How's Thanksgiving going at your Starbucks?

I'm thankful there will be stores open when I make my Illinois-to-Wisconsin drive this afternoon. Do other customers seem as pleased that you're working on the holiday? Tell your Thanksgiving tales here.

Comments

[Hayley]

The Starbucks I usually go to is closed. I have to assume it's because an outer store but attached a mall...there's no entrance from inside though. My other favorites that are closer to home are open and they were busy and I was so happy they were in good spirits!

I was wondering now that the holiday and Christmas shopping season is upon us...does anyone know if they are planning to send a special discount (i.e. friends and family discount) to the gold card members for shopping?? I know that was one of the perks and this seems like the appropriate time to do it.

[JT]

Not an employee, but the store on the north end of Mercer Island is rocking with a nice steady stream of customers (as I sit here, coffee and newspaper in hand).

The store is already decorated for the holidays, and the holiday swag is already on the shelves.

Lots of sampling going on.

Just want to thank the team at the north MI store. Have a great Thanskgiving.

[jenna]

Fairly well, we've been busy, and we were extremely busy yesterday when I was trying to do sirens eye at noon when our DM said we had to start. would have been a lot easier with more than 2 people, and also someone threw away one of the shelves and the round top for the KD table. lame.

Hayley -
Ummm...are you asking if you're going to get an extra discount on top of your 10% discount? That seems a bit greedy.

[ohmeohmy]

I haven't heard anything about any extra/friends and family type discounts, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.

[JA]

I opened this morning. We had one customer in the first hour of business. Whee! It started to pick up around 8, though. Everyone was in a good mood, and we were doing lots of samples. And we have Christmas music!

[ash_sk8s]

I'm hoping to find an open store today! My usual one is not open today.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

I don't think Hayley's question is greedy at all.

[Nerfebarista]

Most store in the renton/kent area will be open until 4pm. Be sure to get some of those wonderful Markdowns today!

[Kathy]

My local store closed at 2pm. I did not get to go today because I had to cook Thanksgiving dinner for my family. We always eat at 1pm. By the time we finished there was not enough time to drive the 15 miles to get to SBX. They are inside a Kroger grocery store so they might have had customers who were making a quick dash for a forgotten ingredient. I wanted to go & see the new Christmas items that were supposed to be out on display today.

[GlobalGuy]

Hey, does anyone know when partner shopping days takes place? i would love to use my 40% discount on the wonderful merchandise in the stores!

[seventysix [76]]

My store was definitely slammed this morning, but I'm planning on being even more slammed tomorrow.

Black Friday is coming! Run! Run!

[76]

[coffeewench]

Our store (which was dead last Thanksgiving) was SLAMMED. Unfortunantly after last year we weren't prepared for it as far as staffing goes. Yikes. I'm not going to complain at all though since I've got Black Friday off. ;-)

[Adam Jackson]

I went to a Starbucks today while driving to Reno. It was 7AM at a Starbucks in Richmond, california (bay area) and the drive through was freaking amazing! It was THE BEST Starbucks experience I've ever had.

They offered a Christmas blend which I happily took. They were friendly, suggestive and wished me "the best thanksgiving ever" For someone working at 7AM at Starbucks on Thanksgiving, I'm amazed at how awesome customer service was. Thanks SBUCKS!!!

[inopethflames]

so do workers get 1.5x pay on a holiday or is that not done anymore.

the 2 starbucks around here that i go to were open til 5 & 5:30. i would be sad if the closest sbux was 15 miles away! i wouldnt be making that drive too often. if it was in a grocery store i guess id go there for groceries once in a while & get sbux while i was there.

[Kyle]

Worked, this morrnig. We only had maybe 4 customers from 5 to 7. Then around 8 it picked up and we've been slammed all day long.

[BAYAREABUX]

Adam - was it Richmond Parkway?

[STUCKINTHEDRIVETHRU...NO LONGER!!!]

Yeah, we still get time and a half. Today wasn't so bad. It was actually pretty slow the whole time I was there, except at about 4:30 when everyone's "Starbucks is about to close" sense began to tingle and we got slammed for a bit. Not looking forward to opening tomorrow morning for Black Friday.

[IllinoisShift]

I opened this morning. We were dead for the first four hours, then got pretty busy starting around 9ish. The general response from customers was "I am SO GLAD you are open! Oh, but I guess it is bad for you to have work, huh?" and then they leave no tip lol Mostly non-regulars today though. A few regulars who made the morning pleasant! And our order still came today. I felt awful for the delivery men...not fair at all for them.

A bit off topic but do you get time and half for working on a holiday if you are punched in as "non-coverage?" My store was closed today but we went and put away the order and made backups for black friday so everyone had to punch in as non-coverage and my manager said we might not get time and half.

[Ryan (SS)]

Anon at 5:17, It's time and a half because it's a state law (in every state) that as long as you are working (regardless of on the floor or not) you must be paid time and a half wages. If it does not show on your paycheck then call Partner Resources.

[Gord]

Doesn't matter what you punch in as, you still get time and a half.

[IC Lover]

My Sbux was slammin' busy all morning; still busy when my shift ended around noon. There were four of us and I was really proud of our team. We worked well together, kept things moving right along and still had fun together and with customers.

Customers were thrilled we were open, several were concerned about *us* and asked "You are getting to go home for Thanksgiving, too?" and were quite generous with their tips. A bunch thanked us for being there for them today. One brought us doughnuts; another kind soul baked us a pumpkin pie! :-)

[Peter]

i live in marietta, suburb of atlanta, and the starbucks near my house is open. the employee seems nice. they tried to make me happy by starting conversations because they saw me alone and i was a little depressed. so yeah, starbucks is nice. (and the only store open)

[lattegal]

We were slow the first couple hours and then we were just SLAMMED! It was unbelievable. I really enjoy it when we are this busy but not when we are short handed. It would have been nice to do sampling but with only 5 in a drive through store and lines to the door and around the building and people order multiple drinks...not just 2 but many were ordering 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 in the cafe and in the drive thru. It was a madhouse.

Love our red aprons but we were only sent 4 so one was in a green and then we had to pass it on to the next person. It would be nice for each of us to have our own aprons. Anyone else have that problem...lack of red aprons?

Yes, if you worked today in any capacity you should be paid time and a 1/2. Doesn't matter if you were punched in as coverage or non-coverage...those two categories are only for Starbucks labor figures.

[josh]

we were really really really busy today but everyone was in a good mood. customers were kind despite a line to/and out the door. good day.

[supahvisah]

today was fantastic! i loved having six people on the floor in my cafe store. and! closing at five is pretty exciting. a little crazy, but i am so thankful i do not work tomorrow.. oh what a day that will be... hope everyone else's store experience behind the bar was good as well! i wish everyone who works tomorrow the best of luck..

[baristajack]

we were open until 4, steady morning, we also had many drive-thru customers ordering 4,5 and 6 drinks, not a lot of our usual customers today, but most seemed very happy we were opened, thanked us for being open and tipped well, it was nice to have people thank us for being open,and i was happy to work, nice change of pace, and was strange closing, while it was still light out, I hope everyone who reads these boards had a nice Thanksgiving

[Jonny]

Someone called my manager a c*nt because we were out of cinnamon powder.

People suck...

[zilljah]

Driving from Dallas to Lafayette, LA to visit family today, both of the Starbucks I normally stop at on the way were open and had moderate business. I'm very grateful that they were open!

[bigredbarista]

It was one of the best days working. Everyone is a great mood, with their families, drinking coffee. All customers pleased to see we were open. Along with about 100 calls asking if we were open, but its ok. I'm ready to spread some holiday cheer! [along with (RED) Friday!!!]

[red aprons]

not everyone is supposed to get a red apron. if you read the promo again i think it's for the person sampling all day or something i forget. but it is all about RED.

[brando]

We were SLAMMED in both drivethru and lobby from 7-1pm. Huge orders, etc. We closed at 3. We were understaffed and almost everyone had to stay past their shift and even then we were still missing a person. I woulda loved to throw the DM on the line today....

lattegal: we only got a few aprons too and we have to share. too bad they didn't exercise the same level of stinginess with those shitty vivano t-shirts. these babies are ebay gold, though. i'll be trying my darnedest to get my hands on one of these for good

[samuel l flyinghorse]

since we are a LicensedUse store here in Anchorage, our grocerClients!! are the built-right-in!! factor to theStarbucks Kiosk where I work at,

LOL, glad I was OFF today though, my two very charming and personable, so happy & friendly Partners I often work with were pretty snippy by noon time!!

I spent a couple of hours in the adjacent mall, which closed up by 2pm, and then went to theGrocerstore food court, but first!!

got some S-bux product to nibble on before eating my ThanksgivingMeal within sight of theKiosk.

omg!!
theKiosk was slammed.

There were the two Islanders, husband & wife duo dressed in identical atlantaFalcons jerseys and worn blue jean jackets, still in FlipFlops!! and carrying their lil' one, whom isn't any more dressed than theParents are!!-even though Anchorage is now under heavy snowfall (again in our Off & On again snowfall season) The Islanders huddled at Register, looking UP at theBrand New Red Holiday menu boards,

Boards which "I" helped put up 2 weeks ago, after taking down theMagneticFrames for my LC/KioskMgr, then put back up again.

In queu behind thePacificIslanders was theOfficeLady!! She's quietly at war with me, because when she orders her Venti, Hazelnut latte,

she's specific about wanting "8pumps of syrup", and from day 1 when I first started working theRegister,

I dutifully hit the "addSyrup" button 3 more times and a second after she saw that transaction pop up on theViewScreen facing her, she basically fell off theEdge of her caffiene withdrawals she was holding in and my LC/KM had to step in and "void" my syrup additions.

I guess that's what CustomerService means to us Licensed Used stores, Lay-down, give-IN, give-away!!, and always sayYES!! As I ate my turkeyMeal from theDeli, I saw her blonde head swivel my way and back again as she stepped up to order her 8Pump hazelnut latte,

about 1 minute later, I heard her voice call "OVER" thePlexiglass to my On-Duty partner, "could you add 2 extraShots?!"

I distastefully dug into my mashed potatos, as most of theCustomers always ask for extras that they didn't pay for, I mean,

forgive me, the 40something worker in this (for now) Great calling of being a Barista!!, forgive me for wanting to look out for theBottomLine!! of a company that doesn't even know I exist to uphold it's name 5 days a week.

oh...
and speaking of bottomLines!!
SHE's next.

theYoungMother of 2, one 2yro and a sleepingInfant, is waiting in theLine now at Kiosk,

5yrs ago, 10yrs ago, even 30yrs ago, people had OTHER peoples attention when orderingFood & Drink,

but theCellPhone basically destroyed this once predominant social etiquette of being polite to strangers and being on best behavior!!

msBottomLine!!, who's tanned bottomLine is on permanentDisplay for everyone she turns her back to, is probably talking to her mother again, or to her bankMgr,

I dunno. Last time I served her drinks I could guess that she was Moving into her new apt and that the place was a step up for her standard of living.

come on people.

At least when "I" write, I change things around and delete specific things, but everyone else around me spills theBeans!! talking on their cellphones, even msBottomLine!! whom Next needs to invest in a drawString for her sweatbottoms,

cos when I first saw here Evah!!, she was yacking into a razor, then soon, she was yacking into a MotoRolla "Q", and today, it looked like a "worldPhone" she was talking into while juggling her sleepingInfant & crankySon and her always falling-down pants!!

*sigh*
but speaking of spilledBeans and falling down, whatever!!

Did I mention that when I stepped up to theKiosk to order my StarbucksProduct, that my partner ended up tipping my Vanilla & Pumpkin spice steamer over?!,

yep, she did, and she got her nice RED apron all milkFrothy, but since she cuts corners and adds UNTO thePreviously steamed milk, she had my drink reMade in about 20 seconds!!

*sigh*

I'm 41, and grew up in the 1970's, the80's and even the90's!!

Now kids these days cut corners drastically and don't care about their work. doh well.

So that's about it for me, we were pretty much slammed today, Even on Partner left early in a huff, angrily talking on her cellPhone, but her departure for the days wasn't a bad thing,

cos theGrocerChain store where we work Kiosk in, closed up by 6pm local time.

Hope everyone had a HappyThanksgiving 2008.

lovs,
a NewbBarista!!

samuel

[FreeSyrup]

i have a registered card. i ordered a venti coffee with white mocha.

after i left the store, i noticed that the $0.30 wasnt removed.

White mocha isn't one of the free syrups? or was it because i was at a licensed store, and not a corporate owned store?

[FLA SM]

No, white mocha & chocolate mocha are not considered "syrups."
This has been the topic of many debates and if you want arguments on either side, check past threads on this site.

[Just another Shift]

I didn't work Thanksgiving, but Black Friday was a nightmare. We were understaffed all day, and our SM didn't even work an eight-hour shift! He left before I got there at eleven... on what we know is our busiest day of the year :( I'm appalled, and I'm never going to work another BF ever.

[Samantha]

@ samuel l flyinghorse:

Did some good drugs today??

[shifty shift]

i opened on thanksgiving day, and we probably had 3 customers from 5-8, which was good because it allowed me to get stuff prepared for the next shift. and then we got packed right as my shift ended at 8:30AM.. lucky for me!

[Ducan]

My favorite Dunkin' was open and I was in & out in less than 2 minutes (as usual).

[J.J]

I enjoy the "Time-and-a-Half" working on these holidays! =]

[FRO BUX]

I closed Thanksgiving. It sucked. We were understaffed and slammed. (hardly anyone at my store ever agrees to work on the holidays)Only a few of our regulars came in and they all brought us food and tipped a lot, they made the day bearable. However the majority of our customers were TOTAL A-HOLES. I love my job and always give 100%but thursday was one of those days where I wanted to throw my keys down and walk out! One last thing: doing the promo set-up the day before thanksgiving was the WORST idea. We were so busy we had to use all of the people scheduled for the promo on the floor and save it for later. We were at the store until 1 am setting up!

[SBUXnJERSEY]

For ANYONE looking for more discounts! STOP, do you NOT want Starbuck's to be around in the future. Our 'Gold Card' program matches the Barnes and Noble program tit for tat, in the five years I have been a member, I have NEVER been offered the employee discount, and I don't believe I should be. Give people an inch, and the take a yard as usual.

[BUXSUX]

You all DO realize that those folks behind the counter are people too and are now away from their families in order to serve you coffee on a HOLIDAY!! Can you not make coffee at home one or two time a year? Do you not have families of your own at your house that you have to go a Starbucks? Give ame a break! What has this country come to?

[Hayley]

I am not asking for anything more than what was stated as one of the perks when you buy a gold card membership.

*Starbucks Gold is for those of you we see every day. You're our heart and soul. You're the ones who keep us going. Join for an annual membership fee of $25 and receive:

10% off most purchases in participating U.S. Starbucks stores A free drink when you purchase your membership in-store Option to pay however you’d like (cash, credit card, etc.) Then when you register, you'll unlock additional value:

A free beverage on your birthday

Exclusive offers and discounts throughout the year

Free Wi-Fi access for up to 2 hours each day in participating Starbucks stores *

If that was not to be a benefit with the annual membership than why would they list it?

[shunter5]

did anyones see the new drinks for january?
they look yummy

[Respect (or lack of)]

Stores did NOT have a choice. It was decided by Regional Managers, who told District Managers what stores would be open. I'll bet NOT one (1) Regional Manager worked that day. Starbucks claims it is all about the "partners". No partnership here. Thanksgiving is ONE (1) day that the country should be free of commercialism. Greed prevails once again!

[Sheik]

Since there was no Open-thread this week, I'll post this here.

***QUESTION***

I remember that last year Sbux had all their retail (including xmas blend) 30 or 40% off for a full weekend before X-mas (not for just employees... for all customers, too)...

Is that happening again this year??

[Nandy]

What are the new drinks for January?