Starbucks stores are dirtier in Britain, says author

"Americans have been taught to do part of the labor, and they clean up after themselves," says Bryant Simon, who is working on a book titled "Consuming Starbucks." "In the US, part of Starbucks' appeal is its cleanness." (I see plenty of customers leaving their junk at tables -- especially in the wealthier north shore Chicago suburbs.) (London Observer)
> Is Starbucks killing the British tea hour?

Comments

Mr. Simon clearly hasn't visited my store lately...the things people will do when they realize that somebody else has to clean up after them...I wonder if their houses are that messy?

[lalana]

I appreciate a clean store. What I don't apreciate is your mopping up with nasty smelling chemicals WHILE I'm at a table enjoying a delicious latte. I've been splashed, shoved and ignored by cleaner-uppers, who don't seem to notice that they're bothering customers while they're tidying. I'll bus my own table if you'll just let me sit there a while longer before you invade my space with your cleaning equipment.

[Chi-town's best/angriest barista]

do tell me, how are you going to get a clean store if someone doesn't come clean it? (that someone is me, and that part of the job sucks)
you have to know that if we waited until everyone was done, or moved, or gone, we'd never get a chance to clean anything so it would be dirty all day, and people would be all up in arms about that too, so if you want a clean store, bear with the cleaning process, since it doesn't magically happen. and there are still customers, no matter what you do, who will still refuse to get rid of their own trash.
and those "nasty smelling chemicals"? it's detergent soap and water. a little windex at the worst.

If only Mr. Simon had some specifics to backup his claim...

[charleston]

Off topic but, I was going through the cds that are going out tonight for tomorrow and one of the cds is Lilly Allen, im curious to see how the latte drinking,play dates moms feel when a song comes on talking " Jesus Christ almightly, I got your fucking money" or the other songs talking about " Yeah i guess i just need my man whore" or " There is my brother getting screwed on crack" I can see a 3yr old hearing the words and repeating it at home, and the mom flips out and ask where they heard that word and the 3yrs says " at starbucks," or I can see it now a 13yr old Carmel Frapp drinking girl buys the cd, and about 10mins later in comes the mom with the girl, and the mom is pissed now trying to return the cd because of the topics on the cd, and then I inform them that we cant take an open cd, and she get outraged and the girl starts crying.. I kinda hope starbucks hears alot of junk from media and costumers about selling this cd.. Awesome Howard I knew we could count on you once again! :)

[MartUK]

Wotcher!

You know that isn't going to happen, Chrleston. I don't know if it's different in the States, but here in England, our CDs are sent to us and they'll only play in the in-store CD player. Likewise, it'll only play the CDs we're sent and no others.

So it'll be the usual, run-of-the-mill rubbish, including jazz. I hate jazz! With a passion! Almost as much as I hate Cheryl Crow. She has sold her soul to the Siren. The Siren owns Cheryl Crow.

Oh wait, just read your post properly. Well, if they don't know what they're buying, more fool them! Caveat Emptor.

On the subject of cleaning, I'm with Chi-Town on this one. How else is a store supposed to get clean? Do people think we have a bunch of magic elves that run around, faster than the human eye, cleaning up their rubbish? Lalana, it's not your job to bus the tables, that's why we employ coffee-slaves. If someone is bothering you, just ask them not to. They won't mind. It's why we don't arm them!

Cheerio!

[Charleston]

In the states, if you go to the hard drive player (where the music comes from) then you can pick from the either hear music promos or currently these cds : The decembertists, The Shins, John Legend, Norah Jones, Diamen Rice, and so on or cds from earlier in the year like Bob Dylan or John Mayer

[MartUK]

Wotcher!

John Legend, Norah Jones, Damien Rice, Bob Dylan? Sound like the soundtrack from hell to me.

I think our technology is about 3 years behind you then.

Saying that though, too much choice can be a bad thing.

T'raa!

[Charleston]

As far as cleaning goes, were hardcore about it at my store, because we are always having crowds coming in and out. We try to do cafe sweeps every 15mins or so, and then every hour sweep in detail amd outside patio, and then mop if needed. Then the bathrooms and floors behind the counters, are kept really clean so it doesnt began to smell if someone that morning got milk on the mats. It helps out alot, and our policy on costumers and keeping the cafe is that if your out doing a sweep and you see that are done, offer to take there trash, but don't mop at there feet or make it seem as if they are in the way of things.

[coffeemistress]

Lalana, why don't you take your precious latte home if you are upset by our cleaning? you see someone has to clean up the mess that the lovley stay at home mommies and their kids leave. Oh and to all you people that take your drink into the restroom with you and leave a nice coffee ring on the back of the toilet tank......YOU ARE GROSS!

[Jeff]

I think Lalana just got shoved by a few overzealous baristas who didn't use their discretion in deciding which messes to clean up. Or who didn't realise what was going on. No need to blame her...

[patrickbarnett]

Okay...I usually babble on about how much I liked working at Starbucks...but I have to say the least enjoyable aspect of my time there was cleanig up after customers. If somebody wasn't able to do it for themself, I was MORE than happy to do it. Those that could not...well, I cannot imagine not cleaning up after myself. To just get up and walk out leaving my mess for another human being...seems so far out there to me. Sigh. That was strange. I now have a home Starbucks (as a customer) and NEVER leave trash on the table. In fact, I'm usually found fronting the bean wall or wiping down the condiment bar. I don't do it for points...just force of nature. For all the customers who read this site, for God's sake, please pass it along that its a "cool" and "hip" thing to clean up after yourself. Its just as cool as walking into the office with a Starbucks logo proudly displayed and a Sheryl Crow: Artist's Choice loaded on you Coach covered iPod. Shew. Thank you!

[lilith]

I'm tired of walking into dirty stores in the states. What ever happened to Howie's 'enough is enough' letter?!

However, back on topic....it irks me when people leave crap all over the table...when it's right next to the trash can. Seriously. What's with these people? Almost as bad as walking out with someone elses iced drink when you ordered a hot one. ERG.

[KC STARBUCKS REBEL]

What really pisses me off is people just dropping their papertowels and klenex on the floor in the bathroom. What makes people do this? There is a trash can right next to the door.

[Jimmy Chang in NYC]

We clean and clean and clean. No problem for the normal mess that happens with doing business. But when you throw soemthing away in that black trash can, miss, and then fail to pick it up and I will call you on it. Even if it means making an ass out of you in front of all those people waiting for a drink.

Rude ignorant people are dealt with accordingly. Clean up after yourself and you get a big personal "thank you".

Treat your store as though you were a guest in a persons home.

That would be better for all of us. Make a mess all the time and you wonder why your service is crappy? In otherwords, don't be a loser.

Not going to lie...sometimes we start mopping or hardcore cleaning when it gets close to closing time just to make the point that it is close to closing. And it is rude. And I can kind of see where Lalana would be upset by it.

[sbuxmanager]

Charleston - They won't put the songs with the curse words on the in store system. Remember Alanis Morrisette? They didn't play about half the songs on the in store, but still sold the album.

Also, an on-topic response...yesterday I was cleaning a table that some one had thoughfully left with a pile of napikins, several empty and hal-empty cups, an empty bottle of OJ and some pastry bags. While I'm cleaning it, this C*NT who is waiting for her drink throws another piece of trash onto the pile. The c*untiest part of it...the table was right next to the condiment bar!

[barista suz]

It really pisses me off when at the handoff bar and condiment bar people leave shit. And it's like.. THERE'S A TRASH CAN RIGHT NEXT TO YOU, BASTARD!
:)

[Jimmy Change in NYC]

"While I'm cleaning it, this C*NT who is waiting for her drink throws another piece of trash onto the pile. The c*untiest part of it...the table was right next to the condiment bar!"

She would have got an earfull from me.

"There is a trash can over there. This is a mess that rude people left. I know you don't want to be a rude person yourself so I will over look it this time. You have a nice day!"

Barista's or people in general don't have to put up with behavior like that. You call them on it. Every time!!!!!!

[coffeeguy]

Deffinatly the least enjoyable part of the job. Our customers are awesome about this though. If they have it in they almost always bring us back the dirty cup right to the counter.

The only thing that urks me is when people leave a huge pile of messy cups, half drank fraps and wrappers all over a table RIGHT NEXT to a garbage can.

In fact at any table. I always always always clean up my table at any restuarant fast food, 5 star or otherwise to make life easy for the server.

It's just one of those tiny tiny things you can do to add a bit more happiness to the world.

[sbuxgrrl]

CHARLESTON,

Starbucks is not a playground for "play dates." In fact, coffeehouses are not appropriate places to bring children. Children carry all kinds of diseases and are unruly and disruptive. Drinking lattes and being with children should be two separate activities, one of which requires a babysitter. I think it's great that Starbucks can play adult music, because we do primarily serve adults. However, you wouldn't know it from the way they leave trash on tables and the floor.

[LG]

We are not a restaurant - we don't have servers or busboys so don't leave your crap on the table.

Also, I appreciate that when customers bring me their plate, but why are you also handing me your do they also hand me their empty to-go cups and the napkins they just wiped their noses with? WTF is that? I don't want to touch customers' dirty mouth germs!

It irks me when people don't bother throwing their condiment trash away.

But aside from the example at the top, nothing pisses me off more than people who rip straw wrappers and sleeves into tiny little pieces and then either hide them under napkins or newspaper - so they flutter to the ground when I pick up the napkins - or they sprinkle them onto the floor. Why would anyone intentionally do something like that? F*ck it - I'm giving everyone decaf from now on.

[Bob Sutton]

I like Starbucks, although I find that some of the customers treat the employees like dirt and don't seem to realize that they aren't the only people who need help. Why does Starbucks create so much anger? The employees think the customers are assholes, the customers think the employees are assholes, and competitors seem to think that everyone at Starbucks is an asshole. I ask this because I curious, and yes, I have a book coming out in a few weeks called called The No Asshole Rule, and I wonder why there is so much anger about what I find to be a generally civilized place.

Bob Sutton,author of The No Asshole Rule: How to Build a Civilized Workplace and Survive One That Isn't (Warner, 2007).

[NewShift]

I'm in the majority on this one. It bugs the crap out of me when people leave messes. Now, I don't mind picking up your for-here cup or a plate, but I don't want to pick up six napkins from the table and floor, wipe up your spill, and try to collect everything from the table. It's not that hard at least to put things on one plate. Really, it's not.

And in case you hadn't noticed, there are four garbage cans between you and the door. So don't set your empty hot cup on the condiment bar or on a random table on your way out!!

Sorry. I get emotional. I actually didn't realize how great my store is about this until I worked a couple of weeks at another store during holiday. This particular store is right next to a middle school, and we would have piles of kids come in, order frappuccinos, push six or seven tables together, run around shrieking and spilling, and then leave almost unbelievable messes behind when they left.

And no, I don't hate children, and no, I am not generalizing about all teenagers. I'm saying that all of you respectable young ones ought to tell those particular rich brat classmates of yours some respect. Good luck. :)

Cheers!

[sbuxgrrl]

Oh, and I hate when people crumple up their receipts and straw wrappers and throw them on the counter. We always ask names, so I will call across the cafe, "Margo, you left your trash on the counter! Did you want me to throw that away for you, sweetie?" I guess some people need to be reminded that we are in a civilized country, and it's customary to put your trash in the trash can.

[sbuxgrrl]

LG,

Talk about customers wiping their noses on napkins, well guess what! I caught impetigo from some nasty CHILDREN who were touching all of the mugs in retail. They were nasty and had sores on their faces, and I had to dust and restock and I caught their disease! It was horrible, I had to go to the doctor and it ended up costing me $50 to treat. Plus, I have scarring. People, please leave your children at home, or else don't let them touch things!

[NewShift]

I think, Mr. Sutton, that you're generalizing a bit much. For the most part, we partners don't customers are assholes. We think the customers who are assholes are assholes. That's all. 99.5% of my customers are awesome people who treat me like a real person, and I respect them for that. But there are a handful of people who are either not nice or are clueless about how to treat other people, or maybe just having a real crappy day. Those are the people you hear about, which is why it seems so widespread. Nobody talks about the nice people, because that isn't interesting. So you don't hear about the fifteen partners at a particular store who are kind and gracious people, you only hear about the one that yelled at a customer for mispronouncing frappuccino. And that partner was probably dealt with swiftly. In the same way, you never hear about the great customers who pick up after themselves, say thank you, and ask you how you're doing. You only hear about the one that throws a venti coffee at the barista for not leaving enough room. Face it, we live in a society where only outrageous (and preferably negative) incidents catch our attention long enough to comment on them.

Cheers!

[LG]

Oh, I forgot one little thing, one I absolutely adore.

I LOVE IT when customers bring in trash from their car for me to throw away behind the counter. Food trash, paper trash, old mochas from last week... YUCK.

[Chaz]

Some people are always inconsiderate. I'd much rather have my barista concentrate on giving my a great cup of coffee, rather than having to clean up after me.

Also, I don't think it's fair to compare a huge city like London against much smaller American cities. It simply doesn't have that same "regulars" feel with that volume.

[TheophileEscargot]

I've never been in a US Starbucks, but some of the UK ones are pretty dirty. They vary: some are spotlessly clean, some have grimy-looking furniture and tables full of coffee rings even in very quiet times.

Not sure if it's the same in the US, but here if you choose to drink your coffee in, you get a ceramic, reusable mug, not a disposable one you can throw away.

[James UK]

I'd certainly agree that the stores here in the UK are far dirtier than the US.

In my own local store which I visit around three times a week, you can go in just after opening time, and see spilt sugar / stirrers / napkins etc under the tables as an example.

I also remember an occasion where the same rubbish and chewing gum was left untouched in the toilet for 4 days.

I don't know if the staff have to do the cleaning themselves, or a contractor is used..?

But, at the end of the day, I agree it's down to the people themselves. To echo some of the other posts, a huge number of customers DO look "down" on the staff, and couldn't care less about not making a mess or cleaning up after themselves. They believe it's beneath them.

I used to take my tray back to the drink collection area, but got such funny looks that I stopped. What's the etiquette there? Does anyone else take their empties back? (I'm talking china cups here)

Oh, and MartUK, as a customer, I too hate the music you have to play. In my local, it's far too loud as well. I've asked many times to have it turned down (along with a lot of the other early morning "regulars") and this works, but isn't a permanent solution. Aside from snipping the speaker wires, anyone got a solution to annoying background "muzak"?

[Gareth Thomas]

Having lived in both the US and UK I can tell you why.

In the US most customers are served in paper 'take out' cups, whereas here it appears everyone wants their coffee in a real mug.

So of course in the US most customers will either throw their paper away on the way out or take it with them.

From an environmental standpoint its much better to not use the paper cups. What needs to happen is Starbucks get on the ball and add one or two extra staff per location here to clean the tables.

[london barista]

Gareth is correct - after aboutu 9am, the majority of our drinks are sold in "Drink In" china cups which appears to be a very British thing to do.

Somemtimes when all of our china cups are being used, a customer will agree to wait another 3-4mins for a dishwasher cycle in order to get their coffee in a mug as opposed to a paper cup.
It means we are forever bussing tables and washing mugs/dishes etc.

Shame really, because it looks like the n american tolerance for paper cups is a lot lower maintenance :)

[soy_latte]

This lady walked behind the counter, past the registers and the lobby bar, almost to the drive thru, to throw some trash away yesterday. She was quick and we were busy busy busy so we all just kind of looked at her, shocked.

I do hate it when kids come in and trash the place, but more often than not, it's grown ass adults who are doing it. Shoving straw wrappers and god knows what else into the merchandise baskets, and the many times above mentioned not throwing away their trash when they had been sitting right next to one, and there's one right by the door.

[Bob]

"Americans have been taught to do part of the labor, and they clean up after themselves"

What a damning anthropological indictment. I wonder how the author came to such a definitive statement. Are Americans taught in schools? Do they have practical lessons in both home economics and café deportment? Perhaps the level of parenting is more concientious, with a greater focus on interpersonal respect and assistance.

Or maybe he´s talking bolocks.

[charleston]

SBUXGRRL

Yeah I agree that it should be a serperate thing, but you are in complete denly if you believe that its not a playdate spot for many moms, I take you work in more of business district store instead of a neighborhood, because I work in one surround by tons of homes in a rich area of town, so all the non-working moms and their kids makes Starbucks a daily event.Lilly Allen isn't even adult music.. Its just sheer horrible :)

[Hirayuki]

I'm an American, and my husband's from New Zealand (though he's lived in the States for about ten years). As far as I can tell, we're the only two people who cleaned up after ourselves (and sometimes others) at the various Starbucks outlets we visited in London. So, no, it's not bollocks. The tables were invariably strewn with garbage and often ashes (!), to the point where either you clean up someone else's mess or you go without a seat. It was disgusting. I can honestly say London was home to the only dirty Starbucks I've ever seen.

Compare that to the Starbucks I've been to anywhere in the world, where people clean up after themselves for the most part. Hell, in Japan the staff sometimes sees you heading for the trash receptacle and takes your tray from you to finish the job. Of course, that's often because they're worried you won't sort your trash properly (burnables here, nonburnables there).

[Dury]

It's true about the UK Starbucks. I think it's more to do with staffing than anything else. Most of the standard size stores (much smaller than the US ones) have only 3 members of staff. If one of them is on a break, then there's no one left to clear up.

Even if you get a clear table, you can often come away from a spell sitting on a sofa with someone else's chocolate shortbread crumbs firmly attached to your jeans, or worse still find a tissue has risen from within the sofa and attached itself to your coat!

Most of the shops I've visited have also had their toilets closed for 'plumbing' reasons. Though I suspect it's a fear of the staff and customers to actually go in there!

It's just a British thing, I'm ashamed to say. We won't clear up after ourselves unless there's a bin within about 5 metres of where we're sitting.

[Soyweird]

The 'closed for plumbing' is used to stop the copious amount of junkies who use the toilets for things other than peeing. And why can't people drop a stirstick or sugar packet in the garbage on the condiment bar? It drives me insane that they place it carefully next to the garbage but not actually IN it. WHY????

[patrick barnett]

Somewhat off topic...but how about the customer who tosses their credit card onto the counter when you CLEARLY have your hand extended for receipt of said card? Obviously an insult to the humanity of connectivity. In case you're wondering where I placed the card for return to the customer...exactly where (and how) it was given to me...on the counter...tossed! RUDE! My interpretation? The customer requested the payment be placed on the counter...my JUST SAY YES attitude allowed me to place it back onto the counter!

Overall this is not unique to Starbucks. I see people at gas stations do the same thing to attendants. The attendants also get to hear a great deal about the price of fuel, as if they made the decision!

GOLDEN RULE PEOPLE! Its a pretty good rule!

[Kat]

I'll have to say the Starbucks in my town always seem to very clean. I don't know if it's due to the staff or thoughtful customers. Given that in general people down here tend to be messy (I never saw so much roadside garbage as when I moved down here), I'd say the staff, but then again there are garbage bins all over the place so maybe people get the hint.

[pnwgal]

I would expect to get called out by staff if I didn't bus my own table at Starbucks-leaving one's garbage behind when one is perfectly capable of carrying it to a garbage can is the height of arrogance and self-entitlement.

Cut your Starbucks staff a break and clean up after yourself!

[shinystar]

As a store manager over here in Blighty I can agree with all the others that have said our customers very rarely clear up after themselves. Weekends are the worst with all the supplements you get with the papers - people think they can just dump them on the table and go. Our store is a two floor operation and even 2 partners bussing every ten mins cannot keep up with the table clearing on a busy day!
My biggest bug bear is wooden stirrers being broken up into splinters and tipped over the floor, really difficult to sweep or vaccuum up as they stick in the carpet! Oh and small chldren and muffins just don't mix well - mushed up muffin being stomped into carpet is again really difficult to shift!

[MartUK]

Wotcher!

Shinystar, you beat me to it. I absolutely hate it when you have to scoop up bits of broken stirry-stick. I always get splinters. Meh to them, I say!

The whole clearing up after yourself thing is cultural. As an ex-Empire, we Brits have always had someone to clear up after us, and this has led to a culture of laziness. that's why there's copious amounts of chewing gum on all the the pavenments here. I hate that, it's very ugly to see. Even worse is the gum stuck under tables and chairs. Woe betide the person I catch doing that! I know we're meant to be nice and friendly, so I'll give them a choice: clean up the gum or leave by a window.

Cheerio!

[VW]

The Mayor came in to my store a few weeks back, he bought alot (large man, may i add) and then proceeded to leave his trash, and cup on the table. I guess he thought it was like a sit down place because he left a $3 tip along the trash. The funny thing to me was a few day before that he did a speech about how we need to clean up the city and not leave trash for others.. Practice what you preach Mr. Mayor

[Miriam]

People hand their garbage over to baristas? Jesus. In almost all the stores in my area you pass the trash cans on your way to the register.

Maybe UK Starbucks should have a tray or busboy bin (I'm not sure what to call it) near the garbage for the drink-ins? I've seen a lot of places in the US that give you real dishes (Panera and such) use those.

[cornfrost]

I don't know where this guy gets the idea that homeless people don't go to Starbucks. We have about a dozen homeless regulars. They are there like clockwork.

Starbucks is not "too expensive" for them. They get free water, hot water, honey, syrup, sugar, samples of food, samples of coffee, cocoa powder, etc. It is easier to acquiesce to their demands than to actually engage with them.

[Amy Alkon]

Starbucks' employees are terrific to a homeless friend of mine who does artwork at their location. They are constantly kind and very respectful of him, gave him an art show there, and one employee even allows him to keep his license and birth cert in the trunk of her Bug. Their decency to him makes me feel good about going there. And by the way, he might be "unhoused," but he buys coffee there -- and tips, too. A class act. And he works harder on his art than many people with a roof over their heads.

I wish I had nice things to say about the children I see at Starbucks -- the underparented children and the guilty parties, their "parents." All too often, they make a huge mess on the table and floor and leave their trash and crumbs for "someone else" to pick up. Hint: It's not Lutece. They don't have busboys running around with table scrapers.

Oh yeah, and to be fair, some underparented children are 55 or so.

[Rob]

I have noticed the declining cleanliness in my local area. In Indy, the 10th & Girls School location is by far the filthiest (trash, crumbs on floor & on tables; dried liquid on walls & windows; and floors with dried "stuff"). This was at 9 AM so it couldn't have been cleaned the night before.

I believe we are losing the "gathering place" feel of the locations and turning them into fast food stores where it is in-and-out in one swoop.

[sohotbarista]

i guess my only gripe is with the pastries. they are so incredibly messy, every time i see a parent buying a pastry for a child i cringe inside because it will mean without a doubt crumbs definately on the table and possibly on the floor. sadness.
another note, all the new starbucks in my district have real glasses for "for here" cold drinks and mugs and plates. they have a bin in the condiment bar which is intended for all of of the reusables. nobody every uses it. it will have trash, paper cups, and the plates and mugs will be on top of the comdiment bar. it is a joke. oh well.
"for here" frappucinos are the best.

ps a new starbucks that i have been borrowed at has japanese-style grass mats in two large alcoves. that was an aweful idea. now there are squished chocolate chips and crumbs imbedded in them. we, as staff, have noo idea how to clean them. :(