OPEN THREAD conversation-starter: Kudos to Starbucks for holding off on the Christmas music

I complained four years ago after hearing Christmas music being played in Chicago-area Starbucks stores on November 8! I'm pleased to read that the company is now waiting until after Thanksgiving to put on the holiday tunes. Share your thoughts on Christmas music -- or anything else Starbucks-related -- in the open thread.

Comments

[Me]

We already sell christmas blend in canada. And I whistle Christmas carols all year round while working on bar. It kind of relaxes me... So far only one customer and one of my shifts complained within the last three years.

[Me]

On another note, has anyone else experience how to handle a new SS who comes in from another store and just takes over yours? My SM seems to not care since she is drowning in work, but this new SS bugs a lot of us. He walks in and at his third shift pretty much everything in the store is moved around. Not to much benefit for the work flow, just to leave his mark, I guess.
How would you deal with that situation? We don't even really know this guy yet, but we are already quite annoyed.
It almost feels like we are strangers in our own store.
Any help to avoid escalation would be appreciated.
Thank you!

[javajohn]

SBUX Stock Price: Now it's just above $7 a share. When do you think it'll be time to buy?

7$$ thats almost back to the first offering price of 6$ .....this is sad

Starbucks shares will be a hit under the Christmas tree. It's the perfect two for one offer for every starbucks lover... ;-)

Do you get a 10% discount on shares if you buy them with your Gold Card?

[Mike]

Where does the bleeding end with the stock? Could we possibly go as low as GM or Ford? What does the future of our company look like when I'm hearing it may be 2-3 years for the economy to recover?

[Jim C]

Looking at the SBUX P/E ratio, the stock should be currently selling at 3.38/share. So, yes, it can, and will go lower.

A friend's been with the buck for 5 years, about 1.5 as a SM of a very small store. He's never had a job outside of Starbucks, and only finished high school. Apparently he's on track to be a DM. I'm curious to know what are the qualifications of being a SM and a DM then.

[Mike]

@Jim C -- what exactly is the P/E ratio?

[beantheredonethat]

For those interested in the stock price and its relation to the CEO, just look at what happened to jerry yang. Howard should be next.

[waltie]

If a shift supervisor is moving stuff around for no reason and it's annoying the whole store, talk to him about it. Let him know that you appreciate his ideas and are willing to try new things, but it's having a negative effect on the store by slowing down the baristas and causing confusion and stress.

[Reeee]

Has anyone US partner recieved a letter in the mail from Starbucks talking about how a laptop was stolen and it had the personal information of like, 90,000 partners on it?

They give you a free year of equifax to monitor your credit to make sure no changes

[puppygirl]

To ME:
My best advice is to take this new SS aside and tell him that his most important task right now is to get to know the customers and partners. After a few weeks if he sees that things could be done differently, then run it by the SM/ASM or yourself to see if this would work. Let him know that it is confusing the team to have things moved all the time. If it is something to do with policy or partner safety then by all means support him. As an SM for many years, I have seen this over and over again with new and seasoned SS's. They are just eager to make their mark and impact the store. Hope this helps with your issue, good luck! PS- I love Canada!

[puppygirl]

To Anon: The qualifications to be a Sm or Dm you can find in the Success Profile Book. You do not need to have a college degree to qualify for these positions,but some college does help. They do like to see a SM run a high profile store before a move to DM, but if they embrace who we are as a company and have been a proven leader and impact partners then they could well be on their way to DM. I am curious what market you are in, that could impact a swifter move into positions.

this may be old news...but what do partners think about the new labor guidelines for shifts? do you think this will eventually trickle down to baristas as well? my manager just pulled us aside, and she was practically in tears about the cut-backs...

[Me]

Thanks for the tips. I guess I'll have to talk to him.
I really don't mind people moving things around if it improves something, but just moving the mocha from one side to another, mixing up the spots for the syrups, moving towels and aprons and leaving the dishes god knows where doesn't cut it. It's really not to accommodate any policies or rules.
And long time customers are a little annoyed by the "I know it all (and more)" attitude. They started complaining to us.
I've seen lots of new SSs, ASMs and even SMs come and go, but this is really the worst start ever.
I wonder why this frustrates me so much.
Thanks for letting me rant.

[Me]

What cutbacks?

[Kat]

I'm sooooo glad they are holding off on the Christmas music. I wish everyone would just wait until at least Thanksgiving. The push for Christmas comes earlier every year, to the point I'm sick of the holiday by the time it arrives. Thank you SB.

"They do like to see a SM run a high profile store before a move to DM, but if they embrace who we are as a company and have been a proven leader and impact partners then they could well be on their way to DM."

Actually the store is primarily drive-through in an industrial area (aka nowhereland). Also, If he doesn't have any post-sec, can he move into corporate somehow?

[Christin]

yeah what cut backs?

after just transferring states, I am coming to realize aallloot of what people talk about or are concerned about are just regional things. perhaps the 'cut backs' are a regional thing

Hi Me,
I understand your need to rant (maybe rave). Last week, I vented here big time. This week, I'm back to loving my job. I hope your "next week" is better.

[Dave]

Im sick of all of the damn music they play. It makes me feel so depressed! I cant listen to James Taylor for hours and hours, and not feel like I need to go to a wine store and get something to drink. Honestly, how much mental damage have I taken in because of the lack of intelligent music, Could I possibly sue ?

[curious]

So I heard that something will be going down in Jan that will keep DM's extra busy. Does anyone know of something new changing in Jan?

Re: shift cutbacks?
The only thing I heard in my district is that supervisors can only overlap about 2 hours now. Of course, none of the manager follow that.

Re: SM/DM qualifications
The only qualifications that I know of from my experiences have been those people who are brown nosers and good at a$$ kissing get the promotions to these positions.

Weird, my store is already playing Christmas music. Its the most annoying thing in the world.

[BAYAREABUX]

The stock price is tricky right now for a few reasons. I disagree that it should be trading for $3.00. In a normal economy a stock should trade at 15-25x earnings per share; right now SBUX is trading at 16x earnings -- which is at the low end and with the terrible last two quarters ("transformation costs") already priced in.

However, in this economy, stocks are trading into the 10-15x range, which for SBUX would be $4.50-$6.50 ish. So SBUX could go lower just based on the continued panic affecting everyone, even if the company's fundamentals and cash flow remain strong.

I think its hard to know where the bottom is because the price is going to continue to be linked to the volatility in the market. So much for recession proof.

Our store hasn't broken out the Christmas music yet, but I have to say I am impressed by the jungle sounds on the song "Quiet Village." Look for it in the playlist that has an absurd number of Pink Martini songs in it.

[The ASM]

So this thread was originally meant for Christmas music right? I too am glad that the christmas music hasn't started yet. I love it when its here but with Walmart and all other big box stores all transitioned into christmas, its nice to escape and come into some nice James Taylor or Carol King.

[rocker]

How much does a dm make?

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

I believe it is important to point out that the music at Starbucks is remotely related to Christmas. It should be called Holiday music instead.

RE: shift cut-backs
it could definitely be localized to our area (eastern washington) but my manager had a sit down with us (shifts) and she was about in tears. i guess the compliment has changed and now the three of us only have 25 hours each. and we cant work barista hours, and cant drop below having 3 shifts for the store.

[redcup]

what is it about starbucks that induce partners to cry every now and then? are we hiring emotionally attuned people who care deeply about other partners and about the store? do we regard other partners as more than mere co workers? do sm's and dm's feel a sense of ownership of their stores in a very protective, familial way?

sometimes i'm amazed at how often we shed tears for this company.

[mass girl]

Regarding stock price--come on people, it's not just SBUX stock. It's the entire market. The S&P closed at the lowest level in 11 years. You shouldn't be surprised.

But please, as a financial professional, I ask everyone to keep in mind that it's a proven statistical fact that markets are cyclical. Stocks will go back up in time. Maybe not tomorrow, not next month, but eventually. If you have any extra spending money, now is the time to buy, not sell.

[Jewels]

Reeee-
This happened to me, although it was a awhile ago. (My year of credit monitoring is already up if that is any indication)If I recall, that story of the laptop was a pretty big deal internally. Odd that they should only NOW contact you to let you know you were one of the 90000 though.

[X-Tech]

Yeah, I just got the letter about the laptop being stolen. Could it be two laptops were stolen, or the system was so slow that partners were in danger for up to a year waiting to hear if their information was stolen?

[maggie]

my store currently has the sm and EIGHT shifts, myself included. two shifts are full-time, and the rest of us are part-time. two of them weren't even HIRED by my sm; one is a friend and he was supposed to be just helping her out to get some extra hours until hours at her new store became available (they haven't). another came to us from another store that had an absolute fustercluck when the sm was terminated for "various reasons" -- don't get me started on that bullsh*t because i hope to god he is suing the pants off the dm and everyone up to howard for this -- and a totally inept person was thrown into the role of sm for the million-dollar store. regardless, almost all the employees bailed, and the dm informed my sm that he would be taking on this one shift. my sm said "i don't have room for another shift," and was told that it wasn't optional.

so now someone has to step down, quit, or transfer.

thanks starbucks. full of respect and dignity.

the only reason i haven't told this company to f*ck off yet is because i love my partners and customers. but i am done giving my heart and soul to a company that OBVIOUSLY doesn't give a sh*t about the people who make their money.

ps - i like cussing! stupid typepad.

[Don't drink the KoolAid]

Promotions at Starbucks are PURE POLITICS! The reason the company is going down the tubes, is because they surround themselves with "yes" people (on ALL levels of the company). They call that having a positive attitude. They tell store mgrs to run the store as they "own it", yet try to do something outside the box and you will feel the heat. They sell the mission statement, yet not many adhere to it. They sell you a false bill of goods with the "hope" of promotion, yet they bring in someone from the outside, over you, and they don't have a clue. It's A VICIOUS cycle. The company is a sham!

[Milliondollarstorenomore]

Yes, store managers can make all the difference. I used to have a store manager who was in the store for five years and developed it into a million dollar store over that period of time. Unfortunately he wasn't a yes sayer and challenged some of the decisions. No need to tell you he was kicked out as soon as a new outside hired DM was brought in. Reason: The office wasn't kept neat enough.
Well, now, two years and 5 SMs later the store is happy to have a neat desk and make a little more than half of its former business. Million dollar store no more.

[erstwhile]

I think the cutbacks that we're hearing about are obviously in regards to shift complement -- which could be different region to region. In my area, I was told that my shifts couldn't overlap by more than 1.5 hours (including my own coverage as a SM). I won't lie, it's hard to make a schedule that fits that requirement, especially when your shifts are some of the only people with open availability and able to fit in the holes you have due to RO's.

But it also feels very unfair to the shifts, because they are now seeing their hours cut back due to this rule. It really hurts as a store manager to have to take hours away from the people who have proven their worth and work hard every day (and I only say this because the only partners in my store that have been there for more than 3 months are my shifts). It just seems nonsensical to me.

This on top of the reduction to 5.5% non-coverage a week (of which I myself use a vast majority)...it's really kind of rough right now. Any other SM's out there care to share how they're dealing with the heightened importance of QASA, all the non-coverage "events" that we have to schedule, and everything else, while not being given the hours to do it? Or am I the only one dealing with this?

And to think, I actually wanted to be an SM. Not anymore. I'm glad things didn't work out. I think I'm better off not getting the promotion. Can't wait to get that new job, then it's good riddance Starbucks!

[Ryan (SS)]

while we're on an open thread, whatever happened to mystarbuckscareer.com?

[Gord]

Ryan...

It was www.mypartnercareer.com... now it takes to the new thepartnercafe.com.

[tomokun]

GOODJOBSTARBUCKS

so appearantly with that 97,000 partners social security, name and address being stolen, that like, the laptop it was on was in that partners home. That partner was an EHD worker who was working on a service call related to the database of all the partners, so he had all of that info i guess

im super pissed. I feel so violated, yet i mean it was just some really weird turn of events.

[burntoutbarista]

I'm one of the lucky 97,000 whose info was on that laptop. I'm a bit irked.

What concerns me is this...we're already having issues with missing laptops and now the company is planning on providing every store manager with their own laptop! Doesn't sound very secure to me!

[Humbug]

I know I am in the minority on this, but I loathe craptacular holiday music. It works well to keep me out of given stores or there for the shortest possible time. This is largely due to the fact that most (*$ among them) play either muzac versions of classics or "modern" holiday songs...twitchingly tied for last place. I'll be glad when the Season of Inflicting Crappy Music [and forced consumerism] is over...

[SEADAVE]

Sorry if this has been discussed before but I'm just back from a visit to Southern California. The stores there were using a new type of plastic cup that supposedly requires 45% less energy to make than the old PETE (Type 1) plastic cups. My observation, though, is the straw holes in the lids completely.... ummmm.... well, they suck. They smash the straw flat so you can't suck liquid through the straw. Trying to use my fingers to force the opening wider three times out of four I wound up breaking the lid.

My take on the "new" cups is the lids are unacceptably bad. Anyone know the story behind these cups and are others finding the straw opening to be an annoyance?

One other comment, I was visiting the Carlsbad (California) Company Stores location three mornings this past week at about 10am and the place was consistently packed. The line practically extended out the door. Either a very busy store or a very busy time for that store. Glad to see it.

[GlobalGuy]

to Reeee...i received my letter in the mail today and i, too, feel violated and annnoyed that i am one of those partners whose information is open to god knows who. i'll take advantage of that equifax membership but it's completely unacceptable that we 90,000 partners have to go through another headache.

[Nandypants]

I love Christmas...I love red cups...I love Christmas music! It all ends pretty much Dec. 26th anyway-why the hate? It's the one time of the year people can just be festive for the heck of it-enjoy!

the new cups in southern california were obviously not tested. the lid and cup have a gap between them, and any full beverage that is shaken even slightly will spill. the lids don't stay on very well, and are sometimes insanely hard to get on to the cups (i've had many a venti iced cup spill everywhere just from trying to get the lid on). and the straw thing - they say that they made them better by adding extra slits for the straw, but they're still hard to get your straw through. how about testing your cups before you roll them out next time?