A liquor store employee says: "As soon as they see Starbucks, the brand recognition kicked in and it started flying off the shelves." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Not affiliated with Starbucks Corporation (obviously)
I've been working with Starbucks for just under five months now. The whole show about making your workplace feel like a second home, and following the Fish philosophy is a far stretch from home. My store manager is known across the board for her rude and obnoxious behaviour. Not one day goes by where I don't feel rejected and ridiculed. My store is located at the
Square One Shopping Centre. Since I've disclosed my store location, I'm practically guaranteed they'll attempt to dismiss me for employment. But spread the word that Starbucks is not as people oriented as it seems. Even worse that most joints.
Posted by: Conrad | February 18, 2005 at 02:18 PM
Let us know if you're fired because of this posting, Conrad.
Posted by: STARBUCKS GOSSIP webmaster | February 18, 2005 at 03:12 PM
Conrad, I'm sorry you're having a crappy experience. Have you considered contacting Mission Review anonymously? Usually they get in touch with the partner, but anonymously, I would think they would bring it to someone's attention that you're having a bad time. If it's as bad as you say, you're probably not the only one there who feels the same.
Posted by: corianderstem | February 18, 2005 at 08:17 PM
Sorry, meant to add ... with that many stores, there's bound to be some people (and, by extension, stores) that aren't holding up their end of the bargain. But rest assured there are good managers/stores out there, too. But yeah, it sucks when you're the one being ridiculed at work. That's not right.
Posted by: corianderstem | February 18, 2005 at 08:18 PM
Conrad --- sorry you're having a bad experience! Like any large business, Starbucks has a crappy manager here and there. If they are truly a bad manager, and it's not just a personal conflict, most likely, they will eventually be removed.
Trust me on this one. It just takes time to go through all the channels and corrective actions needed to get any results. If your partners feel the same way you do, you should all contact human resources and maybe even reach out to another store manager for advice if there's one you feel comfortable with. If you've already approached your manager about how you feel and there hasn't been any effort on his/her part to resolve the conflict, you'll need to get in touch with your district manager.
I speak from experience after having a really good manager and I job I LOVED for over a year. When he was promoted to a higher level store, we got THE MANAGER FROM HELL! Thankfully, she only lasted a little over three months (the longest three months of my life!) and now we have another great manager --- maybe better than the first! Of course, in our case, it was a group effort to her removed. But, honestly, this woman was SOOOO bad, she had complaints coming from every direction, from the partners, customers, and even other managers!
Good luck to you, I hope everything works out for the best. If all else fails, maybe you could request a transfer?
Posted by: | February 19, 2005 at 07:48 PM
The previous (very wordy) post was by me :)
Sanani
Posted by: Sanani | February 19, 2005 at 07:50 PM
ACK!!! Where's the edit button around here!?!
I'm missing a "have".
EDIT: (from the wordy post)
...it was a group effort to [have] her removed.
Posted by: Sanani | February 19, 2005 at 07:54 PM
Edit #3
... umm ... and, of course, that would be "partner" resources NOT "human" resources that I referred to in the wordy post. Sheesh! What else did I screw up?
:::sigh::: Maybe I've had a wee bit too much Starbucks Liqueur on my ice cream tonight;)
Calling it a night ...
Posted by: Sanani | February 19, 2005 at 08:25 PM
how bout a mobile starbucks truck.....in detroit u have one location....how bout a roving starbucks truck going to designatated locations.
Posted by: kk | February 20, 2005 at 11:24 AM
hi folks. Interesting site. Just wanted to offer up my two cents to all of those employed by starbucks... In many geographical areas our health insurance coveraged has changed a bit. Yours chaged if you have Aetna and received a new card with the "Aexcel" logo up top. If you received that make sure you understand what it means before you see certain specialists EVEN IF THEY WERE REFERRED BY YOUR PCP. Not understanding this can cost you mega bucks. I found out the hard way. E-mail if you have questions.
~s
Posted by: ~s | February 20, 2005 at 05:32 PM
Wonder what ever happened with Conrad?
Posted by: Sanani | March 10, 2005 at 07:49 AM
my girlfriend has been with the company for about three years and has gotten promoted twice with great reviews. but now as a assnt. store mannager she has been virbally attacked by a district mannager muttiple times publicley embarrased, continuously gets a offer of full suport to take a demotion after making a complaint to partner resourses about the d.m. and a particular insodent where my girlfriend felt treated with no respect in a restraunt and was then dragged to a other store and told to share her learnings with her piers after a upsetting virble attack where she was instructed to listen and cut off when she tried to speak in her defence while the store manager was present and said nothing he says he is on my girlfriends side but really he takes the side of the d.m.. they both the d.m. and store mann.are enforcing a store blackout period where no partner in the store is allowed a break sometimes resulting in a meal violation and its a minipulation of labor laws if not a direct violation. out of fear for her job my girlfriend doesn't feel comfortable making a other complaint to partner resourses after the talk about "going over my head" from the d.m. its also rumored that the lady spoke with from p.r. got her referance from the d.m. and she is probuly biast. all ive spoke with agree the d.m. is a meen, minupulative,condesending, nitpicker,constantly harrasing the partners but calling it "coaching".I have personally witnesed her in action. she contradicts her self in one insodent that i belive proves she is out to get my girlfriend back for the complaint made and if it were broght to the rite attentsion she mite find her own job on the line.i cant believe starbucks would condone here actions.its more likely her supperiors arnt fully aware of what she is doing.the d.m. has effectively made my girlfriend not like her job when she had been excited and ambicous about her new possition.she tells me she wont let the d.m.push her to leave the company or take a demotion but i feel the d.m. will just minuplate my girlfriends actions as a assistant and terminate her employment. i believe it going that direction because when my girlfriend is trying to complete a task she gets stoped on the clock and critticized obout something consuming her time and with a stricked warning about overtime and her mannagers scedueling her tasks cant get compleated leading to a other coaching session from the d.m.about compleating her tasks and time mannagment effectively consumeing more time . i belive a great partner is about to be lost because it appeares to be leading to a frase thats new to me "preformance mannage out "a crafty way to termanate someone under you in the workplace. i appoligze for my lack of vocabulary,spelling,and puncuation. but i hope i cought someones attentsion and im avidly encouraging my girlfriend and anyone else with a complaint to step foward. something needs to be done about this d.m. before she ruins starbucks immage of a good place to work and not to cost good partners their jobs or confidence.anyone with feedback not related to my spelling can e-mail me at... [email protected] ...and i would love it if you can name the district mannager i am refering to in seattle. the discription should give it away. im going to stop now even tho i could go on and on about the last 5 months. thanks for reading:)
Posted by: angry boyfriend | November 14, 2005 at 10:44 AM
Hi folks,
I really loved this site - it gave me a great insight into life "behind the counter" and what life is like for the folks who serve me my coffee drinks each day (twice a day!!).
I am currently looking at a Starbucks CORPORATE office position however. Is there somewhere that you know of where I can get the "real deal" on working for Starbucks in a corporate role (specifically, Regional Coordinator)?
If you know of an "insider" site like this for the non-retail store positions, let me know?
Thanks!
~ E.
Posted by: ebg | August 23, 2006 at 04:57 PM
WOW reading these comments doesn't sound at all like my work expierence. I love working for this great company and representing it. I love created the third place enviroment and the ledgendary service. Everyday I learn something new. I love our customers. I love the feeling I get inside when I make Lucy smile when I already have her drink ready. Or when I give the two twins there milk in to short cups, which they call coffee. I love going to work every day. I loved being a barista and I love being a shift. This is totally a job i will have until I am done with school, and I tell everyone to work here too. I love my manager and my district manager, they are great people. I am so glad I became part of this company.
Posted by: la. | November 28, 2006 at 10:05 PM
Hello!
I am a manager at a casual dining restaurant. We are going to be featuring your liquor livation in a couple of short months. My question to you is where is the recipe book? Just a curious girl wanting a little mixology mythology (if you will). Keep us all posted. Congratulations I have tried it and couldn't wait to start selling it.
P.s. It is flying off my shelf and I love it. You launched at the right time! Keep up the vision!
SS
Posted by: Sarah | January 12, 2007 at 09:58 PM
Starbuck's Liqueur can be substituted for Kahlua in any drink Kahlua is in, and there are/will always be good and bad managers anywhere in any company, I worked for Starbuck's too, liked the job even when I had a great manager, then he took a new store over(kindof a promo for him)and the next manager was a mean woman who couldn't manage to get along with us, so 75% of our store turned over in a two month period employee-wise, and I got fired after a month of her. Killing them with kindness is still the only approvable approach to mean people, and if it doesn't turn their attitude around at least it makes them look like the bigger butt.
Posted by: Nunya | January 22, 2007 at 02:03 PM
What a sham,
I took a job at starbucks to get away from crappy stressful restaurant atmospheres. yet three months into it starbucks announces "were doubling the amount of stores" which only spreads the good management thin. background: my girlfriend and i both worked at the same location as baristas. they then offered me a shift position at another store within the district that they did not tell me had major issues with staff. we have had 3 shifts leave, and one of those was a potential assistant candidate. i was told to help "clean up" only to have the store manager throw a roll of register tape at me, compromise my training of new partners so she could sit in the back and have a lunch break durring her 5 hour shift in which she was late for. starbucks is a sham to work for. there are some really great stores but they are few and far between and those managers are now learning that 35k a year at 60hrs a week with a college degree isnt really worth it.
anyone have the partner resources number/email?
Posted by: mike | February 08, 2007 at 10:29 AM
Mike how are you a shift and not know what the partner recources contact info is?
Posted by: Milwaukee Starbucks Rebel | February 08, 2007 at 12:09 PM
Hi folks! Thanks for all this inside info. After 25 years in the "rat race", I'm thinking of easing back and taking a part time gig at the local Starbucks. Any idea what the starting hourly wage is?
Posted by: Greg | April 10, 2007 at 04:51 PM
Hey guys, I just started working as a barista at a store in New York City. I want to have my paycheck deposited into my existing account with Bank of America. So, I have two questions, 1) Can I set up direct deposit on an existing account or do I have to open a new account? and 2) Does anyone know how to set it up online? All of my new partner information says go to Starbucks Online > Partner Resources, but I cannot find the link to the Direct Deposit site. If no one knows how, I guess I will just have to deal with the Partner Contact Center. Oh well, thanks anyway.
Posted by: Matthew Gorgoglione | July 09, 2007 at 09:31 PM
I've been with the Company for a little under two years now, and I have to strongly disagree with Conrad's posting earlier. One's experience at a single store cannot be used to create a negative image of Starbucks with regard to "employee orientation." While the situation at that particular location is clearly not quite up to Starbucks standards, the Company as a whole, at least in my experience, has taken great care of myself and my fellow partners. So Conrad, a partner as new as yourself simply cannot really have any idea as to how Corporate works, or what the values behind Starbucks really are until you get a little more experience with the company as far as benefits, stock, and personal care are concerned.
Posted by: Tom | August 15, 2007 at 11:38 AM
I just did some research and found out that Starbucks Coffee Liqueur has more alcohol content than Kahlua. Starbucks version is 30% alcohol while Kahlua is only 20%. This might explain the preference for the Starbucks brand.
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Posted by: Creative Recreation | August 16, 2010 at 02:33 AM
I just did some research and found out that Starbucks Coffee Liqueur has more alcohol content than Kahlua.
Posted by: batterie | October 26, 2010 at 03:23 AM
How bout a roving starbucks truck going to designatated locations.
Posted by: labatterie | October 26, 2010 at 03:23 AM