Melody goes to Starbucks: A thread devoted to the Starbucks superfan's upcoming trip to the coffee giant's headquarters

As Starbucks Gossip regulars know, MELODY has been invited to Starbucks corporate headquarters for a tour and to let the PR team know what she's thinking about the coffee company. (She says this will take place in about two weeks.) This thread is for Melody to keep Starbucks Gossip readers updated, and for others to suggest topics for her to bring up during the meeting. (There's already been a lot of discussion here.) So....take it away, Melody!

Comments

[Pat Nerr]

The questions are... Will she ride the shuttle and will she tell the partners on the shuttle who she is?

[Nick]

Ask them how our recent initiative is going back to the basics!!!

[Melody]

Holy moly. Webmaster-Jim is it a slow Starbucks news day? ;-) ;-)

I think the real question is 'who's next?' after Melody? LOL

The date is not perfectly confirmed (I need to get another email from Starbucks) but right now it is set for 9-24.

By the way, late last night I went talked to my supervisor very honestly about why I was taking some time off on the 24th (I have a superb relationship with my immediate supervisor so I talk to her about all kinds of things) and she nearly fell off her chair laughing, and said "Go Melody!!"

[Coffee Mistress]

I've been following this story with envy. I am so excited for you! I won't give you topics to bring up. I think that you've gotten plenty of suggestions already. Have fun and I can't wait to find out how it goes!

[Melody]

:) this really confused me this morning..as I am a Melody as well.. just not "the Melody". I thought.. did I say something? I better go get my coffee now.

[Melody]

By the way, so I may seriously go in to the SSC with a stack of questions for them but I seriously doubt I'm going to get a chance to put Uncle Howard on the witness stand and have a one hour cross examination of him!! LOL

"Isn't it true that you ...?" LOL

Hopefully there will be some allotted q & a time somewhere (I wouldn't mind an hour cross examination of Howard ;)). If you (any of you) have an idea for me that you want to keep private, you could PM me at my V2V profile or PM me at the link displayed with this comment when you click on my name.

^ I don't really expect anyone out there to take me up on that, but it's just an idea for those who don't want to publicly post ideas/questions.

[STARBUCKS GOSSIP WEBMASTER]

So that we don't have multiple Melodys posting on this thread, will the Melody who isn't touring Starbucks add, say, the first letter of your last name to your posting name -- like MelodyS or whatever. Thanks in advance.

[Venti Urnex Latte]

If I am similarly invited to Urnex headquarters, I will be happy to report back.

[StLouieDrip]

LOL, this is really so much fun! Melody, you're a starbucks celebrity! :-D And that reporter who interviewed you outside sbux could say, "Hey, I saw her first!" LOL

I think the real question is 'who's next?' after Melody?

Oh, I think everything pales in comparison. There is clearly no "after Melody." hahaha!

And I can't imagine you giving Howard a hard time. I could imagine ME doing it [RAWR!], but I think you'd just get all flustered like the last time. Or they could just bribe you with the finest coffee samples to make you swoon and lose your ever-loving mind. Do you really think you could be tough with Howard? But that's a funny thought of you putting Howard on the witness stand. I'd love to be in the courtroom for that one. LOL.

My biggest and number one question for Howard would be regarding the PPR BS. I want to know what's really behind it, and I want to know if he drinks PPR everyday. And if he doesn't, I just want to tie him down and forcefully pour it down his throat. Aww, just kidding, sorta. ;-)

Melody, the main thing is to just go and have a good time. I say don't even worry about what anybody else wants.

And the other Melody, OMG, that's funny too! LOL

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Again, Melody, the big question is what are you wearing. I was thinking for eyewear you could have big Jackie O ones, like you're a movie star. If you meet Howard, it'll be like meeting the Pope, Dalai Lama, or Britney Spears.

[Darleen]

I agree, this is sooo exciting and fun for our Melody! You have become such a huge fan of all of us here at sbuxgossip. I love reading posts from you, always so upbeat and positive. I want to mirror some of the thoughts here. Just be your sweet, honest and genuine self, but do not let Howards good looks blind you too much from the topics on hand. I know the one thing you have on your mind is getting Bold brew back in the stores, make them give you a definite answer on that one. If only for StLouieDrip's sake. LOL. This is a riot! When you get back can we all have your autograph? Hehehehe. Remember, try to squeeze your way in to the leadership conference, what a hoot that would be! You deserve this Melody, I hope you have a blast! In other news, I just got back from an interview for a General Manager position, I think it went very well and the pay starting out is more than I made with Sbux. So, fingers crossed! I do not want to give the name of the company but will say it will be in retail and it is a well known and respected brand. Promotion, more pay, more responsibility, what else could a girl want? YEA ME!

[Darleen]

Wouldn't it be a hoot if you could get an apron from one of your fav baristas and go in dress code? OMG! They would die laughing. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying!!!!

[Ari]

The snarky side of me would request that you knee uncle Howie in the balls on behalf of me and many other disgruntled partners...but nah, i won't do that.

Have fun, I can't wait to hear what happens.

[Smalrus]

I like how the ad next to this thread is for all of the Starbucks-related books at Amazon.

I call the next one "How Melody Saved Starbucks's Life: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary Blogs Into Extraordinary PR Liaisons (or, How SSC Built Consumer Relationships One Blog Post at a Time)".

[Mr. Nerr]

Melody... I can float you an apron if you want to go as a barista to the SSC for pre-Halloween

[Venti Urnex Latte]

Melody, please let us know what you decide to wear.
If I were the PR person, I would present you with a green apron as well as a cap embroidered with your name.

Maybe someone will float you a MUG award pin to wear discreetly on your lapel.

[John H]

Melody - congrats!
Now I second the earlier suggestion - what's up with the PPR??
When can we dump it and get BOLD after noon again?????

thanks.. have a great time.

I'd be happy if you asked, on behalf of the thousands of employees who are left hanging, when in the hell are you closing the rest of the stores. Ya know, SOME people actually would like to know when they are going to be out of work so they can PLAN accordingly. Oh, and you could also politely request to stop with the micromanagement and let the people who run the store RUN it...just a couple points. Have fun.

[tatu.]

i would be happy if you asked about the tattoo policy. thousands of other progressive companies have tattoo guidelines and i believe that starbucks can come up with something a little less strict. it seems a little ridiculous that in 2008 we have to wear long sleeves behind the bar during the middle of summer.
here are my suggestions:
no nudity. no profanity.

it is somehow "ok" for partners to participate in some "pride" parades where they are wearing merely a starbucks apron, yet tattoos aren't acceptable?

[Mike]

Great point in the above post about micro-management. It's getting to the point of being smothering. Remember when we were trusted to make decisions and run our own stores? Now if I had a dollar every time I hear "You need to do it this way or you'll be held accountable" I could easily pay for my kid's future college tuition.

I want DMs to throw on an apron and work. Don't sit there and watch me get my ass kicked and then have the nerve to critique. I have yet to work with a DM who can mark a cup correctly, let alone tell me how I should be running my store and my staff. I've made bonus every quarter since I've been an SM. I've never blown labor variance. I've never blown my non-coverage percentage. We have great connections with our customers and our community. We are Starbucks! And yet every week I have to endure 20 questions about why I'm doing this or doing that. If I don't have a history of negligence in these critical areas, then what's the problem? Please, leave me alone!
Give the partners a real voice. Mystarbucksidea.com/partners is worthless because no one listens. Mission Review has only produced really well-thought out excuses. I earn 20 hours per week in non-coverage but if I schedule more than 15 I'm grilled about it and then told by the DM who never worked in a store how long each task should be taking. I was told recently I should be opening at least one day per week, closing at least one day per week, working at least one weekend day per week, and not taking two days off consecutively. Seriously? Anything else? And when am I supposed to get my work done when I'm coverage all the time because I can't use non-coverage. Oh, that's right. On my personal time! TIME WORKED=TIME PAID=LOAD OF CRAP. Yes, we're salaried. Yes, I'm willing to go the extra mile. But I'm not missing my kid growing up or ignoring my responsibilities to my family. Work-Life Balance went out the window awhile ago.

I love Starbucks. I love my partners and look forward to seeing them every day. I enjoy the conversation with my regular customers. But I hate that so many of my fellow SMs (and most recently my DM-the best manager I've ever had) are no longer with the company. So many of my fellow SMs are looking or interviewing for other jobs. Forget speaking openly with the DM for fear of being considered weak/uncommitted/whiney/overwhelmed/disgruntled.
Starbucks used to be a special place to work. Now it's the place where we do our jobs and get a paycheck. It used to be about more than that. It'll be interesting to see what Optimal Hours looks like and what happens at the Leadership Conference. I hope to find that enthusiasm again that I used to have -- back when it felt like the partners had a voice.

So now Starbucks confirms this commitment solely to the customer by now inviting one of them to the SSC. (I'm not being critical of you Melody, I think it's really cool. Nice job!). And for all we know there could be some changes based on the feedback given during that meeting. The problem is, it'll be delivered the same way it's been the last year or so -- do this, whether you like it or not. Do it or you'll be held accountable. Do it because we told you to. Our opinions? Don't matter. Extra labor for additional tasks? Uh, no. Rolling out a 3-4 week training program 1 week before launch = the new norm!
I think it's great that we'd invite a customer to the SSC. But is it genuine or a publicity stunt? Because for as many partners that are looking at this as a great thing, I'm sure there are just as many throwing their arms up who wonder why they don't have that kind of voice as a partner...

[spence]

. . . just have fun.

But, in between having fun, if they aren't going to bring back the bold in the afternoon, could they at least make it hugely known to SM's that we should always make a french press for the price of a coffee. My mgr. wont do it.
Thanks.
I'm so jealous, I'm green.

[Rob]

Big Deal. When am I going to get my story for having visited the original store twice, once in the 90s and then last week? Seriously, Mel have a good time because if I had the chance, I'd go. But geesh...

[bedir than average]

Now I second the earlier suggestion - what's up with the PPR??
When can we dump it and get BOLD after noon again?????

Read the portal and manuals and you'd already know that Bold is available whenever and whereever it is ordered.

[WaShift]

Melody,

I have something you could bring up that would help morale in stores. Ask them why they base labor on Customer Count and not total sales.

A lot of stores I know have rushes that have cars come through their drive thru and order 4-6 beverages but Starbucks recognizes this as one transaction, equal to a person ordering a single drink. This causes store to be over in labor and they have to cut hours and leave a store short handed.

[bedir than average]

could they at least make it hugely known to SM's that we should always make a french press for the price of a coffee. My mgr. wont do it.

That is policy, show your manager where it says it. My goodness people, why are we complaining on a blog rather than using the channels that are open and have always been open?

[Baristaaa]

I have a question, I am a newly hired barista with 2 years coffee experiance (i didnt physically need training, i adapted asap and am a huge help in a very busy store). i get 10 cents above minimum wage and thought id get more. would it be wrong/impossible to ask for a raise or more pay?

[Gord]

WaShift labor isn't based solely off customer count. Sure we can use it during a shift to quickly check and see if we're having a slow or busy day (not that you can't just tell from working), but every drink, hitting the warming button, even correctly ringing in modifiers has an impact on labor. All of this is factored into the labor given when creating a schedule.

[Kathy]

Melody, CONGRATS!!! YOU GO GIRL!!! I so envy you. I have really enjoyed reading your posts & think SBUX will find your input very helpful. Could you please ask something for those of us who live in rural areas? The only SBUX in my neck of the woods are licensed stores inside other stores, grocery, bookstores, student center at university, etc. Some of them do not accept the sbux card & some do not honor the benefits of the card. Also, because we are rural & have to drive 20 miles to the closest sbux (by the way I go at least 5 days a week! even w/the gas prices) We are not able to go in the morning AND afternoon so we do not get the $2.00 iced drink benefit. How about a "Happy Hour" type promo in the rural areas? There are some hard core sbux fans in rural areas too!
Thanks for listening, hope you have a wonderful time :)

[snagger]

Are all you people just SSC clones? Whatever happen to Darleen?

[Melody]

Just addressing a few posts here:

To "Mr. Nerr" (Love the user nick though I'm confused who you are!) - I did nearly score a green apron once. I tried very hard to buy right off the front of the person wearing it but he wouldn't give it up.

I was at the Bellevue Goodwill (I confess, I have this habit of poking in thrift shops.) which is the best Goodwill to find little gems! There was this Goodwill employee, stocking books, wearing a green apron! I asked the employee about it, and he exclaimed he needed an apron and it came in all the donated stuff to the store! LOL. It was in decent condition, and I tried to buy it right off his body, but it wasn't for sale.

And at tatu. - I'm so sorry but I'm not the right person to advocate your position at the SSC. The best I can possibly do would be a 'soft objection' for the record. I've posted on this message board and on MSI many times that I really don't want to see tattoos. I recognize that in this era, my position on that might be the minority position. I don't know. I have may have many silent friends in this regards. In recognition of the idea that my position is the minority position, I've been brainstorming about compromises that could be made ... I haven't really posted this on MSI yet. The ideas that pop into my mind are things like, Starbucks extends a 'casual friday' dress code day to the stores, so that all partners working on a Friday can show tattoos (still there would have to be some limits to this - I admit that facial tattoos bother me the most). Another idea might be enumerated rules that a tattoo cannot be more than two inches square (or at least the portion exposed) and cannot contain certain content or foul language. But still, I'm reluctant to think these things will work. Two inches easily becomes three, and at one point is there no more dress code?

This post is NOT to excite a conversation about tattoos or the dress code ... I suspect that that is an area that will change on its own over time, simply with the momentum of changing attitudes in society.

(By the way, I do genuinely think that the 'casual Friday' idea is not a bad compromise).

And in response to Mike's post: I loved what you wrote. People flourish when they're not micro-managed. One can be well-managed and yet not micro-managed. I've heard complaints in a similar tone in the stores as I listen to partners disillusioned by a million and one 'meetings' or lists of tasks they have to fulfill to report to a DM - it sounds like a bunch of counting work sometimes. How many Vivannos did you sell today? And I've watched store managers frustrated with yet another floor set up, and launch materials that don't work so well with their old bookcase, or whatever they still have in the store, and even recently, wheat that falls down if you whisper upon it ...

But as to why they've selected me to come visit the SSC. Well, I don't really think it's totally a PR move. But if the SSC were really extremely ambivalent about the kinds of messages I post here and at MSI, there would be no need for this. Either I'm ripe for them to serve me with a no-contact order with Starbucks as the protected party, or they're trying to figure out how to make more Melodys. And well, a process server might be cheaper than this SSC tour. LOL.

I hope you guys can still see my humor coming through although I'm writing with a slightly more serious hat than usual.

Mike, I think there was one particular event that was the tipping point. And really, in all honesty, this trip to the SSC might just be about their curiousity - and a one time experiment in terror. There was an incident in May this year (I'm pretty sure it was May) and as I was leaving the Starbucks located at 1912 Pike Place there was a local branch of Fox News right in front doing sort of a 'man on the street' type interview of people coming out. I stood there watching a tall man with a cowboy hat being asked questions by a news person about whether he thought that the Starbucks logo was racy or too scandalous, since at that time some extreme conservative groups were protesting the brown logo on the cups. And then I spoke to the new person for a couple of minutes, and then yet another man after me. When the very short clip aired on t.v. that night, there I was, the only person featured on it. And Fox managed to edit it in such a manner that I most definitely sounded even more Starbucks enthusiastic than I do in real life.

So Mike, what's going on here? Curiosity killed the cat. I seriously doubt that Starbucks misses any news piece on them, however short. What they know is that here's this weird person who writes a lot (I type super fast), and has been on t.v. - and they're just curious. All the mystery and suspense will gone when they meet me and they discover that I'm just another ordinary Seattleite, who drinks A LOT of coffee.

Hey Kathy have you posted the same thing on MSI? I've seen what you've said before. When the treat receipt first started I never thought about how it would affect the non-urban areas. I now sort of think that something creative should be done just you out there who are not surrounded by a Starbucks on every single corner!

I can't wait. And who knows, maybe Starbucks will enjoy this so much that there will be more SSC tours in the future ... Rob maybe you'll get your turn.

I hope this post didn't bore! One of my favorite store partners has told me several times, 'don't worry Melody. You can't be fired from the position of customer.' LOL

[20secondshotguy]

Hey Melody,
There are so many questions here for you already. By the time you visit the SSC, there will be pages and pages for you.
The only questions you should go with are your own.

What folks at the SSC should be noting, is that there are a lot of questions still out there.

[Melody]

snagger - Darleen has recently posted that she no longer works for Starbucks and is interviewing for management positions! GO DARLEEN!!!! :-) :-)

[snagger]

Melody,You know whats going on-- don't hold back!

[LatteRose]

Congratulations, Melody! That's so cool you get to tour Starbuck's! Are you taking note of all these questions?
I agree with Kathy on having a "happy hour" - some of us can't get to a Starbucks more than once a day!

[Melody]

And as I re-read my long-winded post above, I realize I really have no idea what's going on! Snagger I don't know!!!!!

Thanks LatteRose! :-)

What about the questions then? I think it's mistaken to look to Howard and/or Seattle for easy answers. When we look for easy answers it's too easy get dysfunctional with it. Then Howard becomes the Wiz of Starbucks Oz and all that. Go that route and at some point he'll end up saying, "pay no attention to the man behind the apron." Howard's at his best when he inspires.

Starbucks is in the middle of transformational change. Adapting to a new business environment means there are a lot of new behaviors that have to be internalized. It also means there's a lot to let go of. Loss is a part of change. It's the hardest part.

In some cases you have DMs paying more attention to details where maybe they haven't in the past. And they should have. It feels like micro-management. In some cases it is. In more, higher level managing wasn't working. When you love what you do as much as Mike does, it's a rough change to live into.

I do think Mike's post, particularly as he talks about turnarounds, points to a disconnect between the field and the SSC that continues to need attention.

When you go through adaptive change, knowing what you're changing into takes time to figure out. Some stores have seen test after test come there way. That trying out of an idea is a good thing. But the process takes time, meaning questions go unanswered along the way.

Two things I think would help here.
1. Make the transformation even more transparent.

Leaders at every level, zone, region and district need to consistently adjust the expectations of their teams. There is no magic product coming. No one operational or HR related decision is going to change things. And yes, say you know this is still hard.

As execution increases, resourcefulness has to be encouraged too. That will help the folks in the field become change-agents themselves. Without it Starbucks will continue to lose some of the people who can make the transformation happen.

2. Create/Restore supporting positions that will help operations live into the new business reality.

Coaching is an art. The best managers execute, yes. But they do more than execute. They coach. DMs are coaches too. When you take away the folks who help them understand how they got in a situation with PR (HR) or training, in marketing or food, you limit their coaching response to a technical bandaid. They're just keeping folks in line and putting out fires.

SMs, DMs, RDs, etc. need that coaching time to have the conversations their team members need in order to help them live into this change.

Bring some of them back. Let them help the operators so that the operators can do what they do best: run this great business.

[20secondshotguy@gmail.com]

Folks,

Forgot to add in my info up there. Yes - that's me on my soap box.

[Venti Urnex Latte]

On my other screen, I have eBay open to a search of Starbucks Apron. Melody has no shortage of options for casual daywear, including a rare Partner of the Month apron (not as good, in my opinion, as the Manager of the Quarter polo shirt), and an unworn apron still in its plastic package and a pocketed apron and an apron-plus-hat combo and even (drum roll, please)........an apron signed by Howard Schultz!

Melody: Customer of the Year, Customer of our Hearts.

[SoCalRocks!]

Mike, well said. I'm surprised there hasn't been more acknowledgement of your post thus far. And here's my recommendation- please let's just stop the madness. We are so wrapped up in ourselves that we are just wasting time. RDs wasting time with DMs. DMs wasting time with SMs. SMs being forced to waste time with store partners because they're told how to do their job. We have become incredibly bossy with telling others how to do things, and we've decided that we're going to hold "others" accountable, and all the while our customers and investors are scratching their heads wondering what the hell we are doing. It's embarrassing.

So please, no more talking points. No more advice. Let people make some actual decisions, isn't that what they were hired to do? I feel like RDs and DMs are acting like multi-unit SMs instead of acting like the leaders they should be.

Hey Mike..feel ur pain Bro..My DM blows in maybe once a month...poops on everyone..and out! I fax him the stores' schedule two weeks out..yet he never seems to know it...I used to have a DM who would not micro-manage me..let it be MY store..she started as a Barista..Made DM in 10 yrs..Learned a lot from her..this guy has never worked the line..can't relate to store operations..frustrating..

Oh Yea..got my training packet for "Optimal Scheduling" Today..I have to train myself on this..our meeting has been cancelled..REALLY??REALLY!!

[Darleen]

Snagger,
I'm still hearing cheering on all my friends at sbuxgossip *waves at snagger*
Mike,
Wow, those were some strong sentiments and pretty much sums up why folks are leaving or at least polishing up their resumes. I had a dream last night that my DM begged me to come back saying that my store was not performing so I did, in my dream I was at the store for maybe 30 minutes and all I was thinking was "Why did I come back to this"? I woke up in a sweat at first not realizing it was a dream and thinking I had to go to work. Now, you can interpret that any way you'd like to. I see it as if I had any doubts before about leaving, I do not have them now. Melody, it is actually a General Manager position, very close to DM level and I'm sure it will lead to DM level, then Regional level. The state I was in had no room for growth, had I stayed in NYC I'd have been a DM. I've been "let down" by sbux sooo many times, yet I held my tongue and believed if it was meant to happen it would. I could not turn a blind eye any longer. Reading your post Mike really touched me, because I've been there and I know how you feel. Starbucks was for me like no other job I'd ever known. So much passion, so much enthusiasm. Now it's so much, period. What happened? I don't know. How can they fix it and go back? I don't know. Does Howard care as much as he says he does? I still truly believe he does. I may not believe in Starbucks anymore but I still believe in Howard and his dream. So to Mike and all the other partners out there that are feeling let down, I truly hope things will turn around for you and you will be able to keep your candle lit. Unfortunately for me, that candle was blown out and I was out of matches.

[CD]

Melody,

I too am a SBUX customer/enthusiast (though increasingly less of an enthusiastic customer). Quite often I find you writing what I am thinking and I don't feel the need to comment.

I'm very happy that you'll be visting the SSC and I was not going to offer you any advice as to questions to ask, etc. However upon reading some of the recent posts, there are two quotes that really hit the nail on the head of what I believe is going on at SBUX that needs to be fixed before ANY of the new innovative product launches are a success.

The problem is bigger than bold brew in the afternoon (although I hope it comes back for your sake) and oatmeal or Vivannos moving away from the core (I believe the core is the experience not the product).

The problem is how the field, baristas and managers, "FEEL" they are being treated by their DMs and the SSC. Quite simply, if your employees are unhappy and stressed they cannot deliver legendary service. So while you may get your bold back in the afternoon, if the employees are disgruntled, it won't be the best you've ever had.

Two quotes from above really drive home this point about how the field feels:

1) The heart of the matter is that all of the disconnect between the field and the SSC that continues to need attention

2) I've been "let down" by sbux sooo many times, yet I held my tongue and believed if it was meant to happen it would. I could not turn a blind eye any longer. (from Darleen, sadly a now former Manager, but someone who still dearly loves and believes in the Starbucks Core Skills and Experience).

I've been re-reading Pour Your Heart Into It and it's so obvious the role that people and their passions have played in the success of Starbucks. However, today, we see passionate people like Darleen leaving.

Howard once said "You cannot build long-term value for shareholders if first you do not build value for your people."

Starbucks takes decent care of its employees. They offer a great place to work, health care, benefits and room for growth. But those are claims to fame from the 1990s. These days, so many other companies (McDonald's, Panera, etc.) offer the same or better benefits and often at a higher wage.

The difference for Starbucks is the Experience. A passionate employee loves to come to work even if they know they are being paid a bit less than they would at a different company. Money and benefits are not the entire reason someone works where they choose to work. Don't get me wrong, pay and benefits are very important, but if the job is stressful or unenjoyable, the person will either be looking elsewhere for a different job and/or will not be giving their best performance day in and day out.

A person's perception is their reality. I use quotes around the word FEEL above because quite frankly, I don't see the baristas and managers "feeling" the love. They are being inundated and bombarded and it's killing their passion and in turn it's killing the Starbucks Experience. We are seeing passionate employees like Darleen leaving and dis-passionate "button pushers" replacing them. (So as to not cause a stir or a side debate, by "button pushers" I mean someone who simply/unemotionally does the task (i.e. pushes the button) rather than passionately pouring their heart into it.)

So Melody, enjoy your trip to the SSC, but please ask them to CONNECT - DISCOVER - RESPOND to their people.

[Smalrus]

Touche touche Mike. That pretty much echoes everything I've said to the baristas at my "home" store.

I said, for instance, it would be cool if, during the World Series or something, a barista was able to wear his/her Mets hat to work without being written up (no, I'm not a Mets fan, I just live in Queens).

Taking away those little things has led to the homogenization of the Starbucks experience that Howard was searching for -- the ability to go from one Starbucks to the next and get the same consistency. Yet it is also the taking away of those little things that has led to the commoditization of the Starbucks experience and the ability for Starbucks to truly innovate. It's these little things borne out of micro-management that seem to make working at Starbucks about picking up a paycheck.

In the past four years, I've had three "home stores," and I've seen baristas in each of them complain about just what Mike has opined.

Melody, for whatever PR stunt this is or not, you've definitely got a lot to bring to the table of everything that runs from Seattle down to SoCal, out to St. Louis to Boston and down to here in NYC.

Starbucks already has Investor Relations, it has Public Relations... maybe what it also needs is Barista Relations. From the stance that MSI is the company line, yeah it does work in Starbucks favor to have a close customer say what people are "really thinking." Maybe this visit can bring the kick Starbucks needs (*no pressure*).

[Ex Bux Pgh]

As far as the DM and micromanaging comments above... well, they have to do SOMETHING to justify their existence. If they weren't in the stores nitpicking and micromanaging, they would have nothing to do, and corporate may finally realize what a waste of a position it really is. There should be FAR fewer DM's at Starbucks, and each DM should carry a load of at least 20 stores, if not 30. That would allow for a brief store visit at maximum once a month, and would let the SM's and other partners actually breathe on the job rather than constantly having to cover their asses. I the time I worked for SBUX, I saw very few times when DM intervention was actually needed in the stores, and during those times it seemed like the DM was too busy visiting stores, going to meetings, and demanding ridiculous things of their store partners to actually do anything about the situation at hand.

Two months after being let go from the company, I've come to realize just how lucky I am to have had a DM and SM effectively railroad me out of the company. I don't think the stress was worth the return on my personal investment. I may still be unemployed at the moment, but at least I don't have to deal with their micromanagement anymore.

My best advice to anyone still trying to get into management is to GET OUT NOW. This is no longer the company it once was, and the people on the floor mean less to the company than appeasing the ego of upper and middle management.

[Darleen]

CD,
What an awesome post. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said the partners were no longer feeling the love. Where is the incentive for them? Sure, it is very satisfying knowing you have done a great job, it gives one a feeling of success. However, when that success is not acknowledged or rewarded, what message does that send to partners? Starbucks could have BOLD brew spilling out all day parts, will that motivate the partners to pour their hearts in to it? Leadership Conference will be crucial I believe. From experience, every one that I was fortunate enough to be a part of renewed my passion and commitment. I almost feel like I am being divorced from Starbucks. I have such anger and resentment, yet I have such love and loyalty at the same time. I'm angry that I was not even worth "fighting" for. There, I've finally said it, it sure felt good to let that out. I'm damn angry that for all the sweat and tears and relationships over 7 years of my life with Starbucks, that I was not in their eyes worthy of fighting for. Would I have stayed if SOMEONE had actually said "this company is better for the contributions you have made"? I guess I'll never know. What I do know, without being pompous or self-righteous is that I poured MY heart into it. Things are not always black and white, there are shades of grey. There are partners who are worth fighting for, for whatever reason. I fought for you Howard, I wore my apron with pride. I made mistakes, we all have. I owned every one of them. Yet through it all every action I ever took was with 3 things in mind, my partners, my customers, and the company. I'm hopefully through the grieving part of our divorce Starbucks, but the anger is still burning and the hurt that after all the things I felt I had accomplished were still not enough to have my DM stand up and say "you are a partner in this company, and we will make this work, you are worth that" in the end, I was just what Howard said the partners would never be, a line on the P&L.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Just remember the song, "For Good" from the musical Wicked.

I don't see that DMs are micromanaging. In six years so far at Starbucks, I have seen my DM about once a year. I have no idea what the DM does. Nothing, maybe? I find that it is the shift that are micromanagers, especially the shifts who were promoted from barista.

[Ex Bux Pgh]

Hey Darleen,

It really saddens me to read what you wrote, but you really nailed it in a way I never could. Yeah, I made some mistakes, but I also saw things in my area that made me question whether my efforts were really going toward a company I could be proud of working for. A few highlights of what I mean:

*Store Manager who started seeing one of her barista's boyfriend on the sly, then told people they needed to just get over it when it all came out, causing a tremendous amount of gossip and stress within the store... and guess who got Manager of the Quarter?

*Store Manager and District Manager who dragged their feet for MONTHS while a Shift Supervisor was directly stealing tips, which the SS in question insisted that she process every week because she didn't trust others to do it right. It was suspected when she went on vacation and someone else did the tips, resulting in a $200+ jump in total tips for the week. We tracked the amount of tips being deposited in the safe, and tracked how much was being distributed weekly, and even did that tracking in a very visible way. In the course of a couple months, over $2000 in tip money was disappearing, but it took longer than that for ANY action to take place.

*SM and DM being great friends, even delivering babies on the same day in the same hospital, and creating a hostile work environment for others not in their "clique". Both were untouchable because the RDO worked with the DM before Starbucks and they were thick as thieves. It's an ongoing situation, but nobody talks about it because they don't want to be next on the hit list.

*SM's and ASM's dating and having sex with partners, and no suggestion of conflict of interest or fraternization. In fact, those people seem to be rewarded and promoted.

*Partners who are incompetent and have been observed by others giving product away through the DT window, but seem to be immune to any corrective action. One in particular seems to be protected because he dated the SM when they were in high school, and thus have a long history together.

What a set of misplaced priorities and complete lack of professionalism and management transparency. It's a relief to be out of there, in spite of how angry I still am at how I was treated. It just makes me laugh at the company's troubles, and see right through the complete hypocrisy at corporate.

[former sm in ca]

Darleen,

You are spot on your observations. I, too, went through very similar experiences in the last 18 months of my 10 yr career. I the very end I felt marginalized and that nothing I did in previous 9 yrs mattered.

Anyways, I wanted to chime in on the micromanagement discussion. I honestly think that DMs should spend more time in the stores, and have less stores to be able to do this. However, the focus on each store needs to be situational, which is not being done. Rather, DMs look at their store managers as a whole and coach/direct them in that manner.(Shotgun approach) It's called laziness....not being able to really KNOW your team and figure out what they need individually. The very good DMs figure this out, and the ones that suck just frustrate their managers and partners. The role of the DM is one of development, not punishment. While at the end of the day, everything does matter, using the "bigger fish to fry" approach would be beneficial to all. One example of my last DM was that he wanted mgt schedules emailed to him once completed. Then, we would have to send an email on Monday of what we are working that current week. Then, he would come visit my store on the days that I am off, and call me on my day off about it. Madness! LOL!

Melody, I would love for you to take some time to discuss the partner pay package with whoever in Seattle. What we have currently has not changed at all over the last 7 yrs, and is not keeping with the times. This is especially true with performance increases for managers, and stock option plans that have become worthless. Lastly, they should have partner voice every year. Managers and above need that feedback, and the company shouldn't fear what their partners are thinking.