OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: Confirm *or* shoot down this dispatch from a tipster

Here's what we're told: "The new breakfast offerings will be similar to breakfast hot pockets as well as new wraps. Also only the bacon, turkey bacon, and sausage sandwiches will survive but just until the new program takes off. || VIVANNO shows promise with new flavors and versions that will be down the road. || More marketing promotions and deals like $2 receipt focusing on brewed coffee. || Also we will have a Thanksgiving blend since we are delaying holiday launch until right before Thanksgiving. Usually holiday launches right in the beginning of November." || Discuss this dispatch or anything else Starbucks-related in the OPEN THREAD.

Comments

[jill]

In order to transfer to any store:

1. Go online to the Portal and print up a Transfer Form
2. Go online to the Portal and find a few stores that are in the vicinity of where you want to transfer and contact those stores to see if they will accept a transfer
3. Fill out as much of the Transfer Form as possible and then give it directly to your manager for their signature and for them to fax it to the DM.
4. The DM is supposed to then contact the store you want to transfer to...

This is the policy of the company, though we all know many stores make up their own policies as they go. I am a store manager and I have accepted transfers without the form because I needed partners ASAP and the DM never mentioned otherwise. The only problem might be the fact that you are supposed to wait at least 60 days before you transfer, but then again, if the store needs partners you are usually in luck!

[dmanagerla(former)]

jill...
company policy has changed, check with your PR person.
For Baristas ONLY, there is no 60 day waiting period any more. As long as they are certified, they can transfer.

As a store manager, I really wish we could pay our baristas more in order to attract the type of employees the company desires. Paying minimum wage for a job that requires quite a bit of dedication and passion to do really is feeling counterproductive.

It has been getting harder and harder to get quality partners these days. And why should anyone want to work at Starbucks, which really is a fairly demanding job compared to other things they could be doing for minimum wage?

[Melody]

Do tips ever make up the difference? Are there stores that *consistently* do $3 an hour in tips? (Maybe if you're in southern california and spotting celebs LOL!)

[Supposed Eric]

Hey, how about those new lids? I got two iced teas today and I had to really fight with them to get the straw to go through the opening. The barista said that they had new lids that had less plastic, but she was aware that the straws tended to be pinched off by the tougher lid. It sounds like a contradiction, tougher lid with less plastic. Less plastic would be a good thing but the benefit will surely be canceled out if, as the barista suggested, people tried a second lid if the first lid put up too much of a fight. And then you have five people at the hand-off counter fighting lids (theoretically).

I was in LA last week and I gotta say, it is great how all the Starbucks stores I went to were pleasant and efficient.

Big picture, little picture.

[exBaristaB]

SKCDL-
remember that the sprinkles are a cinnamon sugar mix- about half and half. You aren't going to get many notable calories from that. True--its still false advertising, but how many SKCDL actually get the sprinkles anyway? Most people forget.

[LEGENDARY OR BUST]

I have NEVER forgotten to put sprinkles on a CDL or an SKCDL. And I have probably made thousands of those by now -- probably 50 a day at least.

[LEGENDARY OR BUST]

Apart from Mochas/White Mochas, I would say, an SKCDL is a Top 5 espresso drink behind only an SKVL. If I make about 250 drinks a day, about every fifth is an SKCDL/CDL.

[baristaoregon]

All stores should consider these two steps for making Vivannos. We now use the metal pastry tongs for the bananas - they work every time the first time. We will hang on to the black plastic tongs for future use (?) We also bought a 1/4C measuring cup since 3 level scoops of protein powder = 1/4C - and we now use that cup (level) and only scoop once from the protein/whey powder bin. These two steps really help cut the time it takes to make Vivannos.

[SKCDL]

Well the reason people "forget" is because it just doesn't make sense. The point of a skinny latte is to get a sweet espresso drink without refined sugar. It doesn't seem worth it to put sprinkles on the SKCDL. And even though it gets a dusting, its still a notable amount. You can't false advertise, period.

[Christy]

Will the doubleshot on ice be carried on, or is it discontinued after summer?

[An awesome homosexual partner in new england]

Melody, I used to work at a store in New Jersey that made between 3-4 dollars per hour on a weekly basis. We had a tip jar at the espresso bar plane as well as the registers. And we werent giving drinks away for free to customers either. We just had a consistent crew of approx. 12 partners who gave excellent customer service. The store I am at now does relatively well for tips approx $2 per hour. We are a huge tourist store in the summertime and have many canadians coming into our store on a regular basis throughout the summertime. I think great customer service equates to decent tips. In the morning our regular customers tip relatively well. They tend tip when they see certain partners working on the floor. I know approx 90% of our morning custoemrs by name and their drinks so that helps our tips...

[i heart espresso]

at my sbux, we always dust skcdl's w/plain cinn powder. no one has ever questioned or complained, and it maintains the "sugarless" aspect of the beverage.

[i heart espresso]

btw...treat receipts are noticeably increasing our daily tip deposits. our customers are very appreciative and love getting their afternoon yummy-ness for 2 bucks! everyone wins :)

RE: Starbucks Doubleshot

Even if it disappeared from the menu (I'm not saying it's going to), you could still order one. Every store has the ingredients: espresso, classic syrup, milk, ice.

[Tall Drip]

I am glad to see that Vivanno has caught on. Can't afford to get it every single day, any more than I can afford to go to Smoothie King every day, but it's a great option to have.

[PhillySM]

Transferring steps: First off, you must have been employed by Starbucks for a minimum of 6 months to be eligible to transfer. Secondly, you must have either a "meets expectations" or "exceeds expectations" on your most recent review. Third, you must fill out the transfer request form (available on the portal). It asks for: name, current store, current review rating, current salary, etc. Fourth, the form must be signed by the transferring barista, the current SM and current DM.
To make transferring easy first call around to the stores you are thinking about transferring to and speak to the SM to find out if they have a home for you. Then talk to the SM or ASM or whoever is taking over for your SM while on maternity leave. If no one seems to be helping you out at your current store let your potential new SM the situation and ask for her help. At the very least they can get in touch with your DM about a transfer. I've had 7 partners transfer in the past two months (as they are all headed to new/different colleges) and it's not a hard process. Good luck!

[mapunx]

heard some about the new schedule stuff today but i really want the inside-est scoop on it. am i going to have to work every saturday and sunday until the end of time or what? are they doing away with "part time" benefits? whats going on here?

[KelleySD]

About the banana tong issue, keep the tongs in sanitizer solution and change them out frequently.

For customers who want espresso in an OMBB, I offer an energy packet. No one has ever stayed with the espresso idea.

Since I've started getting Vivannos instead of espresso or chai beverages I've felt better. Even if I was getting a "skinny" drink before it still left me feeling depleted at the end of a shift. I eat less pastries now too. Yay! New flavors would be amazing.

[vancouverbarista]

So, ... how come Canada doesn't get treat receipts, & these other special offerings?
:(

I got a "gold" card in the mail too - nothing for that yet, except 2% back. It is apparently a trial promotion for only Vancouver, B.C. & one U.S. city?? Denver???

--------------------------

yup, it's denver.
there's flaws in the system still, my guess is that it will be refined and more beneficial in the future. we had a regular customer receive an email that his 11th drink would be free - he let us know, so we gave it to him. i called the hotline later and apparently a coupon will be sent via snailmail at a later date.

talking to the operator about it, he sounded annoyed - kinda like us baristas when someone orders 10 vivannos with separate modifiers. apparently the gold card 'cases' get elevated to gold card 'specialists' when you call the hotline.

i for one love the gold card - it gives us the oppurtunity to recognize loyal customers, etc. i had a connection conversation with someone over psl the other day, as i could see it was her favourite drink.... it seems small, but it's one more thing to personalize the experience.

ps - we do get special offerings in canada, it's called free health care :)

[StLouieDrip]

radiopromoguy: We got the new Mastrenas about a month and a half ago.

Are you in STL?

I love the gold cards. They look so nice and classy, it's a little awkward though getting the name of the regular after swiping the card since it's much nicer to thank them by name when they come. I guess the point is to remember the name after, it also says it on the card.

[wholahay]

PhillySM-

They changed the guidelines for transferring like, a year ago. No more 6-month minimum to transfer.

[Jack Weber]

I noticed someone said they were using the Vivanno as a meal replacement. I've been doing that as well (and I am very glad my BN Cafe has them now; it took us longer than the rest of the country for supply reasons, and I was buying them at full price at the Starbucks in Fred Meyer and Safeway until we did). I am not very faithful about weighing myself, but they're very satisfying. Anyone else doing that, either for diet reasons or to be having a healthier meal?

I like the banana chocolate with one shot. Two is a little too bitter to me. I kept hearing that the orange mango was better, but I found it terribly acidic (my stomach has gotten sensitive to citrus). My seven-year-old, however, *loves* the OMB, and I'm more than happy with the chocolate banana (with a shot).

[spence]

I am more than happy to peel bananas and make Vivannos all day long for customers. They are just sooooooo good for you.
(A bit of fly tape in the back room handles most of the flies.)
THE NEW FALL PROGRAM IS WONDERFUL!!!!!

[supahvisah]

Has anyone read about the new Signature Hot Chocolate and the (incredibly stupid) Oatmeal with 3 different toppings? OH! Not to mention the Protien/Fiber Vanilla Latte?

What ever happened to "going back to core?"

Countdown to Mastrena Machines: 22 days

[StLouieDrip]

@supahvisah, you'll find lots of discussion about those items in this thread: OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: What's your reaction to Starbucks' just-announced fall offerings?

[Bananas]

What is with the nasty green bananas being used in Vivannos?!