Starbucks Coffee

When will Howard be going outside of WA for these?

Was coffee discussed?

Please come to San Francisco!  I want to meet Howard!

Uncle Howie rides again...

“The Seattle coffee giant has instructed its U.S. baristas to stop regularly brewing batches of decaffeinated coffee after noon, according to a memo reviewed by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by the company. Instead, baristas will brew decaffeinated drip coffee only when a customer orders it…” (all bold dark roast drip FORMER Starbucks customers know all too well how great this works – NOT!).

Uncle Howie and the crack Starbucks corporate management team must burn tons of midnight oil trying to figure out new and inventive ways to further suppress same store sales. They are very good at it and it is working. Smart?

Great question, Ian!

no comments or questions about the benefits for the gold card vs. regular registered card or revamping this website. Why do baristas not want to wear name tags?

it would be great if this was something done at all stores, not just selected ones.  Why not at least post the names of the barista's working on a bulletin board.  Such as your barista's of the day are......(names). They use to do it at my regular store along with their pick for the drink of the day.

Good question Purple1 , why don't they, who is the customer, you go to most department stores, they have name tags, you go to the bank, credit unions, etc, they were name tags.  Is it because they think if they do something wrong, or are rude we as customers can't file a complaint if we don't know there names....

Very nice. So Howard Schultz isn't reading what's going on here at MSI? I think we're saying the same things. All this does is make me wish I'd never started participating at MSI.

Here's an idea:  At every other coffee shop I frequent regularly I get to know the baristas without the use of name tags becuase THEY initiate the relationship by asking my name and then working hard to remember it.  If a customer is a regular you have no business in customer service if you do not want or care to know their name.

Melody, this sounds like the typical front office bs I was subjected to for years. Only tell the boss what he wants to know. It was like when the VP for Coffee asked for our input and said that Pike Place was off limits as far as changing the policy on that.  I hope you all at Corporate get to stay but from what I see where the rubber meets the road things are getting much worse! Please someone have enough guts to tell the boss the truth.

sbx says "Hi everyone.  Thanks for sharing your comments.  Coffee was indeed discussed.  The meeting started with a coffee tasting of Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios Costa Rica coffee - fabulous!  A customer also shared, that what we do best is coffee.  She sent a stovetop coffee maker with  her 28 year old son in Iraq and sends 3 lbs. of coffee/ week.  The General will come visit mostly because of the Starbucks coffee.  Starbucks is home to them.  She also buys the black apron coffees.  She suggested that we continue to concentrate on coffee."

HOW OFTEN WILL THIS BLEND THAT PEOPLE LOVED ACTUALLY BE SERVED?  RARELY.  YOU WILL INSIST ON SERVING PIKE INSTEAD.

Bella Vista is never brewed as the morning pick/daily pick. It's nearly a crime. :(

Does Howard actually care about what anyone says?

Momiji, I'd want to know if Mr. Schultz is reading this site. This site is going to be more raw and honest than a face to face meeting with him. It's human nature that it is harder to tell someone to their face what you dislike about what they're doing than to discuss it anonymously online.

I bet he doesnt.

He NEEDS to hear the real deal and READ this site! I know if I met him, I would tell him straight out!

I would not expect a CEO to spend the time reading a site like this.  His time is much too valuable for that.  I would expect that he be provided with a non-biased summary of the hot issues on the site.

ScrName

On the contrary. If  CEO can make time for a PR Pit Stop like talking to a handful of gushing customers, then he should make time to read at least some of what goes on here. Unfortunately, MSI is so poorly designed that is it impossible to get a read on customer sentiment without wasting hours wading through repeat ideas and dead threads.

I don't expect Howard Schultz to spend hours here, but I would think that he would be familiar with the issues, the kinds of things being said, the most popular issues, the blogs, and the even at least recognize a few names from seeing them over and over and over again (like CranBliss, JavaOcha, Melody, pechipy, ;-)). You get a lot of that by spending 20 minutes a day in the morning here.

This is a 8yr partner with Starbucks- to all of those customers out there that want to know our names please just ask! We really dont want to wear name tags for the simple reason is that there are customers that you dont want to know your name. There are some people that cross the line of social boundaries with comments and even sometimes actions- how uncomfortable for them to also know your name!

I bet your associates do not want name tags is: 1. accountability - people can complain to mgrs about specific employees if names are used 2. the "shouting factor" with rude customers say "hey frank! where is my drink". If you require them I would expect some will use fake name tags with made up nicknames etc.

Cookie cutter stores is really an issue I think. I travel a lot and it is odd that all the stores are essentially the same (a lack of creativity!). I was in Naples FL recently and you have a brand new store - it is nice but it in NO WAY reflects the local area flavor. It could be in Seattle or Boston etc. The core of Starbucks experience I feel is flexible enough to stretch regionally - but if accountants decided to stamp out store after store - your brand people are not empowered enough in my view.  

I remember once reading an article about a guy trying to go to all the Starbucks in the USA. The odd thing about it - is what is the point? To see how the same design wears over time? Love the brand but lets be honest the stores are not unique vs each other.

money.cnn.com/.../index.htm

If ALL of Starbucks coffee was 'fair trade' it would go under. Let those who are think themselves socially active drink over-priced low-quality coffee to help under-privledged Africans they will never meet or see. Some customers want a high quality that is worth its price and that should always be available in a free market.