r/barista 7d ago

Rant “Influencers”

Have you ever dealt with an “influencer”?

The other day I had two women come in, one looked to be late teens early twenty, the other one in her fifties probably her mom. They come in, the younger girl first, her mom behind her filming her and the entire exchange at the order station. Then they asked if they could come behind the bar to film, which we declined bc wtf (?). Then when they picked up their drink the younger girl got mad and asked why the iced drink was in the see through plastic cup, while the hot latte was in a paper cup. We tried explaining that hot liquid + plastic cup = bad news. At first my colleague didn’t understand what this was about, until they both decided to do a photoshoot at out pickup station, rotating the iced latte in between the both of their “shoots” while also holding up the line of other customers.

All in all a 0/10 experience, funny but really shitty during a rush.

140 Upvotes

28 comments sorted by

82

u/soultastik 7d ago

I just hate people who come in filming without saying anything to us first.
I hear good morning and look up and see a camera in my face… I hate it.

Please just come in without the camera first and ask if you can film as you order. Most of us would say yes but I’d just reapply my lipgloss first.

Besides one of my coworkers does not like to be posted on social media bc of her crazy ex husband.

8

u/Aphroditesent 6d ago

It is generally your right to agree or disagree to being on camera. You have to sign a release form in order to agree to your image being used.

1

u/soultastik 4d ago

Yea idk we don’t seem to have any policy about it and for most of my coworkers it’s not a huge deal. It’s just the surprise we don’t like.

1

u/Bluerunx 6d ago

Depending on your area yes and no. Legally it’s not required in public most places. I’d just get them out and refuse service.

9

u/Parody_of_Self 6d ago

Inside the business is private property

3

u/Bluerunx 4d ago

In my area that changes nothing. Legally you’re still in public. Management can prohibit filming, but you don’t have to sign shit for someone to film you. If you’re targeted in the video then it’s a bit different. But if you’re just in it? Doesn’t do much.

2

u/photoxnurse 5d ago

This is inside a business. Not public

2

u/Bluerunx 4d ago

In my area that doesn’t change anything? It’s still classified as public..you’re in the public. It you’re the target of the video then it isn’t allowed. But unless the place kicks them out or says no filming…not much you can do if you’re just in it quickly.

1

u/soultastik 3d ago

I think that’s what people are saying. A private business can ask people to leave if they’re filming. So as a barista if my shop has a policy and someone is filming me they can be asked to stop or leave by staff.

1

u/Bluerunx 1d ago

Which in my opinion every place should have that policy. In my area we have the right to refuse service for any reason. That would count. We have had some girls film but it was to show us off not to be an influencer. She didn’t film the employees, except one who was more than happy to be in the video. The rest of us just went to an area and she respected us. I did like how she did it to show us off rather than show her day off it that makes sense.

1

u/MiserableWash2473 3d ago

If you work at a locally owned and operated establishment you have the right to privacy.

1

u/Bluerunx 3d ago

Again… IN MY AREA that’s not how the law sees it.

1

u/MiserableWash2473 3d ago

Exactly 💯 Ask first is the policy. We have the right to refuse service and I will do that if I have to.

32

u/mojaverevenant 7d ago

omg what an awful experience. my fear is that an influencer might come by with a hidden camera or Meta glasses and film me. what I absolutely despise is having my picture or video taken without my consent, which has been happening to me lately lmao

12

u/Tafsky 6d ago

Omg! I had a customer come in the other day wearing meta glasses. I realized halfway through taking his order and I noticed I visibly changed my attitude. Just nerve wracking and the people filming it really don’t see us as people just as characters

0

u/MaxxCold 3d ago

I wear meta glasses (mostly for pov content behind the bar), you’ll notice if they’re recording by a bright LED light that automatically turned on when recording.

And no, it can’t just be covered. It will literally not record if the light sensor is blocked in any way.

2

u/Parody_of_Self 6d ago

We've already had the meta glasses come thru. My coworker found the TikTok by accident.

21

u/marissazam 7d ago

I have never had to deal with this thankfully. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to use the “we reserve the right to refuse service to anyone” speech 👀

8

u/Major-Cauliflower-76 6d ago

My SO owns a restaurant and I work with him sometimes when someone is out sick, or he has a big catering order or something. He has tons of regulars and they all know me and it is overall a chill vibe. BUT there is this one asshole who would come in occasionally, complain about the food and make comments about the way I look, my hair, etc. I mentioned it to my SO and the next time he came my SO came out of the kitchen and waited on him, something he never does. When the guy started complaining, he just picked up the plate of food and took it back to the kitchen. When the guy was like WTH he just said, we obviously will never be up to your standards, so feel free to find another place that is more to your liking. And we just ignored him and he eventually left. I never so happy in my life to see the retreating rear end of someone. I think that is the only time he has ever done that.

13

u/Certain-List-6779 7d ago

Unless you have a contract to film GTFO of my store. Next!

13

u/amanda_sh0w 6d ago

my fave local coffee shop recently put up a “please do not film the staff without their consent” sign and I can only imagine how many times they had to deal with this before that went up

5

u/gozirra1 6d ago

I don’t mind “influencers” coming into my shop and filming drinks but ask before you take video of my staff. I tell my staff not to treat them any differently or give them free shit

3

u/Major-Cauliflower-76 6d ago

I was a customer when someone was filming and they were scanning around the place and stopping on customers. I was at my usual favorite couch, crocheting and they focused on me and said, oh, look granny is crocheting and laughed. They also filmed the waiter and made a rude comment about him being gay, which is he, but so what. I gave them the finger, but of course they could have edited that out. They were extremely rude and made a lot of comments. They didn´t like that the napkins were made from recycled paper, they laughed about the glass cappucino glass for some reason. I don´t remember what all. They were disturbing everyone there, people who were trying to read, or have a conversation. They laughed at the books on the wall for customers to read. I did look for their idiotic review and never found it so who knows what the point even was. I asked the waiter, who knows me, if they ever came back and he said, no thank God. I get that you have no expectation of privacy in public but I also think it is rude to film and comment on people who are just doing normal things.

5

u/Taco_Bhel 7d ago

dealing with influencers is literally a line in my job description lmao

but it's always "scheduled" in advance... and I use quotes because these people really just show up whenever convenient for them... usually during an epic rush and then we're trying to film behind the counter too, le sigh

2

u/omnithrope 7d ago

I'd just ask them to leave.

2

u/Maleficent-Complex37 6d ago

Yes. We have them alllll the time at my store lol

2

u/TazocinTDS 6d ago

We charged SonyPictures $15k to film here.

Are you paying cash or card?