Barista on price hike: "We thought people were going to complain, but so far they haven't"

Starbucks barista Kaitlin Leaf says: "One customer said, 'Oh you're going to lose business,' and then she reloaded her Starbucks card." (Sacramento Bee)
> "If you love coffee, you're going to pay for coffee," says woman (Oregonian)

Comments

[strdew]

I am a barista and this is quite true! I was shocked.

The store opened and we had cups with extra change for customers who were not expecting the hike. As the daily stream came in (not unlike coffee pouring into a Bunn brewer), we were reminding the customers of the hike. Around 70-80% were already well aware of the change and had heard about it on the news or through the paper. Most were extremely friendly, receptive to the change (or they just didn't care) and were asking if we got matching raises.

[peter]

as a partner, i wish raises were in it for us. nothing like trying to make customers happy about the raise when we have nothing in it for us.

[claire]

not only do we have to pacify the customers about the price hike, and get nothing out of it--but we get less tips. change from $2 for coffee makes up a lot of the tips in our store. now for a venti we are only getting the nickel.

i'm interested to see if there will be a noticeable drop in our tips this week.

[david73]

First of all, I am a starbucks employee....
I think it is a strange situation when a coffe shop's price hike makes national news. What a world.

But, It really isn't completely Starbucks' fault. Has anyone bought milk or gasoline lately? Not long ago, a gallon of milk was less than $1.50 ... same with gas. Our drinks aren't made with pixie dust and the supplies don't arrive on magic flying carpets. The company has to pay for what it uses. And the prices going up for the ingredients means a price rise in the end product. It is very simple microeconomics and business management. It is simply a prevention of the loss of profits that inflation has put upon the company.

I am not trying to make an apology for Starbucks and their price change but trying to explain. The doors of Starbucks are not a shelter from inflation. Prices are going up everywhere from the grocery store to your local eating establishment.

About the theory that, "If they raise the prices, they should raise my pay." -- Wouldn't that be nice? Well, I hate to sound like a company lacky, but we do get "cost of living" pay raises. I, personally, can recall two that we have gotten in the past year. It isn't based on job performance or seniority. It is just a company policy to keep wages comparable to the general rise in prices in today's economy. Everyone at every job everywhere thinks they deserve more money for all of the hard work they do -- no matter how much they get paid! Maybe they do. I wouldn't fight a raise, myself. But it is impossible to run a business where you let the employees invent their own pay rate, or everyone would be making millions of dollars an hour.

[Shift for Starbucks]

This is in response to the post Claire wrote: you got a piss poor attitude. I wonder how people like you make it in Starbucks cause there is nothing "legendary" about your attitude if you feel like you have to "pacify" customers. Yes some customers have been irritable about the change but who wouldn't be. NOne of the baristas have had to "pacify" anyone. We recently had an increase in the sales/food tax in my state so for our customers this is the second price hike in 2 months. 95% of our customers have been great about it, understanding and not out to kill the messengers. Frankly, even without tips baristas make damn good money. I was surprised we even got tips when I was first hired. Losing some money from tips isn't wonderful but you act like it is then end of the world. Starbucks hasn't raised prices since 2000! Prices for everything have gone up from milk, to tea, to the very lifeblood of our company (coffee). This raise in prices isn't just for the hell of it, it is to keep being able expand and grow as well as to continue to pay your very cuchy $7 or up an hour paycheck. Not that Starbucks is in trouble but it is a company and any company needs to make a profit and keep business growing. I'm sorry that you aren't getting any personal compensation from this and that you obviously dislike your job so much. Frankly, Starbucks is not the place for you and I'm glad you aren't in my store because it is baristas like you who make everyone think bad about Starbucks because of a few spoiled self centered people like you.

[noteveryone]

the price of individual tea bags went down to .40 instead of .50

[shell]

To Peter, I don't know if you know this but beginning this fiscal year, the percentage of the performance increase has raised, not by much but Starbucks does look at the average and deliver too there partners. It's now 4% for consistantly exceeds and 2% for meets expectations.

[claire]

shift for starbucks-
wow. way to get really angry over nothing.

i didn't mean to be making a big deal out of it. it's just something we'd been talking about in my store. customers were bringing up how we were getting less of their change.

and by pacify i didn't mean anything bad. just the meaning of the word. "To ease the anger or agitation of." because many customers have been...well not necessarily angry, but definitely agitated. and i am well aware of the reasons for the price hike and give them those reasons. and then everything is cool.

i'm sorry that my idle wondering about difference in tips angered you. i wasn't so much bemoaning the loss (because tips don't matter that much to me) as wondering if there would be a visible difference because i thought it would be interesting.

so calm down buddy.

[heroinegirl]

LOL. You guys are funny..australia is just getting used to starbucks, so this is very scary!
http://heroinegirl.blogspot.com/

[Danny Angel]

Yeah if you love coffee you will pay for coffee and if your an idiot you'll pay even more for starbucks coffee. The reason why starbucks hasn't lost any business is because the people that were dumb enough to pay the high prices before are still dumb enough to pay the higher prices now. I'll pay money for coffee....but good coffee is what I want. Not what starbucks thinks is good coffee.

[PigDog]

Don't worry 'Danny Angel' I'm sure a fair amount of people think whatever swill you drink is crappy overpriced coffee

[Scott]

I was a little surprised when I heard that we were going to raise our prices (yes I am an employee) Yeah it sucks that the prices are going up. But hey, I have no control over it. This one is actually better than the last time we raised our prices. I believe it was about 4 or 5 years ago and I think most things went up by about a quarter or so, which is big price hick. But oh well, like I said I have no control over it.

[Norman Drazy]

Has anyone noticed that you can't smell the smell of brewing coffee at Starbucks? It's not just me, as I have queried quite a few people while standing in line, and they almost always initially give me a funny look. It's almost as if they are saying,"What, are you crazy?" Then the reality of the situation sinks in when they realize that they really can't smell it either. I think this is due to their use of Kay's All-Purpose Cleaner. I mean, this stuff is truly obnoxious. I sent them a comment card, which got me a couple of free cups of coffee, and a coment along the lines of,"Gee, nobody else has a problem." You'd think the marketing people wouls get this straightened out right away. At this point, I cashed in my Starbucks card and haven't bothered to go there since. Idiots!

Nice try, Norman. Care to repost, but without the embellishments?

[barista c]

Wow. Have you had your nose checked lately? Everything I own, including myself is permeated with the smell of coffee. I shower, i do laundry, still, COFFEEE. We aren't allowed to wear perfume at work because we can't disrupt the wonderful aroma of COFFEE.

seriously man, every starbucks i have ever been in is drenched in coffee smell. BUT i agree that our cleaner and sanitizer is toxic and horrible. it practically melts flesh.

[ANOTHER shift from Starbucks]

FIRST OF ALL, You can't "cash in" a starbucks card. Moron.
"Shift for Starbucks" has a great point and is not getting mad about "nothing". Maybe it is nothing to you, and that's fine. But to many, including myself, that NOTHING pays my bills, pays my medical, dental, and vision bills,grants me stock, gave me a $250 bonus this year for doing nothing special, and gives me free coffee. I also get the satifaction of making a difference in people's lives and doing the little things that make their day. Someone once told me, : We are not in the coffee business serving people, we're in the PEOPLE business serving coffee. I believe that. Some people don't come in my store for coffee, they come in for human connection...some don't even spend anything, they just come in to talk to someone or sit in a comfy chair and relax. And as for those who don't like our coffee, don't drink it!!! No one is making you. Everyone has their own opinion. Some people like onions, and some don't. That doesn't mean the rest of us have to listen to you complain about it. Go drink some Yuban. Blegghh!

[CoffeeBoy]

That quote is from Howard Behar, retired President of Srabucks coffee and a wonderfully kind man.

[mosharof]

It is so nice.

[barista boy]

Norman Drazy,
We dont use Kay-5 in the Urns because, as you said it is toxic. We use Urnex, a specially formulated non toxic cleaner. Kay-5 is for sanitizing the rags which you do not want touching your coffee before or after the chemical bath. (It does murder on our hands but you wouldnt care about that) If it WERE the Kay-5 that blocked the odor, wouldnt you smell bleach? My theory: you lost your sense of smell in an industrial accident involving industrial cleaners and have been paranoid ever since.

[Jen]

I heard that Starbucks barista get paid eleven something an hour. This sounded untrue but she swore it was. So is it?

[sue anne]

how much do baristas make?

[brooke]

does anyone know how much baristas make in honolulu?

[Barista]

I'm paid $7.25 and tips are discouraged at my location because it's a franchise through another corporation. What do you think of that?

[Lainie]

I am thinking about working at starbucks. What is the hourly rate. What is the process of advancing in a higher position, Manager or supervisor?

Well it depends on your area's "need." In the area I work, one store has such a great staff that it can be well over a year for a shift supervisor promotion, but in another store, the turnover is so high that you can get the promotion in 2 to 3 months (if you learn your stuff quick). However general rules for shift supervisior are 6 months, or store's "need", and profeciency; however you can be hired off the street for shift, assistant store manager, or store manager depending on your area and resume.

"as a partner, i wish raises were in it for us. nothing like trying to make customers happy about the raise when we have nothing in it for us." -- peter

um they are. most all districts will be gettng raises. a few aren't- probably mine. =( just as they raised drinks a nickel- they'll raise Executive salaries by millions and us baristas by a penny.

[Chi-towns best/angriest barista]

i make 7.60 an hour. i was making 7.50 until they raised the prices. after my 6 month review, i should get 8.36 an hour, which is better, but still barely livable where i am.

Ok so this is for all the dingbats who don't know this and are griping abou the price increase.
You are getting a pay raise. Ask your store manager how much. The price increase was instituted in large part to fund the biggest hourly pay increase in SBUX history and it should be on your next check.

[AJ]

First of all... I do not understand why in the world starbucks is popular. It is overpriced and tastes almost burnt... I tried their pumpkin spice latte after having one at "Second Cup" (I am not sure if these are common in the US) which I absolustely loved and it simply did not compare at all... and would someone explain to me how 7 dollars an hour is "cushy"????

[Val]

I have been working at Starbucks for over 4 years. I started making $6.50 and now (after the raise) I make $7.97. I think after such a long period of time that I have worked there I should be getting paid more. New baristas are getting paid $7.00 an hour and I have been with the company for a long time!!!

[Ciara]

I am a new barista and i started out making 8.75 so i am totally floored about some baristas making 7 something and being there for years

[Dan]

You really can't ask about wages, it is completely different from state to state. Some states have a minimum wage of 5 something, mine it is 7.63 (I live in Washington), and as a barista I make 8.22 (which is what I started out with, haven't been there very long.

[Ashley]

wow.
i have learned something new today:
other starbucks partners are lame.

[former starbux employee]

i worked at startbucks in canada 3 years ago. i started at $8.25 an hour, was promoted to shift after less than 3 months, making $9.50 an hour plus tips. i didn't stay long enough to experience any other raises, but as a general rule, starbucks tries to pay something above minimum wage in the area, for entry level baristas. after that, raises are dependent on performance and promotions.

[Jeff]

Is there anyone who works in the burbs (perferably Washington state) who has an idea of the average tips they make in a week?

[lisa]

i am writing to complain about 60 wardow street starbucks.
i come from french and my english is not good enough, one day ibought a cop of hot chocolate, but was not hot .so i asked one girl with brown hair looks like east europe to change new one ,but she was so rude and started at me .she did not give me another one ,i do not understand why why she was so rude,and i feel very upset, why she did that to me ,may be she thinks that i am only the visitor.
so i will tell all my friends do not go to starbucks any more
i find it dishonest and unacceptable that starbucks sold me a tour which in no way resemble the description

[lisa]

i forget the store number of that starbucks ,
any way it is in SOHO 60 wardow street

[PostAlive]

Im officially a starbucks addict and well....Its been over a year since the last post on this forum so here it is........Starbucks has increased there prices at least twice since June of 07' and not to mention ha, the economy...... i found this wonderful spew of starbucks gossip while searching for the hourly wage of a brista....hmmm, i wonder what starbucks will pay their emplyees now that the dollar has substancialy decreased in value and the cost of living has continued to rise.....not hatin' i love my joe but the price went from cents to starBUCKS in a flash........