"From the Comfy Chair": It took nine minutes for Juan's drink to arrive, but...

Starbucks

12209 NE 85th St.

Kirkland, WA

BY JUAN VALDEZ

And now we take you into a McDonald's...no, wait, a Burger King; well it used to be either a McDonald's or a Burger King in another life. Now the building sits on a very busy street in Kirkland, Washington as a remodeled Starbucks and it's probably one of the largest ones I've seen yet although the former Cafe Starbucks store down in Madison Park likely gives it a run for its money, sizewise.

Not only is the street busy but the store is too. There was a line nearly the whole time I was there from the late morning into the early afternoon. A store that is as big as this one is pretty much a nightmare to keep clean but, amazingly enough, this one was pretty darn clean. I never saw the condiment bar get filthy nor the tables left filled with litter. The floors were free of debris. The cold and pastry cases were clean and stocked nicely.

In fact, the only thing stopping the store from getting an A on my little scorecard was the fact it took nine minutes to get my drink. There were just four partners on the floor in this drive thru cafe and, frankly, I considered the store to be understaffed even though they handled things quite well.  This store is definitely a high volume store and it seems unconscionable to have only four partners working especially since it's a drive thru./CONTINUED IN THE FIRST COMMENT

Comments

[JUAN VALDEZ]

The partners did the best they could with what they had and when there were small breaks someone was out in the lobby, doing a spin. They were friendly and apologetic for the length it took to get the drinks out. I don't know if this is normal scheduling however I hope not...this kind of volume deserves at least five if not six partners on the floor all day long. Hopefully someone was on break or they were down a person because, otherwise, I can easily see these folks burning out in fairly short order.

Good job!

Grade: B

* 

Time of day: morning










* Number of partners on the floor: 4 (drive thru)


* Service time: 9 minutes


* Business level: busy


* Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: Yes

* Legendary service: They tried


* Would I recommend to a friend: Yes

COLUMN STATS




* # of stores reviewed where a partner has tried to connect with a customer – 19 out of 42






* # of stores where they've offered samples of anything – 3 out of 42


* # of stores that could have been considered "understaffed" - 2 out of 42

* # of stores with a clean bathroom – 24 out of 42


"Juan Valdez" is the nom de cyber of a former Starbucks manager who became disenchanted with the increasingly bitter taste of the Starbucks experience and fled to the mountains of Colombia where he now rides his burro and ponders the glittering sunsets. On a crisp clear day, when atmospheric conditions are just right and the moon is in the seventh house, he can be reached at [email protected]

[144xxxx]

This is definitely a store which I would want to work at because it seems that the partners know what they are doing and are willing to help each other where they can.

It's great that people were understanding about the wait, but they probably realized that there were only 4 partners on. Over the summer, at the store that I work at, customers were going to other Starbucks near by because even though we had 6 partners during a morning rush, there were wait times of 15 minutes in the drive-thru and 13 in the lobby.

[Des]

Perfect example of SBUX staffing. Now that you've seen four people in action in a drive-thru store, imagine a cafe store opening with two people. It's the new company logic. . . work with minimal staffing until burn out occurs, then replace. Lather, rinse, repeat. The legendary atmosphere is lacking because established staff are ridiculously overworked and brand spankin' new hires are running around with their hair on fire. The two person until 8AM for a cafe store concept is what did me in. I love what SBUX used to be. . . not like what Juan posted, which is unfortunately the norm.

[nematode]

yep i work with only 2 how does one get a lunch break and put away a tuesday order?

[North Star Barista]

My store has been this way for months, and the experienced baristas are starting to drop like flies. It is sad because it is such a great store.

[bayareabux]

Welcome to Lean Thinking!!

[Dangerous Dan]

This location used to be a Burger King. I've driven through here many times and had business meetings inside a few as well. Staff was always enthusiastic, helpful and friendly. Service was as swift as possible given the number of people in line.

[nightie night]

if Juan comes to my store, he better show up after 7:00, 8:00PM!! LOL! I've been working in my store for 2.5 years, and there's still a disconnect between Starbucks idea of legendary service and what actually happens during Peak Times!

Local customers really looking for legendary service come in my store later at night, when you can actually have a conversation/connect.

[rushmaster]

My store is a drive-thru store, and we open with two people. The third comes on at 7:30 and the Fourth at 8:00...at which point we send the openers for a break. Morning drive thru and cafe rush with 3 people on the floor is brutal. I hate being the person you see at the window after you have been in the drive thru line for ten minutes.

p.s. morning car that always orders four doble-venti mocha fraps, I might be smiling, but my eyes are throwing flames at you.

[3rdPlaceProvider]

I work at a DT store and just recently became an opener. Although I love the hussle and bussle of the mornings, it's entirely too much to try and send people on their breaks, take my breaks, do the deposit, keep customers happy, and the store clean. Thank you to those high up execs who spend time crunching numbers and not actually working in a store. You try it for a week and see how much you'll like it. Oh, wait, I forgot to mention training new partners on top of it all... Yeah, I don't have enough fingers and toes to count how many breaks I've worked right through.

[andtyler2]

Thanks to all above for bringing up a critical (and very sore) subject---namely, the problems associated with insufficient staffing. This is now SOP, folks. It turns out that "Lean thinking" is just a smokescreen for: "get the most amount of work out of the fewest number of partners possible." The bottom line is quickly becoming the ONLY item on the old mission statement that continues to shape company policy and culture. I'm an old timer, too, and I really bought into the "3rd Place" philosophy. It was the relationships with our customers and the quality of our service/product that distinguished us from the rest. And now? There is rarely enough labor to make sure the damn coffee gets turned over on time or the bathrooms are stocked/clean or the sanitizer is de-scaled or the next shift doesn't start off in frantic catch-up mode---let alone the number needed to "connect" with customers. Earth to Seattle: we are not lazy, slow, unmotivated, stupid, or resistant to change. Please stop talking to people who only tell you what they know you want to hear. The truth is that we are frequently asked to do too much without the necessary tools. We are hanging in as best we can but at the cost of diminished Customer Service AND deteriorating partner morale at all levels.

[RocknJava]

Well I think that if the wait is so long, why not go to a non starbucks joint? Mine is off of 116th in Kirkland and I would never have you wait that long for a coffee! Just a thought! :)