Starbucks Gossip

What's on your mind this weekend? Discuss it in the OPEN THREAD

As usual, anything Starbucks-related is open for discussion. Starbucks customers, feel free to throw out questions about drinks or whatever to the many baristas who visit this site. (Also, as usual, you're asked to keep the discussion civil.) || Jump to the third page of comments.

Starbucks VIA to be in all US and Canada stores on Sept. 29

It now becomes the most-easy-to-shoplift product in Starbucks stores across North America. "We were overwhelmed and humbled by the positive response from our customers and partners after tasting Starbucks VIA," says Howard Schultz. || Read "Starbucks VIA Ready Brew available in all US and Canada locations on Sept. 29"

Starbucks memo says the next Seattle "stealth" store will be called Roy Street Coffee & Tea

A memo from Starbucks global development chief Arthur Rubinfeld says that "the global attention and buzz surrounding the opening of 15th Avenue Coffee & Tea [Starbucks' first "stealth" store] is truly a reflection of Starbucks iconic cultural significance. It's also a reminder that we need to be very clear with out intentions." OK, let's start out by explaining the need for these stores. And why is the bar higher -- nicer decor, etc. -- for these outlets than it is for regular stores? || Read "Internal memo details Starbucks' Broadway plans"

"From the Comfy Chair": Don't blame Starbucks corporate for bad service -- or credit it for good work at stores

Starbucks
953 West Clairemont Ave.

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

BY JUAN VALDEZ

Wow.  If you had told me my string of good visits was going to continue, I would have happily said, yes, yay, bring it on. If you had said, however, it would continue in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, I woulda said...whoa, wait a minute...EAU CLAIRE?  That's some sort of French named town out in the backwaters of America, isn't it?  Aren't they like twelve million miles from the beating heart of Starbucks?  Don't the leaves get browner the further they are from the trunk?  Doesn't the ripple fade the further you get from the center of the splash? 

What in the world of coffee do they know about good service, efficient operations, great product and, yes, of course, clean bathrooms?

Well, based on my visit, they know plenty and, frankly they could teach some of the limbs closer tot he trunk a thing or two.

My first clue was when I walked in and stopped at the condiment bar for a napkin to wipe my fevered brow. The bar was wet but not from random spills that had been sitting there for hours, unattended.  Nay, the moisture was evenly spread out and drying; left there by someone who'd just recently wiped it down.

I was greeted before I even reached the pastry case with a hearty hello and "what I can get started for you?"  The pastry and cold cases were clean and stocked. I paid for my drink and it was waiting for me on the handoff plane with a genuine "have a great day." And then I sat down and watched the four partners as they did regular lobby sweeps/restocking/cleaning while taking care of the steady stream of customers which came in the door and through the drive through. And appeared to have a ton of fun while doing it.

What was even cooler was they were talking about product too. One of the partners told the others about some new thing that was coming up and reminded them to do this, that and the other thing.  The art on the chalkboard featured the Strawberry Banana Smoothie and was done by someone who clearly was an artist and loved what they were doing...it wasn't just half assed like you see with a lot of these boards.

While I was sitting there, enjoying my visit, I couldn't help but think about some of the comments which are left from time to time on my columns about how they CAN'T do all these customer service type actions because they simply don't have the time or, even if they have the time, they're so burned out they just don't feel like it. I have to say out of the 37 stores I've visited so far, there has not been ONCE where partners couldn't be reasonably expected to do their job properly. Yes, I've seen some busy situations where partners were pushed but, even in those cases, there's always been opportunities afterward to recover and resolve which, in most cases, weren't utilized. I've yet to find a store that's been “understaffed” for the business that was present during my visit. I'm sure there are stores where such is the case on a periodic basis however I've not yet seen one. 

I truly think there's been enough “Juan Valdez” visits to start having a clear picture emerge. When I first started these columns, there was a lot of caterwauling in the comments section about how Howard was “ruining the company”, how stores were understaffed, how partners in general were on the verge of a collective nervous breakdown that was going to cause the company to implode right before our very eyes. I honestly thought this might be occurring and thought this column might help expose some of this for the benefit of the partners eg: hey, if this huge breakdown was documented very publicly, it might help push the needled toward partner friendly changes that would reverse the trend. 

At this point, my thinking has changed 180 degrees. It's becoming more and more clear to me, anyways, that, yes, there are issues in the stores however they are, as with many companies, more a product of poor management (being focused, setting expectations and then following up) as well as partners who simply aren't willing to do more than the bare minimum, if that. 

I've yet to see an example of poor service that could be reasonably traced back to upper management despite all the claims to the contrary by some commenters.

Nor have I seen an instance of great service that could be reasonably traced back to upper management either.

In other words, it's still all about what takes place between the four walls. Which is how it's always been.

Which celebrities have you spotted in your Starbucks store?

We haven't posed this question for two-plus years now. (Here's the last celeb thread.) Let us know the celeb's name, the city or store he/she visited, the drink he/she ordered (if you recall), the tip, the attitude (friendly, a jerk, etc.) and any other details that your typical US Weekly reader would want to know. || Jump to the second page of comments.

Weekend OPEN THREAD: Continue the discussion about the price changes, or....

....talk about anything else Starbucks-related in the weekly OPEN THREAD. (Customers with questions about drinks or whatever will get answers from the many barista regulars here, too.) || Jump to the fourth page of comments.

Are customers saying anything about the price changes?

The price changes that have been discussed on this site have now been made public via a Wall Street Journal article. Any reaction? Read "Starbucks ups price on elaborate drinks" and "In a recession risk, Starbucks raises some prices" || Jump to the second page of comments.

Update: Jury rules against men who wanted to sell Starbucks drinks in vending machines

Remember the two businessmen who sued Starbucks and Pepsi after claiming that Starbucks reneged on a vending machine deal? Well, the trial lasted over a week, and the jury deliberated for three days before refusing to award damages to the men. || Read "Men come up short in Starbucks lawsuit"

"From the Comfy Chair": Juan finds a Starbucks store that rocks!

Starbucks
2623 Bickford Ave
Snohomish, Wa.

BY JUAN VALDEZ

Wow, this is one big store. With a huge patio, to boot clean as a whistle with the exception of one small dried coffee stain on the concrete. And an indoor/outdoor fireplace, no less. Plus a majestic, twenty foot ceiling in the lobby. I bet this place looks awesome when it's snowing outside. Too bad Washington doesn't get that much snow (darn that global warming anyways). I wonder who designed it – Michaelangelo? Although there aren't any murals painted on the walls so probably not. In fact, there was really nothing on the walls except for a couple of coffee prints and a framed photograph of customers standing in the original Starbucks "circa 1971" hanging over the fireplace.

This is a newish type store so I can only imagine this is one of their attempts to get out of the cookie cutter design approach. It definitely doesn't look like most other Starbucks although I'm not sure that's a good thing. This store is too clean in appearance, too exact, too precise. It's just the sort of place you might expect to see from a cookie cutter design approach; the sort of place you could easily replicate a thousand times or more across this great nation of ours which is what I thought Starbucks was trying to get away from.

Thank goodness the vibe was wonderful when I walked in. The five partners on the floor in this drive thru store seemed to be genuinely having a great time. They were laughing and joking with each other and that good natured camaraderie didn't end when I walked up to place my order. The register called the drink over to the bar partner who, gasp, repeated it back. One minute later she called my drink, even though I was standing right in front of her, handing it to me with a hearty thank you and a gleaming smile. 

And, for the duration of my visit, I sat and watched as partners cleaned the pastry case (what the hell were they thinking? It was only mid afternoon, didn't they know the closers would get that?). And cleaned the lobby (repeatedly). And, oh my God, cleaned the bathroom TWICE, both times using the restroom caddy (first time Ive seen THAT) and once taking a mop in there too. All of this took place while serving several dozen customers. They weren't overly busy but there was a steady stream of patrons coming through the lobby and drive through.

So, Ramona Mortenson, store manager, your store rocks. It's clear your partners are focused and alert while thoroughly enjoying their jobs. That serves to give your customers an awesome, legendary experience which I, for one, appreciate. You should be proud of your partners and Starbucks should be proud of you.

Grade: A+

Time of day: afternoon






# of partners on the floor: 5



Service time: 1.5 minutes







Business level: steady



Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: Yes



Legendary service: Yes


Would I recommend to a friend: Yes

COLUMN STATS




 * # of stores reviewed where a partner has tried to connect with a customer – 16 out of 36




* # of stores where they've offered samples of anything – 3 out of 36




* # of stores that could have been considered "understaffed" - 0 out of 36




* # of stores with a clean bathroom – 20 out of 36

"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

Starbucks has abandoned Sorbetto (and other news about the coffee chain)

Seattle-based reporter Melissa Allison has a round-up of Starbucks items, including news that the company paid $225,000 to settle a case in which it was accused of failing to refund gift card balances under $10. Read "Starbucks settles allegations for $225,000"