From the mailbag: Fort Lauderdale Starbucks customer wonders why she's always getting free coffee

"Aunty Em" writes to STARBUCKS GOSSIP: I am a regular Starbucks customer in a regular town in regular America. [Her blog indicates it's Fort Lauderdale.] I drink regular coffee. Starbucks has been a regular part of my day -- every day -- some days more than others. I visit various locations, as my work as a driver takes me all over the area. However, I do have a "local," where they joke (or maybe not) that I have the award for the most refills. I have probably only been asked to pay for about one-third of the coffees handed to me by the various people who staff the front. And new people only seem to charge me once or twice. After that it seems as if they are told something. When I travel, or even visit another location nearby, I am ALMOST surprised by the fact that they have a totally different business model: They actually charge me for my coffee.

Why I get this treatment is something I've never asked about, nor is it something I have ever asked for. I always have my money in my hand; I am always prepared to pay. When I am waved off, I drop the money into the tip box. Maybe that's why they do it.

I would love to read a thread all about COMPING, since the earlier thread referencing this was combined with another topic and hardly satisfying. Could you please ask your readership: What's the deal on COMPS? [I wrote her back and suggested she ask the baristas why she's always getting free drinks. She replied: "I don't want to jinx a good thing."]

Comments

[Howard Schultz]

Customers need to understand that there is a positive psychological effect on seeing their regular customers and doing something nice for them. We could be getting our butts kicked all day long, but when we see your face, it makes us feel better because we know you arent going to give us attitude and send your drink back because YOU thought that a blended caramel macchiato was like a milk shake, when in actuality its a lowfat milk caramel macchiato.

Naturally, we want to make you and ourselves feel good by throwing some drinks your way at no charge. Now, I've rarely heard of a customer only paying for 1/3 of their drinks. I personally like to use a system of maybe buying my regular customers 1 drink a week.

[Becca]

We had some customers who almost never paid for a drink for about 2 months, because it was a time of such high turnover, that they were almost never served by the same people in a week, so each individual thought to themselves "I'd like to give them a free drink today because they are so nice every day", and they ended up never paying. Now that we're at stable employment, and we communicate with eachother about comps, it doesn't hapen anymore.

[J]

Company policy is no free drinks to customers ever, unless service recovery is involved. Obviously this isn't enforced much and every store I've been in has people giving drinks to the "regulars" and people they like.

I even do it personally at times, but if there is a manager that is doing their job, or if the DM were to find out it would be grounds for determination. I have seen people get fired for it, so its something that I am very careful with.

like Howard said though we do try to hook up the regulars occasionally as we feel they have "earned" it.

[fannypie]

I was a Sunday regular in a store in Houston for a pretty long time. Once, my drink order ended up getting lost in the shuffle of a Sunday morning rush. The employee who took my order noticed me still standing there and asked if there was a problem with my drink. When I told him I hadn't gotten it yet, he apologized profusely, reminded a barista about it, and brought me a handful of free drink coupons of some sort from the back. I was pretty impressed - and I definitely stayed very loyal to that store for the rest of the time that I lived nearby.

It never occured to me to expect additional free drinks because I came in on a regular basis.

[Florida Barista]

Considering you get just drip coffee.. it's really not a big deal. We dump out gallons of coffee every hour. So loosing a grande coffee everday is really nothing. I wouldn't ask the baristas why their doing it though.. that's kind of awkward. Just take it as a nice gesture- that's what it is.

[JustABarista]

"Company policy is no free drinks to customers ever, unless service recovery is involved."

I'm pretty sure that is not true, because we have always done surprise and delight. We've done it with regulars and we've also come up with games on deciding who gets free coffee that day. Like everybody wearing a sweatshirt for the local pro football team for the first two hours on gameday.

[averrycafinatedbarrista]

I have seen ASM's and SM give out free drinks. it works on occasion and its a nice thing to do. if somebody is having a terrible day, ill tend to give them a free drink if it'll make there day a bit better.

[Sheik]

I never give away free drinks at my store because 9 times out of 10 the arrogant snob customer who is line behind the lucky one will say, "How come *MY* drink wasn't for free?"

[mkebarista]

I only give out a drink if 1) the person is nice and 2) there aren't other customers watching. i usually do one a week

[Lauren]

We're there to enrich daily lives. And sometimes there's a personal connection between people that causes that relationship to go backwards. You can make my day better.

There's a big difference between the nice regulars and my friends. There are people who come into my store (hey Tom) whom I know on a personal basis, and past the "how's school?" crap. They actually care. We go take photos together. We actually speak like we know less about each other but we're really very close.

Now you may be such a bright light that people just feel like you're honestly caring and wanting to reward you.

And we dump a lot of coffee. Guilty as charged.

[Grump]

I'm a naturally grumpy regular who never gets free coffee because he refuses to carry out the fake I'm-your-friend act with Starbucks employees.

I'm going to file a class-action discrimation lawsuit on behalf of all grumpy customers who are denied occasional free drinks.

[Sheik]

GRUMP: If you are going to file that class-action suit then we as Barista's should just file a class-action suit against people who order "Ghetto lattes"

(Here we go again...)

[Chi-towns best/angriest barista]

i've comped a few drinks for various reasons. once a regular ordered a hot chcolate, paid with a credit-gift-card thing and walked away before i realized it came up as NSF, so i just gave it to him without telling him, since he's there all the time and has never had a problem paying before. another time the parking lot attendant from outside came in to get a hot tea but forgot his wallet, so i just gave that to him, he tried not to accept it, but i was like "dude, it's just tea, don't worry about it" and i knew he wasn't trying to scam us out of it, so i didn't mind. he did come back a few days later and bought something and left a large tip to make up for the other time. the most recent time was when i was closing, it was about 10:50 and i didn't have a till anymore, and the guy who did was not to be found. another regular (we're a slow store, we get a lot of regualrs) came in to get a venti coffee w/heavy cream, so we just gave it to her because we hadn't seen anybody but the milk delivery man (who we comped a tall hot chocolate to since it was piss cold out and he's a nice guy) in about 3 hours, and she's pretty consistant anyway.
if i know someone's a regular i'll sometimes give them a little discount, like charge for a grande when they order a venti, or don't charge for a syrup or extra shot.
i've never randomly comped someone. usually it's people from the restuarants near by, so we get deals if we ever go there, or people that we know. even my manager has comped drinks to some of his friends.
i'm most often going to comp regular drip coffee, especially if there aren't many people around, since i know we're just going to dump it out anyway, and that seems wasteful to me.
pretty sure i'm never gonna comp a tripple venti breve 8 pump extra whip extra hot mocha, unless there's a very compleiing reason to do so.

[Mia]

I am a regular at the store closest to my office. The SM and ASMs comp me my drink every so often. I love to bake and I will quite often bring in stuff for them. I have also become friends with the manager and she is a knitter as well. On Sunday nites when she closes, I will often go in and sit and knit when it is slow just because. The thing is that I never ask nor do I expect my drink to be comped or discounted.

[Zipy]

We like to give back, sometimes. Sometimes when its friends, family, or regulars who are always overly nice -- we'll comp them a drink. Why? They might come in, every day, and spend 5$ a day on a coffee. thats 35$ a week, a year? Yeah, keep going yearly. It hardly hurts the company for us to slip them a cheaper drink once or twice, or to comp it completely. Now, do i do it all the time? of course not, this is a busniess, the company needs to make a profit, but if comping you once or twice gets return busniess then hey -- ill comp you a drink!

[barrockstar]

J - you're totally wrong.

everyone pretty much summed it up. chances are you're an awesome person and a treat to serve thus a few comps here and there.

someone else said something also true: they probably don't all know how much their comping you, since we don't all work the same shifts, or work together so don't ask about it - since it'll probably stop (with a communication to the team about you...)

enjoy it, since nothing much is free in this world.

and continue to be the charming niceness that makes people want to make your day!

[wind it up]

i give free drinks to a customer, becuase i am sleeping with him and he gives me free drinks at the bar where he works

[Cosine]

Wow, I've just checked with 9 Starbucks regulars, including myself, and none of us has ever received anything from Starbucks without paying, ever.

[Catherine]

I guess why I don't get comped is that even though I go to Starbucks 1-3 times a week I don't always go to the same one, and I usually go through the drivethrough so the workers don't see me. ;)

I have gotten a free drink twice. Once was because when I got to the drivethrough window they didn't know what I ordered. The other time was because the drivethrough line was quite long and so I had to wait for a while.

[Florida Barista]

Cosine-
Don't be jealous or offended please. This is a business. If you we're a regular at McDonalds and all your friends were regulars, and nobody every got free food- would you be mad? No your not necessarily entitled to free things at a business. I think alot of it is how you interact with the baristas. Sure you can go into Starbucks everyday- hey even three times a day. But do you talk with them? Do you know what their major is in college or if they have any pets? Sounds cheesey but those are the regulars that I really don't mind comping their drinks. Do you really think, oh I spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at starbucks every year I should get a free drink? If thats the case, sign up for autoreload on your starbucks card and wait for some persk- otherwise.. get to know your baristas and stop whineing.

[Blooper]

Is the original author good-looking? Affirmative response may explain phenomenon.

[fannypie]

Whoa...Florida Barista...defensive much? Reread Cosine's post - she only stated that neither she nor the people she asked get comped drinks. Perhaps this wasn't whining as much as a reflection of her surprise to hear about an apparently common practice that hasn't affected her or her acquaintances.

God, I am consistently amazed at the group of baristas among those who post here who turn are so quick to lash out at their customers. It doesn't reflect very well on baristas as a group, I have to say.

[seattle]

To those who get a beverage on the house from time to time...it's most likely because you're a genuine, nice person that makes those partner's days better and they appreciate it...or they recognize that you're having a bad day and want to add some nice gesture to maybe make it better. To those who don't, well...there are reasons for that and they could range anywhere from partners following policy- to -maybe you're just not genuinely nice in enriching anyone's day.

If you do get them, take it with a smile and thank whomever is on the giving end, because they're doing it to appreciate you as a customer that they genuinely enjoy.

[seattle]

AND as an after thought FLORIDA BARISTA has a really good point. There are a lot of people who feel entitled to things...what a good deal of Americans don't seem to recognize is that if you are genuinely kind to others, you get treated a great deal better in return everywhere.

[DM Who Cares]

I have had to sadly terminate 6 baristas for intentionally giving away product in our district. (Drip coffee included) If you want to give away company property free of charge (which is what it is) you are history in my district. Sorry, but that's the reality of workplace theft. Lets call it what it is folks. Zero tolerance for theft. Zero! So, a word to the wise out there, don’t do it if you value your job at Starbucks. You are far to important to lose your job over a cup of coffee that you thought you could give away.

[Chi-towns best/angriest barista]

hey DM, lighten up! it's the niceties that keep people (customers and partners) comming back. if i had a nazi-esque boss like that, i think i'd just quit. what kind of company prevents employees from doing nice things for their customers? really?

[DM Who Cares]

Oh and by the way, Chi-towns best/angriest barista, based on what you typed here you do realize you could be out of a job tomorrow if you were in my district as well as your own? You never give away product or undercharge intentionally without a valid reason. From what I gather, you have not offered one. I wonder what your store maanger or DM would say about your post?

Under your rational, if I go into a major department store regularly and I am always really nice to the sales clerk I should get the $100.00 shirt free at some point? Same thing if it’s a $4.00 beverage or an expensive shirt. Be careful, your job is at risk if you think that way.

I will lighten up when we stop losing partners over theft issues and very, very poor judgement. Hopefully you will make the right decisions in the future.

well actually if we are rebrewing coffee and u have to wait its on the house

[Barista creating Enthusiatically Satisfied Customers.]

I give a free latte to a woman every week who comes in at night and lets me make her latte art. I get so damn tired of the no-foam lattes and she was watching me play around with the foam one night making rosettas and stuff. And then she ordered one. And ever since, when I am working, I give her the latte's on the house. I give people I see every day drinks on the house once or twice a month. I have to admit though, we have one nice enough regular who orders the most outrageously modified drink, and never tips. Great personality, but I will never ever comp her ANYTHING.
DM who "cares." Familiar environment. Third place. Just say yes. I will try and use every little trite starbucks saying against you, and hope that you realize that comping drinks to people creates more loyal customers. Comp them a drink once or twice a month, they will come back every day.

[Chi-towns best/angriest barista]

pretty sure i'm not gonna get fired as my store manager comps all the time. people come in when i'm at the register and he tells me "this man doesn't pay" and proceeds to make them whatever they want (within reason of course)

and think about how much milk we throw away? what's the difference between giving it to someone and making them happy (and thus more likely to return) than just dumping it and benefitting no one?

[LG]

If DM who cares was my boss, I'd kick him/her in the shin.

And what about surprise and delight? What constitutes that if not the occasional comped beverage?

[DM Who Cares]

Well, Barista Creating... you realize you are violating company policy right? This is theft you are talking about. It's not complimentary beverages by your “good nature” It’s not your money.

This is the kind of clueless attitude that gets more baristas fired. Sad really. But theft is theft. Imagine 12000 stores, 4 drinks a day at each store at $4.00 multiplied by 365 days.

That's over $70 million dollars of lost revenue a year! $70 million! We don't need that kind of loss due to partner theft giving away product. Wake up people and stop ripping off the company you work for. Don’t believe me? Think what you are doing is right? Tell your DM what you are doing. Make the right decisions folks. Giving away product is not the right decision.

Following company policy is. Just think what Starbucks could do with that extra $70 million for partner benefits. You cheat yourselves in the end. You cheat all of us who work for Starbucks.

[Chi-towns best/angriest barista]

that 70 million? think i'd ever see any of it? hell no! it goes right to the suits at the top. and i don't think all of my hard work should be padding thier pockets. are they the ones dealing with the bitch customers every day? no. are they the ones doing the grunt work? no. do they have the burns/scars/calluses/cuts that i and my fellow baristas do? no. are they the ones making the customers enthusiasticlaly satisfied so they want to keep comming back and spending their money at starbucks instead of one of the seven hundred other coffee places? hell no.
i think they should be thanking me for my fantastic customer service skills, rather than threatening to fire me for being a good person.

[NamelessBarista]

Wow..DM Who Cares or DM Who Acts Like A Douchebag?

If you were in it every day, you'd comp drinks too. Is it still comping drinks if you discount 5 it?

Or how come there's discount 114 (free beverage) if its against corporate policy. Try it some day, baristas, you ring in discount 114, it shows up on cashier tracking as 'free beverage'....if its against starbucks policy it shouldn't be in the P.O.S.

So many customers are psychic vampires...comping a drink = nice regular = baristas who don't feel worthless. Because, i assure you Mr/Ms DM, it only takes about 15 customers who ignore you completely when you ask them how they are to make you feel like crap...where's that fit into the mission statement?

Doesn't 'remembering that profitability is essential' come below 'creating enthusiastically satifisied customers' on the core values? Have you read the core values?

If you're going to fire somebody for comping a drink you're a DM who only cares about his/her bonus.

You think we cheat everyone who works for Starbucks? You forget, without Baristas and Supervisors and Managers that CARE about connecting with customers and being GENUINELY NICE...you don't have a job, and there'd be NO profits.

[Starbucks Cowboy]

I don't think I've paid full price for my drink in a long, long time. I have been a regular at my local Starbucks for quite some time. Definition of quite some time is 6 days a week, every week for the last 3 years. In the last year I have never paid full price for my drink. I've either gotten it free or just paid the refill price.

Is that bad? To the DM who supposedly cares, you're an idiot. If you worked or lorded over the Starbucks that I go to, I'd never have kept coming back. This store is special to me and I have made great friends with the people who work there. I know their first names, their spouse's names, their children's names, where some go to school, what they are doing in their lives. I have developed real friendships. That does not come from rigid morons who like to fire people for creating something that is real and potentially great for the company.

Since this Starbucks treats me great, I treat them great...by buying cups, coffee beans, an espresso machine, a few other seasonal items, and more than a few CDs. With your disgusting attitude, all that extra sale would have been lost. Now factor that into your "70 million in lost income" and steam it.

[Wisconsin Barista]

"Now factor that into your '70 million in lost income' and steam it"

Haha, I love Starbucks Cowboy!!

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Partial comping
People come in and order a triple venti vanilla soy latte.
My reaction I hit venti latte. That is what I call partial comping where I don't add any modifers.
They come for their venti coffee.
I charge them for the refill price.
Also just to clarfiy the official rule is that we are not allowed to give free drinks to "friends and family." This means that we can give drinks to "strangers" and people who we actually don't know.
I personally don't comp a drink unless it is a situation where "Just Say Yes" and service recovery is necessary. Like if I have 7 espresso drinks and only one blended beverage. Guess what, that blended beverage is immediately put in the back of the line but they will receive a service recovery coupon.

[coffeegirl]

I no longer work for 'Bucks, but when I did, I'd say I probably comped maybe two or three drinks per week. Sometimes to really nice regulars, like all of you here have done. Sometimes a freebie for someone's birthday or another special occasion. Our store was in an area with a lot of foreign tourists, and we'd often give a free drink to someone who was struggling with the language and seemed overwhelmed by it all; we'd say, "Welcome to the U.S. This one's on us." They'd say, "What you mean 'on us?'"

Oh, and DM? I've done it in front of my DM. Heck, I've done it in front of my RD. As long as you use the discount code and don't abuse the privilege by comping friends and family, I think you're well within surprise-and-delight territory.

Maybe it was a grinch like DM who decided that sampling should be scheduled for crazy off-peak hours, so that we won't be forced to give too much product to customers. Those nasty ingrates.

[mkebarista]

Hey DM.. isn't discussing the company say.. on this message board.. against policy?

[Thinksdifferent]

I used to be a regular at the starbucks on the walk to work at my old job. I worked 3-11pm and even though I was friendly with a few of the baristas I was only comped once or twice. I really didn't mind that I rarely got comped because I look at it this way. I was gonna pay for it anyways so on the few times I didn't have to, it was a very nice surprise.

[batgrl]

I used to work in customer service for a retail chain and we had a DM similar to the one posting in here - and he quickly became Former DM for not getting along with customers and having his assistant clear up his messes due to lack of people skills. In any industry where there is competition (and there are plenty of places to get coffee) you have to show customers that your service is different/better and stand out. There are some customers always out to get something free - but others that are always amazed by it, and those are the ones that a free coffee can make a devoted and repeat customer, not just for the chain but for your store. With such a small investment as a free drink you can sometimes have a repeat customer that will bring in $100s or $1000. Since our company had loyalty cards we could back this theory up with many, many examples - some spending aroun $10,000 over a period of years. Good service and some comps makes for repeat, happy customers. And it is the nice ones you want to return, not the snarky pushy ones - and a comp or two can encourage them to remain regulars. Comps shouldn't just be used as an apology when someone makes a mistake.

[fannypie]

Nameless Barista brings up something that seems to come up a lot here - that customers ignore baristas and "make [them] feel like crap." Not that it isn't annoying to deal with rude people, but...it's not the customers' job to validate you. It's their job to pay for the goods and services they receive. If your sense of self-worth comes from the way customers (or any external force, really) respond to you, it's going to be a rough life.

[IMHO]

DM's points are just as true and valid except they happen to be on the opposite side of the proverbial coin from what the barista deal with on the front lines.

Undercharging is or giving away product unreported is theft. If there is a repeated pattern of this behaviour, you will be XBR'd and then terminated.

The catch is what triggers the XBR process. IS it a random audit by P&AP? or did you MGR get them to look into it cause they're looking for an excuse to let you go?

If you want to comp, it's called "right now recovery". The company has made it easy for us to do so. It doesn't matter what the reason is other than to create an enthusiastically satisfied customer. Customer = someone who pays. That means if they're always getting their drinks for free, there's a problem.

At my store, we have a comp list. It's a sheet of paper where we track comped drinks. To who, by whom, and when.

To who = customer's name, ie regular which is why we know their name. This way we know that Mary Mocha has already been comped once this week...

Like Becca, this is one way to communicate to the store partners who has been comped and prevents abuse of the system.

Oh and if a customer has to wait for coffee to be brewed, in theory, they should actually pay for the coffee but given a recovery coupon for next time. The reality is that we're just going to "right now recovery" it and probably offer an americano instead.

[Hirayuki]

I've never had my drinks comped, but I did have a very nice experience at my local store not too long ago.

I got into some small talk with a barista just after all the holiday decorations started going up. He walked off for a second while I paid for my drinks and came back to hand me two pounds of whole-bean coffee (an autumn variety of some sort) completely out of the blue. I protested, but he said it was time for Christmas Blend and that he was under orders to get rid of the out-of-season stuff. If he couldn't sell it, he was going to give it away. Very nice of him, even if I did tease him for pawning his unsellable stuff off on me, heh.

[Samantha]

There are proper ways to do this comp thing. Ring it up appropriately. What I have read so far, most of you are in violation of that and should be terminated. Theft is what you are doing. No record of your "transaction" is theft and you know it! DM who cares seems like a pretty straightforward person. There is no gray areas in theft. I would think that from this DM's perspective his/her district has partners who do the correct thing and those who don't are not allowed to contaminate those partners who do the right things all the time. It’s all about good coaching. Just look at his response and what he wants to tell you in a direct way. Policy and procedure are where it's at. Some of you on here disregard it entirely. Not good!!! Then just look how you respond to the DM's caution and warning. SOme dignity and respect on your part. Starbucks does not need partners like you. For shame!

Bravo DM who cares, for putting a dollar figure on this rampant theft issue and trying to put some sense into partners who rip off the company they work for.

As for discussing the need to stop stealing, this DM violates no policy.

Some of you need to take a course in business and in ethics. For those customers who knowingly get that free or undercharged bev, don't be surprised if your barista does not show up one day as he or she would have got the axe. Rightfully so too! And the BS about coming back because you get a free this or that. You'd be back if they were to do the right thing by dazzling you with great service and providing the experience that you PAY FOR. And…knowingly taking stolen property is quite an illegal thing in most states. Live with your guilt. Surprise baristas, these customers would forget you if you all of a sudden got canned. You are their “free monkey”. They would find another unethical barista to "comp" them. Don’t kid yourselves thinking your so special.

Finally, it’s quite amusing to see how some of you come up with outlandish excuses to justify your obvious theft. We all know that criminals always say “I didn’t do it”. If you think that giving away a 5 dollar bev is worth the loss of your job, have at it!
DM who cares, I’d love to work in your district because there are a lot of us baristas who don’t like to get caught up in this “free” thing but are forced into that slippery slope by the few baristas who have no interest in doing things correctly.

i think i'm gonna go give away even more free drinks now, just to spite you. and because i don't give a $hit about this job. or this company.
have a nice day.
:)

[pnwgal]

"And the BS about coming back because you get a free this or that. You'd be back if they were to do the right thing by dazzling you with great service and providing the experience that you PAY FOR. And…knowingly taking stolen property is quite an illegal thing in most states. Live with your guilt."

Wow...someone had a big bowl of Pretentious Flakes this morning.

I've never gotten "comp"ed and I've never expected to be. The very fact that I can walk into a Starbuck's and have someone wait on me that's actually friendly and knowledgeable is compensation enough for me.

[barockstar]

i don't think DM who cares is wrong, per se.

if you're not ringing in the transactions then it IS theft. however, if everything you comp is getting rung through the register, than you're following policy correctly.

i wonder how howie would feel, if he knew one of his leaders were telling us that making people's day, surprising/delighting and saying yes were against policy? and outright threatening termination?

if people are following policy, ringing through all comped transactions, and not violating any of the core values - i think howie would tell us to keep up the good work. i mean, we're the reason the stock keeps going up and up...

[Michael]

All I ever got from baristas was a "10% off because you work in the same mall" discount. I guess I should have been friendlier, so I'd get free coffee, too.

(One barista kept giving me the discount after I stopped working at the mall, though.)

[JW]

What is the average tip at Starbucks?

[jackie]

hi, where can i find the STARBUCKS PARTNER PORTAL? i just recently srtated working at sbux and im trying to submit my direct deposit info &my manager keeps directing me to it and says it's online but i can't find it at all at sbux.com or lifeat.sbux.com -- please help!!!

[416barista]

I have a regular who comes in everyday for her short drip. She tells me that across the street, it's cheaper then at sbux...but she comes everyday because she says that the service and amazing staff we have are worth it. If I comp her short drip once in a while, isn't it worth her coming in everyday?? or would you rather lose 365 drinks to the competitor over a dollar and change??

[June]

ok ok I know this is off topic but do not know where to ask the question. We have been told until futher notice no non-coverage and cut labor to bare min. All this until further notice. Also no transfers, promotions or new store openings. Has anyone else heard this? I am in New Mexico.

[smooozer]

forget the coffee, just comp me some free sex. Yeah baby!

ooh wait I meant to post this in the fraternizing thread.

I don't know about non-coverage, but the holiday cheer party was cancelled in my district because of labor costs.

[Barista sUz]

We do it occassionally. Especially when it's a weekend, there's a line out the door [I work at a mall store] and we see a regular all the way at the end. Chances are they're on break and only have 10-15 minutes to get a drink and enjoy it, and go back to their frantic day too. They really appreciate it, and we appreciate them. So I see nothing wrong in it. Or if people steal drinks and there are drinks lying around, we go next door and give them the "mess ups".

[Seattlebux]

Dear Samantha,
Because of you, I am going to comp all kinds of drinks tomorrow and tell them it's on Samantha!

[let's get some shoes]

All this fist-shaking from DM who cares (probably more like DM who hides from customers amirite) is amusing, considering where the real thievery happens in this company. Someone ought to ask P&AP where, per capita, they catch the most fraud. The answer may surprise you!

[Florida Barista]

Jackie-
I don't know if you can get onto the Portal from your home computer. You can however get onto it from the starbucks computer. But if you are looking for pay information it is lifeatsbux.com all one word.
hope that helps!

[chocolate city angrybarista]

"God, I am consistently amazed at the group of baristas among those who post here who turn are so quick to lash out at their customers. It doesn't reflect very well on baristas as a group, I have to say."

I think you've gotten your head around the zeitgeist of barista culture. Word!

You know what, I'm 100% with Boston Starbucks Rebel on this one, and I don't think I need to add anything. But I'm willing to bet Aunty Em is a very lovely, attractive lady who is nice to her baristas. And I'm sure they appreciate it her business and friendship.

I think that's the unangriest thing I've ever said.

[Creating Enthusiastically Satisfied Customers Every Time]

"Samantha" -
Pretty intense.

The Holiday Cheer Party was also cancelled in my district (Northern VA) because of labor. My boss was thinking of maybe doing two hours of all tall holiday beverages being partner beveraged on her numbers, but I don't know if that will happen. I know that my boss is also coming down on the non-coverage hours and insisting on 35 minute closes. It's hard. We sell so much money in gift cards and beans, I don't know why money and hours are being crunched.

[newbarista]

Gift Cards dont count on your stores daily sales. You'll only get the sale when they use the card at your store.

(you can't)

[Respect and dignity]

As a long time SM the funniest thing I have aver heard a customer say occured amidst these circumstances.

I discovered rampant drink comping and undercharging and had to unfortunately terminate a partner (as DMWCs points out) and significantly enforce policy with the rest of my staff.

A customer approached me and litterally said "If I have to pay for my drink, I am going to stop coming in!!!" I must say it took every ounce of strength to keep from bursting out in laughter in this persons face.

The many pro aggressive compers out there must acknowledge that this is the absurd extension of what you argue for.

Interestingly this customer did continue to return and the sales in my store increased by 10%. (not just because of that one customer)

Also our responsibility to the customers and eachother is treat all equally with respect and dignity, to do otherwise is unfair, wrong and potentially harassing or discriminatory behavior. To chose to treat someone differently becsuse they kiss your butt, are pretty, are nice to you, is ultimately unlegendary. Listen to the other 90% of the customers who are represented here who are shocked to find out that others don't pay, or has our first movers states with her discomfort with getting the benefit (I know she says she doesn't want to lose it, but she knows it is wrong otherwise she wouldn't have the question...and I am sure she is a lovely person in many ways). I would not be suprised if these paying customers deceded not to come back because they are just o.k. customers. (or even our friend because she knows it is wrong and starts to feel awkward or un-ethical about it)

Frankly the way many of us seem to talk and think if you were my customer you would be charged full price (maybe double, just kidding) because the way you treat people is unfair and ultimatley jerky.
The customer's responsibilty is to come in and pay for goods, they have no duty to be any way for you. It is not about us. We serve them not the other way. If they need to be on the phone so be it, if they are grumpy so be it. Our pride should be in enhancing their spirit not from the customer making us feel good...or bribing them with free things. We enrich there lives by feeding, lubricating, educating and engaging them.

Those drinks are not ours to do with as we please for our own benefit (and that is how you are using them, even if it is because you are cowardly in asking a customer for 1.65 every day). And I see that as the key. Yes we should do service recovery, but when we give something to a customer it is on behalf of the company, not for us, and certainly not against the company. It makes me sad that someone would work at a job they hate and then try to get in the way of those that love it.

On a side note because I am obviously a nerd with strong beliefs and data to show for it, I do not comp friends or even regulars that I feel I would like to benefit, I buy the drink with my money and then give it to them for free.

[Chi-town's best/angriest barista]

please do tell how i am suposed to educate and engage with someone who won't get off their goddamned cell phone and treat me with some "respect and dignity"?
and they "have no duty" to me? i'm pretty sure we all, as fellow human beings, have the duty to respect and be civil to EVERYBODY, no matter what side of the counter we are on.

[Worst store ever in Boston]

I actually prefer doing bar so I don't get to comp drinks that much. However, that being said, my store has a variety of problems, so one morning we had to hand out literally 75 service recovery coupons and then all those people eventually showed up back at the store. Comping drinks is only a necessary procedure meaning in a true situation where it is necessary to protect the Starbucks brand from damage.
Also, comping for me might be another word for "sample" like, when I give them some of the new peppermint mocha or gingerbread latte.
Thinking about the guiding principles in particular the one about profitability for future success. Does that mean not comping drinks or is there actually a higher meaning which is to comp drinks because it surprises-and-delights customers who tell their friends about the legendary service at Starbucks therefore bringing in more business into Starbucks and promoting loyalty to Starbucks? I think comping may in the short term be wrong but if you think in the larger picture, it promotes the guiding principles of Starbucks.

[mkebarista]

Respect and dignity: In this case it is odd, but if you would bother to read the posts on here we aren't talking about giving one person free drinks all the time. What the rest of us are talking about it is occasional comps that suprise and delight our beautiful customers

[BaristaSinceO4]

I guess this would be a good place to bring up comping of servicemen. When I was hired my ASM taught me to comp drip coffee to police, fire, and servicemen, then use my discretion on other drinks. Is this really company policy? I haven't found it anywhere and my SM is vague on this issue. They are always surprised and delighted.

[Worst store ever in Boston]

The police and firemen are often times put their own lives at risk in order to protect us from danger. Also, people in the military make a conscious choice to serve the nation in order that we enjoy these freedoms which blood has been spilled over. For example, in some countries even this free discussion and exchange of ideas would not be possible. I think the little we can do is give them a free beverage. How many of us would be willing to sacrifice our lives?

[JA]

An interesting discussion, but no one, so far, has touched on the fact that Aunty Em has her money in her hand and will put it in the tip jar if she is not charged for her drink. I'm not saying that it's right, but that is probably the reason for the comping. If she starts putting her money back in her wallet when they don't charge her, I think she will see how quickly they start charging her again.

DM who cares has given me a lot to think about, however, because really, if she's putting the money for the coffee in the tip jar, the baristas are getting paid for Starbucks product off-book. I know it's a smaller scale, and not so cut and dry, but it's not too different from selling our partner markouts on e-Bay.

I'm not saying we shouldn't comp drinks, because as many people have said above, it is a part of the whole legendary service experience. But if we're taking money from drinks and putting it in the tips, especially 2/3 of the time, then we really are misappropriating funds on a small scale.

[SuzukiGirl]

Having worked at Starbucks for 3 years, I can tell you that those baristas want that 50 cents in the tip box and not in the till. When I schlepped coffee I was appalled that Starbucks charged for refills after customers had shelled out so much to buy the coffee in the first place. So to have that 50 cents, or whatever the customer could/would spare, in the tip box instead of in the register was always much preferred. In addition, that kind of service is only awarded to those regulars who are liked and reciprocate the respect given to them from behind the counter.

[LG]

I can appreciate everything that Respect and Dignity had to say above. At the same time, I'm a human being. I don't like being yelled at. I don't like having to repeat the same question over and over again because someone is on their cell phone, or chase the cell phone person who is so distracted that they walk away without paying, or without the drink they just bought. I don't like having money thrown onto the counter in my direction. If my hand is out, put the money in my hand. I don't like when people bang things loudly to get my attention. Just tell me the milk bullet is empty - no need for hostility. I don't like when a customer lies and says, "Oh, I ordered a venti" in order to get a bigger drink for free. I don't like the way people trash the cafe or miss the trash can and don't bother to pick up after themselves. I don't like they way customers let their kids break products. I don't like the way customers try to get me to break policy and leave the lids off their drinks, or steam the milk to 200 degrees, even though we've kindly explained why we can't do those things umpteen times before. I don't like when customers ogle the partners and creep them out.

For these reasons - and many, many more - it can be quite refreshing to see a respectful, friendly customer on a day where sometimes, these things that I don't like can become overwhelming. These customers make MY day better, they make me remember why I work this job. So, on occasion, I make their day better and comp their drink. This is never going to stop, nor should it. Because while I'm trying to create the third place for my customers, sometimes, they help create it for me. We're making human connections here, and our actions will - and does - promote more business. The end.

[Summer]

No non coverage. No transfers and cut to labor. Northern California.

[A Retail Person]

Chi-town's best/angriest barista--Having been in retail for over 20 years I can tell you that you are the type of employee that I have had the pleasure of firing multiple times. You just don't get it do you? I am so glad I do not have staff like you. You need to get out of the retail biz and find some other kind of work. Starbucks would be the better place if you did just that.

I don't expect free stuff when I go anywhere to make a purchase. People should not be giving away anything unless it is for recovery. I took over a store that had a habit of giving things away all of the time - I even had to stop baristas from getting free drinks on their days off, and sales went up 3000 dollars a week. Customers, baristas, managers, no one should expect to get free stuff. If you want to show a customer that you care - load up a starbucks card and buy him a coffee out of your own pocket. It is not yours to give away. You also never know who is in line behind you, as it happened recently, an RD was in a store chatting with baristas she did not know - and they offered to not charge her for a sandwich. So before you go and risk your job you should be concerned with who is in line. It is a business - not a charity. We all work so hard to make numbers, make labor, make budget - if every barista in my store gave away three drinks a week -that would be about 100k a year - multiply that by the amount of stores we have - it is ridiculous. It should be enforced by managers that giving away drinks is theft.

[BK]

I find all this bickering back and forth between annoying DM's and baristas quite unsettling as a customer.

I get comped a coffee every once in a while at the starbucks I go to and think it's a nice gesture. it keeps me coming back, and I don't even want to figure out how much I've spent at starbucks over years actually paying for the product.

"DM who cares"'s hard line approach to this comping policy makes me want to take my business elsewhere.

[A Retail Person]

Well BK, let me ask you this. Why do you think you deserve that free beverage? With your attitude, it makes me wonder what YOU do in your work place. That "nice gesture" does not need to happen to make you return. Great service and doing the right thing is what Starbucks has a focus on. If you are offended by DM's remarks, then fine. He is trying to preven theft. One less person walking out without paying for something is probably a good thing.

Enjoy your coffee at Dunkin D.

[newbarista]

I've never comped a drink. However, if a regular customer is having a terrible day, I wouldnt think twice but to press the recover right now button on the till.

Starbucks seems very two faced to me. On one hand, they say "legendary Customer Service" - on the other, Numbers Numbers Numbers.

My store is in a mall location with 4 other coffee competitors. If we didnt provide Legendary Service, customers would certainly go elsewhere for less expensive coffee.

I think the DMs in here should get out of their numbers and books, work as a barista for a week, and than come on here and tell us your opions. Obviously you've forgotten what we, the barista do, so that you get your nice paycheck.

I dont agree with comping out drinks as a habit - that is theft. However, to thank regulars who do not cause 'issues',for their loyalty, A drink on the house at christmas or their birthday is a "suprise and delight".

I think its increadably rude and wrong to say a customer is stealing a drink when it is comped. Anyone who works for Starbucks should NEVER make a customer who has had a free drink feel guilty about it.

If Barista and Shifts used JUDGEMENT when comping a drink, we wouldnt be having this issue. Comping, in my judgement, should not be done weekly. Monthly at the max. We are here to make a profit - thats what business do. But the odd comping here and there to provide reasonably legendary service is the cost of doing business.

[coffeeforme]

I partnered out a hot chocolate yesterday. The boy had been standing in line when this asshole in a suit cut in front of him and ordered a couple lattes. Not cool. When the kid got to the counter, it turned out he was a dollar short if he also got a pastry. So what would you do? He was polite, embarassed, and he wanted me to put the pastry back. My manager encourages this kind of thing.

I comped a cappuchino a couple days ago when the store was busy and I didn't hear the lady order it. No big deal, partnered it out later.

A few weeks ago a little girl was with her mother and seemed really proud to be paying for an Odwalla juice with her own money. She was about fifty cents short, so I used the partner discount. The kid got her drink, her mother went on to buy stuff, everyone was happy. How's that bad for Sbux?

Here's an easy explanation... your probably hot.

[Just wondering...]

Kind of a related question -- I recently ordered a drink that I had never tried before and it turned out to be something I didn't like at all. So bad I pretty much took a few sips and threw it away. (I'm sure there was nothing wrong with it -- It just wasn't my thing).

If it wasn't very busy and I had asked nicely, would a partner have give me a comparable drink in exchange? I would never do it on purpose of course, I am just kind of curious.

[Lou Sussler]

I don't ever expect anything for free. In my business which is a service firm but not retail, I occasionally provide a freebee to good clients, particularly if it is a personal or business matter.

I have never once received a free cup of coffee at Starbucks yet keep reading these threads about all this coffee being given out for free.

I've been in the same store 3 to 4 times a week since the day it opened and always get a venti decaf, sometimes a pastry or sandwich.

Twice, things happened which made me think I should get a comp although neither time it happened and I would never ask.

I wasn't going to write in this thread since I think it's a tired topic but I just got back from Starbucks. The cashier took the order and said "the decaf's brewing right now, it will be a moment" I said that was fine and waited and waited and waited.

After a few minutes, which seems like much longer when you're just standing there, I noticed that one of the baristas was just then starting to brew. I asked if that was the decaf and was told that it was. Now I have already waited a few minutes and now I know it's going to be a much longer wait. I asked for the amount to be put back on my card so I could leave and was told they couldn't do that. So I asked for the money back and was told, "it'll just be a minute sir, just hang on"

It was just another minute but in reading the entries on this thread; yeah, I think I'm entitled to a free cup of coffee.

[respect and dignity]

mkebarista: I believe if you re-read the origin of the thread you will note that "aunty em" almost never pays for her drink. Sounds like a regular consistent thing to me. Simillarly the once a week comp that you give to a favorite customer could be multipleid over the week by your partners such that the customer almost never pay. Bottom line though is even on a single time deal, is it the right thing to do or not? Why are you giving that drink away, who benfits, what are you teaching the customer and the rest of the team, whose drink is it to give it away, and does not what you provide to that customer have value?

I think all of our customers are beautiful, seriously. They all have strange and wonderful things going on in their lives and often they have many sad and painful things going on in their lives. I believe most of them, no matter what they may seem like to us - rude, indiscrete, hurried, telephonic etc- want to come in to be part of the amazing service and kindness that we all work so hard to provide everyday. To quote some one up there, we are humans that want and desrve respect and dignity and that is what we are here to provide. Whether it is a homless person, someone whose mother died, etc...That experience is what they pay for. Ours is not to judge them, it is to lift them through providing that experience. That experience has a value.

coffeeforme: just about everthing you described sounds like service recovery and is a wonderful thing that we are able to provide. I take issue with the term partnered or discounting, you should be using recovery, other wise you are misappropriating partner benifits. Sounds like splitting hairs, but it is potentially going to put you in hot water.

[Q]

Man I hate this thread, it makes me feel insecure. I go to the same store 5-7 days a week and I've never gotten a free drink. The best I've been offered is an americano if the drip coffee is brewing. I think I'm pretty personable and reasonably attractive, but I could be wrong, and I leave a pretty good tip (a buck and a nickel on the weekdays and $3.35 on the weekends). You baristas are tougher to crack then the cool kids table in high school.

I think they should come up with a punch card that allows every 10th free or something. I think this would take care of a lot of this and still leave the customer feel appreciated...and not make the baristas feel bad for not comping.

Q: hehe. that's kinda funny, but don't take it too hard.
i consider myself a great legendary service provider, and comp often when small events occur (wait times, birthdays, forgotten wallets etc).
however i have often been surprised when i comp a person - who i've been serving for a long time, and find out it's the first time they've had a freebie...
so it's probably just luck of the draw on you. i'm sure you're hot. :)

i think newbarista (and respect/dignity) have it correct.
when done properly, and not as a habit - then you're all good. it's true that aunty em should probably put the money back in her wallet instead of the tip jar, and see (as a social experiment if you would) how quickly they stopped coming free...

[sbux regular]

I think the barista comps the drink because they know they will get the tip. They are stealing from the company and personally profitting from the tip. That's illegal and immoral.

If the drinks were comped through the POS then the management could get a handle on the scope of the problem, but instead, they're not - it's all hush hush: "If no one's around, if no one's in line behind them..."

And newbarista, when you used the partner discount for the kid with the hot chocolate or the kid with the juice, what you should have done was taken the money out of the tips and paid the $.50 or $1.00 from there rather than lie by putting in a partner discount for someone who isn't. What you did was cool, but if you felt bad for those people, pay for it yourself. It's not your money your giving away there: it's the company's. If you disagree with company policy, then address that. But, STOP STEALING FROM THE COMPANY. I'd have fired all your a**es.

Chris

[A Friendly Barista]

Taking from the tips is NOT the solution either. It has to be your money. Keeping your starbucks card on hand to pay for the people you feel sorry for is great, but most baristas think twice when they see their own money disappearing.
I hardly get enough tips a week to feed myself during my lunch breaks and fund my fast-growing addiction to cigarettes fostered by the starbucks ten minute break. Don't take any more away from me.
Comping drinks should be done on the register with the right-now recovery if at all, and with you realizing that the company knows what you are doing and will fire you eventually if you use the freebie button too much.
That said, I will get down from my high horse and say that I comp drinks all the time, but really only in random circumstances. I don't comp friends, family, or other partners usually (unless I actually know how poor they are.) I love making the woman who just bought 100 dollars worth of gift cards happy by giving her the free hot chocolate. Or giving a freebie to the college kid who sat in the corner for 4 hours with five textbooks studying for finals.

[Chi-town's best/angriest barista]

you're right, i hate retail, and i don't intend on spending a quarter of my life being belittled by ungreatful jeks who feel entitled to the world for $3 a cup. as soon as i finish school, i am so out!
but until then, i am still a fantastic employee. my managers/fellow partners have all loved me because i'm uber hard working and i'm rather good at what i do.
anyway,
i don't comp people who i think are gonna leave me the money as a tip. it's more often people who don't even have the money for the drink much less a tip. (the guy who forgot his wallet? no tip there. the guy with the messed up credit card? not a chance at a tip there either. the milk delivery guy? no way i'd expect him to tip us.)
i don't often comp regulars either, except an occasional drip coffee or refill. i'll not charge them for the extra syrup, shot, or soy, but it's rare that they get the whole drink for free, unless they are from one of the restaurants and trade us food of some sort. but we usually consider that business sharing and everybody's pretty cool with it.

[mkebarista]

respect and dignity: i believe if you reread my earlier post i stated "in this case it was odd" but then the discussion branched off for the most part into "suprise and delight" comping.

I find this thread very interesting. Before I became employed by starbucks, I was a customer for four years. (my years in high school, we had an open campus lunch policy and starbucks was right across the street). In for the first two years I paid for my drink regularly... but then they hired two new guys. One was a shift and one was a barista. The shift I guess you could say took a liking to me, and told everyone that no one was to charge me on his shift, ever. Id hate to add up the amount of money that cost the company, but i was 16 and it was a flattering gesture. When I started working for starbucks in college, I realize how harming that kind of comping can be. I NEVER had to pay... if I wanted a pastery he marked it out, etc.

I am a shift now, and if I saw anyone on my floor doing that kind of comping they would be out on their ass.

however... I am a firm believer in taking care of our regulars. And I trust my baristas to use their judgement when they comp out a beverage.

Like the regular who came in today and brought us a massive amount of homemade ricotta cookies... we certainly gave her her usual venti coffee on the house after her kind gesture.

I think the test in right/wrong comping is wether they expect to pay. I never expected to pay in high school. But today our customer even insisted on paying, she tried putting the money in the tip jar but the barista told her to keep it.

the key is proper training and trust. a few beverages comped out a week is fine, especially when you compare it to the amount of supplies that go to waste. It kills me when we have to throw out pasteries, milk and coffee.

[fannypie]

You know, the anonymous shift makes a great point - if a customer has their money out and is ready to pay, gets a free drink, and tries to put the price of the drink in the tip jar...it's really the barista's job to tell them to keep their money. Otherwise, the only person who is benefiting from the exchange is the barista - the customer is spending what they would have spent on the drink anyway, but the funds are ending up in the barista's pocket. Hardly a surprise or a delight to essentially tell a customer 'I've decided the price of your drink can just come directly to me instead of my employer.'

[Sherry]

No non coverage, no transfers, no promotions and cut labor.
As far as free drinks be careful it could get you fired for stealing.

sbuxregular:

i know it's been said, but taking from the tips is just as bad as taking from starbucks - probably worse, since i didn't clear a billion or so in income personally last year...

doesn't anyone see the "$off" button on the discount screen?

if a kid is fifty cents short for a juice - just hit the $off button and reduce the overall price by fifty cents. it's not that hard.

[416barista]

It's common sense people. Don't go crazy with the comps, but do something nice for a "surprise and delight".....The other day a homeless guy came in and I always give him a coffee, but some woman in front of him offered to pay for whatever he wanted. I gave him his coffee and I gave her the drink she wanted on the house because I told her that her gesture was amazing.

Oh, and my manager approves of us using good judgment to make people happy, even if it means a free drink

[Flippy]

My partner and I were comped drinks on our anniversary. It's not often that a gay couple gets treated like that on a special occasion. We were regulars, mostly going in every day, spending approximately $8/day...and more if we felt like pastries that day. At only 300 days a year, that's $2400+, plus tips. Being comped two mochas was a nice gesture and I can say that from the profit made from us the other 300 days, Starbucks came out on the plus side. Also, we were regulars who were always nice, never complained, and even if our drink was wrong, we took it and drank it anyway. We also gave small gifts to the staff - stress balls, etc. If someone had been fired for those two comps, we would've made such a big deal about that that uptight DM would've feared the publicity. We're not above making a whole website to right a wrong. ;) I agree that comping people every day is wrong and is theft, but comps on special occasions or under special circumstances is what keeps people coming back.

[Thanks Flippy]

Flippy.
I love customers like you. I want all you SBUX customers out there to read that post.
Thanks.

[DenverC]

Flippy said---"I agree that comping people every day is wrong and is theft, but comps on special occasions or under special circumstances is what keeps people coming back."

This is a perfect example of the way our policy is and should be practiced practiced.

Let me remind you of my original statement.

***You never give away product or undercharge intentionally without a valid reason.***

[cori]

I used to work for Starbucks for some several years and at my store we had daily little contests for fun. It may have been a trivia question, or a "guess the beans in the jar" contest and the reward was a complimentary grande beverage of choice. It was fun and something that the customers often enjoyed. As for the regulars I saw, sure, once every week or so I would give them their coffee just to say thanks for their loyalty.
Cheers!

[chocolate city angry barista]

"Man I hate this thread, it makes me feel insecure. I go to the same store 5-7 days a week and I've never gotten a free drink. The best I've been offered is an americano if the drip coffee is brewing. I think I'm pretty personable and reasonably attractive, but I could be wrong, and I leave a pretty good tip (a buck and a nickel on the weekdays and $3.35 on the weekends). You baristas are tougher to crack then the cool kids table in high school."

Maybe your baristas are batting for the other team...

[Aunty Em]

Thank you all for entertaining my question.

To clear up a few things:

The very first time I ever entered that Starbucks was during a very long (18-day) power outage, where Starbucks had coffee and I didn't. My very first one was "on the house" because they had just run out.

That first set a pattern, even tho' I was always waited on by different people.

I neglected to mention that my tip remains the same, whether I am comped or not. [My message gave the impression I tipped the entire cost of the coffee.] I should have said that I toss the tip jar a dollar.

To those who wondered about my appearance, let me assure you that Aunty Em doesn't break mirrors, nor does she turn heads. A cold, accurate assessment would say that I am plain and I tend to dress dowdy.

I am, however, polite and I never fail to say "please" and "thank you." I don't really chat with anyone at the counter and I know very little about any of their personal lives. However, the crew are treated with respect and appreciation, not just any one person.

I like to use Starbucks as a third room, and I do spend a fair amount of time reading on the patio.

For any of these reasons, or none of them, I am fortunate to receive these kindnesses.

Thanks again for replying.

With all my love,
Aunty Em
http://auntyemsplace.blogspot.com/

[Chinchilla]

Any thoughts on the "suprise and delight"[ing] the customers?

BE careful about how you comp drinksif you do. everything in starbucks is tracked by numbers and all your underwear shows (albeit clean or dirty) in your cash audits.

[Andrew]

The one thing that bothers me about this thread is how much stock my fellow baristas put into the occassional free drink.

Giving away a free drink is not the echelon of customer service.

You don't need to give someone a free drink to make them feel welcome. There are plenty of other things that can be done to "be legendary" that don't reflect negativly on your weekly store P&L.

(monthly)
:P ;)

agreed.
the be-all of legendary service is not a freebie.
it's a great experience...
the freebie isn't the best way, it's just one way. and shouldn't be the only way.

[Andrew]

Yeah, monthly.

At least you get my point though. I'd rather frequent a store with GREAT customer service and awesome partners, then go to a store with "just okay" service but get an occasional free drink.

It's the experience - not the coffee - that people pay for.

Key word - Pay.

[MaryBeth]

Speaking of comping or discounts...I was in a Starbucks in Los Angeles the other day and 2 people (about 25 years old)ordered large lattes. They told the cashier that they were partners. The cashier asked for their partner # and they gave her a number. It all looked just fine. Their coffee was ready at the same time as mine so I happened to walk out right behind them and the minute they got out the door they laughed and were talking about how their scam worked again. It seemed that they just heard an employee give their ID number once and they wrote it down and now they always get whatever the employee discount is when they go into a store. I cant believe that Starbucks is that lax with their policy. They didnt have to show an employee ID or anything. I wonder how many other people are doing this. It doesn't seem right.

[Anna M.]

In my experience as a barista, we generally only give free drinks if a) we're out of what the customer wants, usually brewed coffee- if the customer agrees to wait we'll give it to them on us, or b) if our manager tells us "so and so gets free whatever." I work in a mall starbucks, and since Mall Security is so helpful to us lady baristas on our way out into the oft-dangerous and badly lit parking lot at night, they get a free brewed coffee a day. I think it's a good policy- like someone else had said earlier, we dump gallons of brewed coffee every day- it's better that someone enjoy it, even if it isn't for a profit, than for it to go down a drain for the same lack of profit!

marybeth:

it's policy to show your card to get the discount.
it's against policy to accept a number without the card.
it's even against policy to get the number and use it with photo ID (the actual name pops up with the number) if you don't have the card...

so starbucks isn't lax. the partners there were...

[thor]

actually, there is a refill policy. it is supposed to be one refill a day, within the first hour that you bought your coffee (drip) and it has to be at the same store. costs fifty cents...

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

THOR, You are WAY off on that. You may want to consult updated guidelines.

[Dan]

Starbucks is mixing the milk to avoid waste i.e.
mixing skim and whole milk, I wonder why it tastes different all the time. looking at legal action.

[Theolaxor]

huh?

[Jimbo]

Is there any policy against a barista using a pre-paid gift card to buy a customer a drink? Pay it forward so to speak? Wouldn't want the SM or DM thinking there was potential theft involved having access to the POS like that. But would feel bad just giving it away and making Starbucks pay for it. I am..of course..referring to non-recovery situations. You know, just being nice.

[schnabl thomas]

hy, i'm Thomas from Austria, i visit your starbuck's on 27. july 2007..i must say, it is perfect!! We don't have any starbucks in my province (Graz), only in Vienna! :) Miami is beautiful. so i have one problem, i'm 18 years old *smile* but i think i will come next year..Thank you! Bye

[Diablo]

Ok I have something to add. Starbucks Makes Close to over billions of dollars. But May I ask something. Do you think its fair to charge someone that has lactose intolerance. shure they can say they are or they prefer soy and are not. but to me its free loading on someones Problems. But you should know a lie from truth. to one more or so issue Right now i have people in my old job talking shit about me aka the SM. Telling my personal busness spredding roumers ect. Two The NEW DM. Ive been very nice too ect but im hearing he does not want me working in starbucks anymore. to me it is wrong and i guess discrimanation. if someone is willing to help clairify this please im open to anything. I do feel this its not the places that make the people and eviroment but the other way around. To be happy or make people happy and wana come back. you should try to do your best or them do their best to keep it a healthy work enviroment and or costumer relations exp. But comps Dms Sms or what ever. just remember one thing you can fire people, people can quit at free will. but we are all people just cuse we have on a apron and a name tag it dos not mean coworkers Dms who ever can fell they can disrespect us. just cause Shifts and Baristas make coffe or take orders we too have feelings. i do agree above we do get payed crappy wages and after taxes. and people do get payed more in the higer ups. but i think everyone on here can learn one thing even me. Just cause the coustomer or dm who ever at the time says their right. please take a moment and think how the other person is feeling before you go at them. if you want people to listen you can be strict but try to show some compassion. its not what you say but the way you say it. i think this thread is right now a war on just comps and not solving problems. just take time read what you wrote and others did maby we can learn something wright or wrong. but lets try to do it togeather. We only live once. Pointing fingers ect take up half our life span. And thought DMWC's May be right you are violating one thing if i or others said bitchy coustomers. we would have been fired on the spot by someone if your shoes. so try to set a positive example. thats all i have to say. IF you have thoughts or coments i wont shoot you down for it. But here is a thought for the day . it could help with the stress . and bs on this site. A fave from my child hood.
The Starfish

A young man walked down the beach at dawn, and noticed a Little Girl ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea.counting..1..2...3...4. Finally catching up with the The Little Girl, he asked her why she was doing this? The answer he was told was " the stranded fish would die if left until the morning sun". "But the beach goes on for miles and there must be millions of starfish" countered the young man. "How can your effort make any difference?" The Little Girl looked at the starfish in Her hand and then threw it to the safety of waves and said…." MADE A DIFFERENCE TO THAT ONE"

[CoffeeAddict]

I think there are two good measuring sticks for comping customer's drinks. First, you should never expect a tip. When someone sticks the money into the tip jar in place of paying for that drink then it becomes a question of ethics. Second. You really should never comp for friends and relatives. Like when I worked at a coffehouse and my friends came in - they would always make it a point to pay because they did not want to put me in ANY odd situation.