I just called starbucks

[IphoneTony]

So me being the curious one I decided to give a few starbucks shops a call.. I say hello I hear you are closing today for training regarding the update ordering system.. ( I wait for a reaction) Yes we will be closing at 530 replies associate.. I ask are you training on the new system apple is setting up.. Then I get a reply of all I know its training on how to serve customers

What company closes all of their stores for training on how to serve customers??
I think the ordering system is about to come out soon for the iphone...

[Bone]

intresting......... To bad I don't like starbucks.

[Lincoln]

intresting......... To bad I don't like starbucks.

Gasp. I live on Starbucks.

- John

[Spikefood]

I can see this whole iPhone Starbucks ordering deal getting very buggy in the start. I wouldn't use it until it was perfect.

[Bone]

Gasp. I live on Starbucks.

- John

I honestly like making my own coffee. Its not that they don't have good coffee, lol. I just like mine beter. :)

[The Apple]

LOL Starbucks is too good. It might be the frickin devil!!!

[IphoneTony]

fox news just was talking about it too.. they say sales are down that is why they are doing this training meeting.. I say prices are too high...

[Dawgfan]

If there is something Apple-related I don't think they know and if they do they are under some strict orders not to say.

I have a Starbucks I go to EVERY SINGLE morning and I asked them about it today and their response was a not-so-stoked "we have to get trained.."

I think they would tell me something if there was something that they KNEW about. I go there every day and they make my drink before I get to the counter. My fiance went their one Saturday and ordered my drink and they asked her (totally random as they didn't know her) if it was for me...

She told me I go too often....

[kunfuzious]

I work in commercial real estate, and at a number of our centers we have Starbucks as a tenant. According to their director of real estate (which for all intents and purposes is the head of most any companies retail divisions) the closing was for an updated "best practices" training relating to improving quality and efficiencies within the store operating procedures.

Does this mean its not related to Apple? No. But as a betting man I'd wager on the side of non Apple training. As a regular Starbucks customer however, I hope I'm wrong. :laugh2:

[zanDark]

Gasp. I live on Starbucks.

- John

That makes two of us although it's outrageously expensive in Greece...don't know what you make of the prices in the States

oh poo now I can't wait for it to be morning so I can grab my coffee on the way to work! :tounge:

[Luckykelleyk]

Oh nice, another way to help them mess up my order :tounge:

[Runamuck]

My wife works for Starbucks. She says this has nothing to do with Apple. They are "re-emphasizing" service excellence or some crapola like that.

Sales are down. They are dropping all breakfast items since the smell of cooking food hurts the "coffee aroma." Howard Shultz is a major egomaniac and believes the way forward is to go backwards to what they were doing when he first founded the company. So just about all the "new stuff" they've done for the past several years is being reversed and they are going back to plain coffee sales.

And btw to whoever said it....the real estate peeps at SBUX are peons. There are like hundreds of them and they all report up into operations. In most retail organizations, merchandising (product) or operations (service) runs the company. In the case of SBUX, it's ops.

Howard's memo to the field can be read here. (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=833) It outlines the reasons for tonights' training.

[Luckykelleyk]

what? Thats so lame! I love that low fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich :-(

[Dawgfan]

I love the fact they are going back to the basics. I want to smell ONLY the coffee, I want them consistently making the perfect cup of joe again.. The consistency between locations has gotten pretty dismal or at least variable..

[Runamuck]

what? Thats so lame! I love that low fat turkey bacon breakfast sandwich :-(

I used to own a franchised restaurant. The Breakfast daypart is THE most difficult time of day to make a profit. You have to have seriously high traffic/sales to offset the expense of the food costs for breakfast items. Eggs, dairy (milk/cheese) and other breakfast ingredients don't keep long once cooked, are high food cost items and people just won't pay as much for breakfast items as they will for lunch or dinner items. So you have to mark them down to razor-thin margins to boot.

Starbucks had no business trying to sell breakfast items in the first place. Their entire food line is outsourced to area bakeries and commissary operators (they control the specs and recipes). So they were already losing money by outsourcing food prep. Then the stuff pretty much just didn't sell and the smells DID interfere with their "espresso culture" that people associate with a coffeehouse.

[Luckykelleyk]

I love the fact they are going back to the basics. I want to smell ONLY the coffee, I want them consistently making the perfect cup of joe again.. The consistency between locations has gotten pretty dismal or at least variable..

Yep, I hate it when I go to a different starbucks, buy my (expensive) coffee, get in my car, and end up having to throw it away because it tastes like...um...something I wouldn't want to drink (to put it nicely)

[Youngbinks]

That makes two of us although it's outrageously expensive in Greece...don't know what you make of the prices in the States

oh poo now I can't wait for it to be morning so I can grab my coffee on the way to work! :tounge:


Whoa. Didn't notice you were from Greece. I'm actually headed to Europe for Spring Break (leaving next Thursday) and my friends and I will be making a stop in Athens and are thinking about heading over to Mykonos. What's the weather like over there this time of year? Is it decent beach-going weather? Also, I too have a very sincere love of Starbucks. Luckily, 2 of the SBs near me are licensed so they won't be closing up shop tonight which means I can get my coffee fix.

[zanDark]

oh yay that's great :laugh2:
Mykonos is reaaaaaally lovely but it's very quiet this time of year (as opposed to the insanity that goes on there in the summertime) and quite windy :gasp: it's quite warm now but the beaches are empty I'm afraid..

such a shame you can't come in the summer time and enjoy all the crazy parties!

If I can help you with anything or if you would like some info please feel free to send me a message and I'll be more than happy to help you out!!

Have fun!! (sorry for the offtopic guys)

[gerstyd]

Gasp. I live on Starbucks.

- John

But john, you have Dunkin Donuts right down the street from you! I love D&D coffee. Its like liquid love, I wish I could have it in Los Angeles. Stupid Los Angeles.

[gerstyd]

Maybe Starbucks will stop burning their beans! That would be great!

[hpuk]

try living in the UK we get f all :(

[coasts]

I passed 2 starbucks on my way to the train tonight and both were using mac's with large speakers to "train" the employees. Could mean nothing but still worth posting.

[Runamuck]

I passed 2 starbucks on my way to the train tonight and both were using mac's with large speakers to "train" the employees. Could mean nothing but still worth posting.

Wife is texting me updates.....blah blah blah rah rah rah we r da best blah blah blah customers need to feel respected by our partners blah blah blah.

Just waiting for the Kum Bah Yah and the mandatory pay freeze announcement.

Corporations really believe that they "matter" in the hearts of their employees. Pay them better than the competition, offer better benefits and nicer working conditions, and you'll get loyalty. Until someone outbids you.

[jlhollander]

the whole idea might be nothing afterall, but it is kind of interesting with the news of starbucks dropping t-mobile and picking up at&t... just a thought...

[kunfuzious]

My wife works for Starbucks. She says this has nothing to do with Apple. They are "re-emphasizing" service excellence or some crapola like that.

Sales are down. They are dropping all breakfast items since the smell of cooking food hurts the "coffee aroma." Howard Shultz is a major egomaniac and believes the way forward is to go backwards to what they were doing when he first founded the company. So just about all the "new stuff" they've done for the past several years is being reversed and they are going back to plain coffee sales.

And btw to whoever said it....the real estate peeps at SBUX are peons. There are like hundreds of them and they all report up into operations. In most retail organizations, merchandising (product) or operations (service) runs the company. In the case of SBUX, it's ops.

Howard's memo to the field can be read here. (http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/pressdesc.asp?id=833) It outlines the reasons for tonights' training.

I said it. Working in commercial real estate for a major developer, I can certainly appreciate most of the "real estate peeps" at national retailers being "peons", however this particular notice, dated 2-14-08, came from Starbucks' Director of Real Estate Alliances.

It should be noted that this particular individual is not only in charge of national operations, but is also the main point of contact to the executives of the 4 largest REITs in the nation (Simon, GGP, Macerich, and Westfield, plus CBL as well as other national developers) concerning matters of national store operations i.e. closings.

[Runamuck]

Well, looking at my wife's Partners Guide and Org Chart in her employee files here at the house (she's a Partner with SBUX).....

That Director is one of 28 in the company with the same title, reports to one of 12 Sr Directors of Facilities in the Region, who reports to one of 4 Regional VP of Operations in North America, who reports to a Executive VP of Store Operations for NA, who reports to to the COO who reports to the President who reports to the CEO.

SBUX is notorious for putting peons in place between themselves and their partners. It keeps a nice firewall in place. They won't even allow most vendors to do press releases that they are doing BUSINESS with the company. It's very Wal-Mart oriented....put peons in positions of power so that if push comes to shove the vendors and service providers suddenly find that their "in charge" person has a huge hierarchy above them to back them up in negotiations.

All of this was before 2/20/2008 when Shultz just did a MASSIVE reorg and laid off 600 individuals in the corporation, almost all from non-Operations "support" roles....like real estate. If you aren't going to open as many stores next year, no sense keeping real estate peons on the payroll.

Peon with a title, but still a peon.

Starbuck's is led by Operations. Most restaurant chains are. Real Estate staff in SBUX are considered "support" personnel, not line leaders and certainly not in charge of the stores. They handle paperwork, not decisions. There is a dotted line reporting relationship between the CAO (Chief Admin Officer) and the real estate team. But that's the closest this person will get to authority and leadership in the company....exec admin roles.

Not trying to pick a fight or even disparage the real estate profession. Location, Location, Location....it's an important role. But the person you are dealing with is a peon in the support arm of a mega-corporation.

I'll bow out now....gotta get kids off to bed before wifey comes home so she I can de-brainwash her from the rah rah session.

[jjvaldez]

iphone tony you are cool for calling them... you are building a lot of post here.. keep up the goood work...

[kunfuzious]

Not trying to pick a fight or even disparage the real estate profession. Location, Location, Location....it's an important role. But the person you are dealing with is a peon in the support arm of a mega-corporation.

I'll bow out now....gotta get kids off to bed before wifey comes home so she I can de-brainwash her from the rah rah session.


There was certainly no malice intended in my remarks, so I hope you didn't infer any.

I am not familiar with Starbucks' organizational chart, and believe whole heartedly your explanation of their respective real estate department. I am/was speaking in broad terms for the majority of national retailers (Apple included) whose real estate department is not only responsible for the negotiation of locations and base rents with developers, but also as liaisons with those developers for any national protocols or programs that would affect store operations.

I can most definitely assure you the Directors of Real Estate (or whatever their specific title may be) for top tier retail brands like Apple, Coach, Diesel, the Genesco brands, etc. are really in fact major players in the development and execution of leases, and store operations.

I can also assure you I am 100% behind calling them whatever you choose, because after negotiating with several of these representatives from their respective companies, I have called them much worse than "peons".:laugh2:

I do think however that referring to all of corporate employees with designation as "real estate whatevers" as "peons" is inaccurate (and you might not have done that at all, I just can't remember right now:foot:). My main point was simply that regardless of this person's role, he is the contact for the major players in commercial retail development, so I tend to trust correspondence that comes from his office (like the memo about the closing).

Hopefully, regardless of any inequities or inefficiencies in Starbucks' corporate retail operations, your wife's location does well and I wish you much success. I know what the rents are that are being paid by the 80 or so Starbucks locations in our malls, and I really want them all to do well so they can continue paying those rents (as well the % of sales we collect). We all depend on each other.

[jlhollander]

maybe if we are lucky there will be an associate from starbucks who owns an iphone, who visits this site on at least a semi regular basis, can come and post something to let us know either way. you know, apple ordering system or not.

[kunfuzious]

I'd be interested to know what Runamuck's wife has to say about the training. Hopefully he can let us in on what it entailed.

[kokogirl]

I cannot remember ever getting bad service in a Starbucks (except maybe the airport Starbucks), but better service is good. I think the employees that I encounter and nice, friendly, funny, helpful, etc. If the training gets us more consistent coffee, that would be great. I find the temperature varies from time to time and store to store.

Even if the the training involved some kind of ordering on the iPhone, I cannot see myself using it when i can just walk up and tell the guy or chick behind the counter what I want.

I love my Starcracks!

[coasts]

I cannot remember ever getting bad service in a Starbucks (except maybe the airport Starbucks), but better service is good. I think the employees that I encounter and nice, friendly, funny, helpful, etc. If the training gets us more consistent coffee, that would be great. I find the temperature varies from time to time and store to store.

Even if the the training involved some kind of ordering on the iPhone, I cannot see myself using it when i can just walk up and tell the guy or chick behind the counter what I want.

I love my Starcracks!

Lisa, while i do agree that keeping a certain level of human-to-human interaction present in daily routines, i do think that the supposed Starbucks/iPhone ordering system does advance technology in a good direction. i like it. i want it. i'll use it.

[jlhollander]

I think that one of the benefits to actually having a starbucks ordering system will prevent any more of the " this isn't how I ordered it, I wanted this instead!" you will have picked what you ordered, and that will be that!

[Dawgfan]

Lisa, while i do agree that keeping a certain level of human-to-human interaction present in daily routines, i do think that the supposed Starbucks/iPhone ordering system does advance technology in a good direction. i like it. i want it. i'll use it.

I chat with them all every morning for a few minutes and I think the order-by-phone could make this better. Instead of the oh, I need to get over to the register and pay ya'll.. I can just yap away having already ordered. Heck, they start making it when I walk in the door anyways... I have to act QUICK if I want something different. They even renamed me.. They misspelled my name one day and I like their version better!!

[Runamuck]

Wifey said iPhone wasn't mentioned at all. AT&T was indirectly as they noted that free wifi for all SBUX customers would start rolling into place this spring. But that had already been announced by Howard and is on the SBUX main webpage also.

Guys, get real for a minute. As popular of a device as the iPhone is, the user base for same is still a drop in the bucket relative to the lost sales the company had shutting down at 5:30P tonight. Even if every iPhone user went and bought 10 cups of coffee over the next week using some new self-ordering solution, it wouldn't pay for the lost sales tonight.

The closings were because Howard is back in charge and feels like his baby, Starbucks, has lost it's way in the world. And he wanted to slip on his priestly robes and indoctrinate the Partners again and hug trees and kiss furry bunnies and tell wonderful stories about how the barista's are in the PEOPLE business, not the COFFEE business. I sound cynical, but you have to meet this man in person...I have, several times at corporate functions. He makes Steve Jobs look like a closet Mormon by comparison. He truly believes he has a mission for his business and I can respect that. I'm not sure closing stores nationwide was a great move, but they likely counted on it being a moment for people to ponder "a world without Starbucks" and I'm sure for some folks, that's exactly what it accomplished.

But no iPhones were hugged tonight at THIS particular SBUX location. Maybe others, but not this one.

And by the way....the existing SBUX Point of Sale solution is like 15 years old, DOS based and frankly blows. They have been talking about replacing it for several years now because it just can't keep up with the changes in the business. I'm no technologist, but a self-ordering feature using the iPhone to the POS will be a minor miracle. I'm not holding my breath for it in anything but beta tests, which means it may have only been discussed at the handful of stores out West who are piloting new store systems. SBUX did test cell-phone based ordering a couple of years ago....it bombed then.

Heck, as of right now, I've only been in maybe 2 of 25 different SBUX nationwide where the iTunes access was working. They just aren't that fast at technology adoption given their ancient store technology platform.

[Dawgfan]

I want this, not DOS....

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/images/14596_large.jpg

[Runamuck]

I want this, not DOS....

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/images/14596_large.jpg

Write the interface from the iPhone to their 15-year old DOS-based green-screen POS system and you can have that. :laugh2:

[Dawgfan]

Write the interface from the iPhone to their 15-year old DOS-based green-screen POS system and you can have that. :laugh2:

So by POS do you mean Point-of-Sale or Piece-of.....?

[Runamuck]

So by POS do you mean Point-of-Sale or Piece-of.....?

My wife calls it a Piece-of...... almost 25 times a day. She says it takes almost 2 days of training before someone can even ring up a complex order on the beast.

Seriously, if memory serves, the "Quickorder" thing was a graphic designers' conceptual GUI for what an iPhone-based ordering system COULD look like. I thought I remembered reading (Gizmodo maybe?) that it was a graphic mockup by a third party and represented "wishful thinking" more than a real product development app.

[jjvaldez]

I want this, not DOS....

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/images/14596_large.jpg

got the link thats this pic came from??

[Runamuck]

http://www.genoco.com/link/interactive_quickOrder.html

[bsharp]

So me being the curious one I decided to give a few starbucks shops a call.. I say hello I hear you are closing today for training regarding the update ordering system.. ( I wait for a reaction) Yes we will be closing at 530 replies associate.. I ask are you training on the new system apple is setting up.. Then I get a reply of all I know its training on how to serve customers

What company closes all of their stores for training on how to serve customers??
I think the ordering system is about to come out soon for the iphone...

A good company. This is a brilliant move on Starbuck's part. It's unfortunate that other companies don't commit similar resources to customer service.

BTW - No news reports said the training was about a new ordering system.

[jjvaldez]

thanks for the link

[iphonemedic600]

I quit coffee this year...

[depthnerd]

http://www.genoco.com/link/interactive_quickOrder.html
I'd be awesome if it was real.

[OJsakila]

mmm coffee

[SpongebObiWan]

I'm quite certain that I am stepping on a Sacred Cow here, and expect to get fully Flamed, but Oh Well.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that paying that much for a cup of coffee falls into the category of "I've really just got more money then I know what to do with"? I mean, come ON!! Give me a break. Is Starbucks' coffee really any better then other much less expensive coffee alternatives out there? What say you all? (I know of course all you die-hard Starbuck's fans are enevitably going to strongly disagree with me and tell me how wonderful Starbucks coffee is and what a fool I am, but that is to be expected).

I think it simply has to do with it currently being the "IN" thing to do right now ("Oh yeah, Fred. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in today. What did YOU do that was exciting?") And NOW, sales are down. Go figure. An earlier thread simply said "prices are too high". I agree. And perhaps the "in vogueness" (yes, I know it's not a real word) is diminishing somewhat and some people are beginning to come to their (financial) senses.

Okay all you die-hard Starbucks fans. Here's your "flame" opportunity. :tounge:

[coasts]

I'm quite certain that I am stepping on a Sacred Cow here, and expect to get fully Flamed, but Oh Well.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that paying that much for a cup of coffee falls into the category of "I've really just got more money then I know what to do with"? I mean, come ON!! Give me a break. Is Starbucks' coffee really any better then other much less expensive coffee alternatives out there? What say you all? (I know of course all you die-hard Starbuck's fans are enevitably going to strongly disagree with me and tell me how wonderful Starbucks coffee is and what a fool I am, but that is to be expected).

:tounge:

be sure you're comparing like products. a regular cup of coffee at Starbucks is only slightly more expense than at Dunkin Donuts or McDonalds, just as a regular burger is only slightly more expensive at a regular restaurant...there is still something to be said for quality.

what if you don't want regular coffee though. if i go to Starbucks i get either espresso or a milk-based coffee drink, neither of which you can get at most other places. sure, you can argue that paying $5 for a cup of coffee is ridiculous when you can have "the same thing" from DD for just a buck, but really is it the same thing?

[Doby45]

I LOVE DD coffee, AND it is cheap. I also partake in the SB goodness but I am weining myself from daily trips to Fivebucks..

[coasts]

I LOVE DD coffee, AND it is cheap. I also partake in the SB goodness but I am weining myself from daily trips to Fivebucks..

i cant drink DD coffee. let's say i swallowed a quarter and then needed to make a phone call...i could drink a cup of Dunkin Donuts and be on the phone within four minutes.

[IphoneTony]

I quit coffee this year...

did you get the patch or use the pill?

[Doby45]

Mighta got the shot.

[callisto9]

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that paying that much for a cup of coffee falls into the category of "I've really just got more money then I know what to do with"? I mean, come ON!! Give me a break. Is Starbucks' coffee really any better then other much less expensive coffee alternatives out there? What say you all? (I know of course all you die-hard Starbuck's fans are enevitably going to strongly disagree with me and tell me how wonderful Starbucks coffee is and what a fool I am, but that is to be expected).

I think it simply has to do with it currently being the "IN" thing to do right now ("Oh yeah, Fred. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in today. What did YOU do that was exciting?") And NOW, sales are down. Go figure. An earlier thread simply said "prices are too high". I agree. And perhaps the "in vogueness" (yes, I know it's not a real word) is diminishing somewhat and some people are beginning to come to their (financial) senses.

Couldn't that be said of the $400 - $500 phone we all own, too?

I go to Starbucks occasionally, but I can take it or leave it. We have a couple of really annoying baristas at the one close to my house, so I tend to get my mochas elsewhere. I don't get coffee at Starbucks (think it tastes like hot, wet dirt), but I do like their "foo foo" drinks. But I'll get those anywhere I can - they are $4.00 no matter where you get them around here.

Starbucks could disappear tomorrow and I wouldn't flinch. But that being said, I don't find someone who goes there everyday for $4 coffees anymore trendy than all of us who bought a $400 phone. :wink:

[Buffy]

I'm quite certain that I am stepping on a Sacred Cow here, and expect to get fully Flamed, but Oh Well.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that paying that much for a cup of coffee falls into the category of "I've really just got more money then I know what to do with"? I mean, come ON!! Give me a break. Is Starbucks' coffee really any better then other much less expensive coffee alternatives out there? What say you all? (I know of course all you die-hard Starbuck's fans are enevitably going to strongly disagree with me and tell me how wonderful Starbucks coffee is and what a fool I am, but that is to be expected).

I think it simply has to do with it currently being the "IN" thing to do right now ("Oh yeah, Fred. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in today. What did YOU do that was exciting?") And NOW, sales are down. Go figure. An earlier thread simply said "prices are too high". I agree. And perhaps the "in vogueness" (yes, I know it's not a real word) is diminishing somewhat and some people are beginning to come to their (financial) senses.

Okay all you die-hard Starbucks fans. Here's your "flame" opportunity. :tounge:

There was a time when I was averaging 3 lattes per day at Starbucks. I realized that at around $4 a pop, I was spending nearly $4000 per year on....coffee. Not only that, but what really got my attention was that at around 200 calories per latte I was consuming an extra 3,600 calories a week. That's equal to one pound on the scale if you don't work it off! I'd rather chew my calories.

That being said, if you're a coffee connoisseur and drink coffee for the pleasure as much as you do for the caffeine, you can certainly detect differences in quality of coffee. I know exactly which coffee houses serve the best coffee; it doesn't always have to be Starbucks. I still love Starbucks...I just buy my several-lb bag of Starbucks beans at Sam's and make it at home. :smile:

[Doby45]

I do the same thing with the Starbucks coffee at home. Then I put it in my Starbucks travel mug. No one has to know anything.

[Runamuck]

Starbucks is as much about brand identification than it is coffee. They've done an excellent job of creating a brand that people want to be seen using and consuming in their personal lives.

Let me give you an example:

Let's say that, tomorrow, Starbucks was purchased by Wal Mart. And the first thing Wallyworld did was to swap out all the cups for white coffee cups that said "Wal-Mart" on the side, with that 70's-era demonic smiley face staring back out at you. Same coffee, same service, same quality (or quality issues heh), but it now says "Wal Mart."

What would that do to your desire for the product?

For a huge majority of the Starbucks customer base, it would drive them away. It's not the coffee, it's the image that drinking and holding the cup imparts, the "Starbucks run" break, the calls to the office asking co-workers if you can grab them a Starbucks on the way in, the desire to identify with a brand that to many equates to a certain label of clothing, make of vehicle or home address. Many people don't like to admit that but it's true and Starbucks knows this. Starbucks is arguably one of the best branding stories of the past decade. Look at McDonald's. They sell a buttload of coffee. But they've been eyeing all those people who pick up a happy meal for the kids and then scoot on over to Starbucks for a Latte for mom. They've seen how many Starbucks cups end up in their own trash cans in the drive thru lines or in the Playplace. And so what did they do? Check their website....they do a massive upgrade of their coffee stock (still tastes like doo doo to me), huge investments in new coffee equipment and training and...something only McD's can afford to do.....GIVE AWAY FREE COFFEE every Monday for months! Why? Because they know they can't beat the branding engine that Starbucks has created, but they CAN steal back their Happy Meal Moms. And it's working...again, check their financial reports compared to SBUX.

It's a branding battle. Not a coffee battle. Why do you think Uncle Howard is so big on closing stores to create an IMAGE of higher service? It's about image, the brand, the experience. Coffee is just the product. He even claims they are in the PEOPLE business first and the COFFEE business second.

Now I'm off to the office for the day...gonna swing by Exxon to fill up on the Truck Driver's special of 29 cents for 24oz of drip. It all ends up in my bodily waste output anyways, so who cares.

[callisto9]

^ Well said. :wink: Excellent post.

[Dawgfan]

I'm quite certain that I am stepping on a Sacred Cow here, and expect to get fully Flamed, but Oh Well.

Is it just me, or does anybody else think that paying that much for a cup of coffee falls into the category of "I've really just got more money then I know what to do with"? I mean, come ON!! Give me a break. Is Starbucks' coffee really any better then other much less expensive coffee alternatives out there? What say you all? (I know of course all you die-hard Starbuck's fans are enevitably going to strongly disagree with me and tell me how wonderful Starbucks coffee is and what a fool I am, but that is to be expected).

I think it simply has to do with it currently being the "IN" thing to do right now ("Oh yeah, Fred. I stopped at Starbucks on the way in today. What did YOU do that was exciting?") And NOW, sales are down. Go figure. An earlier thread simply said "prices are too high". I agree. And perhaps the "in vogueness" (yes, I know it's not a real word) is diminishing somewhat and some people are beginning to come to their (financial) senses.

Okay all you die-hard Starbucks fans. Here's your "flame" opportunity. :tounge:
No need for flame as everyone has a right to their opinion.

I personally like $tarbucks more than any other coffee I have tried. I have tried DD, Caribou, Mickey Dees, etc, etc and when it comes to taste, temp and quality of service I have always had the best experience at $tarbucks.

This is not to say that any of the others are bad as I kinda do like DD but the atmospere is blah to me and there isn't one friendly to my commute.

Am I some rich guy who will only drink $tarbucks? Nope. I make good $$ but I only have so many days on this earth and if I can afford the quality I desire and appreciate I am going to get it. Heck, I am going to spend $4 on breakfast anywhere I go so a big latte is my choice for breakfast (with a Balance Bar to boot).

I will say that I sometimes like coffee straight black and $tarbucks is the only one I like this way.

I will say that if you are sensitive to caffeine the SB may not be the best option. My fiance cannot even drink the decaf at SB it is so strong. The biggest latte as a triple will not give me the shake but if I order a med coffee I feel almost anxious for a few hours..

Later.

[Tinman]

I will say that if you are sensitive to caffeine the SB may not be the best option. My fiance cannot even drink the decaf at SB it is so strong. The biggest latte as a triple will not give me the shake but if I order a med coffee I feel almost anxious for a few hours..
I have always been sensitive to caffeine and finally gave up coffee about six months ago (and tea--and just about anything else with caffeine). I only drank it in the morning, so it wasn't very hard. Could never drink a cup of coffee much later than that without it keeping me up at night--and I don't sleep much as it is.

For me Starbucks coffee is (was) like speed, so I really couldn't drink it. Used to buy some of the fruity drinks, but figured I was better off at a smoothie shop for that.

And of course Run is right about Starbucks being all about brand identification. I think, however, that with so much negative attention being paid to the economy, much of it warranted, that it's going to be hard for places like Starbucks. I suspect, as people tighten their budgets, $5 cups of coffee will be one of the first things to go. While cheaper, regular, coffee is of course available at Starbucks, they need the higher average-sales-per-customer to remain high, along with the higher markups. Dollar cups of coffee drag that down.

Someone mentioned that the iPhone is a luxary item too--and they are right: Apple has downgraded their factory orders for iPhones and iPod touches. Again, the economy was likely a reason for this, since the iPhone hype is still rather strong (as is Starbucks').

The other thing that doesn't help Starbucks are independent coffee shops. I am starting to hear a lot of comments from people who claim they like the quality better (personally, Starbucks coffee tastes a bit burnt to me). My wife, for example, has switched almost entirely to independents. And learning their lingo is a pain, for someone like me who has to schlepp in and order the suff. Her latest is: Kahlúa-kicker on ice, four shots, fat-free half-and-half (is that an oxymoron or what???), sugar-free sweetener, and a squirt of something I can't remember right now. Arghhhh....



--
Mike

[Dawgfan]

The other thing that doesn't help Starbucks is the dearth of independent coffee shops. I am starting to hear a lot of comments from people who claim they like the quality better (personally, Starbucks coffee tastes a but burnt to me). My wife, for example, has switched almost entirely to independents. And learning their lingo is a pain, for someone like me who has to schlepp in and order the suff. Her latest is: Kahlúa-kicker on ice, four shots, fat-free half-and-half (is that an oxymoron or what???), sugar-free sweetener, and a squirt of something I can't remember right now. Arghhhh....



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Mike
Man oh man I hated SB for the longest time for KILLING Blue Sky Coffee House in Athens, GA!!

SB came in, bought the spot right on the corner next to Blue Sky and ran them out.. I loved loved loved Blue Sky and the coffee AND atmosphere was better than ANYthing I have ever gotten from a SB.

Then I went corporate and just wanted a good and convenient cup of joe..:2cool:

.. still a ting there over Blue Sky though...

[Luckykelleyk]

I can't drink regular coffee, because it makes my stomach hurt like crazy. I love lattes, and the reason that I go to starbucks is that they really do have the best variety. Most other coffee shops do not have the sugar free syrups (if they do its ONLY vanilla or hazelnut) , or any of the light drinks in general. I don't want to go into diabetic shock from my coffee (aka giant blended chocolate-syrup laden milkshake with whipped cream and a tiny bit of espresso) Although starbucks does offer that, they also have the "skinny" lattes which in my opinion taste better, and don't make me ill. Plus they have drive throughs, which for me is a huge pro early in the morning on the way to school.

[BD997]

DUNKIN DONUTS is better than StarSucks.... :)

[kokogirl]

Right now I am drinking a decaf non-fat cafe mocha. Yum! No caffeine for me this late in the pm.

[Bone]

reading this thread just made me get up and start a pot. lol

[Buffy]

DUNKIN DONUTS is better than StarSucks.... :)

You know, we do have a DD here but I've never tried it. It's been mentioned so many times on this thread that I think I'm going to have to have some just for kicks...

[Doby45]

Get it cream and sugar, they do it just right.

[IphoneTony]

Im also a dunkin drinker.. America runs on Dunkin

[gibby71]

My daily stop recently has been the vanilla ice coffee at McDonald's. Does Starbucks make something like that? If so what is it called? I am no good at the Starbucks lingo.

[IphoneTony]

starbucks lingo.. same here but I will give it a shot.. vanilla iced frappacino and I would like that grande

[powersrus]

OMG ...now I gotta go get a mocha frappachino... Getting into by car now!!

[Panache010]

fox news just was talking about it too.. they say sales are down that is why they are doing this training meeting.. I say prices are too high...

Co-sign. IF i did drink coffee, you can get a cup from a gas station for .40 lol

[IphoneTony]

Co-sign. IF i did drink coffee, you can get a cup from a gas station for .40 lol

40 cents... not bad guess depends on where you live... I can pay about $1.50 for coffee at a gas station but also pay $2.80 a gallon in jersey for gas... since we have lower gas prices in jersey guess our coffee price makes up for it :laugh2:

[radiopromoguy]

My daily stop recently has been the vanilla ice coffee at McDonald's. Does Starbucks make something like that? If so what is it called? I am no good at the Starbucks lingo.

In Starbucks lingo, it's actually called an Iced (insert size) Vanilla Iced (yes, it's redundant) Coffee. I work at Starbucks. I know that people sometimes complain about the prices, but to be honest with you, Starbucks is actually LESS expensive than most of the comparable independent shops. My normal drink is a Triple (# of espresso shots) Grande (medium) Sugar Free Vanilla Latte. At the independent coffee houses in my area, I actually pay $1 more than it would cost at Starbucks. I used to drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee all the time. I eventually developed a taste for SBUX over a long period of time and now I can't drink DD anymore. This was before I ever worked for the company. Nothing against the other brands, it's just my personal choice. Starbucks uses much higher quality beans, pays their growers higher prices than ANYONE else, and also helps to build housing and schools in the coffee growing regions.

I also don't see why everyone made such a HUGE deal over our closing for a few hours. The world didn't stop turning.

[Tinman]

In Starbucks lingo, it's actually called an Iced (insert size) Vanilla Iced (yes, it's redundant) Coffee. I work at Starbucks. I know that people sometimes complain about the prices, but to be honest with you, Starbucks is actually LESS expensive than most of the comparable independent shops. My normal drink is a Triple (# of espresso shots) Grande (medium) Sugar Free Vanilla Latte. At the independent coffee houses in my area, I actually pay $1 more than it would cost at Starbucks. I used to drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee all the time. I eventually developed a taste for SBUX over a long period of time and now I can't drink DD anymore. This was before I ever worked for the company. Nothing against the other brands, it's just my personal choice. Starbucks uses much higher quality beans, pays their growers higher prices than ANYONE else, and also helps to build housing and schools in the coffee growing regions.

I also don't see why everyone made such a HUGE deal over our closing for a few hours. The world didn't stop turning.
It was a made into a huge deal because that is exactly what Starbucks wanted it to be.

Aside from that you've got me hankerin' for a SB and I don't even drink coffee anymore. Good job! ;)


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Mike

[radiopromoguy]

It was a made into a huge deal because that is exactly what Starbucks wanted it to be.

Aside from that you've got me hankerin' for a SB and I don't even drink coffee anymore. Good job! ;)


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Mike

I guess my job here is done! :laugh2:

Actually, I think the training program was a good one. But I do agree that there was also a marketing aspect to it... which seems to have worked. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. HUGE publicity. I only mentioned that I thought people were making it out to be more than it is because if you look at the Starbucks message boards, people really thought the world was going to end.

[OhWhyMe]

fox news just was talking about it too.. they say sales are down that is why they are doing this training meeting.. I say prices are too high...

I agree, prices are too high, but its so good!

[gary88]

Starbucks is the iPhone of the coffee world. It's a little more expensive than everything else because it's better.

I always get just a Venti bold drip coffee when I go there, $2.10 isn't bad at all.

[powersrus]

I guess my job here is done! :laugh2:

Actually, I think the training program was a good one. But I do agree that there was also a marketing aspect to it... which seems to have worked. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. HUGE publicity. I only mentioned that I thought people were making it out to be more than it is because if you look at the Starbucks message boards, people really thought the world was going to end.

OMG! My world just about came to an end when I pulled into our SB craving the venti Mocha Frappachino to find they were closed!!:( :(. And then I had to go to one of our crappy coffee places.

[fury]

Someone mentioned that the iPhone is a luxary item too--and they are right: Apple has downgraded their factory orders for iPhones and iPod touches. Again, the economy was likely a reason for this, since the iPhone hype is still rather strong (as is Starbucks').

They're doing that because soon, they're going to announce the 3G iPhone and its iPod Touch little (bigger, at least in terms of storage?) brother, and they'll want to clear out of the old stock.

[Tinman]

They're doing that because soon, they're going to announce the 3G iPhone and its iPod Touch little (bigger, at least in terms of storage?) brother, and they'll want to clear out of the old stock.
Nah, it's doesn't work that way.



--
Mike

[fury]

Well, according to this, it's both

http://www.halflifesource.com/news/apple-iphone/article10358.htm

Apple is also making a new 3G version of its iPhone and that too could be a reason why the company is scaling back. AT&T, Apple's exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the US, announced it is building out its 3G network to more locations nationwide.

[Tinman]

Well, according to this, it's both

http://www.halflifesource.com/news/apple-iphone/article10358.htm

These orders were sent with full knowledge of upcoming products.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2008/tc20080212_504818.htm?chan=technology_technology+i ndex+page_top+stories

http://www.smartphonetoday.com/articles/2008/2/2008-2-13-A-Slowdown-For.html

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/02/11/apple_shares_rise_on_citi_recommendation.html

And iPods won't be getting 3G, and they saw the biggest drop:
"Current production expectations for March imply a 5–10% year-over-year unit decline, versus our expectation for 5% year-over-year unit sales growth during the March quarter, likely implying a continuing inventory rightsizing and sales sluggishness," he wrote."


Fortunately I sold while the stock was still high. Made a handsome profit.



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Mike