Posted on 12/27/2012 8:26:28 AM PST by US Navy Vet
“Room for smarm in your latte?” Isn’t there something creepy about Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz having [in Politico's words] “asked his Washington-area employees to write ‘Come Together’ on each customer cup today, tomorrow and Friday, as a gesture to urge leaders to resolve the fiscal cliff”? Did Schultz take a poll of his employees–sorry, “partners,” he calls them–before ordering pressuring asking them to join in this lobbying effort? What if he were, say, the CEO of Chick-fil-A and he “asked” his “partners” to write “Preserve the Family” on the outside of cups and containers.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
I hear Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is the very best. If coffee is good enough to be drunk plain black & barefoot, then it’s good coffee.
I recall a couple of years ago they closed hundreds of stores.
The closest to us got hit now we are 50 mi. from the nearest aside from the food court type in Targets and Kroger.
Pannera bread is another place oozing ridiculousness. The rise of Starbucks tracks the decline of America
On the rare occasion that I’m dragged there with a friend, I order a short, black coffee... that’s all. They look at me like I’m a freak of nature. It’s kind of fun. FWIW, I live in Western Washington..... Starbucks on every corner.
Never been in one because i don’t own an Apple product and i don’t want to come off as suspicious to the other members er...customers.
For all i know i’d wake up after a drugged triple latte double mocha grande tied to some alter as a sacrificial
lamb to Steve Jobs circled by starbuck customers reciting demonic chants while sipping their Double Grande Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino Light Blended Double Mocha with
Whipped Cream Beverages...
Besides i heard the coffee tastes like burnt battery acid...
I’m addicted. We get the big 40 oz. bag from Sam’s Club; they can barely keep it in stock.
Of course, you make exception for the central Virginia city of Charlottesville. I read that McCain got 19% of the vote in that beloved city. I haven't seen any numbers for Romney but I would bet it was about the same...or less.
That place is unreal. They have a newspaper there named "The Daily Progress." I call it "The Daily Worker."
I’ve heard that Starbucks is a very good company to work for. I tried getting a job in HR/payroll in one of their regional offices a few years ago when I was out of work. While they didn’t ask me to come in for an interview, I was very impressed that they actually responded to my application, thanking me for my interest and saying that while they had already filled the position and didn’t have any openings to fit my resume, to check back and apply again for future openings and that’s a heck of a lot more than most companies will do.
Starbucks sells more than coffee. Starbucks sells pseudo-relationshps. People who work at Starbucks are chosen for their people skills and interesting qualities. Customers get to know the associates and over time form bonds that encourage the customer's to come back again and again. Most baristas have a fan base.
Most of the baristas would not phrase it this way, but they are actors. They offer a illusion of friendship in a friendship-hungry world.
A few years ago I was standing on line at Starbucks around the corner from my house, behind an elderly couple; the woman couldn’t see too well and her husband used a cane and wasn’t all too steady on his feet and they were obliviously very confused by the Starbuck drink menu. The barista who waited on them was a young gal and sort of “Goth” looking; jet black hair, heavy eyeliner, a nose and eyebrow piecing and a few visible tats. And I was thinking to myself, “This isn’t going to go well”.
But very much to my surprise it was not at all that way.
The young, “goth”, pierced, tatted barista gal very politely asked the elderly couple what if they were ready to order and seeing how confused they were said, “You know, that menu is really confusing to a lot of people, even to me and I work here. We have coffee and tea and flavored tea and flavored coffees, lattes, both hot and iced and frozen, what sort of drink are you looking for?” The elderly woman said, “We just want a cup of coffee”. The barista smiled and said “Great. How do you make your coffee at home? Do you like it strong, medium or mild?” The woman answered “medium” and the barista told her “Our coffee tends to be rather strong, how about you try a little first to see if you like it” and she poured a little in a cup to which the woman said, “Ooff, that’s too strong.” to which the gal said, “If you don’t mind waiting a bit, I can brew you something a bit milder like I make for my grammy when she comes here.” Then she said, “We have funny names for our sizes but we won’t worry about that. Do you want a small cup or a medium or large cup?” “Small” said the woman. “And you sir?” she said to the man and he said “medium,” “Do you like cream or sugar in your coffee?” “I like a little milk and sugar and my husband takes his black”, said the woman. The gal rang them up, took their money and then came out from behind the counter and walked them over to an empty table. I had by now already gotten my drink but decided to hang around to see what happened next.
I don’t know exactly what she did but she brewed some coffee especially for them and then came out from behind the counter and brought it to them at their table. Afterward I went over the to the barista gal and told her “I saw what you did, and I just want to say thank you.” She smiled and winked said, “Ain’t no big thing”. I used to go to that Starbucks every Friday morning on my way to work a on Sunday mornings for a time and that gal got to know me. If she was working, I’d come up to the counter and she’d ask, “The usual?” and I’d say “yes” and I’d get my triple tall skinny caramel macchiato just the way I like it.
I guess I became one of her fans. It might have well been an illusion of “friendship” but I tend to consider it good customer service.
“who goes to Starbucks to get just coffee.”
Tall black. What else is a coffee shop for?
And where can you go for a better cup than Starbucks? No, not McDonald’s or the like.
A doctor slumming for an HR/payroll job? Times are hard, indeed! (Or did the authorities yank your license?)
The service and coffee there are very good if that’s what you want and make a slight effort to request it.
Most people want their flavored milkshake with minimal interaction, so they do.
If you want to know more, or want something special, speak up. They’ll open a bag of specialty beans and French press them if you like.
Oh, and yes there’s a “small”. Just ask for a “short”. They don’t advertise it, but most shops have some small cups under the counter for a lower price, and will give you a bigger cup for that price if they don’t.
Anyone bitching about the product or service isn’t putting any effort into indicating they want better and what that entails.
There isn’t a cup of coffee worth 7 bucks.
There isn’t a pair of high heels worth 500 bucks.
There isn’t a handbag worth 1000 bucks.
There isn’t a dress worth 5000 bucks.
Unless these items are encrusted with jewels.
It has to be a cult.
: )
My screen name: the MD stands for Maryland and the PA stands for Pennsylvania as in I’m a Maryland Expatriate living in Pennsylvania (MD Expat in PA). Although if I had a mind to, I could invent a more interesting and exotic back story by saying I’m am indeed a medical doctor now living in the Palestine Authority. But I am not a medical doctor nor have I ever claimed to be one but I did once sleep at a Holiday Inn Express. Or I could just change my screen name to “I Was Born in Upstate New York, Then My Family Moved to Pennsylvania When I Was An Infant, Then We Moved To Maryland, Then We Moved Back To Pennsylvania For A Short Time, Then Back To MD and Then I Moved Back to PA A Few Years Ago, I Work in HR and Payroll”. But I think that would be too long so I could shorten it to:
IWBIUNYTMFMTPWIWAITWMTMTWMBTPFASTTBTMATIMBTPAFYAIWIHAP
Would that make you happy? : ), LOL!
I tend to consider it good customer service.
_______________________________
I do too. Starbucks looks for people with the qualities you describe in this barista. Excellent people skills and an ability to draw people in.
“Well, even though they were chronically unemployed, they looked cool sitting there. /s”
While their wives went out and earned the money for rent, food, their cool clothes and SB cafe products.
Re cults and the
“cult” of Stocks:
http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/finance/20121227/US.Investor.Revolt/
Bill Gross, the co-head of bond investment firm Pimco, has probably done more than anyone to popularize the notion that stocks will prove disappointing in the coming years. But he says what is dying is not stocks, but the “cult” of stocks.
Charlottesville is a hive of liberal moonbattery.
They’re at the far northern end of the area described as central Virginia (figures, right?). I’m in the Lynchburg/Appomattox area, and we the reddest of the red on the political map.
>> “Starbucks “swill” tastes like BATTERY ACID” <<
Yes, but they are not alone in that.
Few people have ever had a good cup of coffee in this country. Dark roasted swill made from flavorless beans that would be rejected by a proper roaster seem to be the rule of the day.
Costco has not sold a decent coffee bean for over 20 years, and Cost Plus, who once sold the finest beans available on the planet, has restricted themselves to selling burned tire rubber pellets as coffee beans for the last 15 years.
And it doesn’t stop with the coffee either Starpukes also sells cakes and pastry that contain soy flour, and canola oil, with no apology.
>> “Why would this have anything to do with buying a cup of coffee?” <<
.
Well, some people actually accept the crap StarPuke’s sells as coffee; probably because they don’t even know the difference, since coffee has been hard to find in this country for decades.
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