"From the Comfy Chair": Juan's visit to an Everett, Wash. store is uneventful

From The Comfy Chair
By "JUAN VALDEZ"

Starbucks
7430 Evergreen Way
Everett, Washington

Well, I'm sorry to say this is going to be a rather boring report; primarily because my visit was rather boring. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mean boring in a "bad" way.  It's just not much happened during my visit last week to the Starbucks on Evergreen way in Everett. 

Business was slow. The lobby was clean. The condiment bar was clean. The cold case was amazingly stocked with a lot of sandwiches, parfaits etc. The pastry case looked pretty good except for the empty tray sitting in the middle of the case. The register partner was friendly as was the bar partner and I got thank yous from both. 

It's interesting how the displays differ from store to store. The last store had a big Via display set up...this one didn't have any at all. There might have been one somewhere in the retail area but I didn't see it.

I saw a poster with pairing details on it. Nothing was said to me about either the Via or the pairings. I suppose it's possible that the partners on duty were of the same ilk as some of the commenters to my last column – they don't want to force Starbucks food or drink on their customers because they're pretty darn sure the customer doesn't want anything other than a tall latte. Or maybe they're determined not to assist the company in promoting rampant consumerism. Or, perhaps, it's as simple as it's not a focus in that store. Whatever the reason, the net result is Starbucks only got the price of a tall latte from me and  nothing more. 

And now on to the bathroom because I know we've reached a point in our relationship where everyone waits with baited breath to see how the bathrooms fared. They fared fine. The bathroom was clean although they had a toilet brush and a plunger ready for action next to the toilet. And the mirror had the requisite graffiti scratched into the otherwise clean surface. So, I guess by Starbucks standards, this was a wonderful bathroom because, golly, you cant do anything about plumbing utensils and scratched mirrors. Well, you can but a shocking number of Starbucks managers don't seem to realize it.

Overall, I give this store a B.  Stay tuned for next week's column...it'll perk you right back up!

* # of partners on the floor: 4
* Time of day – late afternoon
* Service time – 3 minutes


* Was the restroom better than a gas station restroom? - Yes
* Busy level – slow
* Were they trying to keep the lobby clean? - Yes


* Would I recommend to a friend – Yes
* Legendary service? - Yes
* # of stores reviewed where a partner has tried to connect with a customer – 5 out of 11
* # of stores where they've offered samples of anything – 2 out of 11
* # of stores that could have been considered "understaffed" - 0 out of 11
* # of stores with a clean bathroom – 4 out of 11

"Juan Valdez" is the nom de cyber of a former Starbucks manager who became disenchanted with the increasingly bitter taste of the Starbucks experience and fled to the mountains of Colombia where he now rides his burro and ponders the glittering sunsets. On a crisp clear day, when atmospheric conditions are just right and the moon is in the seventh house, Juan can be reached at juanvaldezsbux@gmail.com.

Comments

[green_cup]

@Melody:

Just an FYI, and an interesting one at that, but I overheard while in line at the Third and Madison Starbucks in the Wells Fargo building (I think) that they don't brew Pike at all.

Someone, amazingly, asked for it directly, and was told they didn't have it! I glanced at the urns and was amazed to see a bold, a decaf and House Blend.

Can this be a fluke or something better?

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

RE: Pike Place Roast
I was reading through some old documents when Pike was originally launched. Apparentley, the capacity of the roasting plants to mass produce Pike for all the stores in RNA, limited how much bold coffee would be available so thats why we were only allowed to brew it until 12. However, I think after almost 6 months it took a very long time to reach the capacity necessary to brew bold all day long if necessary. The opening of Sandy Run, increases the roasting capacity for RNA.
My store, also brews the bold till about 5 or 6 and then brews the rest of the decaf out.
Melody, I hope you don't give up on getting bold. Just let me know what stores are not serving you and I'll make a point of setting them straight. I went into a Starbucks 30 minutes before close and asked for a bold coffee and there was no Clover. They happily brewed it up for me even though they were about to close.

[Phantom]

Nobody waits for these posts, especially not with bated breath. You're a joke.

[SBUX Alum Bill]

Off-Topic:

It looks like the McCafe rollout is ahead of schedule, with Smoothies & "Frappe's" coming soon:

McDonalds McCafe Line Exceeding Expectations...and the competition intensifies...

[...ugh....]

this is the equivalent of adding breadcrumbs to your meatloaf - you don't have enough meat, so you fill it with something cheap and tasteless. who cares? isn't there something more pressing to discuss? if not, why don't you just add new topics as they come up that are relevant. unless you work in these stores, big deal.

[foxy]

Although this week was a bit boring, due to lack of excitement of any kind it would seem, I actually do look forward to these columns because I know there will be something new to read here.

And before anybody says that I should get a life, I'm on sick leave and have been since December, so I am bored, bored, bored. Checking on blogs is my major source of excitement for now....

[SBUX Alum Bill]

Juan,

You don't have to do one of these every week. It might be interesting if you did something less frequently that compared your weekly visits to different locations. An analysis of the pros & cons of the way things are done at the different locations might be beneficial to all. Just a thought.

[Ex-Nerfebarista]

i agree.. this is a why bother thread. of course, this is also a why bother reply so i'm the pot and yer the kettle..

If the topic is so boring that you put it in the name of the topic, you probably should have hit delete instead of send.

by the way, this is starbucks, not a 5 star restaraunt. whats so bad about the toilet cleaning implements being readily accessable?...

[Splash]

No one wants to see the toilet scrubby with who knows what ground down into its bristles sitting out to say hello. That's why it matters - especially when those same people are int eh store to consume a beverage and/or food item. It's nasty. Poop does not make anyone hungry or make them think "clean and sanitary"

I like Juan's columns every week! Please keep it up!

[Former SBUX Manager]

I do not like Juan's columns. They are extremely specific and boring to me (and I'm a former SBUX SM). There are good stores and there are bad stores. We get it. We know that.
To me, this seems like a "secret shopper" that SBUX Corporate would do, not something that fits in Starbucksgossip.com.
It does seem like this site is slowly moving from interesting and intriguing gossip-like news stories and rumors about the company, policies, and stores, to shill-like links to SBUX press releases, inspirational stories, and of course Juan's "secret shopper" report. Yawn.

And Romenesko, although he always has been rather sensitive, seems especially crotchety, moody, and downright nonsensical in his comments now (recent example: calling a recent poster "spinster-ish" when she made fun of him for drinking VIA while in Amsterdam. Huh?)

What gives, Jim?

[Melody206 on twitter - reply to green_cup]

@green_cup:

That was interesting: Your bold coffee find at 3rd & Madison in downtown Seattle.

I ready your post and for some reason I was thinking the Wells Fargo Bldg was at 3rd & Spring (that was my bad). I walked down there (literally minutes ago) and this exchange happened:

Melody: I'd like a tall coffee that's not PPR.
Barista: We only have PPR. I can offer you an Americano at the same price.
Melody: (Disappointment in voice) - No, an Americano doesn't taste the same. You're not brewing anything else?
Barista: No. We only brew Pike Place Roast after noon. Is there something else I can get you?
(the above conversation lasted like 30 seconds)

And then I realized it this point there would be no way to get a real cup of coffee without demanding it, and I've seen that get unpleasant and feel dirty, so I just said "no thanks." I thought about the fact that the new Peet's is right across the street, and thought I'd go check them out. The whole exchange with the barista was totally polite, but it was precisely the kind of exchange causing customers to leave and not come back. I'm sure many people remember that they can't get their favorite coffee, and so they pick a competitor's shop.

I started to walk towards Peet's and remembered you said 3rd & Madison, so I stopped in there. I asked what was brewing. They said "gold coast". I was so stunned I asked, "is that all you have?" (I didn't want something else, but I was so stunned nothing computed right away). Barista says, "we're only brewing one coffee right now; it's Gold Coast. But I had just made a french press of Brazil do you want to try it?"
Melody replies: "No thank you (in referrence to the Brazil coffee offer). I'll have Gold Coast. That's a fine coffee."

I might have to go back at about 5 tonight!

[WaSbuxMan]

Regarding VIa Displays:

There was no Via display in Everett because it's being promoted in Seattle! Everett is not Seattle. No stores in Everett have a Via display.

[OverCaffeinated]

I'm pretty sure most customers don't wait for us to ask them if they would like a coffee cake if they came in prepared to buy one.....

[Melody206 on twitter - reply to green_cup]

@Overcaffeinated: Yes of course. That's why the conversation starts with "Hi I'd like a tall drip coffee but not PPR". First words out of the mouth.

[spence]

Melody,
So sad. So sad.
I've noticed something interesting since pike came out.
A year ago, we had numerous customers that only drank Pike because they didn't like bold. Slowly, on occassions, the Pike wasn't ready and they tried the bolder blends. I'm amazed that as they drank more coffee and started to appreciate the different complexities and regions, that some original Pike drinkers have become coffee snobs. And now, they wont touch Pike.

[Corbo]

Melody I have to agree with you -- Gold Coast is delicious! I brewed half-batches continuously this morning, and only quarter batches of Pike... I am starting a little rebellion against PPR because frankly, it just isn't that good.

In regards to the bathrooms... I remember someone telling me how he/she was freaked out that we didn't have a separate plunger toilet brush in each bathroom at our store. Something about sanitation issues having to bring the little cleaning bucket around, but I can't quite remember.

Although I can't say that I've been in a lot of Starbucks bathrooms, it's too bad that we don't have something like a cabinet right underneath the sink to keep cleaning supplies. I can't see any problems with customers taking bleach, after all.

I don't know; I have mixed feelings on the bathrooms. On the one hand, no one wants to see a toilet brush in a public bathroom. On the other hand, it's a public bathroom, so one must be prepared for the worst and hope for the best, as they say.

[Corbo]

Ahh! I really didn't mean for the entire rest of that post to be in italics. Sorry everyone. I'm not as computer savvy as I would like...

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

Via is only being sold in Seattle stores. It isn't being sold in Everett stores.

[me]

I'm still confused why they are so proud of all their blends and single origin coffees but won;t say what exactly goes into the ppr. grrrrr.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I know, what goes into Pike Place Roast? Its like asking the question, what goes into hotdogs?

[soydork]

"I know we've reached a point in our relationship where everyone waits with baited breath" ... The phrase is "bated breath," by the way. Not that I care too much, because I also feel like these posts come from a secret shopper, but it is a bit hard to respect criticism from those who can't spell.

[triple_short]

i'm a little fuzzy on exactly where the boundary is for via in the seattle area. my district is issaquah, sammamish, snoqualmie and north bend, and we're all selling via out here... so i guess everett must be too far north?

[eleanor abernathy]

I still don't understand the problem with the plunger. Why would you keep a plunger anywhere except next to the toilet? Personally, if I clogged a toilet, I'd much rather plunge it myself than have to go ask somebody for a plunger or notify an employee that the toilet is clogged.

[Emma]

I no longer go to Starbucks in the afternoon. It's too much of a pain to get what I want from my coffee house with is, shockingly enough, COFFEE. BOLD COFFEE.

[That's what via said]

question: Why are legitimate comments on Juan's column being censored?

I posted a comment which was later deleted. I didn't swear or use overly cruel language; I just said that while the premise is interesting, the prose and attempts at humor are flat.

I think I see now why so few people seem to be sharing any kind of criticism. Maybe they're being 'disappeared.' :)

[Jack]

You spelled "bated" incorrectly.

[spence]

Webmaster Jim: It's not like you to not change topics. I hope you are feeling fine; even better, I hope your on a tropical island drinking some fru fru drink.

[green_cup]

So, I got this email today from Starbucks:

"Free Shipping on all Orders over $59 when you add a pound of Starbucks Christmas Blend to your order!"

Is Starbucks still sitting on Christmas Blend?!

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I will say though that I have removed the plunger from the bathroom, so customers don't have to look at it or try to steal it.

[(former) FLA SM]

So if you don't keep the plunger in the bathroom, where do you keep it? I'd much prefer to have it in the bathroom rather than in the back room around stuff that may eventually touch my lips.

[Chicago Starbucks Rebel]

where is my laptop? and who has to let partner go due to availibilty?

[Melody]

@green_cup: You're not the only one who had that reaction to that email. Heck, brew it up in the stores I say! I would drink 3 month old Christmas Blend over PPR:
http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaView?id=087500000005KONAA2

Just a call out to the latest MSI blog entry on brewed-coffee, which I realize at this point is a tired topic:

http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2009/03/26/brewed-coffee-in-the-afternoon.aspx

[spence]

Bring on the Christmas Blend to the stores. On the metal hang tags, I will write, "Easter Blend."

[Mousie]

@Melody and green_cup: Are we seeing a little partner rebellion? At my regular morning store (just outside Washington DC), the brewed choices this morning were decaf PPR, Casi Cielo, and Gold Coast! Unfortunately I didn't even notice this until I had picked up my latte.

[OverCaffeinated]

@Melody,

My comment was directed to Juan and his acerbic tone when he said that Starbucks "only" got the price of a tall latte from him.

Honestly, I don't understand why you have such a hard time getting a cup of bold coffee. If you came into my store after noon and were willing to wait for it to be brewed, I can gaurantee you that I would have that pot of bold brewing in 30 sec. The only problem I have is when customers are still angry after you offer to brew it, because they have to wait. I don't make corporate policy, I just do my best to follow it, even if I don't agree with it, because I like being employed.

[FromTheBoringChair]

Sorry but "from the comfy chair" has become "from the boring chair." It was only mildly interesting at first (that's being kind) and has quickly run out of what little steam it had.

[Papi-LongO]

You can keep the Isht stick in a special locked glass that says, "In case of Liquid (Squirt! Squirt!)Emergency, spray Glass!!!

Shout outs to all the people that straight up just bend over and spray the walls with manuer...Umm,Umm, Good

[Joy]

Honesty at last. [They're all boring.]

[Papi-SickO]

PAPI/MAMI "JOY"

What if they had a baday toilet at all the starbucks bathrooms, then Juan can go around and test them...he seems to enjoy the restrooms in some sick way, he's always hanging out in them. This might really get him off!!!

[Topher]

OK. Usually I love your columns, you care about the small things, but here man you've showed what I think is the biggest problem with the good starbucks store managers.

You rant for 3 paragraphs when a store has crumbs...but a store with a clean lobby and condiment bar and "amazingly stocked" pastry case, and friendly partners... this is boring? If we don't celebrate the accomplishments as much, if not more, than we coach the opportunities then we'll never get improvements!

And the bathroom graffiti: Fasc has a new urgency setting which our store lovingly calls "when we get around to it" if it's not obscene...it can take forever. I called in my bathroom's graffiti a month ago and it just got cleaned yesterday.

You should celebrate the stores that stay clean, as much as you rant about the ones that don't.