OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: Your thoughts on the Big Money piece about Starbucks' "optimal scheduling"

I know we've already devoted a thread to the new scheduling system (and have a hundred comments about it), but I'm throwing this essay out there too. Discuss "Starbucks Blues, or anything else Starbucks-related in the open thread. || Read "Starbucks Blues" (Big Money)

Comments

Starbucks' employees attitudes need to go if this company has any hope of turning around.

[Z-PHANTOM]

I've got about 7 years with the company and now I'll probably be gone within six months due to SBUX new "philosophy", and you think my attitude is the problem.

[SoCalBarista]

Maybe instead of the employees attitudes changing, the company should treat the employees better.

Starbucks is one of the worst minimum wage jobs you can have because you deal daily with demanding/rude customers, constant pressure to meet high company standards, and horrible hours/scheduling. You have to deal with all of this with a smile on your face and legendary service. I am a econ/business major at a well-known 4 year university and recently quit from starbucks after being there almost 1 year and getting a 2.65 on my 6 month review. My manager told me she could fast track me to shift supervisor if I wanted but that required even more time and effort for a dead-end job. I quit as soon as school started up this fall.

This semester I am taking some management and marketing classes where starbucks is frequently used as a bacon of ethics in a "soulless" corporate America. Starbucks used to be the great company it is still made out to be, but it has changed. As you can see in this article, Walmart in many cases treats its employees better than Sbux, and Walmart is almost daily used as a example of what not to do. Starbucks has some major issues looking ahead and I would want my money as far away from Sbux as possible.

[Rbo]

No, not all baristas need to check their attitude - there are great ones but I've been a customer of Starbucks since early 90s. I can tell you this, there is markedly different mentality with today's Barista than even just a few years back. Just last weekend, for example, when I rolled into my SBux, three people were backed up waiting for their drinks to be re-made and the barista working the register was ringing up the wrong drinks. She wanted $4.86 for my tall red-eye. When I mentioned it wasn't right, she defiantly said the machine rang it up that way so that's the cost. Only the manager persuaded her - persuaded her - that the tall coffee plus shot isn't 4.86. Of course I'm sure the anger will be directed back at me on this post but hey, if you can't take the truth, maybe it's not the truth you want to acknowledge.

[Rob]

SoCal - it's easy to pick on the giant. The giant is slow to move. If you don't see the greatness in your "worst minimum wage job", go get another one.

[Starbucks Customer]

If you are wondering how long it takes to receive your gold card, I e-mailed and got a reply that said that the gold cards are in the mail and should be received within a few days (note: I accepted the invitation on Saturday).
So if you recently accepted the invitation, you should receive it soon.

[Starbucks Customer]

Starbucks Gold Card website:

www.starbucksgold.com.

This is where you register and access your gold card account.
It also contains a FAQ page.

[SoCalBarista]

Great job Rob at taking my words out of context, classy. I specifically said its "one of the worst." I can think of worse minimum wage jobs, but not many. I doubt you read past that line, however, because I clearly said I already left starbucks. I have had a few minimum wage jobs to get some work experience for my resume and am now doing internships, so don't patronize me.

[JEF]

Who cares about scheduling. I'm still annoyed that shots glasses are no longer being used to pull espresso shots.

[barista351]

They are slowly sucking the lifeblood out of me.

[AliCat]

barista 351... I feel the same way. I used to enjoy my job.

[SoyMMM]

I hate customers in every job.

Customers are the reason why working customer service sucks.

But I like my benefits, I don't have a problem with the company I work for as a rule...and I love my fellow partners.

So I enjoy working for Starbucks, and I deal with their ungrateful customers and continue to do my job well even when they (the ungrateful customers) don't appreciate it.

And lots of times there are customers I don't hate, and that makes it even better.

[Belle]

I genuinely don't understand how the company can have the expectation that employees--most of whom will be working part time--will provide 70% availability with no guarantee of hours. As the article and many on this site have pointed out, that can be an availability of 80 hours a week for stores open 16 hours a day. Who is going to give that much control over their life's calendar to a company that will not guarantee them the first hour of work?

Am I missing something in this convoluted equation?

On another note, can anyone tell me how well the protein packs are selling in the stores? I'm truly curious to know how those hardboiled egg/mini-bagel/fruit combos are doing.

[Lisa]

I used to enjoy my job so much more too. This scheduling change is just icing on the cake, because the way it's working out at my store is that they can only so far afford to give full time to the shift leads, even though I expressed a need for full time to keep my benefits. I've worked there for 3 years. Now I must pay for my health care without the aid of Starbucks' benefits, and on a measly 15 hours a week or less. It's not doable. It's forcing many loyal baristas out for the sake of cutting back on how many people they have to give benefits to. For a company that has built its reputation on how well they treat their employees, work with their schedules, and availability of benefits, this is a horrible move.

Re: Shot Glases

There is a partner on the partner blog and my starbucks idea who sent all this crazy research he or she did on the shot glass issue and its awesome. He or she totally showed that shot glasses are better by using temperature research and actual customer reactions. Hopefully it will help.

[Rob]

Yeah, saying "one of the worse" is ok but saying the "worst" isn't. Because there is so much difference in the word, worst. Glad that you quit...now I don't have to worry about running into a bad apple.

[Melody]

@ anon at 12:57 - Hope to see ya' posting in the Starbucks-shot-glasses thread at MSI. Link is in my name - click on my name. After much debate about Starbucks using shot glasses or not I've come to the conclusion that (i) many people don't care and (ii) there are some people who will just believe whatever Starbucks tells them as the reasons for going back to no shot glasses, without questioning it at all (iii) there are 2 sides to the debate (iv) probably if the MAJORITY (like above 80%) of the beverages going out the door at Starbucks involved no more than 6 ounces of milk and no sugar, people would taste a difference and this whole conversation would change (v) the conversation would change if there were no such thing as a paper cup and especially Venti size (vi) at least in my opinion, there should be consideration of the fact that Starbucks is a unique animal because the beverages don't resemble any authentic european coffee drink (vii)theater and romance play no role in this decision.

In the end, I'll stick with my black coffee, and be very happy. :)

Give me Clover and I will be tickled pink. :)

[Pat Nerr]

Melody... good having coffee with you the other day...

makes me feel like I'm typing to a real person now...

[Ciao]

SCHULTZ-SPEAK
Here’s a sampling of Schultz’s words from his 10/29 note to partners to recap the leadership conference. How could he let loose like this? And where was PR or the brand police? This smarmy flurry would even make Disney blush.

THE WORDS
- Fantastic
- Power of 10,000
- Unleashed to help
- Truly remarkable
- So proud
- Enthusiasm
- Excitement
- Contributed
- Reaffirmed
- Very touched
- Encouraged
- Dedicated
- Amazing
- Heartfelt thanks
- Gratitude
- MAKE IT PERSONAL!

THE SENTENCES:
- “bring the behavioral concepts of our six Guiding Principles to life in words ……….”
- “As an added surprise, I was thrilled to bring Bono, my good friend and a great friend of Starbucks ……….”
- “So, after months of creating and implementing our Transformational Agenda, it is now complete. We are moving into the next phase, which is execution with a clear focus

[TheSupremeAJ]

I left Starbucks in July due to lack of hours. I gave that store FULL AVAILABILITY, from 4:45am to 11:45pm. They could only offer my coworkers and I 25-30 hours a week.

Now that the new scheduling is in place, I would actually like to return to the company, and hope for 35-40 hours a week. My recent stint as a car salesperson has been horrible. The new scheduling system is really opportunity for those dedicated baristas!

[coffeewench]

Optimal scheduling is asinine. As a student I am only available two days a week. I am available 8 hours on those two days BUT they aren't Saturday and Sunday. Therefore I don't qualify for "weekend partner" yet I don't have enough days to be a "part-timer."

This system couldn't be further from student-friendly. When you've got a full load of classes you need to be able to work a very specific time each day so being available 150 percent of the hours you want will not work.

Also for those who are not students it's BEYOND stupid. Starbucks does not pay enough to survive on that job alone so a second job is necessary. Being available 70 percent of the store's working hours pretty much eliminates any chance of a second job.

Words cannot express how dissapointing this system is. I've been with the company for 2 years now and one of the hardest workers you could ever have. I stayed with this job because it was student friendly.

Now,thanks to this completely unreasonable and asinine system of so-called (NON)Optimal scheduling I'll be gone by the end of March.

Thanks EVER SO MUCH Starbucks!

[SoCalBarista]

Rob say what you will (you have never met me and have no idea if I was a good or bad barista), but I was great at my job until I realized it wasn't worth it anymore when school was starting up again. Calling me a bad apple is ridiculous since you have no idea how I worked. I took pride in being a great employee and would never show my displeasure over how much that job sucked while working. In fact, my manager, at my 6 month review, told me that I well-liked by all our customers. Don't say stuff if you have absolutely no idea if it is true or not.

I saw that the gold cards arrived in my store today and will be sold to the general public next week.Does that mean that I as a partner can buy one a well, pay the $25 fee, and use that on top of my partner discount? It would awesome for me to get 40% off!!

[Kilroy]

My prior post got canned,I'll try again.My partner is an expartner who was terminated at the SSC--she routinely worked 50-60 hours and "loved her job".When she was fired her records were missing the last two year's performance reviews and no one will provide a letter of reference--not a good situation when looking for new employment.Just a warning to others in similar positions to cover yourselves and protect your interests.

[Starbucks customer]

Reply to October 31, 5:13PM,

I doubt that you can combine discounts.
It is probably one of those things where offers cannot be combined. So you will have to use one or the other.

That sucks that the card will be sold next week. I was hoping mine would arrive and I would get to use it before the general public.

What is the purpose of sending out free trials of the Starbucks gold card? I got a 1 year free membership (according to a reply from Starbucks). I was hoping that those who got the free trial cards would be testers and get to provide feedback prior to public release.

[Starbucks customer]

Has the machines been program yet to recognize the gold card?

I wonder how much the gold card would sell for on eBay if I sold it before public release.

--

Also, the following got me thinking. I have a Starbucks card that is about 3 years old. I went to Starbucks and one of the barrista/partner at the cashier commented on my card and said that she collects Starbucks cards and would like to have it if I ever got rid of it. My Starbucks card is registered and I use the Starbucks website to reload my card with a credit (debit) card. If I ever wanted to sell or give my card away, what do I do to get all my information linked to that card deleted? Will deleting my card from my Starbucks account online accomplish this?

[Will]

This optimal scheduling is really gonna screw me next semester when i reduce my availability.

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

The machines aren't automatically programmed to recognize the cards. The barista has to press a button and run it through manually.

You must've been a late invitee, we've had a few regulars with gold cards for a few weeks now.

[Melody]

@ Pat Nerr - (now I realize that it is pronounced Nair like rhymes with 'hair' ;-) ;-)) it was fabulous having coffee with you too!

@anon @ 5:13 - I believe that Starbucks' intent is that the Gold Card discount may not be combined with other discounts:

Member discounts will not be applied cumulatively or on top of other discounts or deductions, except where otherwise noted.

^ Though I've read through the terms & conditions fairly carefully and there are a few odd things, and a few places where it seems as though the current technology or registers are not operating consistently with the intent of the Gold Card. Or the terms & conditions were not well written.

Further on the Gold Card:

I've deduced that there were 2 groups of early invites:
http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaView?id=0875000000056g0AAA

The first group was October 1st & 2nd and coincides with the group the Howard initially describes as the very small group of selected customers - I was in that group. That group appeared to be people with Registered Cards who *seemingly* spent a lot of money at Starbucks (and possibly other criteria).

The second group of free invites I think came at the end of October - based on several posts by MSI contributors, that group got invites around October 23rd. On MSI there have been a number of very loyal MSI contributors who all said they got invites for being part of MSI. I hope I've got this right, but there have been posts by several people - Breve, Steve1, and purple1, who all seemed to describe getting a free Gold Card invite at the end of Oct related to their MSI participation. I have no idea if I really am giving you all the right details.

As far as I know those were the 2 groups of free invites. This IS a gossip site I'm posting on, so please take this for what it's worth!

@Starbucks Customer: I honestly think the free Gold Card invites were sincerely meant as "thank yous" from Starbucks. I don't read anymore in to them than that.

And again, take nothing in this post as gospel!

[Melody]

@Starbucks Customer: Are you a regular at MSI? My above post might be way off. Maybe there was a 3rd wave of free invites???

I'm sorry to all that think Optimal Scheduling is unfair. But be real, it is next to impossible to schedule some one 30+ hours when they have limited availablity. Especially when there ARE parnters who have ample availablity. They OFCOURSE will get preference for hourse.

All of you that are whining about it should try and build a schedule yourself. You'll relize quickly that it's not as easy as you think to get everyone hours that wants them.

[sbuxne]

food for thought:

ever thought this whole schedualeing thing maybe so that the customer has a more consistant experience? allow the manager to have say a core group or openiners and closers i know i personllay work ina store where there are a few 2 and 3 dayers and honestly sometimes they get left in the dust and have a hard time fullfilling our pledge to our customers.

just food for thought

I am excited about all of the new changes

Remember:

We are getting new POS systems at all stores. Remember starbucks was the first to offer a Gift Card and technology has changed in POS systmes ALOT since then. So there are BOUND to be issues with a system like this. POS systmes can become very complicated.

rome wsn't built in a day the compnay didn't go into the can in a day and its not going to be fixed in a day. Is your a true starbuckin and believe in what starbucks is really about, than you will continue to show your support, otherwise speak up to the manager of the store make THEM accountable, don't take it out on the Barista we have little control sometimes, and if the manager doesn't respond Call Starbucks Directly.

They are listening

Can anyone else come up with a company that in the last 45 years has said HEY we Screwed up? and we need to fix this?

ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN OVER NIGHT!

Allow sometime

[Starbucks customer]

Melody,
I got invited for using MSI. The e-mail stated that I have been invited because I was one of the most frequent visitor of MSI. However, I do not consider myself a frequent visitor to MSI. I have posted at most about five ideas and my last visit was probably one or two monts ago. So I have no idea why I am considered a frequent visitor.

I was someone from corporate who was tapped for input on the optimal scheduling before I left, and my suggestion was that we had set shifts that people could commit to, vs. having to be open 70% availability. For example, if you enjoyed opening, you would need 5 out of 7 opens available during the week. Or if you wanted mids, then just make sure you could do 5/7. If you had to make a change one week, you would find a partner to swap a shift, but otherwise you could always count on being part of the opening/mid/closing team. It would require you to find afternoon college classes if you signed up for opens, etc. but at least you could count on never being scheduled in an afternoon if you committed to opens.

I think this 70% requirement is ridiculous and has no merit or value. The whole point was so partners could schedule their lives better, and stores could schedule their partners better. I think it's lost it's value...

[Hayley]

@ Melody and Starbucks Customer -

Melody, I think you're right there were 2 sets of invites. I was part of the latter one for MSI
Starbucks Customer - I also have not received my card yet, but I assume 7-10 days is probably the turnaround time it's officially been 7 as of Friday. So, I'm hoping to get it any day now! It's like Christmas...I run for the mail everyday now hoping it has arrived!

[Starbucks Customer (aka SBUX Customer)]

Hayley,
About two days ago I e-mailed Starbucks using the e-mail I used to accept the invitation and the person replied and said that the gold cards are in the mail and should be received within a few days.
I accepted my invitation on Saturday. So I am like you in going to check the mail hoping to get the card. The person told me that the free trial is for one year!

[SPORK]

Just to be clear, Canada doesn't get this ridiculous new system right?

[Melody]

Newsflash:

http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2008/10/31/free-Starbucks-for-voting.aspx

Starbucks giving away a tall drip coffee to voters next Tuesday!

[Crema_the_crop]

I think that the web-based scheduling system will make things work more smoothly than people are anticipating.

Also, Starbucks is and always has been an "at-will" employer, just like virtually every job in America. This means that you work at Starbucks at your will, or at Starbucks' will. Either side may alter the terms of the commitment at any time. What's up with all these folks seeming to think that Starbucks OWES them a job?

[Crema_the_crop]

Sorry, wasn't finished...

You're a student? Great! The focus of your life should be on your academic pursuits, your future. Not Starbucks. They see it the same way. Do I think this is a way to "weed out" some folks who are literally "in it for the bennies" (health/dental/vision etc.) or who are literally spread so thin that they cannot muster the energy to deliver that experience that sets us apart (or, rather, should be setting us apart)? Yep, I sure do. And once that happens, I expect to see increases in salaries and wages, and even benefits. It's already happening with new Store Manager and District Manager incentives. The best is yet to come.

And the kool-aid tastes great, thanks.

leadership conference = tax write-off = more rah-rah for the rabble = "optimal" scheduling = reduced benefits = corporate america and starbucks ain't no different

[Crema_the_crop]

optimal scheduling ≠ reduced benefits. Explain your rationale please?

[Ex-Barista]

Crema, you obviously have never worked for starbucks because you think, like I did before I worked at starbucks, that all employees could easily get benefits. That is why I was attracted to starbucks, not because I wanted the benefits for myself (my dad has a great family PPO better than sbux through his work that covers me) but because I wanted to work for a socially responsible company like starbucks. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get these benefits. A larger percentage of the workforce at walmart has employee health care than at starbucks.

The reason optimal scheduling = reduced benefits is that it is now much harder to get the many work hours every week required to qualify for benefits.

[SoyMMM]

My store would DIE if they couldn't schedule me the amount of hours I work now.

Seriously. DIE.

But I desperately need a second job, on top of full time at my store and school.

Right now, I've given my manager open availability outside of the half day I'm at school two days a week, and I'm falling well into the 70% category.

So...when optimal scheduling goes into effect, I'll see what my typical schedule is gonna look like, and I'll seek a second job accordingly. Then I'll come back with a new availability sheet which will cut my availability down significantly by not making myself available for the shifts that I'm NOT BEING SCHEDULED FOR ANYWAY.

So...

if they want to cut me off the schedule because I won't "write down" that I'm available for shifts that they don't want me for anyway...go for it.

Then find someone as competent as I am to work as many hours as I do.

I'll bee expecting the call to come back in within a week.

[Bourbonstreetsurvivor]

With all of the talk of optimal scheduling and all the negativity around it, it boils down to one simple thing....Communication!! You can still have the communication with your SM and he/she can still move the schedule around to try to accomodate you. It is still about the partners getting what they need but finally, it's about the company getting what they need as well!! They need to know their stores will be staffed accordingly as well as partners need hours. If you don't like it you may find employment elsewhere.

[iloveyukon]

Sorry, gotta change topics here for a minute...still recovering from last weekend's thread and losing my favorite coffee, Yukon. :(

Question: before I stock up on all the Yukon I can still find, what is the skinny on the expiration date of STBX coffee packages? ie, "best before...(date)." Is it really stale by that point, does it go rancid, or does it really affect the coffee if the package is un-opened and goes past the date?

[Crema_the_crop]

Actually, 3-year parter, coffee master and shift supervisor here, Ex-Barista.

And, well, based on your response, the sentiments expressed in my first post still stand.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

The coffee is a best by date but it is still good at least a month afterwards. For students with classes and optimal scheduling, I was able to get all of my classes on two days. I did have independent study with the professor where we could meet at Starbucks, too. I'd bring over a French Press and a pastry, for a perfect pairing, and go over my research notes.
On the other hand, who needs to be at work 70%? Wait, people like Uncle Howie!

[CD]

Did SBUX extend the expiration dates on their coffee recently?

Pat Nerr, Darleen or anyone who would know the history - what has been the shelf life of the flavor locked bags of Coffee?

I just bought a bag and it had a late May 2009 expiration date on it. 7 months away!

I didn't think the dates were ever more than 6 months out.

Did this change? It looks like they've snuck in some extra time as a way to pinch pennies. Am I mistaken?

[Info]

so what happened at the Leadership conf in New Orleans?

details?