Ok, a new day has dawned on IHateStarbucks.com.
I no longer want to keep hacking the old, tired php on the site, so this is what I propose. These messages will remain up for all eternity. In addition, there is a new Guest book. So if you want to share your opinons, i.e. post to the site, go here. As always, if wish to rant or rave, send me an email:
| Name: | Nicole 03012 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 10:04 PM |
| hey, Greg, I don't even know why people are buying Shultz's crap...he was never a part of the beginning of Starbucks, he just bought the company from when it was a local coffeehouse, then expanded it all to hell. If he could write a book about making people look like schmucks, then I'd give him 5 stars. |
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| Name: | Amazon Reader 03011 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 10:03 PM |
| Greg gave us a great idea. Gee, what if we all wrote our own reviews of Howards new book. Bring that amazon.com score down a bit. You with me? |
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| Name: | Scott 03010 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 07:20 PM |
| So, if you can't go to starbucks where do you guys get your gourmet coffee? Do you brew it at home? If so, what brands are you buying? Just curious...... |
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| Name: | ShiftKing 03009 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 07:19 PM |
| Last day tomorrow!! Then I'm finally free of cursed Hellbucks!! |
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| Name: | Greg 03008 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 05:32 PM |
| Apparently howard schultz has written a book about starbucks. It is called Pour Your Heart into It : How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time. One can easily find it on amazon.com, but the strange thing is this book has really high ratings- more than FOUR STARS! ALL the readers seem to think howards schultz is amazing and that starbucks really is a great company from what they've been reading. What sheeps. If they only worked at starbucks they can learn so much more about what this company is really about. If only somebody put up the ihatestarbucks link on the book review area of amazon for that BS book of his- people can really find out about how starbucks is from the inside- and decrease sales of his book while we're at it. Consumers should know that the food at starbucks is just bad. I mean the pastries have so much preservatives that even when they aren't refridgerated before we put in into that "for show" fridge for the customers, those toffee bars NEVER go bad. Espresso brownies too, they can lasts for months without the fridge. Try doing that with brownies you make at home. I suspect that add a gross amount of mold inhibitors. |
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| Name: | pebbles 03007 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 05:22 PM |
| MATTHEW: I KNOW that a close time is a close time. I'm saying that it's f@#$ed up that people would do such a thing. It's inconsiderate anywhere you go. Coming in one minute before a store will upset an employee anywhere. Especailly if they have just cleaned the entire store. Maybe you are one of those shifts that sit in the back and play with your nose hair and it wouldn't matter if you had to stay later. Or maybe you just like cleaning. I'm not saying don't serve them, I'm saying it's f@#$ed up!!!! |
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| Name: | Sanctum 03006 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 05:22 PM |
| To Nicole, I think you pretty much got that description down in simple terms. I think the biggest problem is that SB has lost its sense of direction in the last 10-15 years, probably longer but I think since the coffeehouse explosion in the 1990s have gotten SB arrogant in the market. The Fair Trade Coffee situation was in part a PR (public relations) scheme to make them look good. It's about imagery that they convey that they're that "welcoming and warm coffeehouse in every corner" during a rainstorm that families and kids can shlep up to with phony smile that you see in commercials.
Most companies do that anyway. And if you notice they do spend a lot of $$ into PR and imagery and less on technological/productivity. Do you notice that all your IBM POS computers at the registers are mostly black and white using old DOS operating systems? If they're so innovative, why do they not use icons (like Mac OS X) so we can see cups and drinks to click onscreen rather than squinting our eyes to find the actual orders? They seem very slow and afraid of embracing Bluetooth/Wi-Fi.
What does that tell you? They scrimp with their profits. Do you realize that we have portable wi-fi for PDAs that we can take orders on them? The technology is right there. Caribou has a screen next to the bar so we don't have to holler down the drinks. But I hear some SBs have them but I have never seen them. If this is true, why don't they effing roll them all out to every store to be equipped?
And SB calls themselves "progressive".. . . . .please. Spare me the SB BS.
Hmmm..kinda like that line >:). |
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| Name: | sandy 03005 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 05:22 PM |
| There is really not much difference between starbucks coffee and coffee at independent stores but I am amazed at how some people are willing to pay extra just to buy something with a logo on it. Think about it... everything in starbucks has a logo- everything from the cup, to the napkin, to the cup holders. If independent coffee shops can incorporate this tactic buy creating funky logos that they can slap onto their cups and bags.... they can totally screw starbucks.
Independent coffee shop owners need to keep up with the times. It's not enough for a coffee shop to sell coffee anymore... they also need to sell logos, coffee drinks with names of a slightly european snobby twist (caramel machiato anyone?), and a hip airy cafe space with good music. As a barista, you notice these tiny details about why starbucks is such a success- like they say, the devil is in the details. Perhaps one former barista will open up a chain someday to beat the siren. |
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| Name: | Nicole 03004 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:29 PM |
| JJ, it's not just that...it's people who think Starbucks is this holier-than-thou godsend when it's really just a crap factory. And these people think they have the right to treat us like animals, and they don't. Also, the fact that they literally stomp on local coffee shops who have been around for years, decades...and leave their sh!t stain on every piece of the world's soil. The difference is, these little mom and pop places worked very hard for a living, treat their customers like family, and actually put heart into their products. Starbucks, however, treats their employees like disposable numbers and customers like new money. Not only that, the coffee and pastries totally suck! That is all I will say about the matter. |
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| Name: | Elizabeth 03003 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:13 PM |
| Apparently the Starbucks Executives are having their sales meeting in Austin next week to discuss the launch of their new liquor product. They are teaming up with Jim Beam and will sell it as a high end product in liquor stores so they do not have to worry about lisences. Anyway, I don't know if any of you all are in the Austin area, but we are trying to put together a rally of people outside of this sales meeting. The location is not set as of yet, but we could use as much help as we could to cause a disturbance and hopefully stop them from launching this product. Please help!!! |
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| Name: | Tim J. Carlson 03002 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:12 PM |
| I amso proud of the fact that I have never spent a dime at Starbucks. I'll admit to entering one once but after checking out the phonies, I left immediately. |
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| Name: | jj 03001 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:12 PM |
| After stumbling on this site and reading a few pages of posts, it appears to me that this site should be called ihatecustomers.com, or ihatemyboss.com The few posts which try to attack the company and it's practices are mostly a joke - Starbucks owns Gloria Jeans? Do your homework, unless you enjoy parading your ignorance in front of everyone. |
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| Name: | NOTeNUFFcAFFIENE 02998 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:12 PM |
| LUV THIS SITE JUST FOUND IT WHERE CAN I VENTI ABOUT WORK(CATCH THE JOKE?lol!) look forward to doing so |
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| Name: | Tonya 03000 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:12 PM |
| BRJORN-O: KNOW YOUR ROLE!WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? I AM TALKING ABOUT STARBUCKS, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? |
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| Name: | Sanctum1972 02999 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 04:12 PM |
| To Diana: About the SB's pushing competition out..that happens. What they do is they buy out the best location locking competition out on a prime location. They're extremely skilled at location acquisition.
Here at Coventry (hippie shopping strip) in Cleveland which is one of the most populat spots..there was an independent coffeeshop in the corner and a Caribou Coffee a few doors down. When that indy coffeeshop went out like a light, SB tried to buy the location...the strip gave them the finger and said 'no'. What happened next was that a couple of years later (2004) a popular music venue/nightclub moved up the street where the coffeehouse used to be at for more room/space. And everyone was cool about it. But if the SB tried to move in, people would raise hell and therefore SB eventually opened a new store about 5 minutes away from that location.
So in retrospect, yes, they do try to buy out the competition to get that space. |
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| Name: | F&B Veteran 02997 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 11:22 AM |
| Starbucks is very good at 2 things, Marketing & Real Estate! They know exactly how to sell to the masses and have convinced them that they sell great coffee and that the obvious burnt, over roasting, bitter taste is how a good cup of coffee is to taste like. It is perceived as a status symbol to carry a Starbucks cup and they have been very successful at training the public to buy into that. They are on every corner; so about 8 out of 10 people go there out of pure convenience to get their latte on their way to work. Bravo, again, they are extremely successful in doing thisand have a great marketing department. I have no issues about, One thing has nothing to do with the other. However, if you are a true coffee drinker you can enjoy and appreciate a good cup of coffee before putting in all the other sundae toppings and ingredients. Yes, different tastes for different people and that's fine if you enjoy some chocolate or cinnamon in your coffee, but just as long as you can also drink that coffee without all the added extras as well, which you can't with Starbucks without making that after taste face. Starbucks is a great Marketing & Real Estate company, but they are not a great coffee company. Wake up people, and smell the bad coffee, you have been sold a bill of goods for your $3.49! |
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| Name: | LJ 02996 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 09:36 AM |
| Hello everybody
I just signed the contract for my new job and I'll start to count the days now. 26 workdays to go.... In my store half of the staff work 100%- Baristas, SS and also the SM. We have some Baristas working 80%, 60% or less. They are usally students and therefor only have a part time job. 100% means I'm working about 5 days a week and 42 hours. Here in Switzerland the benefits we get are given by the law so SB does not have any decision on that. That everyone gets the benefits in the US is also something that our bosses try to tell is all the time. Just as I thought what you guys write here tells a different story. I have to admit that SB pays better than other coffeeshops, restaurants or hotels do. Much better! But it's still not enough to put up with all this sh... In my new job I'll get more than 10% more money for doing something that I've no clue of at the moment. I've worked in hotels and restaurants before so for starbucks I had yuite a bit of experience I brought with me. Anyway, I'm ok with the money. What drives me simply crazy is the fact that our managers lie to us. In America tehy do this and that and it's hndles like this and bla,bla,bla. Ande when I read the entries here- it's just all lies and sh...
The training videos are so ridiculous. The most funny training I had was the shift supervisor training course. They taught me "connect- discover and respond". Noooo, I really have to talk to the Baristas when I want them to do something? And I'm not supposed to explain to them every day how to prepare coffee base? I'd never, ever thought of that before!!!! |
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| Name: | Diana 02995 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 09:36 AM |
| I notice a lot of the messages are from SB workers. Have any of you heard of an SB pushing out an independent to get the location? That is what may be happening to a great little mom & pop coffee shop in San Diego CA - it\'s in a prime SB location, and because of the M&P, there is no SB (due to a non-compete clause) in a mall where there would normally be seven. This seems to be a recurring theme in the area -- a landlord starts getting \"complaints\" that an independent coffee shop is not complying with their lease. The landlord eventually kicks out the independent, and low & behold a SB appears in a very short period of time (I know of two places personally). Not saying that SB is behind these actions -- maybe it\'s a matter of luck and opportunity..... (bridge for sale....) |
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| Name: | tamugirl 02994 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 09:35 AM |
| Matthew: Thats weird that you've run into people that feel that way, because typically you're given 30 min to close. Granted we can ever get it done in that amount of time, however, if you clock out before the 30 min time frame AFTER your closing time it screws with labor BIG TIME and I'm sure you're manager is gonna complain. This isnt directed to you personally, just stated in general....no one should feel they can get out right at 10 p.m. thats ridiculous. CONGRATS TO YOU, SIREN!!! I'll be following your steps soon enough and giving the finger as I walk out. So, did you do anything special on your last day to show your appreciation to your favoriate a$$hole customers?? |
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| Name: | Matthew 02993 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2004 01:04 AM |
| Pebbles: Just in case you missed the posted hours, it doesn't mention any disclaimers. It simply states the time that we lock the doors and stop serving drinks. If a store closes at 10:00 then at 9:59:45 you are still open. This has been my gripe at every place I've ever worked at. Employees who feel that if the posted time is 10:00, then we should stop serving folks at 8:30 so that we can clean up and leave by 9:59:59. Geez people. |
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| Name: | Tonya 02990 |
| Date: | Jul 15 2004 11:36 PM |
| To Sanctum: I said that I don't think they will sold in stores. Of course not, that would be stupid. Has any baristas ever made their own alcoholic drinks at work? Cask and Cream Frappps are sooo good. But I guess you have to have a cool shift or manager to do that. Any other created drinks? |
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| Name: | pebbles 02988 |
| Date: | Jul 15 2004 11:36 PM |
| Hey I worked with a "Mo" in Maryland too! And Daniel no it is not okay for people to come in 1 minute before closing and order 5 caramel frapps and one vanilla creme frapp. You love your job entirely too much if you think this is okay. |
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| Name: | Siren 02991 |
| Date: | Jul 15 2004 11:36 PM |
| Free at last!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhh, I am finally free from the wicked Siren's grasp! My prayers go out to all of you unfortunate souls who are still caught in her greedy grasp. And now a word to our customers: To all of you blend that twice, I said extra ice, did you make that decaf?,, I know I ordered it hot, but I really wanted it iced, 1/8 pump of mocha, 120 degree milk, talking on the cell phone, wearing your sunglasses in doors, throwing money at us like we are retards, asking if yours is done when it doesn't even have your GD name on it, MORONS; We as proud employees of Starbucks salute you!....by giving you decaf. Stupid emmer effers. Thanks a latte. |
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| Name: | earned my money 02992 |
| Date: | Jul 15 2004 11:35 PM |
| Greaser: It sounds like you have my old manager. Don't let them take advantage of you. I was in a situation similar to yours & it got to a point where enough was enough. People ask you to do things because they know you're a good, fast worker and don't sit on your ass. It was hard getting people to cover shifts in my district because if no one wanted to be at their own store, why would they want to work at another store and put up w/the same mess there. My old manager even said that once. A shift called out and no one was able (or wanted) to cover the shift, so the manager had to do it. There are ways to get what they owed you. I'm not talking about stealing money or products but you could sell your markouts or ....Don't want to say too much =)
LJ: When I closed, it took from 20 mins.- 1 hr. It just depended on who I closed with. The training videos were a bore and so untrue. They probably paid aspiring actors to be in them. On a weekday 6-8 people worked in my store.
Sanctum: They should do something about bank runs because at my store, people usually got their lunches while on their run, returned to the store, and then clocked out for lunch leaving two people on the floor during a rush. It was brought up at the district meeting and for a while it stopped, but some did it again. I agree with what you said about the "10 minute rule." It is an invitation to a robbery. One night I closed and a group came in 5 mins. before closing time and I seriously thought they were going to rob us. If no one was in the store at the posted closing time, I locked the door and took off the lights. If the store was packed, I told them the posted time because there were times when we ran out of clean plates and had to wash them, bring in the furniture, and sweep crumbs that a kid somehow got all over the carpet. Extra 10 minutes? No, you gotta go now! One day I worked and there were just 2 of us, and a customer ordered 20 grande mochas. Thank God it wasn't that busy and she even left a $20 tip. We did not put that in the tip jar! But if someone orders that many drinks, they should call in advance and say what time they'll be there so the drinks will be made on time and not hold up the line. Another night a guy told me that a customer came in right before he closed and ordered a decaf mocha. He made it then they said they wanted it cold. He re-made it. Then they said they wanted the frap!!! He went to check for decaf frap because not that many people ordered it so it wasn't made everyday. There was none left and he told the person that he would have to brew decaf coffee and cool it and then make it but since they were closing in like 5 minutes, he wouldn't have time to do it. The person said they could wait!! I don't remember if the guy actually brewed it and made it but it was crazy! Question: since you left the company but are back, did they start you off with what you were last making? |
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| Name: | bjorn 02989 |
| Date: | Jul 15 2004 11:35 PM |
| she is not even tiping about starbucks |
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