Weekend OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: What are your Halloween plans?

Does your store go all-out for Halloween, or is it just another day at the factory? (Will anyone be dressing up as a VIA package that constantly bothers customers? BUY ME!! BUY ME!!) Discuss this or anything else Starbucks-related in the weekend OPEN THREAD. || Jump to the second page of comments.

Comments

[I <3 music?]

Waltie why do you hate music?

[Waltie]

I love music.

[Doppio Con Karma]

Why do you love staying at work even longer after close? Turn the crummy music off, get your stuff done, leave, listen to your music on the way home.

[A Non eMoose]

Jeez, you'd think that it takes an hour or even longer than 30 seconds to plug an ipod into the system. Also you'd think that people would only ever do this during close and not opening, where it would be nice (no doubt, as obviously I've never participated in this terrible time-wasting event) to wake up and get pepped to work faster with a few good tunes before the door's unlocked.

[SBUX Customer]

When is the last day for the salted caramel beverages?

[Doppio Con Karma]

@ SBUX Customer,
really depends upon how much of the salt your favorite stores have on hand. The Toffee Nut syrup and caramel sauce are both core items.

[SBUX Customer]

Doppio Con Karma,
Are you saying that when they run out of salt at a particular location, they stop selling it? I tried ordering a salted caramel mocha the other day and they said that they were out of salt. I just assumed that it was temporary until the next shipment of salt arrives.

[Doppio Con Karma]

A store can and should make any drink so long as they have the components, the only part a store could run out of is the salt, which is a seasonal item. You can always get a Toffee Nut Mocha with caramel drizzle but the salt is a seasonal item.
Does that answer your question?

[I <3 music?]

There are tests that show productivity goes up when people are listening to music they like

[Legendarily Lean]

30 minutes of reading and I learned nothing...

[TrueNorthStrongandBold]

The best Halloween costume I've seen was last year I walked into my neighbourhood store and the barista was dressed as a McDonald's employee. I laughed and appreciated the good humour.

[erstwhile]

We received an official email from someone higher up the chain than our DM(can't recall their name right now, but also know it wasn't our RD) that says that Baristas are allowed to wear costumes as long as they're work appropriate (e.g. inoffensive and work-safe), and as long as we can wear our aprons over them. It'd be a bummer if you have a hosebeast DM or SM that axed the company policy.

...

So we just got Simphony, and it's been just over a week. Aside from the (highly) situational drink duplicate/split options and the faster credit card validation, I still find myself missing Star. Not because it was easier to find things in Star, but because the tradeoff for Simphony seems to be a little more "lag" in between screens, lack of visual or audible feedback on many button presses, and the lack of a completed transaction notification on the expediter screen (among a couple other qualms). And no vanilla latte button :(

[JonnieBoy]

I have a question for any of you SM's out there?

I have an interview with multiple SM's this week for a Shift Supv. position. I am an outside hire who recently sold my own coffeehouse and actually applied for an ASM or SM position, but none available in my area. I have no problem starting lower in order to get my foot in the door and learn the specifics and the SBX culture. The problem is that it's extremely difficult to support my family on $9/hr! Considering different things that I've read on this site about current partners viewpoints on outside hires, would it be poor form to divulge to them that I cannot stay at a Shift position for any extended period of time without the chance of upward mobility, due to the financial equation. How obvious do I make my goal of ASM or SM (which I've done, and more, at my store for the last 5+ years) without offending them by thinking that I can come in and do their job.

Any other advice and/or interview tips that any SM can give me will be hugely appreciated!

God Bless.

[Burista]

At my store, we usually have some sort of upbeat music playing once the SM leaves for the day. Probably not the best idea, but our customers have noticed it (prolly not good, b/c we have a ton of regulars that come in twice a day or more) and they seem to like the change of pace (tempo) from the contemporary grind.

I work for minimum wage - I really don't care if I get fired

[Waltie]

"How obvious do I make my goal of ASM or SM (which I've done, and more, at my store for the last 5+ years) without offending them by thinking that I can come in and do their job. "

Any SM who's worth a damn would jump at the chance to hire somebody with aspirations to move up within the company. I would say a good 99% of the people who apply for jobs at Starbucks make it clear they only want a temporary job, so most managers love it when somebody says they are looking for something more permanent, doubly so when they have aspirations toward management.

Don't worry, no SM is going to think you're after his or her job. Promotions always come with transfers so that's not a problem. I would encourage you to be as forthcoming about your plans and aspirations as you want to be.

[ABDULA]

Has symphony hit nation wide?? Let me know East coast yes how about the middle and west ?

[ABDULA]

to Posted by: JonnieBoy

I know partners who have ran their store as shifts longer than 8 years and NO you don't deserve to be an asm or an sm because of your story welcome to the game sweets, roll the dice...

[A Non eMoose]

Wow abdula, what an unnecessarily douchey post towards someone who had a simple question about politeness and upward mobility. Congrats.

[Legendarily Lean]

How much training is allocated for Simphony? 2 hours per partner?

[ncsm]

@ABDULA: Anyone who remained a shift for 8 years and yet desired a promotion is obviously missing some key element for success @ Starbucks. It's not simply a matter of rolling the die and trusting your luck--it's about doing your job well and making a positive impact upon your respective store!

[AustinTX]

@johnnyboy... move to the austin tx market..we need asm's and sm's and we've hired several externals to fill some of those positions with less coffee house experience than it sounds like you have.

[Hipsterdufus]

@NCSM: it's actually 30 minutes for the module and 15 minutes of practice time.

[JonnieBoy]

Thanks so much for the thoughtful responses, and seeing that it is not an ASM/SM position that I think I "deserve", but simply one that I'm qualified for... much obliged! I'll let you all know how my interview goes today. I cannot tell you how much this website and all of your post have helped me in preparing for my interview.

[Jackie]

I love music and I love Halloween! I am going to check out Sullivan Hall this weekend for the Jimkata, Papadosio & D.V.S* shows!

www.sullivanhallnyc.com

[justno]

@Jonnieboy if you can't afford to work your way up like the rest of us, don't apply. Apply for something else. Running your own place does not prepare you for starbucks. Most coffee places have next to no coffee knowledge or ability to even properly steam milk. You have a lot to learn

[BoldPassion]

People are strange, when you're a stranger, faces look ugly when you're alone!! This song reminds me of some of you. I feel sorry for you lonely angry people. :(

[Nike Dunks]

The best preparation for tomorrow is to do your best today

[Buy Online Rx]

Letting this slide is exactly how petty dictatorships gain power, how decisions of convenience become tradition, and how idiocy in general prevails.

[mens health]

Instead, I suspect the most likely explanation is a utilitarian one: the principal didn't want to have to deal with potentially inappropriate costumes and the inevitable disciplinary and parental hassles that go along with that.