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: | Tiffany 05144 |
| Date: | Jul 19 2006 05:06 PM |
| I am a grad student at the University of Georgia and we are doing a project on pro and anti-brand communities. Would you mind letting us know about how many people/members are active participants of your site, if you have that informtion. And also what your goal was in establishing this website and when it was started? This information would help us greatly. By the way, I love the site.
Thanks!
Tiffany |
|
| Name: | k_E 05142 |
| Date: | Jul 19 2006 02:36 PM |
| first of all Kudos to whoever created this site!
I was scanning the internet reading about starbucks trying to decipher whether or not they pay their 1.20 a lb to a middle man or to the farmer directly. Sifting through corporate bullshit and fabricated anti starbucks rhetoric, I came across a sad little barista crying about this site and knew I had to check it out. You guys are incredibly hilarious. I especially love how pro-starbucks brand whores send in their pleas, as if their sniveling is going to warm your hearts. Regardless of whether I decide to be pro or anti starbucks.... I love what you are doing here. |
|
| Name: | DEAN SAMPAIO 05141 |
| Date: | Jul 19 2006 01:56 PM |
| HOWARD SCHULTZ IS A MONEY-GRUBBING JERK. HE THINKS HE OWNS SEATTLE AND ITS PEOPLE! HE SOLD THE SEATTLE SONICS AND I HOPE HE LEAVES TOWN WITH THEM! GOOD RIDANCE!!! HE'S NOT WELCOME ANYMORE!!! |
|
| Name: | Erin 05140 |
| Date: | Jul 19 2006 12:46 PM |
| So, there was a wonderful, locally owned coffee shop in one of the malls in my city. It had been there for years, was busy and delicioius. Starbucks opened a few stores down. The next year the locally owned coffee shop's lease wasn't renewed because Starbucks had in their lease that there could not be another operating coffee shop within so many feet of their location. So, I guess it is nice that they "support" their communities ... what? by shutting down mom&pops and putting their employees out of work? |
|
| Name: | Bridget 05139 |
| Date: | Jul 19 2006 08:16 AM |
| HA!...I just love your responses to the posts! I have to admit, I do enjoy a sugar-free vanilla decaf latte. Ok, Ok..I'm guilty! But, you are absolutely free to host this site, and I thank God for our freedom to do such things here in the USA. What really cracks me up is your wit with the HORRIBLE grammar and spelling. Perhaps instead of posting on sites that they can't stand, those functional illiterates should take a remedial English course at the local Junior College in their spare time?
Keep up the good work :) |
|
| Name: | tsepmet 05135 |
| Date: | Jul 18 2006 10:07 AM |
| I used to work at Starbucks (\"amiably\" referred to as Sbux) and it has made me realize that collectively the Starbucks demographic should probably be locked in a cavern somewhere and forgotten. Grande sized paper cups with the Starbucks siren on them are NOT to be used as accessories. They will not make your knock-off Chanelle shades seem more authentic and they do not justify using your diva voice whilst talking to your nerdy son\'s pregnant wife on your 1995 motorola. I can\'t decide whether to kill myself or make your high-maintenance latte. I wish i had some rat poison. |
|
| Name: | King James 05137 |
| Date: | Jul 18 2006 04:03 AM |
| All i wanna say is starbucks sucks..im tired of these stupid customers that come here and make big deals about nothing..ANDDD im tired of all those lame commercials..i work there but STILL omg...that job is wayyy too easy.. |
|
| Name: | new "partner" 05136 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 09:47 PM |
| I started working at Starbucks two months ago. As hypocritical as this may sound, I hate corporations, but, one needs to make money and needs to have health insurance. Going for Starbucks looked like a better option than my former job at Barnes & Noble, also another corporation. I worked at Barnes & Noble because I love books and loved the 30% discount. It was manageable until they screwed me over and gave me zero hours a week and then prided themselves on "making plan" (well, duh, if you don't have to pay the employees!?!?). Sorry to digress there. Well, there's a lot of BS the management gives you. How Starbucks promotes a partnership among employees, etc., and yet make you feel stupid if you didn't do what they want correctly. Sorry, but which part of "new employee" did you not get? Maybe my issue is with my manager but what I was told by this same manager that she's not looking for perfection. Also, I was told when I started that Starbucks has a great training program. I was totally poorly trained. The reason was that Starbucks never really invested the time and money to schedule a trainer to spend time with me. A lot of the times I was left to read the manual or was scheduled on registers only. It was only after I got "certified" as a barista that I got some bar experience. Again, my issue may only be with the store I work at. What I can say is that Starbucks is not as environmentally-friendly as they claim to be. At my store, the only things that get recycle are the plastic milk jugs and the cardboard boxes. Everyday, we throw away tons of paper milk cartons and plastic syrup bottles. Every cup that gets dropped on the ground goes in the trash, not the recycling bin. The only recycling bin we have is right next to the trash can but is very easily overlooked. As for the "cup discount" for bringing your own mug, it's only 10 cents, so obviously, there is no great incentive to recycle. Okay, maybe for the refills for the iced coffee, the iced tea, and the coffee of the day are where you see the discount for reusing the plastic/paper cup they give you in the first place. But, that's so they can cut down costs for ordering cups. 2 months and already disillusioned? Not a great start. |
|
| Name: | Anonymous Malaysian 05077 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:55 PM |
| Yesterday was the first month-iversary of me working in Starbucks. And due to the notice I have to give before I quit, I have two more weeks of such torture before some respite.
Firstly, despite the high profit Starbucks Malaysia makes, we are being paid RM4.50/hr. That is, the hours written on your schedule. Despite the promise of overtime wage, any work beyond those hours stated on the schedule not only doesn't receive overtime wages, but no wages at all. Imagine working 10 hours because your manager doesn't want to close on time because her bonus is at stake - your two hours is free charity time. If we were paid OT, perhaps that store manager would have a certain insentive not to be utterly selfish.
I wouldn't be all that calculative if Starbucks itself wasn't calculative - everything from our employee beverages to breaks, the store is extremely calculative (God forbid you take 30 seconds longer on your break), while expecting generosity in return from the 'partners'.
Speaking of 'partners', it's completely deceptive and dishonest to call its employees 'partners', when we hold no job description remotely close to being deserving to bear the title 'partner'.
It's downright hypocritical talk about little concepts like 'Star skills' and 'SMART goals' - utter bullshit. Nobody practices that shit. They only use it against each other.
The wages now aren't all that high in comparison with other, less-stressful, F&B outlets in Malaysia, and most in that wage-range offer 6-hour shifts the longest, while with Starbucks, it's the shortest.
What's sad is the amount of rich yuppies going to Starbucks, despite the lack of good music (the youngest song on the loop is 6 years old; apparently, it saves cost vis-a-vis recording companies) - buying substandard coffee at ridiculous prices (after taking into account purchasing power of Malaysians, it is really the recluse of the rich).
What stumps me is the amount of people buying Frappuccino beverages. Here's a clue, people, the coffee in Fraps are *instant* - as with the iced teas and coffees. Not only that, the "fresh juices" on the menu aren't fresh, the overprice crap you can get 1/5th the price,retail, down the street in a 7-Eleven. I make better coffees and expressos at home. And those Tazo teas are an abdomination, especially if you do like tea. The much cheaper Lipton tastes a lot better than Tazo English Breakfast - despite being ridiculously cheaper.
Thankfully, in Malaysia, there is some heavy local competition - Uncle Lim's for example, serving up Malaysian kopitiam-style coffee house for the same market Starbucks is in. Despite their lack of wireless, their outlet near my branch always seems more busy than Starbucks. But of course, their coffee is actually good and always freshly brewed. |
|
| Name: | Shawanda 05093 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:55 PM |
| My friend works at Starbucks and is afraid she will be fired because of the fact that she asked for days off and they scheduled her. When she went into work the other day people were asking if she was going to be fired after all. She had no idea what anyone was talking about.
I used to drink Starbucks all the time... 20 pounds later, I stopped. Have you seen how much sugar is in that stuff? I think that my friend's management also keeps me away from that place... when they first start you, they hype up so much about what to expect and how great all the benefits are. They forget to mention that you have to work there for a certain amount of time. Then as time goes on, you realize that Starbucks is not all that great. If that is how stores are run, then I don't want to support them. I hope she quits.. and I also hope that Starbucks finally does crumble. |
|
| Name: | Rachel 05076 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:53 PM |
| Just wanted to say that reading the 'special section' brightened my day. Starbucks coffee lovers are officially illiterate, syrup flavor loving individuals who LOVE their minimum wage jobs. Go team! I'm vaguely wishing I lead a mediocre life like them....not! |
|
| Name: | T 05085 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:49 PM |
| Starbucks appears to be pushing Peaberry out of Colorado and Peaberry is a Colorado company! Arrgghhhh. Ok, so I hardly know the details, but I do know that Peaberry sold a bunch of their stores to Starbucks including the kiosks in Cherry Creek Mall. Now, that seems odd to me because those kiosks often had a line of people waiting to order so I can't imagine they were losing much (if any) money on that venture. |
|
| Name: | AmyTalk 05082 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:49 PM |
| SO, I recently posted a very juvenile post on my passion for Starbucks and their product. And although I still hold true to my remarks, I am very impressed with the content and concept of this site. The fact that someone is making such a bold and dignified effort of standing up against this corporate giant is admirable, and the attention the site and its creator has received is nothing but a sign of success regardless of how negative that acknowledgement may be.
I certainly understand where the anti-starbucks sentiments derive. In fact, Starbucks is very a hypocritical establishment is their claim to use fair labour products and so forth. And it does to a degree erode local business and culture across the globe. Starbucks is now a culture of its own. It has a cult following, and unlike most \"cult-following\" of various establishments, people, products etc. this one is young, preppy, and lacking in any sense of priority or responsibility when it comes to money. (I don\'t go to Starbucks regularly, just occasionally because it\'s expensive; also why I don\'t eat out often; and \"no\" I am not poor! far from it! how do u think rich people get rich?! throwing away their money on starbucks?!) It\'s a culture. The thing I would say I hate most is how people who go there think that they are better than others, or that they are superior, or deeply intelligent. I\'m a bright gal. I enjoy going to coffee houses and reading a book. The atmosphere is very conducive to such an activity, but when people go there and try to \"act smart\" and \"posh\" it\'s just lame, for lack of a better word. In fact I am so partial to the atmosphere of starbucks that I try to recreate it at home! I will sit with my books (text or leisure) with dimmed lights (bright lights give me migraines), strong coffee brewing in my coffee maker, and jazz music in the background! I love it! (Boy do I sound cheap or what?!) But I love my faux starbucks!
I have certainly rambled far more than my two cents worth on the topic, my apologizes. Again, great site! Hope you see some results to your actions. I would love to see you launch a boycott or protest or petition against the corporation, or at least lobby them to seriously and completely practice fair trade. At $4 a cup (for some products) it should be easy and affordable!
***thank you for a wonderful distraction from studying for exams!
***I learned something reading the comments from starbucks lovers- starbucks employees are really ditsy! |
|
| Name: | Aiden 05086 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:48 PM |
| I used to love going to starbucks. Now I am not sure I can even trust the drinks! I have gotten sick from drinking the coffee at least six times this year. It was twice from really rancid tasting vanilla, and four times from the chai lattes. I have filed complaints, but the baristas are really rude. Telling me that nothing is wrong with the drink, and refusing to remake it for me! I am incredibly tired of spending $4.00 a drink to be treated like that. I officially hate them! |
|
| Name: | center city coffee drinker 05096 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:44 PM |
| I have been drinking Starbucks for quite a while and for the most part i used to enjoy it. However, recently S-bucks has become quite the annoying place. I work in center city philadelphia where there are a ton of them scattered around. My new found annoyence comes from the customer service side. First off, the prices are insane and the cups seem to be less and less filled. Also, i'm sick of the "eyeroll" from the hippy barista who god forbid has to make something with non-fat milk. Not everyone craves a 700 calorie whole milk or cream based drink. Philly cafe's are becoming a rarity.....which is a shame. |
|
| Name: | Kassie 05083 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:38 PM |
| I work at Starbucks and I personally think that the coffee is not so tasty compared to other coffee shops. I work at another little coffee place called Ritazza and the coffee is so much more mild and flavorful. I have never gotten an Americano from Starbucks that has not been disgustingly bitter, even if the shots have just been calibrated. It's also disgusting how much flavor that is added to each drink. It is a coffee shop, not a syrup shop, so taste the coffee for christ's sakes. On a final note, it really sucks working there because all of the managers have a specific set of rules. It's all about the rules. And I hate it. |
|
| Name: | Raine Daniels 05099 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:37 PM |
| I just hate coffee. It's that simple. And any place that makes the horrid concoction (that slowly kills you from the inside out, by the way) isn't on my "Nice" list. That is all. |
|
| Name: | jackie 05100 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:37 PM |
| Starbucks is by far the worst coffee I have ever consumed. It is not smooth it tastes soo bitter and it sucked!!!!!!!! They really are taking over the world because of idiot consumers who want to buy into something that once again is just a trendy shop nothing more. They do not sell high quality products and they only hire weirdo freaks to work for them. freakin dreadlocked pierced up face and nasty ppl serving nasty coffee to innocent consumers. buhahahahhaah u suck starbucks burn in hell!!!!! |
|
| Name: | gus waller 05102 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:36 PM |
| over priced
over rated
over sea's destroyer
overkilling production
overpolluting
over chemicalised,
and consequently it's obvoiusly over popular.
This is the naivity of today's modern man/woman. |
|
| Name: | sarah 05128 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:31 PM |
| I hate starbucks because you have to pay $30.00 a month to use wireless and every other coffee shop around has free wireless! |
|
| Name: | Former Competitor 05118 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:29 PM |
| Hey skiPPy! FYI - Those porcelain espresso-sized mugs are called demitasse cups. Starbuck's is all about mass marketing, so in their "mass marketing world," they of course will claim to have the best coffee. It's just like anything else. GM says they have the best cars when we all know they aren't worth the metal used to assemble them. It's all about perception and smoke in mirrors. |
|
| Name: | Former Competitor 05126 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:28 PM |
| Here is a proactive thing I did and continue to do. Though it may semm insignificant in the big picture, it is a start in helping people get their fix with less expense and better quality drinks. Since I have a background in owning my own shop, I have my own recipes which are far superior to mass marketing Starbuck's. All it took was a small investment in the proper equipment for home to not only save time and money, but have a better drink experience than what pop culture has to offer. Several of my friends like what I do at home and are now duplicating what I am doing, of course with my help in getting them started. These once daily or almost daily Starbuck's junkies now enjoy everything at home, the way they like it, as much as they want, at a small fraction of the price and Starbuck's does not make one dime from it. That's right, the equipment, coffee or ingredients have not been touched by Starbuck's in any way. If all these people combined paid $20.00 everyday per year, that's $7,300 less per year Starbuck's makes. If we keep multiplying the amount of people starting to do this doing over time, it becomes quite significant. Think about it! Think about how much time someone spends just going there and back over a year, it's at least a week. |
|
| Name: | Jerri 05109 |
| Date: | Jul 17 2006 07:27 PM |
| I haven't been to a starbucks in a while, but let me tell ya something.. they don\'t make everything the same way at all! I like that Target doesn\'t let them except tips!! Thats great. not that they were great at blending anyway right?? their coffee should not cost more than 2.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
|
| Name: | starbuckstemp 05133 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2006 09:02 PM |
| Antihero, pictures please! (joke) Just a little update: I am still a temp, lot's of experience running the equipment, but no "partner" status yet. Maxwell house, MJB, you get the point! |
|
| Name: | kimberly 05132 |
| Date: | Jul 16 2006 08:19 PM |
| Finally, a place where people's eyes don't gloss over at the mention of a caffine-induced, socially accepted addiction called Starbucks. I don't care if you drink there, or just go there to feel like you "belong" someplace... it is outragous and sucking America dry. Why not spend your money on something worthwhile?! Seriously people, wake up and listen to the corporation laughing because they once again, created a rage that sheep-like Americans will pour their cash into...ok. I agree with Marcelo's post-- it is a trap. Why some try to define themselves as more of an individual because of the unique combination of their coffee flavor instead of learning a new skill like rock climbing or anything is beyond me. |
|
|
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. |