Barista Training: What Makes a Great Barista?

We have talked about barista techniques and coffee equipment. We have answered the question of how to get a barista job. Together we have learned to write a barista resume and barista cover letter. But we haven't yet touched on the topic of personality in barista training.

Let us now ask experienced coffee shop owners what qualities they are looking for in their baristas. For more information, visit Coffee Shop Startups – they help aspiring coffee shop owners launch their businesses. We have talked to many of them regarding the employees, baristas, and working environment.

Together with high-quality coffee beans and professional coffee equipment, barista skills are key to any coffee shop's success. We believe that you possess all the qualities to enhance service quality in any café you are applying for. It’s worth, though, to revise what barista qualities are the most desired, according to veteran coffee shop owners.

Barista Personality

When a coffee shop owner or manager is asked, “What kind of barista are you looking for,” they would usually answer: “We are looking for someone meticulous, eager to learn, can perform great customer service, and work in a team. We’d rather hire someone without experience in coffee than a barista who’s arrogant and thinks he knows more than anyone“.

All of us possess these qualities, but they are developed to a different extent. If you are not super talkative, you can still perform very well as a barista and provide great customer service.

Are you sociable?

A barista needs to have great interpersonal skills because barista work requires non-stop interaction with people daily. If you enjoy freedom, a barista job offers you plenty of ways to express your individuality.

During your barista job interview, you will be asked questions like “How did you get along with your customers at your previous work?” or “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult customer.” Think in advance about how to answer these questions, and be honest about your experience.

How flexible are you?

After you get a barista job, you will know that sometimes the job itself can be a lot of hassle: let’s say your coworker got sick, which means that you will have more shifts than planned this week. If there’s a big line waiting to be served, you will need to prepare your drinks quickly while staying friendly and keeping an eye on the dirty dishes in the sink and messy tables in the café. You might also need to give orders to your teammates. Are you ready for that kind of job?

Attention to details is important

Even if you have a long line of customers, it doesn’t mean that you can allow yourself to forget what you learned during your barista training. Always remember to adjust the grind and properly dose and level the coffee. You have to provide the best customer service every single time. You will also be required to meet health and safety requirements at your workplace in the coffee shop. A barista job requires balance.

Your prospective employer can see how your attention to detail is revealed through your resume and cover letter. So make sure you write them without any typos and proofread them again and again.

Have you read through the rules and policies?

You must comply with the rules that your employer established for his business. For example, if it’s prohibited, you can’t serve an unhappy customer a free drink. Ask your manager what you can do instead. As a rule, you will be asked to clean your espresso machine after your shift. Or you can’t bring your pet dog or hamster to work. And you can’t escape it!

If you are asked a question about the work rules at your previous job during your barista job interview, or which of the rules you disliked, be sure that this question is targeted at knowing how comfortable you are with rules and requirements.

You have to be a team player

Your team of baristas is crucial to ensure efficient and quality service. You will rarely work on your own in a coffee shop, and during busy hours you will understand why. If you don’t think that you can work well in a team, there are two options for you: you can ask for an early morning or late night shift (both are a huge responsibility too), or you might want to consider another job. We believe that coffee is a kind of business where your ego is not the key to success. It doesn’t mean that it undermines your personality. Rather the arrogance is not accepted here.

What Makes a Great Barista? There Must Be More!

If there are other great barista traits we haven’t mentioned, please comment and suggest your view on barista work and the strong characteristics needed to succeed in the coffee business.

Barista Training Academy

Brought to you by Barista Training Academy, “The Beginning Barista,” Your Ultimate Prep Guide to Getting Your First Job as a Barista” is an ultimate resource that is available online. It is affordable for anybody who is looking to start a career in the coffee industry. For more information, visit our blog.