to draw on the cups for my customers, esp if kids are wearing a shirt with a character on it or something ill drew that character real quick on the cup before handing it to the bar barista
Drink with caution lol
When it was slow at my Starbucks we would draw smiley faces, hearts, write messages, throw stickers all over lids and cups. My manager thought these acts would boost our customer connection scores. It was also just fun and time waster when we had nothing else to do.
they are in a good mood today
It’s just them having a good day and sharing the good vibes
I know that little doodles make me happy so they probably make others happy! Also I almost always do it on my favorite regulars’ drinks in case I don’t get to say hi to them so they can at least get a good vibe from my side of the store
r/gangstalking
Aww how sweet 🥰
Nothing, just trying to spread some positivity :) I like to draw on pastry bags or sleeves and give them out
I love leaving little notes and doodles on cups when I’m on bar! I always leave a birthday message and doodle when it’s a birthday drink too :)
I used to decorate cups when I was bored at work. It never meant anything.
We were in a good mood and had time. That’s all that means
It was slow or they were in a really good mood. I like to do it when I can because I know the world is a dumpster fire so I am trying to be kinder to counter ut in spite of myself sometimes. I think it makes people's days
It can be as simple as a little doodle just to cheer you up or give you a smile, or it could be a cry for help.
It means give them a 7
I’m not gonna lie, I mindlessly do this on the cups sometimes LOL
I usually do it to be nice or if that person comes a lot. Also whenever someone orders cold foam and caramel drizzle I like the make designs on the cold foam with the caramel drizzle 😆 (I’m not flirting)
It means you're in
My sister would always write on my cups when I would come see her and she even got her coworkers to do it too if I went and she wasn’t working!! Most baristas just do it to be nice and especially when they aren’t flooded with drinks :))
just that they had a bit of extra time and felt like doing something nice! you might have been extra kind to them so they wanted to show appreciation, or it might have been a “random acts of kindness” thing :)
i love writing little notes or smiley faces like this on drinks i make :)) sometimes i try to draw stuff in caramel drizzle too lol
sometimes i just just draw on a bunch of the bags/lids and put them back so random ppl just get doodles :) (more so on the shopping bags or pastry bags)
We have one partner who loves to doodle little drawings on our lids. When we are slow she will do a bunch of them and we randomly pick one up as we are finishing a drink. Our customers love it
Nothing bad! Before the pick time I already pre made some bags with “enjoy 💓” or if it’s delivery from a regular I write: “glad to have you again! 💓” stuff like that, I genuinely like to wrote positive things 🦭
their manager is yelling at them about customer connection and telling them they need to up the store score and figure something out before everyone gets written up
They want you to huff the permanent marker while you drink???
Usually just means it was slow, you were nice, and we were in a good mood. *very* rarely it might mean we thought you were cute but don't read into that, there will be other signs lol
What other signs if you don’t mind me asking?
I want to make it clear any of these points on their own don't mean anything - working in customer service, politeness gets misconstrued for flirting a lot. That being said, if the barista talks to you a lot more than the polite, necessary customer service conversation, it could be a sign they're interested. If they light up when you come in and it seems genuine, or if they genuinely laugh at your jokes or playful comments, it could also be a sign. If that happens a lot, it could be worth asking if they'd like to connect on social media. Only ask this is you're willing to respect their answer even if it's no. Crossing the customer/barista boundary can be really scary for both parties and can end badly if one goes about it wrong. Wishing you all the best :)
Thank you so much 😊
I like when they do this one time at my schools Starbucks they would draw hearts on my drinks :)
If I got people's orders that I recognized I would draw smileys or hearts on them. Especially regulars that all of us loved. Obviously if the vibe was correct.
This so cute 🥰
My husband and I are regulars at Starbucks and our baristas draw smiley faces and hearts and often put stickers on the cups too. I agree with you - it always makes my day too! Just reminds us how much small acts of kindness can mean to others in this world! Whether they are bored or not, it feels personal and sweet and that's all that matters!
I just do that when I’m bored
for being nice, but apparently some customer got mad but idk if my supervisors didn’t like that i was treating customers nicely cause i heard 2 different stories from them about the sharpie thing
They were bored
they were bored lmao
Were you having a bad moment?
i love making smileys with caramel drizzle on cold foam
Yeah back when I was at a drive-thru store when we had hold ups wed write little notes on the sleeves. It honestly was something our customers thought was really sweet. Would even have some customers come back the next day and tell us they needed that. Some kept the sleeves. It's just baristas being nice
Nah. Most of the time it doesn’t mean anything. Sometimes I’ll even do latte art knowing the customer will never lift the lid up to see it. Just something we do when we’re bored sometimes I suppose. At least for me and my coworkers as far as I know.
Means nothing don’t get wet.
bored Or flirting
Thanks to everyone and their comments!
It means they were having a good day
She wants your peepee
🤣🤣🤣 She was cute I was totally feeling her a bit
bruh lmfaoooo
Ive ordered probably hundreds of drinks from Starbucks and never got a smiley face. AITA? Lol
I’ve gotten a few nice messages or stickers from baristas ☺️💕
It means I’m smelling sharpie when I go to take a sip 😔
Depends for each store. My old store we’d do it for the ones we thought were hot. My current store we do it for the ones we hate in order to tell them to make their drink with decaf without saying decaf out loud
They are still new a love the Job.
i’m my case, they were flirting with me but most of the time it’s just because it’s slow and the baristas are bored
Personally, I do it to flirt. lol Edit: Not the downvotes 😭
And four of them? Mmmmhmmm
That’s what I’m saying!!!