Weekend OPEN THREAD: Let the fun begin (again)!

Don't worry about going off-topic and having your comment deleted; everything Starbucks-related is allowed on the weekend open thread. Discuss drinks, store drama...or whatever. || Jump to the fifth page of comments

Comments

[Tracy]

CAbarista: the tuition reimbursement comes on your paycheck. So yes, you have to stay until classes end.

[Jim C]

Just got out of another 3 hour meeting at SSC about the decline of the amount of customers coming in the stores, and the decline in the amount spent by those who still come into the store. There were lots of ideas on how to get people to come back, and they all involved cheaper things, and better deals.

downward. Another major senior exec resigned last week, also. Woof.

[deltatwo]

We have a shift who's an absolute cow. You'd think she was a manager, condescends to every partner in my store and STILL has her job. I wonder if I could get away with putting the steam wands up her nose and hitting 'manual'?

[TNT]

I hope DM's everywhere lose their posissions. These are probably the most overpaid, underproductive partners we have. At least 50% need to go! They could give SM's more power to run their stores along with more training. This would "Dump the weight".

Hearbutloud---You sound like a DM or some other type of overpaid management.

[Demitasse it]

Does anybody know who the major senior executive that resigned is? Do tell...

[I'm going home]

does anybody know if we are still going to get our stupid laptops?

[Melody]

@JimC: Your posts always really have so much gossip in them. I'm a little surprised that someone at the SSC doesn't try to pin you down and stop you from posting so much. ?? (Maybe there are so many people at the SSC that's a crazy thought on my part. Still, you make a lot of right on posts). So does the senior executive who is leaving appear on this list here?
http://investor.starbucks.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99518&p=irol-govmanage

Doesn't anyone (at the SSC) talk about brand equity and the long term consequences of really chasing the route of cheaper cheaper cheaper? Speaking of cheaper, Clover prices dropped a little with the newest offerings. A tall Sumatra was $2.00 last month and it is continued forward as a special offering now for $1.95 for a tall Clover Sumatra. Btw, I had a cup of the Ethiopia Yirgacheffe today and thought I died and went to heaven. Lots of blueberry aroma and flavor. It's been a long time since I've seen any Yirgacheffe at a Starbucks.

Good to see ya' again BostonStarbucksRebel.

[Mike B.]

Agghhhhh...why am i only hearing this now! I'm going to be downtown tomorrow! I want to meet him! Anyone know what time? Hell i'll even skip class.

[Blaze]

To TNT-Question:

Do you know if we will be able to get the VIA as a markout?

Thanks

[TNT]

Blaze:

I really don't know.

Does any one else know if Via can be used as a partner mark out?

[bucked]

yes, a 12 pack of via can be used as a partner markout

[Blaze]

Here's an idea:

Signature White Hot Choc. = ??

Rasberry Whipped Cream = ??

Berry Tea Lemonade = ??

[cafecerezas]

To Testmarketforlaptops:
I am a store manager currently running two stores. I was originally told it would not be a forever deal but it has been three months now. Your comments turned a light bulb on.....no extra $$$ coming my way though that I am aware of. hmmmmmmmmmm.........

[Floridagirl]

This may be off the wall but I was wondering if other area stores have had their floor mats taken away. The large rubber mats that are supposed to help your legs/feet from fatigue? Ours were taken away and the reason was that baristas have been tripping/falling on them??

[Mike B.]

You can mark out three 3-packs of VIA or one 12-pack. You get more with the 12-pack but the 3-pack is more convenient that's why you only get to mark out three of them.

[xxzxcuzxme]

"I wonder if I could get away with putting the steam wands up her nose and hitting 'manual'?"

I thought i was the clever individual that thought that up!

AMAZING. AMAZING.

you could try the ice bin approach, it really hurts.

"Here's an idea:

Signature White Hot Choc. = ??

Rasberry Whipped Cream = ??

Berry Tea Lemonade = ??
"

a) sick.
b) sicker.
c) custom berryblossom white tea lemonade. bathwater. sickest.

[splash]

BSR is back? where? I miss her posts!

[Paco Loco]

Has any body visited the new green plant? any details?

[Moiraine]

@Bouncing Barista,
Thank you for your kind comments. You read my mind as well, because just today the other shifts were saying that we are never going to get our 30 day notice. They just don't believe we will have that much time. I was wondering if that had happened at other stores, so you answered the question I hadn't asked yet.

Frankly, that really really sucks.
I am trying to have a good attitude and praying that in a month I will still have a job. =)

Are there any SS in here from the Philadelphia area? Or Boston? I am wondering what kind of wages you guys have in those areas.

[Shift Supervisor]

I personally think that Starbucks is trying to keep everyone in the dark and confused. They are not even going to put out a list of stores that are closing this year. They will not let those stores know until 30 days before.
I don't know about your districts but my district is really cracking down on the most petty crap. In the past couple of weeks our DM told her store managers to terminate a few SS's My store alone they fired 2. 1 deservingly and 1 did not deserve it at all. Then she transferred me and fired someone in the new store I went to. Plus about 3 or 4 more in the district. Mostly because they did not fill out their Values Walks or their Critical Ops Checklist. It has gotten so bad that everyone is afraid to go to work. My partner is at a DT store and our RD and his boss went through and, as cliche as it is, this is the one time he was really busy and did not suggestive sell the new pairing and now is afraid for his job. That is how bad our district is. Our DM wants to knwo everything that goes on in the district so I text her or call her to let her know things and all of a sudden she went to my partners store manager and told her to tell my partner to tell me to stop texting/calling her. Isn't that considered gossip? Should she have not gone to my store manager or me directly and told me.
When I started Starbucks 2.5 years ago it was the most fun and best company I ever worked for. They were great with the partners. Now I am getting ready to go into work today and I do not want to. I am scared of what I might have done or said last week or something that might bite me in the butt today. You just go into work terrified for your job.
Any comments are more then welcome. I would love to hear if anyone else feels the same way.

[marriedtosbux]

Shift Supervisor,
I can totally relate to everything you're saying and I don't even work for Starbucks, my husband does. He's been an SM in the northeast area for about 5 years and it used to be an okay job until this last year. Many SM's as well as his old DM were fired when the new RD took over his district. Somehow my husband was spared but we don't expect it to last. Now he has a new DM who is probably the worst supervisor in the history of Starbucks. He micro-manages and nit picks everything, and expects the impossible from my husband. He expects the store to be immaculate but with my husband's store being a high volume store and the new labor standards it's just impossible. So my husband who used to only have to work maybe a 45 hour week is in his store almost everyday and works his butt off. He can't ever take a sick day or stay home with our sick child, but his DM is out all the time with a sick wife, kid, whatever. These DM's think they're executives or something. There is SUCH a double standard there. But with the economy like it is most companies realize there's nowhere for their employees to go, and they're taking full advantage of that fact.

[NorthEastLuckyManager...IstillHaveAjob...forNow...]

Shift supervisor & married2sbux there is most deifintiely a double standard. The store partners work so hard with less labor and still stores are being held 'accountable" and pummelled for 'speed of service'...REALLY?? With sales over 20k per week?? With negative labor?? WOW! Partners are scared with all of the recent layoffs and pending store closings... it is really not the same sbux I hired into 5 years ago either....not many other jobs out there right now...