Part 3: Discuss Thursday's conference call here

Here's part one and part two of this discussion.

Comments

[GRTL]

The baristas are tired. Running full steam all day long with 3 people and yet being held to the 3 minute rule when you have a line to the door and oh make sure to connect with the customer. Give them that "starbucks experience" Attention customers here is the new starbucks experience. 10 minute wait times, burnt coffee, stressed out and unfriendly employees who look exhausted, condiment bars litered with trash and milk that has been sitting out for god knows how long if there is any still left.

The people who tell us to suck it up and deal. Do you work in the same store I do? I know there are Starbucks who are nowhere near as busy as mine yet I am held to the same level as they are. Trust me, I have been around the starbucks block and I know a not so busy store and a store that is slammed most of the day. We can barely keep up. Need someone to wash the dishes. Well I wish I could really do those whip creams for you but see I have a line of customers here who are all frustrated I am not turning to them with a big smile on my face and saying "How are you? What are you having today?"

Who has time to even discuss our coffee? We sure don't! I know one barista who makes it her job to get a french press out for sampling and I often wonder to myself...do we really have time to do that when our floors are covered with crumbs, the trashes overflowing and the sink full of dishes. It's all about making choices and doing a french press to "actively sample" puts more workload on those who close the store because no one has done a single trash run or lobby slide or load of dishes. It's disgusting! And yet...make sure and active sample that Christmas Blend...you have a huge goal to sell sell sell. God many of us were like...umm...when did we go and become salespeople like at Macy's. I thought we were baristas.

More workload = less hours = disgusting stores. Starbucks is really headed down a VERY dangerous road. I hope the baristas do walk out, quit etc. If I had to work another shift for 6 hours with a meal break violation because I couldn't get away and leave my other barista by themselves for 30 minutes to cover a line to the door, I would walk too. This is not the answer. Reorganize at the top. Do something. Lower the damn prices to sell more! Stop wasting so much money on 100 different pastry selections, does America's waistline really need that garbage!!! This is not a creative use of our time and management. And it certainly isn't a solution!

[truth]

On an earlier thread, a store-level partner mentioned that the people creating the strategies (ie SSC staff) have never been in a store.

I have a slightly different take on that. I think the SSC people walk into a store and after flashing their partner card, get a completely different experience than the rest of us wankers.

Same is true for the special prep work done before the mucky-mucks visit.

So much artifice. It's a huge reason for the growing disconnect.

[beantheredonethat]

99.9% of the time Howard or his senior team visit a store, the store knows well in advance. They never see what store partners must put up with. And it is an experience customers never get...

[WorriedSM]

I never thought I would write on this site but here it is. I am not writing because I hate my job. I am writing because I love my partners and my customers I work for, and I am afraid that I will lose that. I manage a million dollar a year store. After the conference call knowing that I will have 2 hours of non coverage on Monday and 2 hours for my partners tips and 2 hours for my deep clean for the month of December, I was shocked. Then learning that we will have to schedules our variance to Ideal too -3.50 %. I was even more worried . Let me see if I can explain this really quick for the people who don’t understand our labor system. Starbuck’s registers are set to record the amount of customers that we ring thid is then translated in to a labor percentage that we earn for every half hour (0-27 = 2 partners a half hour 27 - 47 = 3 partners a half hour 47 - 58 = 4 partners a half an hour on the floor 58 - 75 = 5 partners on the floor and all so on ) . So with this formula we where suppose to manage to 0 VTI ( variance to ideal) now that is really going to be - 3.5. My non coverage target this is the time I was allowed to work off the floor went from 32 hours a week when I first started as a SM went to 28 this past fall too 6 hours this December. So what is non coverage it is the time that we take to deep clean our store the time it takes our partners to count there tips on Monday. And my time to get the schedules made , Now I can understand that this is what my RD says that needs to happen to save our company. But I am now scared for my job and have questions am I still going to be held accountable for the cleanliness of my store and the knowledge and training of my partners plus reviews . I am just saying yes if we as store mangers have to give that’s fine I will sacrifice and work harder because I love my partners. Not because of this company’s bottom line but because I want this to be a great place to work. So sacrifice what dose that mean to me it means I am going to be working off the clock for another 8 - 12 hours to make sure my store is taken care of at the risk of getting fire because I am still held to the same expectations but expected to do it a fraction of the non coverage time and this doesn’t look like something that is going to change in Q2. Although we wont have to manage to 6 hours of non coverage a week. It will be half of what we have had in the past about 16 hours a week so 2 hours for tips 4 hours for deep clean 8 hours for my admin day and 2 hours extra every week. This doesn’t include my meeting with my DM. District meetings with our fellow Sms. Training for new partners, reviews, analyzing data. Yet we are still going to be expected to perform at the same level. And if we don’t then I lose my job and store that I have tried so hard to create a great working environment. Yet I am scared because I know if I bring this type of logic to the people higher than me I will be black listed ( the squeaky wheel gets the grease) or I am viewed as not having a positive additive. I am told I need to make theses sacrifices but what are my RD’s DM’s SRVP’s and other Sr. Leaders going to sacrifice. It would be nice to know what they are sacrificing not because we need to know but so we could say to our partners this is what there doing not because well they said this is what has to be done. I am a pretty high performing SM and can maybe pull this off but I don’t want to have to fear losing my job if I make a mistake, I feel every conversation I have is just another finger shaking at me saying if you don’t do this your going to be in trouble you need to perform. Did you know there are 8 classes that an SM is suppose to take with in there first year of being an SM as part of training ask your DM why you haven’t been trained as an SM your ASM training plan is to be an ASM there is a whole other training plan for SM’s but I never had one never been to any of these classes how are we expected to meet these goals and do our jobs if we are not given the right tools and the time to do it with. I will continue to perform to the best of my ability but consider this analogy the time and tools this company has provided us with is like giving a man 20 tooth picks and telling him to frame a house with them. If anyone reads this and has any idea of the labor laws in CA please tell me is this legal to cut down this labor time on top of no training or development as SM’s but still expected to perform at the same level. Is this legal can they do this? Please help if you can

[Kenya?Yukon!]

Speaking of SB executives in a store.... years ago I waited on one unknowingly. She ordered an iced coffee and I didn't shake it in the shaker (back in the day that was a standard). She of course noticed it and loudly brought it to my attention. So I smiled, apologized and remade it in the shaker. When I handed it back to her, she was again horrified because of the two inches of foam that was ALWAYS sitting on top of the iced coffee when you shake it ten times. I said to her: well that's what happens when you shake it. She told me that I was making it incorrectly and made me make it AGAIN while she watched. After about the 5th remake, she just asked for it unshaken and left like that's how she wanted to begin with and it was my fault I shook it.
Talk about disconnect.
I won't lie: though nothing came of it, I thought I was going to get a call from my DM about it...

[jbjava]

As a former bux ASM (my store was one of the 618 that were closed) I feel all of your pain. I don't understand how they expect you all to cross your T's and dot your I's with no time to do it. The work load gets bigger and the time to do it get smaller.
I agree with everyone that said they needed to cut upper management before they start at the bottom. It is like cutting a tree if you start at the top the tree is still strong at the bottom but if you start cutting at the bottom of the tree the whole thing is going to come falling down.
I loved working for Starbucks and I was loyal and had passion for what I did but I am ever so thankful that I am not with the company anymore to have to tell already overworked baristas that they are going to have to work under enormous pressure, with no support and have their hours cut also. If they truly want the best of the best, they need to treat them like the best.
Starbucks once was a place people wanted to work and now it is a place that people can't wait to not work for.
My thoughts are with you all.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

I think our feelings have been hashed out at this point. With 3 threads now, everyone has confirmed that this decision is a bad one.

I think we need a new thread (or use this one from this point forward) to start providing clear solutions. I remember telling my RD that 97% of the problems we face should be solved by us, those who are in the front lines. When the solutions are being provided by those who aren't actually experiencing the problems, they usually don't meet the need.

So, please, can we start providing rational solutions and have some hearty debate on what would really solve here? Give it your best shot- what is the one way your store could immediately make a change that would actually result in a savings/additional revenue?

[Dave]

I know this site is about starbucks gossip, hence the name of the site. But are you going to post something everytime we have a conference call? Your turning starbucks into a hype. Dont you have anything better to do than worry about what some corporation is doing? Take a bath, and get a jobby job. Then I can make a site about the company you work for a blog every time you take a sh*t

[harmaa]

There has to be a way we, the baristas, can protest this.

[exmgr11yrs]

@ beanthere: True. How could Senior Mngmt. know if, on the store level, operations is perpetuating the same lie.

@Takeback: Organize the mission reviews, document them and let everyone know your concerns, just like the above, how will Senior Mgmt. know, unless it is clear concise and constructive and not negative. You guys love this company, then fight for it. Instead of the 'sit in' have the 'send in' or stop operations for a coordinated 'write in' (but don't just have one store do it (you'll look like crack heads)

@former sm in CA: Good ideas.

At the core, Starbucks is a great company not because of the coffee, but because of it's belief that a business that supports all its employees, cares for community and environment could be profitable and succeed. Right now it is behaving like all the rest floundering lot. Howard needs grow a new pair or find his old set. Partners are angry they feel abandoned and misled. After they vent, they need to act. The only reason I post is that I think the store operations staff are truly amazing people and it was my pleasure to serve them when I worked at the bux.

On the plus side: If all these large corporations collapse, hopefully it opens the door for new small businesses to start up.

Lastly: I think this can be done w/o unions.

[xbux&happy]

I'm curious as to what the SMs think of the leadership conference now? I heard it was really great, but was it worth the $25-30million that they paid for it and then slashed labor?

[Jewels]

I agree that reducing labor is not the best way to cut costs in a customer service industry like ours. I also think that Senior Management knows that and would not be asking us to do this if we were not in dire straits. Yes, it sucks, but I think this is being overdramatized a skosh.

@PRIDE-

I work at a moderately high-volume store, and here's what we've done to minimize the impact of reducing our coverage.
One- following labor optimization helped IMMENSELY; meaning, everyone has set schedules. When we did that, we were able to go down to a skeleton crew where hours were maximized for everyone. It really does work if you do it right.
Two- Pull forward your schedule. Especially if your have set schedules, writing a schedule will take, like, 15 minutes. And, honestly, who REALLY needs eight hours for admin. Really? I mean...Really? Cut it to four. You can do it.
Three- minimize your openers and your closers. Push back one of your openers and extend your preclosing to drop a closer. (Assuming you have more than two openers and closers currently) Above all, PROTECT THE COVERAGE IN PEAK. (if you have one)

of course, every store is unique and this is what worked for us. no one seems to be upset about it (probably because I asked my baristas and shifts what THEY thought would work. novel.) and each partner only lost about 2 hours on average.

we can do this.
what are other people doing?

[hawkeyebarista]

reading all of these comments makes me realize that it's everyone that's having problems... not just my store, located in a cozy bubble in iowa.

our store is constantly busy- even moreso now that the holidays are here. it doesn't help that our partner turnaround rate has skyrocketed in the past year that i've been with the store.

not everyone is trained to the same levels and while i think this is unfair (to everyone, not just the customers) it's also nice to know that i'm appreciated by the customers. many of them only come in when they know i'm working because they are confident that they aren't throwing four dollars down the drain on a burnt latte.

i've been more fed up with my job at starbucks than anywhere eles, but at the end of the day, it's just that... a job. pissing and moaning for over twelve months hasn't done a thing so i've settled on a new plan... revert to my stars-in-eyes days as a new barista, realize it really is just a stepping-stone job on my career path and go with the flow. i work with a good staff on most days and even look forward to seeing customers (sometimes :) )... sure the lines will be to the doors five out of seven days, but they're to the doors... so we must be doing something right, at least at my store.

what can i say? i feel for the customers and while my work conditions suck, we're in the foodservice industry... we're there to serve. end of story.

[MetroareaSM]

I find that I feel the same way as WorriedSM. All of the time and effort going into your customers, your partners, your store, and your district and for what? The constant threat of greating fired for not spending your life at work. I would do anything for both my partners and the customers, but I have had to do it for a cost. It is never enough for the DM. It is either happy customers and partners or happy DM. There is no way to balance yourself now. I hear the frustration from other SMs, ASMs, and partners. I am told that this is to weed out the cream of the crop from the people who think that this is a job, but in the end, we will lose frustrated baristas. In the area that we are in, good baristas are like gold. This is the time to increase the labor, you have to spend money to make money. There is no love for the partners anymore. There is no respect. They want us to concentrate solely on the QASA, but where is the labor to score an 85 plus? I wanted to be in this company due to the love for everything that we did, now we are told to cut labor. We are going to bleed out the talent in no time. I am sad to see the state that the buck is in.

[anonymous]

Speaking of QASA, we've been preparing for them to come for a while now. But we'll probably fail as we're all constantly scrambling to get something done or get something clean in between the massive rush of customers. My DM was there one afternoon when we were getting hit particularly bad, and saw how frazzled everyone was. He went back and did some of our dishes.

[GRTL]

I am happy to see SMs posting on here. As a lonely little barista at a store working for this company for 2 years it is nice to finally see some SMs publically sharing what the baristas have been feeling. I need my SM to not always tow the company line. I need them to understand the physical and mental exhaustion.

I thank you sms for connecting with me and your fellow overworked and unhappy partners.

QASA is an unneeded expense. DM's should be able to identify if a store is dirty or not - if the SM can not.
Think how many re audits we will be paying for this year with no time to clean and running under varience. what a waste of money.

[grass is getting greener]

Starbucks is fast food or quick service, period. Howard is delusional or insults your intelligence when he claims it is not. The difference is ,or used to be, depending on where you get your coffee, good customer service. By cutting hours customer focus will be less as you will struggle to get the beverage and pastry to the customer. This will begin to make the transformation to the fast food stereotype Howard and all, do not want. By refusing to accommodate the economic dilemma, by slashing prices somewhere, Howard has effectively cut your and his throat. The question is did he get the jugular, or will it all heal but at a weaker state. But one thing for certain, by raising prices as has happened in the past year, was a slap in the face to anyone who purchases products, owns stock, or banks their career at SBUX. The guy is too egotistical for the position, and looks at the past to answer the current crisis. SBUX needs a forward thinker in the driver seat. Howard is not that guy. On that note, the labor cuts I have read about would have either been a suck it up and make it work move by me when I was a store manager, or I would have simply ate some s**t from my DM or RD by going over at peak times. I would not have made my customers suffer, and would have staffed accordingly to maintain or continue to increase sales. One last thing, as they force you to cut labor and it works, it will never come back. SBUX is now a fast food joint, unless you refuse to make it so. But you'll lose, as the disconnected senior management has spoken. You'll now see the blame game begin as strategies employed do not stop the problem/make the problem worse. Stockholders should call for Howard to change tactics or to be relieved.

[Jim Romenesko]

To DAVE: Boy, are you clueless (or just late to the game?). This blog has been around for nearly five years, and will be around many MORE years. So get used to it!

Out of curiosity, how many of you are actively using the Duty Roster Notebook? Do you have time to fill it out in advance and plan your shifts? Do you have enough time actually do what's expected? Or is it just something that sits in your store and if it gets used great, if not that's okay too? I ask because with all of these cuts I think the reasonable thing is to expect customers to get taken care of first, and then worry about the checklists. Some DMs hold you to 100% initialed off DRN while others don't care as long as the store is clean and you are delivering results. Sort of a side note to this entire thread, but it was hard enough to accomplish before the recent cuts. Thanks.

[me]

I have no idea why my comments don't get posted anymore. Am I blocked for an unknown reason?

I'm a shift in Colorado and been with the company for over four years. We're running Cafe Line Partner during peak period, which is basically wearings headsets without a drive-thru. It helped ease the flow of customers and made it easier on EVERYONE stresswise.

To set it up efficiently, we had to overstaff by up to three people during the morning rush, but the added sales have been earning the added labor. However, with these new cuts, they're dismantling our program that was both boosting our sales and showing positive trends in speed of service in Customer voice. We have been running $5000 days...and now we'll be running mornings with 4 people. Shoot me now.

[ceo's paid too much]

I saw someone mentioned Howard's salary of 1.2 mill and what that equated too in barista hours. Good insight, but you should look at his total compensation package and then judge him (harshly). He is compensated almost 100 mill/year with stock salary and what not in 2008. So when you hear about the poor dedicated CEO, CFO or whatever level executive officer who takes a salary cut, remember that this is the smaller portion by far of their compensation in most cases. Howard should work for a $1 salary or no salary, which makes him no hero, as he'd still rake in over 95 mill this year, which is more this year than most of us will make in our life time. Let me put in into further perspective. I saw an earlier post where an SM said they made around a 45K/year salary. Well...Howard alone will be compensated as much as 2178 of his SM's will make combined this year at 45K. The federal government should get involved in stopping this travesty of grotesquely overpaid corporate executives. They should be compensated handsomely for their work and booted in disgrace for shoddy performance, but neither happens. You can call me whatever you want in the press and I'll even change my name to "Loser" for 98 million. Whats the downside to a corporate executive making a mess of things? Loss of celebrity status? Infamous? But rich to the bejesus. How about making a real compensation package that causes them to have some accountability and to be able to aspire to kick some butt, instead of stare at themselves in the mirror and wax egotistical. Look at all those executive salaries in Forbes if you want to blow chunks.

Just take ownership of the call and do what we are asked to do or find a job somewhere else. Wait a minute, I think that it might be hard to find another job.

My gosh, how many times have you walked into a store and watched baristas doing.......NOTHING. If you are honest and are at a store from open to close, you could probably tally 15-20 hours of extra labor not needed each week. We are not talking about taking away from showtime. We aren't even taking anything away. We were given a gift when the economy allowed us to have it. Now its gone, but we did not need the extra hours to begin with. Just coach to having more effective and efficient partners. For goodness sake, what it means is managers have to work on the floor more. We should have been there to begin with.

[BAYAREABUX]

How many times have I walked through the door to see baristas doing nothing?

Well, in the past year, never.

Remember even back in the good ole days Vicki Verona couldn't even find time to make a pitcher of Creme Light.

[bigredbarista]

GRTL and LATTEGAL have some really good points. I come from a store just like theirs. When all of the negative Sbux talk started coming around, I was optimistic b/c my store was doing awesome. But after this conference call and running to the back room frequently just to see worried faces on my SM and ASM truly scared me. They filled me in on what needed to be cut. It just shocked me. Needless to say I went home crying b/c I kept thinking how are we going to deal with our 7:30a-11:30a rush with 4 people? AND give breaks/halves. It makes no sense to me. It is so scary to see this company make these choices, I suppose I should trust them... but maybe it's time to look for a new job :(

[Waideodepef]

Seyfath just let go 30 attorneys: http://www.jdjournal.com

Its not time to look for a new job. You have been miscommunicated too. We are not to take away labor from the dayparts that need it. Its that simple.

And yes there is extra labor on some day parts. I have managed more than a few stores, and I have witnessed it since I began with SBUX as a barista.

Who knows what the root cause was to why Vicky Verona could not make a pitcher of cream light. Was it because she was not set up for success?

[Mystery]

This whole things really means 1 thing. They want SMs to work more hours. 'Managing more efficiently' just means that you need to more more hours. And I will quit before its gets to that cause I get paid like @#%@.

[Siren's Arm]

I believe Vicky made the decision to not make CBB light because noone ordered it at her store. Dont think it had to do with a lack of time. Miss that girl. Such great people have left the company....Darleen...Vicky...DManagerLA...

I am one to quickly saw how bad Starbucks is doing, but in all honesty, Howard made Starbucks what it is today. He founded the company. He deserves as much of the money as he wants. If you started a successful company, you shouldnt be told how much you would be paid for creating, developing and having the company operate.

[SPORK]

I was on the track to become a shift (I've been saying no to requests for almost a year no, so I figured it was time), but I think I'll tell them I'd rather stay as a lowly barista, cut back the hours that they seem eager to cut already and get a second job that doesn't pay minimum wage for a high stress, little credit job.

[strategy]

hm.. my store in the DC area just announced that we are closing half an hr earlier on weekdays (mon-thur).

i have no idea if this was planned before the conf call or not. but if it's in response to the conf call, wont less hours open = less labor hrs anyway?

does this strategy of closing earlier help with the labor hr shortage?

[EX GA MGR]

Looking at the past isnt such a bad idea. Back to the basics, that is our past and what we were SUPPOSED to be focusing on. What happened? How is cutting labor getting back to the basics? What ever happened to the way we treat our people being core to how we achieved our goals to start with. At Starbucks, we treat each other with respect and dignity. Thats what the the Business Condut Manual states but thats the farthest thing from the truth.

I was one of the 4 gay managers fired in Atlanta in less than 4 months by the same DM, who had just been promoted and only had the district for 4 1/2 months.

We notified Business Conduct Hotline of sexual orientation discrimination and received certified letters from SB stating they were investigating our claims. They also said that they strictly prohibit this type of discrimination and that they took this very seriously. The HRC even praises SB on its website for this. 10 partners, including us, issued statements. 7 of these partners were and still are employeed by SB, one of which was one of the managers ASM. Needless to say, we got our 2nd certified letter stating there was no evidence and our separations stood. During the so called investigation, the Director of PR tells 4 partners while interviewing them that the DM is a good person. One of the partners still employeed, a 71 year old man who filed an age discrimination claim against the same DM during this, was sent a certified letter signed by the Director of PR stating there was no evidence of his claim of sexual orientation discrimination and that his separation would stand. She didnt even care enough to read them before signing them and sending them out. She sent out a corrected one after we had it brought to her attention. The partner that witnessed his age discrimination was never even interviewed.
Basically, the DM is a good person and the rest of us are lying. Why would 7 partners put themselves out there and lie and risk their futures, especially the ASM? There are still issues with this DM within her district months after our firings, but hey she's a good person. Oh, and apparently there were issues, mentioned in prior blogs a while back, about her conduct in Michigan.

My point, NO ONE in Sr.Mgt cares about us anymore. It is cover their a$$e$. You have the RDO telling a partner, fearing for their job, not to call PR. You have a PR contact telling a manager, fearing for their job, that they dont see anything to worry about. The manager was fired a few weeks later and the parnter worked a 2 wk notice and moved on to another store and has been blacklisted along with the ASM. There is NO doubt this was a cover up. PR knows they did us wrong and chose to protect the DM. The people who really care about the partners and the customers are the ones in the stores and they are the ones being fired instead of the ones that should be. These statements were not only sent to Chet, but to Howard as well. Still nothing. I'd thought at least Howard would have cared.
Its the customer who counts and without happy partners treating them right, they will spend their $ elsewhere. Until measures are taken to truly get back to the basics and what really counts, partners and customers, nothing is going to get better. The suits and the shareholders need to wake up before there is no company left. Im sorry to ramble but its hard to believe so much in a company and have it rip your heart out and watch it be destroyed by the partners it chose to protect instead of firing. It hurts to see all of the other partners that still care and have hope go through this. This was a great company and can be again if leadership would open their eyes before its too late.

I am not sure what was communicated on everyone else's conference calls but for those of you who keep stating "it's no big deal... it's like cutting 2 hours a day". Well, that is NOT what we were told. We were issued the edict that we needed to cut a minimum of 25 hours out of our workweeks (that's 3.5 hours a day!!!) and manage to the golden range of <-3.5%> VTI and a total of 3% NC for the week.

Now, here in California SMs must punch in and out and are held to a 40 hour workweek, with OT frowned upon. Of course, time worked = time paid so working off the clock is out of the question as well!! What to do? Yes, some areas are going to suffer, but it is up to me to prioritize and decide which ones will and which ones won't.

The main thing that worries me is that over the past 8 weeks I have been writing my schedules at +1.5 - +2% VTI, to grow the business and still finishing the week around <-.50> or so. What is this going to do to my business by writing a schedule that is in effect almost 5% below what is needed? All I can say, is if you have a fixture on your condiment bar for your DMs cards -- KEEP IT FULL and push back to them any time you can!! We always hear 1 Team, 1 Purpose, well... let's live it. I will check here regularly to see anyone's best practices or ideas to make this happen, but short of a miracle I am not sure we are going to survive this.

[4 Year Shift]

I work at a pretty low volume store. And we have two kinds of partners. The kind who rock out on bar, are customer friendly, who do their duties during the shift. Then we have those who are there for a paycheck, they just wanna get stuff done so they don't get out late closing, they would rather talk to the teenagers in the patio then actually earn their check.
I think the problem is A.) Those rock out partners are pretty motivated in life and are usually on the path to bigger things. (College, bigger jobs, or scooped up by someone who can offer them somewhere their ends meet and not the scurry of I need 32 hours just to pay my rent.) B.) Most, MOST motivated people are the morning or busy day parts and the "slackers" are during the slow periods. It has been this way at 4 of the Starbucks I have worked at and I'm not surprised if its common.

Its easier to take a hit then to cut the fat I've noticed. I have so many partners on final written warnings because it DOES mean more SM Time in the store to train, or to hire. Its safer to have the subpar partner then to risk getting the deadweight. If we're gonna pretend to be this holier than thou company we need to function like it on ALL levels from the baristas to Howie.
And I think we all need to realize I'm a Shift. I know what I see. I don't know what Howard deals with, he doesn't know what I deal with. I hate to say it but if you don't agree with what he does with HIS company... "You are the weakest link, Goodbye."
You can't question the ships captain when you're heading toward a storm. He's captain for a reason. If he hits that storm he has more to lose then we do. If he makes it through... be thankful you have a job.

Yeah, its gonna be tough. But those who are there at Starbucks to be at Starbucks and not just to work... Well I'll see you when this storm clears. (Unless of course I've peaced out due to college graduation.)

=-)

remember how excited we were in nola laptops are coming face it its part of the greater plan...soon enough they will not need sm's everything is being dummied down and we are out the door

[W_MTN_SM]

I guess after being around as an SM so long, I'm impervious to minor 'demands' the upper chain is always trickling down in some form or another. I get it, sure every company needs to tighten the belt in hard times... but this time the timing couldn't be worse. What better way to turn off existing (and new) customers by being understaffed at the 'happiest time of the year?'


Regardless of that... if SMs were actually held accountable by their DMs consistently and running stores like they should be (labor-wise) and cared enough to run the business like it was their own, this wouldn't be happening 'all of the sudden.' Honestly, if you don't like or have pride in what you do each and every day, then what's the point? Quit bitching about it and go buy a Subway and let us know how thats treating you in a year or two.


Say what you want, but I'm thankful I'm still getting great health insurance, tons of options this year, a great price on ESPP, and oh yea... I still have a J-O-B!

[Field Partner]

The Seattle-centric thinking will result in even more cuts in the field as well as the stores. Save store hours and get rid of some of the overhead at the SSC. I'd hate to add up all the hours wasted at all the entertaining diversions at the SSC.

[Jim C]

The irony here is that Jim Donald's background with Wal*Mart was all about this. Do you not realize that with the labor reduction of 25hrs a week (-3.5 VTI), that many partners are going to be forced to work "off the clock", just like Wal*Mart. It will start slowly, you will see, right after you have clocked out, someone working with you will ask "Hey, can you do X for me?", and being that they are your partner, you will do it, and those things add up to unpaid labor. Wal*Mart lost a class action lawsuit on this one, and in time, SBUX will, also.

Remember folks, when you are clocked out, get out! Leave the store. There can be no retaliation from a DM or an SM if you do not "help out with something" after you have clocked out. If you are asked to do something, say "Sure" and clock back in. DO NOT WORK OFF OF THE CLOCK!!! This is the cost-savings that CFO Troy Idiotstead had uncovered. Save 200 Million by getting free labor.

Heres something interesting.....Starbucks has removed its Sorbetto site.

www.starbucks.com/sorbetto just reverts back to starbucks.com

I guess its true that they are going to axe it?

[exmgr11yrs]

Such Great Conversation

Taking ownership is great it can mean so many things. Lets hope SCC takes ownership (not lip service).

Captain Howard... I like it.

Just do as your told. hmmmm.

And I believe a little opener vs closer animosity to boot.

Below FYI interesting after all...

http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/apwire/3be5b886f0a39bcabdee108261857103.htm

The article can be taken in a few ways.

Good luck people. I hope that SBUX does come out stronger, and for the right reasons.

Time for a new thread

[PhillySM]

Can someone please explain to me how I am to cut my admin day to 4 hours? Some weeks I use 16 hours. I am not wasting my time. I am teaching one of my high performance shifts how to effectively manage pastries. I write reviews. I review PDPs with my partners. I write the schedule- it takes me about 30 minutes. I analyze my business. I go out into my community and talk to local businesses, sometimes bringing them coffee. I restock my retail shelves and move stuff around so it looks good. I do a French Press with the partners on shift. I have shift meetings. I spend time with my ASM and coach her. I work on my RP order with my shift who is learning how to do it. I have First Impressions. I have coaching conversations. I certify baristas. I conduct interviews. Sometimes I'll clean the stockroom, drains, whatever. I make sure my communication board is up to date with new postings and action items. I work on projects my DM has assigned me. I'm sure there's a ton more. Where am I supposed to cut? I'm working on creating a better store. I am not a new SM and have been in a management role for over 15 years with various companies. What am I supposed to sacrifice? That's what I don't get. Without NC I have no follow up time, unless I charge it to training but I'm sure at some point that will be an issue too. I'm all for supporting my company which I love, but I think the major thing we're going to lose is developing partners and that's what makes the difference.

[Melody]

The senior officers simply have to be great role models. Maybe they should work in the stores a day? Part of demonstrating their passion for the coffee and espresso beverages might be getting to spend a day in the stores? What a great experience that would be.

On top of it, Starbucks now has a million online places to join and be a part of (1) http://www.v2v.net/starbucks (2) http://red.starbucks.com/red/default.aspx#/favorite_starbucks_red_exclusive/ (you can log in, upload a photo, and have a fairly stagnant profile there - though it is fun to browse all the pics and (3) http://www.mystarbucksidea.com

Where is the participation of the senior officers? There might be a couple of them ... a few with inactive profiles at V2V. ?

My only point being that everything out of the SSC should be of tenor of dialogue that "we lead by example."

By the way, I really like Sorbetto! I hope that it's not true that it is going away! :(

[blogger]

Starbucks pastries are stale and gross, even in the morning. get rid of them like the first person said, and keep the employees.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Does anybody know anything about the Starbucks near Wrigley Field?

[Mysticboi]

Lets discuss how this is managable. These methods are for stores that don't have sticker machines.

1. For all you DT stores, close down DT when understaffed. Put up a big sign telling customers to go to cafe. Concentrate all firepower to cafe.

2. For cafe only stores and people who closed down DT, have your fastest barista on bar. Make it a sport, figure out how to make a drink in less than 40 seconds...i know i can.

3. Have your second fastest barista be a floater. This person will keep up with the coffees, pastries, condiment stand, rinsing pitchers, restocking beans, lids etc.

4. Have 2 people at till, one for till and one to mark cups. The one who marks cups, dispenses the coffees, gets the pastries, and spike cups + steam milk (if bar person is not territorial).

5. When its finally break time, bus the cafe, make sure everything is well stocked, this includes whip cream, base, whatever you need at the moment. Then go on ur break. Till people cover each other for breaks and the bar and floater cover eachother for breaks. Tough it out for 15 minutes or half an hour. The key point here is everything stocked.

6. Capatilize on downtime. Prepare for the next war.

7. Just do your best, no ones asking you to lose a limb over it.

Thats a basic structure, for 4 people. Some don't even have that, but all im saying is figure out ur formation.

[bucked]

Juxtapose what's been said in this thread and others lately with this little story about ceo fairness and loyalty:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4651299n

a boy can dream!

[bucked]

watch howard say we grew too big too fast:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4651242n

I wonder who's being held accountable for this poor performance. Senior Leadership gets an NI and no raises until the situation improves. In fact I think Howard should be put on a 60-day action plan. We'll be sure to emphasize that it's not HIM we don't like but his BEHAVIOR that's unacceptable.