Starbucks claims baristas across America want to write 'Come Together' on cups - and it's OK for them to do it

"Stores from across the country have been asking if they could join in [and write 'Come Together' on cups] and we have been saying absolutely yes," says Starbucks spokesman Jim Olson. "Based on this unprecedented response, we are inviting all of our partners at U.S. stores to start signing their customers' cups with Come Together through next Friday."

I say: Coffee + politics = bad mix.

* Starbucks expands "Come Together" campaign to all U.S. stores
* Two influential liberal pundits blast Howard Schultz's campaign

Comments

[Jeff Tom]

I am curious where Starbucks Board of Directors are regarding this.... You would think they would reach out to Howie and tell him to quit with the ridiculous publicity stunts. It taints the whole brand as if a few words on a cup (and this is after the company REMOVES ITS OWN NAME) will have a difference.

Howie, for the good of the company since you are so interested in jobs creation and politics, please leave the company and enter politics. It is where your heart and "mind" seem to be these days. Let someone with a REAL passion for COFFEE run the company.

[just another partner]

we have been doing it at my store. :) i actually think that this is ANTI politics!! we are saying forget politics, put all of that aside and come together for a common purpose! not to make decisions along one party line or another, but to make a joint decision that everyone can agree on and that can benefit everyone. work together!

[ssnyx]

Thats funny i was told i was REQUIRED to write it here in nyc metro. Even though everything said it was a d.c. thing. And it makes no sense to be doing in outside of d.c.

[Former PDXBarista]

This is another reach for Starbucks! Will the RDs and DMs remember this stunt when Customer Voice results come in and speed of service is down? OSat is down?

If Howard wants to make a statement as a business leader about the situation, then do so. Speak to the impact this could have on your employees and your business. That is more effective than "Come together" on your cups.

[Grande Latte]

Isn't it nice how the Action Item telling us to do this starts off with a reminder of the Starbucks partner that was slain during the school shooting. First of all, don't yank our chains by tacking on the mention of a dead employee. Second of all every time there is any kind of disaster we get an action item letting us know whether or not Starbucks employees were involved. Who gives a rat's ass?

[TiredofThis]

Good Lord I hate Howard.

[frapatte]

The mention of the murdered employee was as confusing as it was annoying. It was a serious jump in logic. "One of our peons was incidentally killed at another job she was working (because we can't pay people enough to support themselves). So everyone should write Come Together on their cups so Congress stops fitzing around with the fiscal cliff." Wha-wha-what?!

[That Guy]

So they are telling you to do something while on the clock? Whats the big deal just do it if you are required to. This is just like BR2 and lobby sweeps and so on... I don't understand why some people make this job so complicated. Always so much complaining every time there is the minimalist amount of change. If you don't like it no one is forcing you to work there.

[Grande Latte]

It's like the Monty Python skit with the news for parrots. I also love it when they tell us how many Sbux stores had to close because of this hurricane or that superstorm. Guess what, we don't friggin' care. Actually, starting January 1st all Starbucks are supposed to write customer names on every cup. That was an announcement by Cliffy in Houston. So now we have to write "Come Together Joe Jerkustomer" on every cup? I don't think so.

[Rob]

I find it improbable that this will have a positive influence on our political system or Howard's [sic] company. As a regular SB customer, I would not be seen with a "come together" cup, and would refuse it if offered. Which it hasn't been so far here in the Midwest.

[Herman]

Jeff Tom - "I am curious where Starbucks Board of Directors are regarding this.."

Howard bought and paid for the Board of Directors long ago and far away.

[Daryl S.]

I don't see the harm in it. If they were writing "Vote Republican" or "Ban Guns Now" I'd have a lot more to gripe about. An innocuous little note about togetherness is hardly a scandal, though lots of the previous comment-posters sure seem to make it out to be such.

[baristanon]

I wish we could do something like this for Idle No More …

[latteteadah]

It's got nothing to do with whether it's a good thing or bad thing, but people don't need politics literally shoved in their faces when they're out enjoying their day.

Everyone's aware of the fiscal cliff talks. Writing "come together" outside of DC is literally like preaching to the choir. It accomplishes nothing, and just reminds everyone of the tension that's happening - something that's not needed when people go to Starbucks as an escape, a place to not have the day's news in their faces if they so choose.

Would it be ok for your fast food place to start writing messages on your burger or taco wrapper? "Protect Social Security" or "Get with it, Congress!"??

We don't need our coffee pretending to teach us about civics. That's for the classroom and other aspects of public life.

[managermatt]

Next on the cup marking agenda:
Make Love, Not War
If you can't be with the one you love, Love the one you're with.
Rainbows are pretty
Pudding is good
Drink more coffee

[BurntBean]

I'd heard that it's a requirement not a voluntary thing. Just shows that you can't trust what these gobshites say for a second.

[Kbee]

I'm just really glad I don't work there anymore. So now they have their baristas writing "Come together," plus the customer's name, plus their litany of specifications (205 degrees, 1%, triple shot, 1/3 decaf, 1/2 pump SF vanilla, etc etc etc)... it's absolutely ridiculous, and I'm getting a hand cramp just thinking about it! And oh, but hurry, Mr. AmazonBoeingMicrosoft needs his drink pronto so he can start his 15-hour work day, where he is just a cog in a different corporate machine but is still much more important than you, don't forget! "Come together" my ass.

[Grande Latte]

How about we write messages to the customers like "Clean up after yourself at the condiment bar you PIG!" or "Put this cup in the trash when your done you PIG!" or something like that.

[Paula Greenleaf]

Howard Schultz knows how to use tragedy and turn it into a media event and PR opportunity to benefit Starbucks and peddle overpriced, overhyped coffee in the media cycle. Schultz and our fellow "partners" at Starbucks HQ (i.e. Starbucks Support Center oin Seattle) generates some of the world's finest propaganda.

[Guat.my.mala]

It is a voluntary thing. As an SM, I can honestly say I told my DM we were not doing it because I focus on getting my customers through the line as quickly as possible so they can be on their way. I don't want to spend extra time writing more things on a cup.

[mnmsr4me]

I just wrote lyrics to the Beatles song on the cups instead. Reading Monkey Fingers on your cup certainly is just as confusing.

[antmunoz]

I'm at a DC store. We wrote on the cups the first day. Anytime we skipped a cup, the customer got upset. Really. Like we didn't want to "come together" with him or her.

Here's a pen. Write whatever you want to on your own damn cup.

We quit the next day. The lines were longer. The scrawls were indecipherable. Nobody understood how coffee cups were going to save the economy. I mean, I DID, but nobody else...

[JP]

I am at a store in washington state and I was told our district had to join in. Not our decision. Our Regional Manager emailed all our stores telling us to do it. I am sure partners wanted to do it in some places. Once it was mandatory it took away its significance for many of my coworkers.

[Always awake]

It's voluntary and not a big deal. Our SM and DM would prefer you get the names on the cups, so if that's all you can manage, fine. If you can add a little message about togetherness, how is that a bad thing?

[KDH]

I'm with Always awake. It was completely voluntary.

No one at our store did it because we're just too damn busy. Most days names don't even make it on cups.

[L]

The reason I thought this was a bad idea was because we aren't allowed to talk about politics with customers. Even though starbucks said it was voluntary, it wasn't in my district. When I was running a shift, we didn't do it. The last thing I need is a customer asking why I wrote that on their cup and then trying to get into a political argument with me to which I can only put a big fake smile on my face and say "Sorry, can't talk about it sir". That's a very conflicting message for the customer since we're making their coffee cup political. That happens enough already without any prompting on our part.

[Baristoo]

In my store, I showed this action item to the shift supervisors when I saw it, checking my pay stubs. They all had the same reaction "Hahaha no."