Terra! Starbucks lovers have to look elsewhere for caffeine fixes

[cboy4]

Coffee chain to close all 7,100 stores for employee training.

SEATTLE — Starbucks is closing the doors at its 7,100 stores across America for a brief barista re-education.

CEO Howard Schultz announced the 3-hour closure starting at 5:30 p.m. local time Tuesday to energize 135,000 employees.

He wants baristas to share their passion for making espresso, or as he says, "to pull the perfect shot, steam milk to order and customize their favorite beverage." (Oh brother) :eyes:

Schultz says it's part of his refocusing on the coffee customer experience.

Since the chairman returned as CEO in January he has been making changes to revive Starbucks' growth.

CNN article-------->http://money.cnn.com/2008/02/25/news/companies/starbucks/index.htm?cnn=yes

Come on you crybaby workers! You're making minimum wage doing slave labor, perhaps you're close to losing your home and are behind on your car payment.....but gosh darn it, you can do a better job making coffee!!

[Midlodemocrat]

1. From what I've read, they are pretty good to their employees.

Even giving part timers benefits.

Oh, and the coffee is DEEEEELICIOUS.


:loveya:

[Taverner]

6. They are a responsible corprate citizen, for the most part

Although they took an aggressive "take no prisoners!" strategy to chase the mom and pop coffee shops out of business...

But their employees, they treat them better than any other wage slaver...

[Midlodemocrat]

7. You want to hear an amazing Wal Mart story?

:wow:
I was getting some stuff for the 7th and 8th grade dance that I'm in charge of and had to go there to stretch the PTA dollar. I had on my Field Hockey Mom sweatshirt and the cashier started talking about how she had played FH and where did TM want to go to college, etc.

This kid had a degree in biological something, no dummy by any means, and of course, can't find a job. She works at Wal Mart and is actually happy working there!!! :wow: Says she gets paid $8 an hour, and the management treats her well.

You could have knocked me over with a feather. I don't shop there regularly because I don't like to, and I admit that I had pre-conceived notions.

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. Sounds more like a story of lowered expectations, to me.

A person with the right attitude can be happy working anywhere - particularly if the alternative is not working at all.

That doesn't mean that $8/hr is what any college grad should be shooting for.

[dflprincess]

24. She might be fortunate and have good managers at the moment

but that can change at any job. Throughout my working life, the manager has always made a difference my job statisfaction. Whether it was back in high school & college when I was working at a grocery store or after that when working in an office.

[madmom]

33. Want to hear another amazing Wal Mart story?....

I work for Wal Mart I make more than $8 an hour and I am happy working there. The management treats me well. Before this job I worked at another "union" big box store,( I put union in " " because IMO it's union in name only, I am very pro union) I made much less per hour, was NOT happy there and management screwed us every which way but loose! I find this double standard about Wal Mart some what disturbing. It's very hypocritical to say the least.

[LostinVA]

14. They are

The woman I'm not really married to worked for them a few years ago.

[Midlodemocrat]

16. So does this mean I can cancel the order for your gift?

Seeing as how your wedding is fake and all?


:rofl:

[LostinVA]

19. No

Did you know we even filled out the exact same form to get our license that straight couples do?

[Midlodemocrat]

21. No you didn't. It was a fake license.

in MA. When you lived here in VA. :eyes:


:rofl:


You CANNOT make this stuff up. Check out the rest of that thread. :crazy:

[LostinVA]

22. Then what were 75 people doing in NJ watching us getting married?

:rofl:

I'm proud to be your cheerleader.

[Midlodemocrat]

38. Rah! Rah! Sis boom Bah!

Obama! Obama! Rah, Rah, Rah!!!


:bounce:

You CANNOT make this stuff up.

[LostinVA]

40. It's like Bizarro Day on here -- even more so than usual

[cboy4]

Thanks for hijacking my thread you homophobe.

:eyes:

Ooops. I forgot about the eyes.

[LostinVA]

28. Nice post, Phelps

[Midlodemocrat]

39. Don't forget republican!!!

:woohoo:

[cboy4]

26. ...

:spray:

[LostinVA]

27. Did you just spray Starbucks on your screen?

You're wrong about the minimum wage part, though. They make a decent wage considering with tips factored in.

[cboy4]

30. No, that would be Arizona tea.....interestingly, I do not

drink coffee.

It's interesting that I still caught teh gay.

I mean, chose teh gay.

[LostinVA]

31. I don't drink coffee, either

[JackRiddler]

20. And you read this where?

The Corporate Gazette?

The Book of Thanks From Wage Slaves Who Have It Better Than in China (or at Wal-Mart)?

[tammywammy]

36. I worked for them for 3 years

Though I didn't use the health benefits (I was still covered under my parents) they were really good. Lots of raises and started well above minimum wage, plus I was getting $2-$3 tips per hour.

[acmavm]

2. Hard to believe that some people value their coffee experience

so highly. I must not have my priorities right.

[leftofthedial]

3. they get paid for the training

I can understand criticizing Starbucks for its rabidly anti-union activities, but paying employees while you provide them with one of the few remaining marketable employment skills in America seems okay to me.

[marmar]

4. Damn....No over-roasted dirt water for 3 whole hours......

:) ....and actually, when their bitter brew is filled with 3/4 steamed soy milk, as in a soy latte, it's quite palatable.

[northzax]

5. Starbucks pays well above minimum wage

in DC at least, starts at about $9.50/hour, which isn't career making, but I know a lot of people who have helped pick themselves back up by getting a job at Starbucks.

[cboy4]

8. Yea, it's not like similar places are paying better.....I'm

just laughing at this whole sharing the "passion for making espresso." LOL

[endarkenment]

11. it is their core business.

just like a 'passion for making donuts' was a theme for that dunkin donuts (time to make the donuts ad campaign) even if they didn't actually push it down to the individual clerks in their chains.

[LostinVA]

12. Haruka worked there a few years ago

She said the amount of corporate training they had was insane. Think five hour course on being nice to customers.

She thought it was a good company to work for, though.

[Midlodemocrat]

17. Listen up coffee hata. Those of us who are caffeine addicts

LOVE STARBUCKS!!!! GOT IT!!???!!! GOT IT!!?????

[jaybeat]

42. You don't know about passion

Around here, coffee geeks (as we are often proud to call ourselves) consider Starbucks the McDonalds of coffee. Fast, consistent, ubiquitous, but machine made and utterly without soul.

I mean, come on, who's this guy kidding? You can't "pull a perfect shot" on a Starbucks machine because the machine does it all for you. You freakin' press a button!

Now *this* is espresso:



(Image lifted from--where else?--http://www.coffeegeek.com)

[sepulveda]

9. the coffee

my biggest problem with starbucks is that the coffee is mediocre (imo).

but hey. consumers make the choices. if they want to buy it, more power to them.

i have a friend who works for corporate starbucks. i make sure whenever i visit her, i am holding a Seattle's Best, Tully's, or some other brand coffee cup :)

walking into starbucks corporate offices though is another story. walking in there with a tully's cup would be like walking into a vegan society meeting holding a big mac!

frankly, i just make my coffee at home. i guess my frugality gene kicks in. i have no problem paying for a nice meal. i do have a problem paying 2+$ for something that costs me less than 1/4 that amount to make at home, in about 1 minute.

[LostinVA]

13. Starbucks owns Seattle's Best

[sepulveda]

23. did not know that.

then it probably does not have the same ability to piss off my friend.

:)

i don't like the burned coffee taste. that's my main problem with their coffee. i guess it's an acquired taste, and once you got it - you go to starbux to get it.

[MidwestTransplant]

10. Maybe if Starbucks would just increase prices a little, the employees may be happier

[jmowreader]

48. You already need to hold up a bank to afford Starbucks

Imagine how bad it would be if they increased prices!

[MidwestTransplant]

49. I was joking around!

[rucky]

15. ANY job done well becomes an art.

Even ditch digging and grocery bagging.

Go barristas!

[Starbucks Anarchist]

25. NOOOOOOO!!!

:cry:

[LostinVA]

34. Just get some Rachel Ray pics and EVOO to help you through these terrible times

[Starbucks Anarchist]

35. They help me every day.

:evilgrin:

[IndianaJones]

29. what a hateful flamebait post. nt.

[cboy4]

45. Altring nt

That's supposed to say "alerting" but I couldn't type with a scalding hot cup full of grande mocha in my hand.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Starbucks Baristas are NOT minimum wage workers

they have problems, but not with pay

[cboy4]

46. Oh good. I'm glad they get paid more the minimum wage.

:thumbsup:

[mtnester]

37. Their coffee is a bitter mess anyway...

now, the vanilla bean blended cremes...diabeetus in a cup (yeah, I like em...so what)

:)

[Paulie]

41. The machines pull the shots now

Completely automated. All they do is load the bean hopper, and steam the filler (milk, soy, half/half, eggnog). Notice how there isn't any pounding of the grind holders anymore????

They turned the art into machine maintenance.

[jaybeat]

43. Yup! Support your local artisan barristas! Hand-made coffee tastes better! (nt)

[LanternWaste]

44. I make a GREAT cup of coffee...

My invitation to Starbucks drinkers (this applies only to coffee drinkers-- not the half-caf, mocha-latte candy derivative drinkers...)

I make a GREAT cup of coffee. Come by my apartment before 6:30 a.m. (open till 9:30 a.m. on Saturdays) and for only ONE dollar, you'll receive a great cup of coffee (I'll even add cream and/or sugar-- see I can accommodate!)-- and the only tips I'll accept are book recommendations.

You get coffee, I get rich, and we don't have to worry about my corporate agenda or how much/little I pay my employees.

[adigal]

47. I have a coffee house, and make a much better cup of coffee

than Starbucks. They overheat and burn their milk because they have it on a timer, rather than heat it by feel, which private baristas do.

Come to my shop - you will love it!