Starbucks ends long-term sponsorship of the Seattle Sonics

The move comes a year after the coffee giant's chairman sold the NBA team. Starbucks insists it didn't end the sponsorship because Howard Schultz  is no longer affiliated with the Sonics. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Comments

[Pat Nerr]

it is true that the ended affiliation had nothing to do with the decision...

it was poor earnings and controllables... All of the departures at the SSC should free up some cash though...

discuss...

[Lilith]

What do you mean?! There aren't jobs waiting for all of us at the SSC? There are always so many job postings...

;)

[Pat Nerr]

oh but Lilith... those are jobs for other people... not you store folk... heaven forbid a store partner possibly having the skillsets and education needed to work at the SSC...

stop looking at those jobs... you're only teasing yourself

Pat, didn't you come from the stores? How can you possibly make that statement, when you yourself were afforded an opportunity?

I can tell you, folks, that instead of listing to Pat's anecdotal evidence (which doesn't even make sense, as he is his own anomoly) look at the real stats- you will see how much internal development goes on across this company, and I have never ever worked for a company that has offered as much opportunity as this. Let's just say that in a former life, I was able to peek into 150+ other companies in my market and their hiring/staffing procedures, so PLEASE don't think the grass is greener...unless it is your time, and I get that too. But I have confidence that if you do leave, you just might remember Starbucks with far more positive memories than it might feel like right now.

Pat is just jealous, cause he was fired.

[Pat Nerr]

yeah... Pat... You're just jealous.

Perhaps a current HR viewer here can pull up some stats on how many stores partners are actually promoted and moved to the SSC... I'm sure it's huge folks... 140,000+ partners... 2700 SSC partners... There's room for all.

So let's pull up SAP and run that query before you spout off something different than the truth... and that is that there just isn't that many opportunities for store partners to move into the SSC.

just do the math... Pat Nerr is not here to blown warm currents up your skirt... just to tell the truth

[Lilith]

Pat's right. The numbers don't add up.

Besides...it would be logical to want to have people in the SSC who actually know what goes on in a store...and we know what the bux does with logic.

...open that window will ya, Pat?

[Pat Nerr]

certainly...

In all fairness, I was able to make it to the bighouse... 7 years ago though. The company had less than half of the stores it has now.

..and I was an exceptional partner who happened to interview with another partner who valued some store perspective in the corporate environment... the purpose was to infuse that perspective into new SSC partners. I also ran the Store Immersion program... which does not exist today except for director level and above... and even then, it's only a handfull of shifts for them before they start leading others.

set some realistic goals folks... the SSC may not be a place you even want to go. It is a tough transition.

[Pat Nerr]

lilith... you get me so fired up sometimes...

thanks.

[Lilith]

Back at ya.

[DT]

I'm glad I stopped drinking the "I can make it to the SSC" Kool-Aid and promoted myself to customer.

I've now become the official-unoffical Boston Area "Promote yourself to customer" consultant for Starbucks partners.

[Pat Nerr]

Love what you do... Scare others with it...

OK, so first it is about the fact that store partners don't have the skillset for the jobs.

THEN when you're put in your place, it becomes about the math, and that rather there aren't enough opportunities when you look at the ratio of 140000 vs 2700 jobs.

THEN you state that it took you 7 years to make it to the SSC with half as many stores (which, using your math skills, now that there are twice as many stores, it should take only 3.5 years vs 7, which is realistic, and ahead of the curve in the retail industry)

THEN you even provide the ticket in- you stated your own experience, which is exactly the reason WHY you got in:

1)you were an exceptional partner- that is the point, to get the best of the best, hence looking at 140000 people, and selecting the top 2700 for corporate- that kinda makes sense to me?!?!

2)someone at corporate appreciated your store perspective, and reached their hand out to provide you with an opportunity. Same as today.

3)Store Immersion program- either take credit for it, or lambast it, but you can't do both. Essentially what you are saying is that you created a mediocre program, as it isn't effective with just a few shifts. AND you are also wrong- the Store Immersion program does exist, and for a ton of other positions besides RD. Practically every position outside of Seattle, that is in a zone office, goes through a store immersion. I happened to have enjoyed it. Now that I know you created it, I can tell that you used to have the passion.

Do you really think you can pull this BS Mr. Nerr?

And talk about drinking the Kool-Aid, Lilith!

THAT should fire you up...keep shoveling the "truth", Patty....

[Nerr is full of it]

Pat is like a frustrated man with just a little bit of knowledge. It's not 140,000 partners to 2500 in the SSC. The more relevant number is the regional offices in the field plus the SSC (DM and above) and there are more than 7,000 people in that group.

The field and the SSC has loads of people who began in the stores, including of course Howard. In fact if anything there are too many folks who think that having worked in the stores suddenly makes them an expert in an entirely different job, merely because it's still a retail company.

Not sure what he's talking about when he says "all the SSC departures" but I assume his source is what it always is (his backside).

Pat, exercise your frustration elsewhere. Do you do much other than live on the gossip website of your former employer? At some point you may want to get a therapist to help you move on.

[Pat Nerr]

I think you may need to read what I wrote again...

that and I think you may have been drinking...

[Nerr is still full of it]

wow, took you all 6 minutes to respond. Dude, do you live on this site? I think you need to read what I wrote about a therapist and moving on....

[ex-sbuxmanager]

"wow, took you all 6 minutes to respond. Dude, do you live on this site? I think you need to read what I wrote about a therapist and moving on...."

Did anyone else notice that it only took him/her 8 minutes to respond?

[ex-sbuxmanager]

"THEN you state that it took you 7 years to make it to the SSC with half as many stores (which, using your math skills, now that there are twice as many stores, it should take only 3.5 years vs 7, which is realistic, and ahead of the curve in the retail industry)"

Try again. You're assuming that since there are twice as many stores that there are twice as many SSC partners which is wrong. If the number of SSC partners stays the same and the number of store partners keeps growing it should take twice as long for a store partner to go from the stores to the SSC. Even longer since they seem to be hiring everybody but store partners to work in the SSC these days.

[Lilith]

Skill set?! Many SMs have degrees. Are we rewarded? Not at all. We hardly even have 20th century office tools to work with (hello word/excel) and are constantly dumbed down.

Gonna call BS on you with this one Nerr. In my 15+ years with the company I've lost count of how many store partners have gone into regional offices as well as SSC. It is often preferred as they already have experience to our culture that externals do not.

Further, as our store and partner counts have exponentially grown it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain these positions as there is a lot more competition for fewer positons.

Not even sure why we bother though really, you clearly dislike Starbucks so I don't see how any post here would change your POV. Presumably it's a good thing for both of us your no longer around. C'est la Vie

[SBUX MGR]

ha ha ha. Pat Nerr = EX-SBUXMANAGER.

Please, don't bother denying it. That would be boring, and you don't always have to have the last word.

[Pat Nerr]

"Gonna call BS on you with this one Nerr. In my 15+ years with the company I've lost count of how many store partners have gone into regional offices as well as SSC. It is often preferred as they already have experience to our culture that externals do not."

give us an estimate then... hundreds? thousands? ten thousands? Just curious...

and all I'm saying is that those days of "this is it folks, you can build a career here" (HS always says this)... are long gone. Starbucks is not a final stop in life... as evidenced by the sentiment at the last Open Forum.

[ex-sbuxmanager]

"ha ha ha. Pat Nerr = EX-SBUXMANAGER.

Please, don't bother denying it. That would be boring, and you don't always have to have the last word."

Check the IP addresses. Agreeing with someone doesn't make you the same person.

[Nerr Patt]

Apparently we have to do an SAP pull to satisfy Pat's BS grenades.

I'm wondering if Pat Nerr also leaked the HS memo.

[Pat Nerr]

no doubt, SBUXman... and who cares?

Nerr Patt... seems reasonable since I've seen the data and the rest of you are just blowing opinionated verbal spray without the numbers... let's see the stats and I'll willingly retract my statement that:

Store partners actually making it to the SSC is a small (and getting smaller) number relative to the partner base...

... and no, I didn't leak the memo. I still worked there at that time and that would have been against company policy to do such a thing.

...and yes, I hang out here cuz this is my new job. To represent 2 of the 3 sides to Starbucks... reality and honesty. You can pick the name for your side.

[Pat Nerr]

"Skill set?! Many SMs have degrees. Are we rewarded? Not at all. We hardly even have 20th century office tools to work with (hello word/excel) and are constantly dumbed down."

Lilith: Glad you saw the sarcasm. I'm also glad you brought up the point that the stores still run their businesses on antiques for computers with no real applications for running a business.

Has any store received the Retail Workbench that was supposed to be launched 6 months ago?

[ex-sbuxmanager]

"Apparently we have to do an SAP pull to satisfy Pat's BS grenades."

Please do. Then we'll BOTH accept your apology.

It just cracks me up that ex-employees are the bitter bobs here, and current partners are finally willing to call them out. Sorry Pat, you weren't the only one who could pull SAP figures, who do you think you are? This isn't Nerrbucks, it's starbucks. And the rest of us are proud to be here. I just laugh when I see you making little jabs here and there, sure we're not perfect. I think your 15 years with starbucks kept you from seeing the real world, so you yourself are living in the real bubble, we all get that there are trial and errors, mistakes, and we don't always get it right. But it's easy to leave and then point the finger. Please go work for another COMPANY, and then you'll have something to compare Starbucks with. Oh wait, maybe you couldn't get hired elsewhere, because of your cynical perspective...maybe that' why you have "chosen" to work for yourself, and use starbucks to generate your measy income from a few black sheep who support you.

[HopkinsBella]

You also have a bit of free time on your hands, mouser0222.....

Not enough to do with your time, other than a distasteful urge to harass those you disagree with?

[Pat Nerr]

that was just a joke about just doing this for a job... Not a "bitter bob" at all. I just think that leaving quietly is silly and perhaps it's time to paint the picture some have lived for a while now... I'm glad you feel "invested" in Starbucks... that's great... I'm entitled to do my thing in my own way.

Why the hell is it that people want to bury the truth? or take pot shots? Surely, you're sharp enough to have a dialogue about it... I mean that is why everyone comes here...

or is it just to take shots at folks they disagree with... and not put a name. I personally think that there are some partners out there curious about the behind the scenes... if you're not... you should stop reading things on the web and stick to your in-store communciations and mainstream news.

Now that took me 2 hours and 49 minutes to respond to... since the time police are out patrolling.

[Lilith]

I'm a current SM. Been that way for 5 years. I'm here because I've never seen it this bad and am curious about the root cause. So there.

"I'm a current SM. Been that way for 5 years. I'm here because I've never seen it this bad and am curious about the root cause. So there."

When have you crossed over to the disgruntled side lilith? You used to sound so enthusiastic, but since you started listening to nerr you have gotten just as bad as he is. No that is not a compliment, maybe you should promote yourself to customer too if you are so disillusioned. You just sound like a bitter old bean now, how disappointing. And the "so there" remark, how childish.

[Pat Nerr]

Sorry Lilith... I was the one who said some things and turned you... It wasn't any of your experiences... it was for sure what I said... same for the rest of you bitter beans... I guess I can take responsibility for turning against the company that is doing a great job at living up to it's mission and guiding principles... It was me...

give me a break... sheep

[Lilith]

Oh, yes. It was all Pat's fault. I'm so glad you've enlightened me.

I'm not a bitter bean. I just don't like the direction we've been heading. This is a good place to vent. I sure won't do it at my store or with my partners. I still love the company, I'm just really worried about it. I think it's our responsibility to speak up and question things that aren't right. How else are we supposed to be #1?

Oh, by the way, grow some balls and pick a nic to stand behind your point of view.

[Joe O.]

I think we just saw a textbook example of a threadjack.

[Darleen Junior (the new darleen)]

neone else notice how pat nerr "Part-ner?" has a comment for all hours of the day and night? is he always on this site? and who IS pat nerr?

[Darleen]

Joe,
What's a threadjack? I don't want to sound ignorant, but I have no idea what that term means. Can you explain please?

[Darleen]

neone else notice how pat nerr "Part-ner?" has a comment for all hours of the day and night? is he always on this site? and who IS pat nerr?

Darleen (new and improved) :)Patnerr worked for Starbucks for 15 years and has now stepped down from the company. Some don't like him, some don't like him but respect that he has a point of view, some love him. He is very opinionated but knows what he is saying. You'll get to know more about him as time goes by and can then form your own opinion about him. He runs a webite called "greenapronstories" check it out to learn more. When he first came to our little community I thought he was egotistical and abrasive, I am sorry that I was not open minded enough to listen to what he had to say. I'm glad to say he is now one of the first names I will read when I come here. I respect him, I like him and I think he feels the same about me. Get to know him, you'll see what I mean.

In reference to the slur on Pat Nerr's "good" name, the comment that HE probably leaked HS's memo...

Well, logically, I bet Howie leaked it HIMSELF in a last-ditch effort to drive SBUX, the Scylla and Charybdis of immovable stocks, up artificially.

[Pat Nerr]

To Darleen's point... abrasive can be good... especially when it could drive a change in the organization for the better. I have yet to hear from ANYBODY that all is so good in Starbucks land that some change couldn't be good...

and yes... Howard had Matt Murray leak the memo in order to give the organization a wakeup call.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

Pat -- You're wrong -- very wrong on that. The memo was leaked to me, and believe me, it was unauthorized. If you want to maintain credibility, I'd advise you to speak what you know about.

>>
and yes... Howard had Matt Murray leak the memo in order to give the organization a wakeup call.

[Pat Nerr]

I knew it wouldn't take much to get the low-down

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster]

Pat -- Continue to post inaccurate information and you'll be banned. If you have "gossip," post it as that; but don't make believe you have factual information when you don't.

[Pat Nerr]

understood... just looking for confirmation that I did not post the memo which an unidentified person stated that I may have...

thanks

[Joe O.]

Darleen,

You dont sound ignorant at all...it's a fair question. A threadjack occurs when commenters send the commentary in a direction that has nothing to do with the original content.

For example, here is the original topic of this thread:

"The move comes a year after the coffee giant's chairman sold the NBA team. Starbucks insists it didn't end the sponsorship because Howard Schultz is no longer affiliated with the Sonics."

Yet, you'll notice that, with the exception of the very first comment in this thread, there has been absolutely no discussion at all of the original topic - instead it's been all about Pat Nerr and his contributions (or lack thereof) to this site. Therefore the thread has been "hijacked" or, in web parlance, "threadjacked".

[Darleen]

Joe,
Thank you. I thought it meant something along those lines. While I have you here I'd just like to say thank you. Your posts are always informative and respectful. I enjoy reading them. Have a great day!

[Pat Nerr]

"Yet, you'll notice that, with the exception of the very first comment in this thread, there has been absolutely no discussion at all of the original topic - instead it's been all about Pat Nerr and his contributions (or lack thereof) to this site. Therefore the thread has been "hijacked" or, in web parlance, "threadjacked"."

The first comment was mine Joe from Everett WA. And I think it degraded from there... let's credit all that participated. What dept. are you in Joe?

[Joe O.]

Other than posting where I'm from (information you gained on your own website but post on a different website -classy) how does what you just posted change anything I posted? I stated the facts and the facts are this whole thread has been about YOU and not the removal of Starbucks Sonics sponsorship. Perhaps you need to start reading posts more closely.

[Pat]

What say ye of the Sonics/Mariners pullout then?

[Joe O.]

Doesn't bother me a bit - especially the Sonics. They're nothing but a bunch of lame ducks.