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Well this is it, my last rant (for publication). I can’t do it anymore folks, it makes me too angry. I've stopped finding the beauty in things, I've been constantly searching out the negative. Not good. So starting next issue of the New Town Crier: death, it’s not that scary (unless you happen to be on a bus in Manitoba).
Starbucks, Starbucks, Starbucks… You didn’t listen did you? Having staffing problems? Do you think you may have over extended yourself in the Victoria market? Hell you seem hard pressed to find a decent manager or should I say District Manager with any accountability. I have never seen the island stores so poorly supported. I saw some of the 'gifts' you were giving to the store partners to show how much you support and appreciate them... Wow, giving somebody useless gifts does not say "stick around we like you," it says "we couldn’t be bothered to actually kick you in the nuts or to replace the manager that we knew wasn’t handling the responsibility well so take the $5 bucks worth dollar store crap and smile."
But then how can you fire a manager when you already don’t have enough? I won’t name the location or the person, but you didn’t even fire the manager who changed partners punch times to save their labour costs, sure it might have only been 5 minutes here or there, but theft is theft and it really sends a message to the store partners that you don’t care about them. Oh sure the apology, the tears, the “I didn’t realize what I was doing.” ??? Bottom line, keeping one bad partner cost you a number of good partners and a few customers, but who cares about customers. Right?
I recall an assistant manager who put their heart and soul into their job, wanted to learn everything that he could about Starbucks, do you know how he was treated by the store manager? She wouldn’t even acknowledge him when he entered the store, she would speak poorly about him to the staff and when it came to the end it was him who was let go. Nice store manager, the kind of support you need to succeed.
I had to call Starbucks the other day and assistant manager to whom I spoke with on the phone regarding some issues was pleasant, she listened and then decided to bitch (without thinking) to her employees about our conversation, maybe she should have asked if anybody knew me, because she might be surprised to find out that they do! She also might want to remember the conversation a little better.
Lose the automated espresso machines, it doesn’t taste the same, if it did I would still order an Americano from your store.
Your breakfast sandwich idea is gross. I go to Starbucks for coffee. All you did when you added ovens is chase me away. If I wanted to smell McDonald’s I would go there, if you wanted to be Tim Horton’s buy them out like you have bought all the others (Clover, Seattle Coffee Company [Seattle’s Best Coffee & Torrefazione], UK's Seattle Coffee Company, Coffee People, Barnie's Coffee & Tea Co, Ethos Brands, Tazo…) the list goes on. If they aren’t first to market, they will buy the market.
Bring Back Happy Planet juices (they were about the only local thing in your stores).
Treat your partners with a lot more respect (get your scheduling in order, closing stores early because you can’t schedule is a great way to lose a customer... for life).
Work on your communication skills, listen to the small voice, that part-time may have valuable insight into your business, don’t shun their ideas because the don’t have a degree.
Hire a District Manager with ability and who’ll at least show up, nobody likes to be stood up.
Lastly, stop showing up on every corner, we really don’t need that much coffee.
Haven't heard enough? M.E. Ash always has lots to rant about:
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