OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: How's the big Thanksgiving weekend going?

I was thankful that my favorite Starbucks in Illinois and southern Wisconsin were open on Thursday as I traveled to see family. The baristas at all the stores I visited were chipper; kudos to them for putting on a happy face, even though they might have preferred to be at home. Any Turkey weekend stories to share, customers and SBUX employees? Post them in comments, or discuss anything else Starbucks-related in the OPEN THREAD.

Comments

[Violet]

I think all the tips on that given day belong to the baristas

[Bean]

As opposed to who else? Tips always go to baristas.

[drive]

Violet means that the tips for that one day are given to the baristas working that one day. (Otherwise, tips are done weekly.) Holidays tend to mean big tips. Lots o' baristas want to work holidays for the extra pay and the extra tips.

[Herman]

Wow!! Finally, a thread about coffee not poop.

[ash_sk8s]

I thought I heard that holiday tips were normally split among just those baristas. I was always thankful in my licensed store that we did tips daily.

[Di Peterson]

Enjoyed working Thanksgiving! Many friendly and grateful Starbucks travelers! I love my job!

[Coffee Soldier]

I've never seen a licensed store that collected tips!

[Martha]

I wish we could have a tip jar at Barnes & Noble... :/

[Yiddle]

Question from a customer: Is there a standard Menorah that comes with the Christmas decorations for every store? I've seen it in two locations but those were in a v. Jewish area.

[Herman]

If our beloved President omits God from his annual Thanksgiving message, then Menorahs gotta be a no-no in Starbucks.

[Petie]

Yes, some stores in select markets have menorahs and Hanukkah themed gift cards.

[P]

@ Herman. Funny thing is, 'god' showed up in Obama's address as much as 'god' shows up in real life (which is to say, appropriately, not at all).
Is there a policy for tips in stores on holidays, or is that manager discretion?

[question]

what is the official ruling on holiday tips? does it go to all baristas or just the ones that worked that day.. i tried to look it up on the portal today but couldn't find it

[RadioPromoGuy]

Holiday tips are split between the people who work that day.

[question]

can you help me locate this on the portal?

[question]

and thanks for the reply

[kymgr]

Christmas is the only holiday that tips get pooled for the day rather than the week. For Thanksgiving, you get time and a half and a normal tip pool.

[ash_sk8s]

@Coffee Soldier - I worked at the airport

[Ian]

Went in early, left late; I have no family and I am incredibly happy that my store was open. We (read: I) made extreme bank. Booyah.

[I.Heart.Spirit]

The eight hours I spent at my store on Thanksgiving we had 47 customers.

[Jeff Tom]

Any idea what day this year's "12 Days of Xmas" starts?

[CaSM]

12 Days of Gifting starts this Thursday, December 1st.

[Dc]

What's being offered during this year's 12 days? Bogo Xmas blend again?

[Dc]

I found the 12 day items on SBUX.com. Thx

[mnmsr4me]

@question
There is no policy regarding holiday tips on the portal. Last year my partners and I decided to separate Thanksgiving tips so this year we did the same. I think it is more fair (and incentive to work) to separate tips in big holidays like that. Also, my store is closed on Christmas so this is the only major holiday my store is open.

[dontmindme]

Sbux policy is that Christmas is the only day tips are not included in the weekly pool

[TJ]

At my Starbucks store, we haven't always seperated Thanksgiving Day tips among the barista's that work that day. In fact, one year the tips were horrible on Thanksgiving Day. It's the manager decision-there is no set policy.

[PCC Guy]

Actually Manager has no say. The tips are the property of hourly partners, and if you guys agree as a store to separate then for a particular day, then that's what you should do. I used to work in the Partner contact Center. I'm pretty sure that's still the official answer they'll give. And then refer you to your DM for additional questions. :)

[Coffee Soldier]

Our DM sent out an email informing us which stores would be open on Xmas in October and basically told us to figure out a way for 13 stores to open 5 of them in our district with borrowed partners and don't forget to tell the baristas that they would get time and a half and get to keep all the tips that day! Like it was some big reward...now our district has enough volunteers to staff only 3 stores but yet the DM told the SM's they should not be working but it was an expectation that these certain stores were to be open now I know 2 of the managers who have to work because there is not a single other SS in the district willing to open one of these stores and the DM is even offering mileage from a store 60 miles away! Yet they SS still won't bite...sometimes family is way more important then making an extra hundred bucks!

[Jeff Tom]

12 days deals this year are... underwhelming. No buy 1, get 1 free this year.

[Dc]

I agree Jeff Tom. A blow out quarter last quarter probably has something to do with it.

[Dc]

And that probably means some stores are going to have a hard time beating their whole bean numbers from last year. I myself bought 20 bags one day to help a store meet their quota.

[My store needs hotter girls!!!]

Ugh I'm starting to hate my store. People there are so bitchy, they act nice in the back room, but @foh they start to bitch at everything and I don't really have anything in common with most of the partners there, so not much to talk about.

The only thing i like about it, is a former employee that used to work @my current store, but moved. She's incredibly cute and kind... but i don't see her often.

Not related to Thanksgiving, but tis an open thread.

[Facts]

Holiday tips get divided up like every day of the year: who worked and by how many hours.
By the way, love how Starbucks had a barista telling the truth about how things don't have to be run up individually if a partner has the discretion to say "it's too busy".(On that horrid MSI site) Instead of answering they just deleted the remarks!

[Facts]

No, no bogo on Christmas blend this year. THANK GOD.

[did that just happen?]

not really on topic here but was very put off about this. i was recently at a starbucks store in davenport iowa that i frequent on a daily basis. its a very nice store and the employees and management are very courteous. one day i walked in to see the store manager sitting down with a man at a table out in the seating area in an apparent meeting. as usual i got my venti non fat no whip white mocha and took a seat to read the paper and enjoy my drink. to my dismay i could see and hear this guy laying into the manager right in front of customers and her employees! then he gave her some type of warning in the prescense of another manager (i think) over the phone on speaker no less! i was appalled! if this is the way that upper management handles issues with their subordinates than i will not be supporting starbuck's anymore. something like that should be handled in a closed door meeting not out in the middle of public for all to hear. sorry to rant but that is terribly unprofessional and as a dedicated customer, i felt it completely unnecessary.

[Herman]

Never been a big fan of Starbucks' management using the cafe as an office.

Worst I've seen was a store closing that very day and a management type was sitting at a cafe table laying off employees. More than one ex-employee was really shaken as they apparently had been led to believe they were transferring to other stores in town.

[did that just happen?]

i am sorry but i was just pissed for lack of a better term at the way the whole thing was handled. to make it worse she looked like she was going to cry. and the guy really didn't seem to care that it was right in front of the people that work for her or the people like me that she interracts with on a daily basis.

[My District Manager is a DOUCHE!]

There was a time, when a bunch of DM's met at my store in the back room for a conference call... i was just filling caraf's.

Needless to say, the regional manager, or whoever yelled like crazy over speakerphone, he kept saying you, "you guys know better". To be honest i couldn't stop smiling, cause i hate my DM :D

[did that just happen?]

is that commonplace? where employees are reprimanded in front of their fellow employees or peers like some sort of mockery or example. "don't do this or we will make an example out of you in front of your people and your customers"? i have never worked at a place where public reprimand has happened especially not in front of customers.

[livin' la VIA loca]

So I'm placing bets that...

With the response to Midnight on T-day/earlier start to B-Fri sales at malls/big boxes this year that in 2012 the majority of Sbux locations (esp. if you are in or near a shopping center/hot spot) will also be open overnight hours

[usorthem3]

MIA- Grandmas's turkey sandwich for holidays?

[Coffee Soldier]

My DM openly complained on our conference call today about the lack of raises around the company and how bad she feels for all the SM's but to believe her she got a awful raise too...way too boost moral DM...I was really thinking with all the hoopla of the banner year we had and the purchase of a new juice company that the company would give a bonus out or hopefully (yet to be seen until Dec 2) increase the RSU's...at this point the enhanced match is great for partners who do 401k but lets be honest how many baristas on the front lines doing the bulk of the work do you think are participating in 401k or really give a crap about an enhanced match year? I'm sure they'd rather have an extra 250 bucks to Xmas shop with!

[Fl sm]

Starbucks trivia: which group contributes most (by percentage) to 401k?

Baristas... Plenty of them know about it.

@did that just happen?
I'm not sure the specifics of the reprimand. If someone else was on the phone listening in, it sounds serious, and seems as though it should have been done more privately. Especially if it made you uncomfortable. That said, many times when delivering a separation I have chosen to do it in a secluded portion of the cafe as opposed to the backroom. Being within sight of others is a big help if you have someone who you have reason to believe may react explosively. Shouldn't be done within earshot of others though... The situation you are describing sounds peculiar.

[DC]

In my 6 years of being a SM, I've only had to do 3 involuntary seperation coversations (as opposed to job abanonments and the like that don't really have a face to face talk). All three, I did in the lobby at the table farthest from the partner work area and nearest to the front door. That way, the partner was able to just leave and didn't have to "walk of shame" from the back room past the bar/register area.

[Confused as always]

DC, that sounded very sound!

[ncsm]

@did that just happen? I would have walked over the the SOB and told him politely but firmly that he was creating a public disturbance and that he should try to show a bit of class and professionalism by taking this conversation somewhere private. It doesn't surprise me though--almost every DM I knew in my time with SBUX was a complete D-bag!

[The Barista Guy]

World renowned chef Wolfgang Puck calls Starbucks coffee terrible.

http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/29/9094032-wolfgang-puck-calls-out-starbucks-for-terrible-coffee

Sorry Wolfgang. Your Wolfgang Puck Keurig coffee is the terrible coffee. Just saying.....

[Coffee Soldier]

Well sure I'm sure more baristas in numbers contibute to 401k. There are about 15 of them to every store manager and above in the company. In recent years the positions (baristas and ss) that due the bulk of the cleaning and customer service have taken a lot of hits. #1 losing personal day #2 having to put in 1 year of service before accruing vacation #3 being given about 12 RSU's no matter if you work 20.01 for one year average hours or 39.99 hours for ten years. I was just thinking (or typing) aloud thinking those positions could use a little pick me up or extra thanks this year...especially with what great year it was!

[Formersbuxsm]

When I worked for sbux I was demoted on my patio with customers at the table next to me and my dm, plus my staff could see from the window (I was the sm). I then had to host a warming oven training session. Sbux sucks at hr issues