Unfortunately, when Fortune Magazine conducts studies about the best companies to work for they do not work a day in the life of the company. If they did, Starbucks sure as hell wouldn't be number 7.
Several events led to my decision to quit today. First, it is the most degrading job, ran by a dog-eat-dog management style similar to the tactics of Enron (The Smartest Guys in the Room is an eye opening movie about Corporate America if anyone is interested). The company does not pretend to follow any Mission Goals, rather than #6 - Profitability is essential to our future success.
The "uniqueness" of the wonderful third place environment that is created is a overrated broadly generalized exploitation of American culture and addiction. Please watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxpfx8W8C20
You are now left with bitter management that is overworked and usually has a people pleasing anal retentive personality especially due to the downsizing that is happening. For some small examples, in our district a ASM was called a derogatory female body part and then refused service to a man. In response of complaints of him, he was given free coupons and told that he was welcome at any Starbucks. This to me is a failure.
We then had a DM today come and berate our staff and store today. Even though our store has extremely high customer satisfaction and has preformed extremely well throughout the time that I have worked there. Nit picking over every single detail of unimportant ****. Starbucks corporation breads anal people that become because they fear for their job or maybe it just attracts them.
Customers.... Terrible. Usually people coming in looking for their daily caffine fix (caffine headaches suck right?), or to fulfill their need to fit in somewhere in this world. People who will be demanding and rude to get what they want.
After working there for too long, I had become bitter. I am on cloud 9 now that I have resigned, I have not been this happy in ages. I wish I did this a long time ago. Adios!!
I urge anyone that frequents this board and works at Starbucks to do the same, or if you're reading this and like Starbucks to take a long hard look at your life. I hope to be around to see the failure of this company. Trust me, you can do better.