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: | Rob 01437 |
| Date: | Sep 26 2003 03:40 PM |
| Meagan:
Your perfect management material. "You did not report it so it's your fault". That's perfect, and oh by the way, looks like from these posts most Starbuck's ARE run this way.
I am glad you have a pleasant work environment, and would like to hear it is pleasant six mnonths from now. My question to you is,"where is the manager ?, the DM ?, and everyone else when these things are going on. i guess they don't know about it, so it's still Cat's fault. I'll tell you they are scared of your HR department as well. A weak HR department can ruin a company. Who's doing the background checks???? Not real good when you read the posts and find REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS managing your stores. Or other flunkies washed out from Burger World. Last time I checked, the job market sucked and there were alot of really good employees out there. Get my point, it all goes back to the HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT. Can you say time to clean house at the big green "S". Sounds like HR took the human out of resources. Hope you won't make the same mistake as CAT and allow it to happen. You go girl and report, maybe the neighborhood coffee shop will hire you after "S" is done. |
|
| Name: | Fired Shift 01434 |
| Date: | Sep 26 2003 08:39 AM |
| Wow, I can relate to these stories of bad DM\'s and stores. My first manager was moved to a different store and then fired. The manager that replaced him at our store turned him in for being a register sexual offender. Get this....The manager that turned him in, is now a registered sexual offender. What comes around goes around. We also had a guy working there that was being harrassed by a customer and when we told the DM, he did nothing. The barista had to quit to get away. Myself...I was threatened by a fellow employee and because he was a friend of the DM, I got fired. Go figure. Yeh..I to first bought into the whole How great Starbucks is theme. But now realize that it was all a hoax. If not now, you all will soon realize what the company is all about. |
|
| Name: | disgruntled starbucks employee 01435 |
| Date: | Sep 26 2003 08:39 AM |
| while , personally like the the coffee, the business practices i could do with out. they are predatory, in terms of opening a "bucks" across the street from another hometown coffee shop to put them out of business. they do not promote from within, i've worked for the company for 4 years with no problems, happy worker guy, did my job, and did it well. i've seen 2 baristas raise to manager, everyone else has been hired from without, with most of them quitting within two months after they are trained. I did not bad mouth this company while i worked there, because it paid the bills. but now it is imperative that i do, because even McDonalds invests it's time in it's employees, maybe most people don't want to move up in that company, but the investment in the people that are employed is there. - a disgruntled employee in NY |
|
| Name: | meagan 01431 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 11:55 PM |
| this message goes to Cat.... i read your message and was laughing hysteracally in my chair. i find it very strange that you allowed yourself to work under these conditions.. i am a shift supervisor at starbucks, and have been working for the company for almost a year. my working conditions at starbucks have been pleasant. so before you go and fill peoples minds with crap of how awful the company is... you should remember that you allowed this to happen. one bad working environment doesn't mean that all starbucks run their shifts that way. you are not the world, therefore you shouldn't be so selfish to deny starbucks of any credit at all....you should have contacted a dm about the situation becuase obviously you WERE being taken advantage of,therefore you should have corrected the situation rather than sit back and complain about "how awful the company is..."
just my 2 cents on the matter.. |
|
| Name: | a worker currently 01432 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 11:54 PM |
| I work for starbucks, and I am a shift, I am only working there because they gave 40 hours off the bat, the GM of the Store is a sorry SOB who makes his hours exact 9-5 and 1/2 the time he leave and goes home. I have worked for starbucks and got transferred there because I was suppose to be the GM, during closing the asshole was like u mop and at my store during closing we have a scredule 1 person does the machine, 1 does fraps and 1 does cashier, and 1 mops the stores and 1 dues dishes this makes closing very easy, Starbucks ripps of the people i know for a factr our beans cost 10 cent a pound, No offense I m working there til I finish college then heading back south, all the employee who work for me hafve a BA in accounting, and they work at starbucks, haha nice college education to make coffee |
|
| Name: | 01433 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 11:53 PM |
| Cat,
Dishes, windows, toilets, trash, drinks, register, making coffee, mopping, cleaning up after customers, stocking. Oh my god!......Did you read the job description before you accepted the job? |
|
| Name: | sarah 01428 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:24 PM |
| I hate starbuck's because of their marketing techniques in which they build 3 starbuck's within a 1 mile radius of my small independantly owned coffee shop to drive people like me out or business. They are the mcdonald's of the coffe world and are like the communists of coffee shops. the more starbuck's the more uniform the world has begun. it is very sad. |
|
| Name: | Cat 01429 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:24 PM |
| Starbucks hired me to serve coffee and give great customer service. They bragged and emphasized how great the company and staff treat their employees. I believed them and accepted their offer of a job. The shock of my life came when after my training was completed, I was told by fellow employees that I would have to pass the initiation process first before I would be accepted by the other partners. This meant, scrubbing walls, washing dishes every hour, washing the windows every 15 minutes, cleaning the toilets every hour, cleaning out the giant refrigerator, lifing bags of trash over 40 pounds every half hour than taking piles of trash stacked in the cramped back room to the dumpster every hour, making drinks, working a till, working the expresso machine for hours at a time, making mocha, making whip cream, making new coffee every 15-30 minutes, carrying crates filled with
milk, sent to markets to buy supplies when we ran out of milk or whip cream, mopping the floors, cleaning up after the customers, vacuuming, stocking and taking inventory,and denied very needed breaks due to being too busy and under staffed. I had to do this with a big smile otherwise I would be taken to the back room and scolded by a supervisor for not smiling while working. If I could do each task under a minute and jump to the next task, shouted at me from any one of the many supervisors always on duty, I would not be terminated.
This starbucks was connected to a popular bookstore and near a college. We had lines of people from the moment the doors opened to the moment we closed. After working under these hard and stressful conditions, I had to clean up the store and get it ready for the morning shift. I was locked in until the supervisor let everyone go. That's just the working part of the story. There were many OSHA violations and dangerous working conditions that were ignored and never corrected. My message to anyone who cares is, "Keep your teenage kids from ever working for Starbucks" Starbucks will use them, let them get injured and disillusioned, then get rid of them. Teenagers tend to take the punishment and when dimissed just walk away ignoring how they were violated and mis-treated. Dont let Starbucks use your friends or teenage kids to make a profit. Cat |
|
| Name: | kris 01430 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:23 PM |
| I'm jumping on the bandwagon. A partner of mine is "Partner of the Quarter" in the Scoop this month. The store manager voted him because he gave directions to customers who were lost. He deals Meth, Coke and Pot while he's working and gives the store manager it for free. The manager was in the E.R. because he snorted the Meth instead of the Coke. I'll prostitute my little sister to him so I can win it next quarter. |
|
| Name: | Joe Aguirre 01423 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:41 AM |
| I used to be such a sucker, It was less than a year ago that I lived breathed and bled for Starbucks.
Then they fired me. And I will tell you why.
I bought into the whole Howard Schults, Pour your heart into it Bull Crap. where if you love a company it will love you back and dignity and respect.
I Managed my shop in Westchester, IL.
I taught classes at the local training store in Hinsdale.
I worked extra hours for other managers who were short-staffed.
I even did volunteer events when the PR dept. need happy shiny faces to schill for the green mermaid.
All told, about 60-70 hours per week.
Then I noticed the subtle changes at corporate as well in the District Manager level.
We were growing too fast and could not promote enough people from within so we stole managers from other food service people. Mostly Wendys, but some Burger Kings and a couple Taco Bell and McDonalds peoples. Heaven help us if we could have gotten some folks with actual coffee experience. These people were offered more money than the DM's and regional Managers that had already put in their time and paid their dues.
Finally it happenned to me. My great DM was replaced by an idiot who couldn't manage the family fish and chip restaurant in florida and decided to try his luck with Starbucks.
He did not know the first thing about the coffee, the equipment, the standards or the company and looked at me with disdain for the knowledge I had and loved to share with my "Partners".
Finally at the assimilation where all the retil managers in the district met with Chicago HR and the new District manager, I made the fatal mistake of confessing to all 12 people at this meeting that I had seen the recent move away from the mission statement and that it saddenned me to see that I loved the coffeehouse culture more than the new and changing Starbucks culture where the profit was more important than the people, ( something that had set us apart from all the companies I had worked at until now)
I also made the mistake of telling DEB the HR manager in Chicago that she and her department should show some professionalism and courtesy by at least acknowledging some excellent candidates that I had recommended in the previous month and had not received so much as a follow up call.
One month later I was fired for theft of company time.
Which all who work there will tell you is bullshit.
They claim I took vacation time and did not account for it on the payroll system. Yet on my last check I got paid for 102 vacation hours that I had not had the chance to take.
There is my story.
Joe Aguirre |
|
| Name: | Green-Apron 01424 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:41 AM |
| I have been a partner for Starbucks for almost 6 yrs...yeah I know. Anyway, I feel your pain. I need this job to help pay my bills and the benefits help so thats why I stay. I have been through hell and back with this company. I've dealt with the annoying "I want a Quad-Venti vanilla 1% extra hot no-foam slightly wet Cappuccino" customers who throw their money at you while talking on their cellphones and after you've called out their drinks 10 times they come back and say "wheres my drink? I've been waiting for 20 minutes!" Yup...I know where you're coming from. But anyway..In my 2nd year i was sexually harrassed by an assistant manager who just came into the store. He gave me a ride home and as I was leaving yanked my arm and kissed my lips. He would look for me at my house while i was home and i would hide in my room from fear. He even wrote letters and left them in front of my sisters house telling her how much he liked me and that he was looking for me but i wasnt home. I gave the letters to my Store manager (we had 2 managers) who them reported it to our DM and guess what they did for me? They moved him and gave him his own store. Now you tell me whats wrong with this picture? By the way he no longer is employed with starbucks now. I wonder why? I wish i could have done more at the time but i was scared and shaken especially since he (during that time) used to tell me he would schedule himself so that he could work with me. I used to cry on my breaks because I couldnt stand it. When they transfered him to his new store i feared that if i continued to push this he would do something so i kept shut after that. This goes to show how great these corporate ppl treat us. Sometimes I wonder if our DM's are high when they hire these managers? Just up until recently I had a manager who drank while on the job and smoked weed in his car out back that he bought from a partner. :::shakes head:: So yeah...I hate Starbucks. |
|
| Name: | *$ slave 01425 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:40 AM |
| compeditor- the comment on shelia was not directed towards you- i just wanted to know if your store was in santa clarita- not where it is-
mad- i feel your pain- same thing at my store- no breaks, no cleaning- but who has time with three people on the floor and the line out the door? |
|
| Name: | the dad 01426 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:40 AM |
| mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm starbucks is so creamy and yum, i love starbuck. child labour is good and so is starbucks
yum yum |
|
| Name: | angry california partner 01427 |
| Date: | Sep 25 2003 08:39 AM |
| I have been working for starbuck for two years and was a shift almost from the start. I was demoted to barista for something that was not my fault and for the last few months I have had to act like I am happy that I wasn't fired. I hate how I am forced to move from store to store all the time (in 2 yr I've been in 4 stores and I am always scheduled to work in other stores all the time). I fell like my district's lackey. It is also annoying how every manager always say what a good worker I am and how happy they are to have me there, yet no one is in a race to re-promote me. I am really angry at the fact that I have wanted to move up to management and have not gotten there. But, I have seen two people that I trained as a Learning Coach move into management. I give up. I am going to go back to school, full-time, and forget about making this a "career." |
|
| Name: | rob 01422 |
| Date: | Sep 23 2003 05:02 PM |
| Mad, better watch it.... They might blame you for the unsanitary conditions and fire the whole crew. Probably will say it's your fault cause you did 'nt clean - up, on the break you did not get.
Hey, "employee" loved the HR story, got anymore? |
|
| Name: | mad 01418 |
| Date: | Sep 23 2003 01:45 PM |
| There are alot of things that starbucks could get in big trouble for. My starbucks could get in so much trouble. They don't give breaks and there is so much drama. It also could get in trouble health wise. Every starbucks I have went to is so unsanitary. |
|
| Name: | brooke 01419 |
| Date: | Sep 23 2003 01:44 PM |
| john, do your research on the wrongdoings and read the postings for why.rob and bean-slave give you a number of reasons that are very understandable.read.digest.repeat.
\"many of the employees are snobs\"???since when are sweatshop workers made of the elite?you must be a customer...refer to your posting. |
|
| Name: | Employee 209xxx 01420 |
| Date: | Sep 23 2003 01:43 PM |
| To Rob: Your complaint about the HR department is dead on.
If you have never met the HR gestapo at Starbucks, let me fill you in.
I think they all attended the same sorority. Really I have never seen such a bunch of stepford wives. They must be hired for their looks.
Remember their job is to look like they are hiring people. If they just did an interview and hired them, they wouldn't have anything to do. So they see nothing wrong with ohhh.. 3 phone interviews and 4 or 5 in person interviews for each applicant. After 5 years in the "Ivory Tower", the only action I have seen them take is to fire people. It seems they are best at being the pretty face for the legal department. They don't let your mananger fire you, they do it. And with a smile.
Not long ago I ended up in HR (or parter resources as they now call themselves. I think they changed the name because of the way Dilbert portrays HR departments), anyway so I ended up in HR after a private dispute. I signed some form that said I understood the behavior policy and would abide by it or be canned. That wasn't enough though. This bitch Gretchen, started in on me that "it didn't seem that I was 'enthusiastic' about the policy".
I remember the shocked look on her face when I stopped her in mid-sentence and said "Look!!!I signed the form and will abide by it TO THE LETTER letter, but don't you dare suggest that I have to "like it" as well." I think she messed her diapers, because nobody and I mean nobody in that company dares talk back to the gestapo girls in HR.
As far as "promoting within" goes, I think its great, but you are right, only the retards get promoted. My department has benefitted from some excellent people but none of them got promoted. The idiot that I report to came from retail . He was a barista, not a shift lead or manager. He had no previous management experience. However, he rides a vespa just like the other idiot who promoted him......
More later... |
|
| Name: | Rob 01421 |
| Date: | Sep 23 2003 01:42 PM |
| John:
I think you have a fair number of folks that hate Starbucks. I don't happen to be one of them. I just find it interesting that they seem to have this "darling" image. They expend considerable effort to educate the public as to how they don't exploit the coffee growers, recycle and are in general "politically correct".
Why is it apparent from what you read, that they can't seem to extend these efforts to the employee. Your statement,"customers are idiots, employees are snobs" seems to be reversed according to the stuff you read below in reference to the management employee.
What gives is, I think they spend to much time in a state of paranoia and focus on not being accused of any wrongdoing. They need to focus on the inside before it's too late. Right now they enjoy all the benefits of no competition, and maybe are so far ahead that no one will ever catch up. Still no reason to take your eye off the business. Once you become complacent with your business, you lose. Promoting from within is great if those that you promote know how to function,run a store, and get the most out of their employees. These folks on this site are not just a few, but many and I would say 80% or better are disgruntled. It means mid-level to top level management are not getting into the stores enough, don't know what's going on. Worst of all it is apparent they do not listen to the employee.
John, (Howard), I hope not, but I really suspect you are one of these management people. Take a look at the inside and fix the mechanism. Oh and by the way, if you don't want to end up like McDonald's , don't hire their management people. |
|
| Name: | Rob 01416 |
| Date: | Sep 22 2003 08:47 PM |
| Bean:
I feel your pain. Explore other opportunities. Must be something out there that will give you what you need. Hate to see someone's attitude ruined because of some inconsiderate corporate jerk. I know enough of them. Most don't have what it takes as you said. Most are good at one thing and that's kissing behind.
Unfortunately, society today calls for no experience. That's why you have people who can't make a drink, can't function. But if something goes wrong they are good at pointing the finger and it's usually at you.
Get out now, go to that small cafe, somewhere you can make a difference! You feel better, even without some of the benefits..... |
|
| Name: | John 01417 |
| Date: | Sep 22 2003 08:47 PM |
| Starbucks is one of the most successful companies in history, and they have attained that status in a fair market economy. Yet many people (besides you disgruntled employees J) express a focused animosity towards this company above all others. Even if you agree that the propagation of large corporate retailers is ruining the aesthetics of Small Town America, why make Starbucks the whipping-boy?
I am not trying to dismiss Starbucks-haters, I am genuinely curious to know WHY they hate. Sure, many of the customers are idiots. Many of the employees are snobs. But anyone who doesn't live in a small box knows that the world is filled with idiots and snobs. In a time of corporate fraud, environmental and animal abuse, and general disregard for morality, Starbucks has never even been accused of any wrongdoing that I know of.
So what gives? |
|
| Name: | bean-slave 01415 |
| Date: | Sep 22 2003 06:43 PM |
| I work for this company. I hate my job. The only reason I continue to do it is because of the benefits and the pay with tips. I need that insurance, prescription plan and vision. I feel like I am stuck in my job. I am going to school, living on my own, and need a flexible job that can pay my rent. So I stay. They love people like me...trapped.
My major complaints are with the condescending rude customers that have obviously never had a service job or had to pay their own way through college. To them I am merely a "cashier" or "cafe slut." We are kids trying to make it.
A corporate business with "standards" produced by executives that have never even worked in a store is ridiculous. Hey Schultz how many shots in a venti mocha valencia? Or how about this one...Hey District Manager....How can someone have a position as a DM and not know how to make a drink? But, will take every opportunity to point out my dress code violations. What happened to "embracing diversity"? No visible tattoos, piercings, unnatural hair color...That is what cafes were all about. The cool kids, the educated, the students, the artists. I am in the wrong place obviously.
Lastly, I want everyone to know that during the multi-state blackout we were forced to stay open and return to work at normal sceduled hours even without the electricity. The city issued a water ban. No one was to drink the water without boiling for three minutes for several days. Did that affect us? We were forced to stay open with the return of the electricty and continue to make and serve coffee. I was shocked. I wouldn't drink it. I wrote an email voicing my concern to "headquarters". I spoke with the store manager and the district manager. My voice meant nothing. The email reply was "We are busy, but your opinion matters, we will look into it." Yeah, that was a month ago.
It is all about the money. God forbid you give anything away for free. Or go into overtime. Or stand your ground with an abusive customer. You will lose your job. |
|
| Name: | billy 01410 |
| Date: | Sep 21 2003 08:01 PM |
| i was just offered a job as a barista and i start training next week. i was just wondering if they drug test the baristas at new starbucks that open. |
|
| Name: | brooke 01411 |
| Date: | Sep 21 2003 08:01 PM |
| adele,
you did not offend me, you only dismissed the point of the pride you take in your work by leaving out your name.you seem bitter to be standing up for Harbucks. maybe we both should give our notice like the other brave posts have.
my posts are intended to help partners learn and realize that they have a right to be treated well and what some basic laws are. as well as educate partners so they can understand what practices Harbucks uses-and then use that knowlegde to keep their stores, partners, and customers to standard so partners can start making positive differences for themselves and everyone. |
|
| Name: | Bored 01412 |
| Date: | Sep 21 2003 08:00 PM |
| *Yawn* |
|
|
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237There are 5908 posts. That's a lot. |