Starbucks Sucks It Up
Less and Less For Just As Much
There is something wrong with this picture. No, it’s not the product appearance, althought that could be better. It’s what I got today for the same old pay.
I have a meeting the first week of each month in my conference room with one of my long time clients. I always send out for a Starbucks traveler to get them wired up. I have considered this product to be one of the smart products that Starbucks has. Today we noticed something different. First of all we ran out of coffee. Normally I have so much left over that I treat my front desk staff with the overage. Next we didn’t get any napkins like usual, and third we ran out of cups.
Since the number of people at the meeting hasn’t changed, nor has the price of the traveler, I assume that this is one of those “economy cutbacks” that could end up costing them customers. Of course there’s a chance that we just got poor delivery by the employee ”working” this morning, so I’ll give them another chance before jumping ship. While they are convienant, they are surely not the only coffee company in the neighborhood.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Starbucks not only is “sucking it up” but they just plain suck. I waited in one too many lines a few months ago and stopped going there all together. I think they are now freaked out by the economy, especially with the “Obama Man” at the wheel.
November 6th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I hope nobody stole your cups, coffee and napkins when you weren’t looking. Is it possible somebody hit your stash?
November 7th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I called Starbucks in Pearlridge the day before I needed the Traveler to find out when they opened and how much it cost. The next day, I get in line, order it and they tell me I was supposed to call 30 minutes prior to picking it. Gee, I wished they had told me when I called the day before because I did not have 30 minutes to wait for coffee. On my way to the meeting, I called another Starbucks and pleaded for them to please sell me a Travel to pick up in 5 minutes. They accomodated me with a smile.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Aloha Ron,
I guess you could always change to green tea……. you still get the buzz…
However, I always feel “presentation is everything”! Maybe that is why one feels so good to open a present with ribbons and artistic paper, maybe we could set an example…..With aloha,
——–Char
November 8th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Oh yes coffee. This is the only addictive free drug left and Starbucks has done a better job than anyone of establishing a dealer base available to all. Anywhere and everywhere there is a corner with a Starbucks. If the caffeine doesn’t kill you the sugar will.
November 10th, 2008 at 7:18 am
You don’t need coffee. The fact that you thrive it so strongly is the proof that you shouldn’t be drinking it.
Wise Up - Live Longer
November 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Health Nut has it right. Cut the caffeine, your jitters will stop soon and you will be better off.
November 10th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Hey you greenie weenies; coffee is a necessity! Next you will be telling people to stop smoking, stop eating meat and start exercising. This is America, I can drink, eat and smoke anything I wish; legal, healthy or not!
November 12th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I’ve always been fascinated by the marketing magic Starbucks created around a dark brown watery substance made from ground up beans. More power to them for getting people to pay more for this “brown water” than they would every pay for gasoline. And then the idea that Starbucks would give people “less” brown water? That’s chutzpah!
November 22nd, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Only in America, the land of the “brave and the Free”. What a joke.
I was in a Starbucks tonight in Vegas and a guy was smoking, so the barista told him to stop, but he said let me just order my coffee first, the guy said no it’s company policy, you have to leave the store, so the guy started leaving and then the big tough macho barista comes up behind the guy ordering him out aloud to leave the store, he turns around and says “you can see I’m leaving” the tough guy still says, “Get out then”.
So I said to the bully barista, why did you pull the big tough guy act with that man when he was leaving anyway, why don’t you just chill out, and he says, why don’t you make me, so I replied, I will make you, because I’m going to write a complaint about you to the head office. He said, yeah, well how would you like it if I make you leave as well. I said, you have no reason to ask me to leave, and when I write my letter, you will be the one leaving for your big tough guy bully spectacle when there was no need for it.
So what did this big sissy do, he went and called the cops. Twenty minutes later this huge cop turns up and takes me outside, told me to shut up when I asked why he wanted me outside, and then got me to put my hands behind my back and spread my legs while he patted me down. A total humiliation. Over what, trying to put a ****ed up, sissy, bully in his place. Then the female manager comes out and the cop gives her a thing to read to say that I can’t come anywhere near that Starbucks again or I’ll be arrested for trespassing, and I’m just pissing myself laughing at the absurdity of it all.
Star Schmucks more like it.
November 23rd, 2010 at 7:24 am
Great story; Here’s another one; Yesterday I ordered a medium size coffee and was admonished by the employee telling me that the proper word is, “Grande.” I sarcastically apologized for not using their company lingo. I guess that I am lucky they didn’t call the cops. But after all, this is the land of “Aloha.”
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:00 am
They could use a lesson in service and customer recognition from the location in Riverwalk Place in Naperville, IL. I go “vacation” there 2xyear and never fails the same people are there (there have been new faces as well) but they heartily and sincerely greet us with a welcome back, know what we are having and always remind us to buy our paper. I am always happy to walk in there and spend my money (or use my card as it were) to support them and all this crew does to make a very positive experience. I also wrote to them and told them so after my visit in May.
November 23rd, 2010 at 10:09 am
You have to live under a rock not to know you can’t smoke anywhere inside anymore. Yes, the employee over-reacted and they should have just let the smoker walk out. Razza should be commended for standing up to a bully but it obviously got him nowhere.
November 23rd, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Actually Las Vegas is one of the few places in the US where smoking inside is still acceptable. That doesn’t excuse the behavior described in the comments above. Scroll up!
Two good rules to keep in mind are;
1. The customer is always right.
2. When that’s not the case refer to rule # 1.
November 24th, 2010 at 2:45 am
The employees should listen to the tape “The Richest Man in Town”,,,MARTY.
I did and I cried listening to it, because it is so true! I would say, I treated my customers very well but now after listening to Marty, I am even better.
November 24th, 2010 at 8:49 am
And here it is… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGSYjjQFMOI
Mahalo Richard.