Howard Schultz, had a dream. He took an idea found in Europe, the sidewalk coffee shop, and imported it to America and then spread his wonderful idea around the world eventually returning full circle establishing Starbucks stores in Europe where his idea was born.
Mr. Schultz called his dream, “The 3rd place”. Home is the 1st place. Work is the 2nd place. Starbucks, the 3rd place. The 3rd place is where you meet old friends and make new friends. You can read, work on your laptop or connect with individuals for business meetings.
With the memory of his injured father being treated unfairly by an employer, Howard Schultz built his company with a clear desire to respect his employees. In fact, his term for employees is partners.
I have enjoyed Howard’s dream for 24 years, twice a day, which when you add it up equals over $60,000 worth of tasty beverages. I have written numerous articles that show my long term love for this place. I have never written a negative story about Starbucks. Today, that changes.
Starbucks was built on the idea that if the company treated customers and Partners with respect, Starbucks would succeed and so it did. Howard Schultz treated us more like family than customers or employees. Howard Schultz insisted baristas give each customer exemplary service. Customers always felt important and well served.
It is now obvious to many of us loyal customers and baristas that Howard’s dream of Starbucks being the 3rd place is dying. Baristas are forced to be publicly neutral to positive about a new store management operational plan called Playbook. There are other new plans that control staffing with negative effects on customers and baristas.
Customers are trying to be loyal, but are starting to turn and leave the store after opening the door and spotting the long lines. Some customers, after waiting in line and paying for their drink, have walked out of the store abandoning both their drink and money. The Playbook wait reminds me of those photos of the breadlines of the 1930s great depression.
Customers and barista’s do not like Starbucks’ Playbook. It feels like a member of management has a death grip on the Playbook idea which appears to be a quest to turn Starbucks into McDonalds. In spite of constant daily failure, management continues to press forward with the Playbook. We have no way of knowing if Howard Schultz realizes his company is under attack with management cancer. No one we talk to can tell us who is responsible for the Playbook idea.
With a sweatshop mentality, Starbucks district managers run their show with an iron hand, resulting in unhappy baristas and unhappy customers. Barista’s cannot talk the truth for fear of being fired. Store managers have no choice but to tightly adhere to the dictates from above. There is no room left for common sense, creativity or exemplary customer service.
Starbucks now has its own pastry company, but produces pastries that are smaller looking and inferior tasting when compared to what they had before.
Instead of a relaxed enjoyable atmosphere, it feels like Starbucks is saying, “Give me your money. Choke down your drink and pastry and get out of my store”. This new 4th place wants the tables to turn over quickly to make room for the next wallet.
The lines stretch out the door. The drive-thru lines wrap around the building. Before Playbook, when the customers began to line up, a barista would jump onto the second cash register and eliminate the line. When it got busy, they would open another barista bar. The service was extremely efficient.
Playbook will not allow a barista to volunteer to help with the long line even though they may be between assigned tasks and looking for something to do. All baristas are controlled by a specific barista assignment plan (Playbook).
Starbucks appears to think they can abuse their customers and the customers will keep coming back for more abuse. To a certain extent, Starbucks is correct, because we are loyal. We have been waiting for the Playbook to succeed or for management to cancel a failed idea. Starbuck’s abuse is beginning to wear thin.
If Howard does not discover that a member of his management team is killing his dream and then reach down to cut out the management cancer, he is going to lose significant numbers of long term customers and partners.
People hate to admit they are beginning to feel a hate for Starbucks instead of the love they have held for the place for 40 solid years. Sadly, this is shaping up like a divorce.
Starbucks has a furniture problem. The padded chairs and benches feel like they are designed to make people leave the 3rd place as soon as possible. The bottoms of the metal chairs bend, flex and pop under each customer’s weight. The furniture screams, “Get out.”
Customers are talking about finding a replacement for Starbucks. One customer used the term, “Coffee Shop Shopping.” Along with that I am considering buying an espresso machine and simply making my own espresso at home.
A couple of regular Starbucks customers even talked about opening their own coffee shop across from Starbucks to create a 3rd place for the customers Starbucks is driving away.
The success of Starbucks has been a partnership between the company, the baristas and a rock solid loyal growing customer base.
Although stock analysts are still positive, customers are not positive. My original reason for wanting to own Starbucks stock was my love for the business Howard Schultz built. Now that my love for Starbucks is being crushed by the Playbook, I think it is time to sell my Starbucks stock. I do not wish to own stock in a company that treats their employees and customers in a shoddy manner.
None of us have insider or official information about what Starbucks is doing or thinking. My article may include any number of errors. I hope I am proven wrong, but what I am absolutely correct about is customer perception, attitude and disappointment related to the death of Starbuck’s 3rd place. Of course, Starbucks has the right to manage the business anyway they wish, but customers have the right to find a new 3rd place. Baristas have the right to find a better place to work.
None of my remarks are intended to be critical of our baristas or in-store management. They are wonderful, but it is obvious they are looking for an escape from they’re deteriorating work environment.
If I live to age 100, I have $67,500 left in my coffee budget. Since Starbucks is working hard to drive me out, where shall I go to find a new 3rd place?
Please write or call with your ideas for a new coffee shop. I will check your suggestions out and report back to you.
Allow me to offer the first idea; The Black Bear Frozen Yogurt and Espresso http://www.blackbearyogurt.com. Check out the current and future locations.
Mr. Schultz, thank you for bringing us The 3rd Place. For me it was a great 24 years.
I sadly agree with your article. I spend a great amount of money at Starbucks, but have started going to my local Target Starbucks because I actually feel important there. Omaha has a growing coffee chain called Scooters. They have had their ups and downs, but at least when I go there (even though it is much less than Starbucks), I feel like a valued customer and you can get a good cup of coffee. They offer a variety of beverages and baked items and have now ventured into the frozen yogurt business. The Scooters staff is great and their actual retail stores provide a comfortable place to visit, study or discuss business.
I have been wondering what has been happening after the reopening of the Lakewood Towne Center Starbucks. Why the drive-thru line was so slow, now I have been enlightened. I do enjoy that my drink always tastes the same and there are quite a few of the baristas that I adore, but if the slowness continues I might be shopping for a different place to get my morning coffee. Thank you for your article, let’s hope that Howard sees the light.
Cutters Point makes a great coffee…even their decaf is great. The ones in Lacey have great seating, fireplace, good “hang out”. I haven’t been to all, but know their standards are high. Valhalla on 6th & Projector makes fantastic coffee but seating is limited.
I haven’t noticed the changes Joe describes, but with his reputation for being a “trained observer”, they are no doubt accurate. I rarely frequent Starbucks stores anymore, but use their “Via” coffee on a daily basis, and get my social interaction fix at work. With retirement on the horizon, I’ll need to see Joe’s recommendations for that post-employment “3rd place”!
The new pastries are waaaay too “cookie cutter” (pun intended) & limited in choice. I use my Nespresso machine at home now & frequent Starbucks much less than I used to. Thanks for enlightening this latte lover about what’s going on.
I noticed that the new Lakewood store’s layout is extremely crowded … chairs and tables area tightly packed in. The bar seating at the window feels elbow-to-elbow. Went in the other day, and while there were some seats left at the bar, I didn’t want to squeeze myself in there and sit on top of the person next to me. And yes, I’ve also noticed the long lines. I wanted a refill before I left, but the line was too long to wait. Finally, I really don’t like their new pastries. They are smaller and not as tasty as before. I used to LOVE their lemon cake, and sometimes I can still find it as an airport Starbucks. I’ve been going more often to the Lakewood Panera lately just because I feel it has more room. Mornings are OK, but lunchtime gets very crowded. For my 3rd place my husband and I like Forza on Marvin Road in Lacey. They have live music some evenings, trivia games … it feels like a real neighborhood gathering spot. They won the 2013 Thurston County Best New Business of the Year. They offer real food, and their baked goods are made fresh. Very yummy homemade pies.
Maybe we should all write to Howard Schultz ??
Miss Sharli,
Thanks for your suggestion. When I think I have all the comments on this story, I plan to send a hard copy to Mr. Howard Schultz, Starbucks Coffee Company, 2401 Utah Av S, Seattle, WA 98134. If others would like to share their thoughts with Mr. Schultz, please do so. Let’s save our Starbucks.
Joseph Boyle
Well, Joe, we went to the Black Bear Yogurt, Espresso place today & while we found the barista super friendly & cute, we wonder how well they will do with a crowd. (I mentioned we came because of your Sub Tomes article, but they were in the dark on that.) They do not brew decaf, which eliminates Harry, Sonja & John. The space is comfortable & well-appointed, but again, how do they do with a crowd? I have never been into writing letters to the powers that be, but maybe this is the time. I don’t like the new foodstuffs either!
Write him! He reads the comments. He will fix it if enough people complain.
Our store is across the drive-through…..there is always a line in the drive-through and inside. IMHO, we should consider supporting local businesses. Keep our $ here so that our community is successful and happy.
Thanks, Joe, for stating what should be obvious to the Starbucks’ management. I wrote to them about the pastries shortly after they came out, and the reply was basically “that’s what we decided on, get used to it.” Please forward your remarks and the comments to Starbucks corporate HQ. If they get enough flack, maybe things will improve. In the meanwhile, the Barnes & Noble sells Starbucks coffee, plus much better pastries.
Years of “just say yes” May have trained customers to demand whatever they want. If a billion dollar business made a decision and an investment in a new food line, why would your complaints change everything? They have put so much testing a and market research into this, it’s mind blowing. The investment they made in partners to train and the investment in sampling to customers is astonishing. I think their response is fair. You’re the outlier.
I haven’t noticed any difference in service quality, and the new pastries seem ok. They have always seemed overpriced, and there are a couple of pastries that I like.
But… Mochas from several Starbucks in my area have all of a sudden gotten very thin and watery. I’m in Albuquerque. Either they have a new mocha mix which doesn’t stay mixed so the last few are great and the rest suck, or a new supplier that is providing a bad product.
Wow Joe. Great article. I will remain quiet. Completely understand and miss you in the store
As a barista I must say I have never danced this fast before, I fear I will soon spin completely out of control or for that matter into another dimension entirely. Does anyone care, will anyone even miss me or even look for me, will anyone hear me?
I work at a Starbucks that has Playbook and I can say at first I, and my entire team, absolutely hated it. Roles were kept defined and it was very chaotic. However, 8 months in and I would NEVER want to go back to the way it was. It takes time for a team to adjust Playbook to their specific needs (and Playbook does call for these adjustments). If you find a store that is having trouble with Playbook, they either haven’t had enough time to work it into their store or their management team is failing at implementing an obviously superior system. I agree with some of the points you make, but most of these problems were solved within 5 months of my store switching over.
Matt,
Thank you for your comment above, which is very positive. I sincerely hope you are totally right and am completely wrong regarding what Starbucks will look like in the future.
We want Starbucks to be a happy successful place for everyone concerned.
Joseph Boyle
Some stores had the option to opt out of Playbook due to not having enough staff on the floor.
Playbook basically says: Schedule 10 people for this to be effective.
Manager says: yea… sure.. that will happen. Schedule 5 people in the morning and 3 people for the rest of the day.
Customers say: uggggh what’s taking so long? I ONLY ordered 3 pastries and 3 drinks and so did everyone in front of me and probably everyone behind me
Baristas say: its called fast food, not instant food. stop ordering McMuffins. this isn’t McDonalds
That’s extremely inaccurate.
I have had the somewhat unfortunate experience of working at this company for a little over a year and a half. From what I was told, the store which I started at was the very first store to ever run Playbook. We even had Playbook’s designer (who’s name I wish I could remember) come in to observe us. The first 3-5 months of my employment were some of the best I’ve ever had in a job. Our crew was very tight knit, we had eachothers backs, including management. Then, from some higher power, we were forced to start cutting labor. Meaning, we needed to do the same job with fewer people. While our sales and customer numbers grew out of control, we are consistently given more things to juggle (new drink recipes, new food items, more machines to operate) and told it needs to be done with less people. Mind you, the job isn’t rocket science. However, we do spend eight long hours on our feet, hopefully with a 30 min meal and one 10 minute break, constantly multitasking. It is mentally and physically draining. I would be more inclined to accept how it is, if only I could afford to NOT need another job. I don’t expect a salary for making beverages, but just over minimum wage isn’t exactly comfortable. Starbucks also prohibits us from working over 40 hours a week, eliminating the chance for overtime pay. Yes, the benefits are unique. We are given stock after certain time periods, health insurance at part time, and a free pound of coffee a week! That stuff is nice. HOWEVER, it doesn’t feel worth it anymore. I thought maybe it was just my location, so I transferred. Now, at my new location, I am experiencing the same problems. Three of my co workers have quit in the last week. One, we simply never heard from again after a very rough shift. Another, was tired of being taken advantage of because he actually worked hard. The last was told she had to work with walking pnemonia, even with a doctors not stating she should not return for 3 days. I apologize for the length of my comment, but I hope it helps your goal of getting attention from higher up.
I sense sadness in your story as someone who truly appreciates the essence of the Starbucks experience and culture. Its a romance of sorts with ideas that are just not forward thinking to put people first but stellar business decisions.
Taking a look at American culture, people want to go, go, go and they have no time to wait or even get off their phones as they order their triple grande, soy, no foam, extra hot latte. My Starbucks has 10-15 cars lined up for drive thru while the inside of the Starbucks 3rd place is empty except a few regulars like yourself. Consumers demand that drive thru experience but expect Starbucks quality which means there is not a bin full of lattes for people like hamburgers at McDonald’s. The work is rewarding but very challenging managed down to seconds to ensure that most people get their fix before work or their next adventure. Enter playbook to manage those seconds more efficiently. Its really no different than playing a position on a baseball team. The 3rd baseman will not run deep into the outfield because he has his position to man.
Starbucks thrives on consumer feedback so I hope that you do submit our story for review. Its the very feedback of consumers that have led to innovations that are commonplace today.
Best wishes.
I am a Starbucks barista, I have worked for them three times in the last 10 years. I came back because my first two stints were wonderful, I felt appreciated, it was fun, and I’m amazing at what i do. Now, however….
They’re asking us, ORDERING us, to do the work of ten people with a five man crew, they even have an allotted amount of time in which to do each task. 90 seconds to grind and brew fresh coffee, two minutes to refill the espresso beans, hot cup sleeves, and ice bins, 90 seconds to wash dishes. They want us to be robots with all the cheer of a real human, and we can’t do it. The first time I had to quit due to relocation, I cried as I left my store. Now, I cry on the way home because I’m exhausted and have to go back the next day. Everything you said in this article is accurate.
This is my actual life every single day. And I still have to go back every day, too. This company was amazing when I first started almost 7 years ago. I thought our suffering might just be our district, and now I’m realizing that something is very, very broken in this company. The baristas still get great perks and my insurance is fantastic. But at what cost? Anxiety attacks on a regular basis. Dreading knowing you have to go back the next day. That’s my reality.
I have been a partner in Starbucks for years and unfortunately the things you mention are true in too many ways. Playbook has been a giant failure when implemented in high volume stores. At least where I work we have not implemented in all stores because of how badly is has been in the few stores that use it. Along with myself, many of my partners agree with you 100%.. We are heartbroken and feel let down by the company we once loved. We are overworked and overwhelmed.. All I hear are my partners unhappy and searching for new jobs- and doing to reluctantly because we all have hope that things will change. Unfortunately, that change does not seem to be coming anytime soon. The company has to return to heir roots. They have to take a look at what they have become because as someone who used to defend them when people would talk big business and corporate whatnot I would try to convince them that we were different.. I can no longer do that. I hope for my partners that these things change and change fast. Thanks for noticing these issues and getting it out there.
I work at Starbucks as well, a 6 year partner.
Playbook is a terrible idea. It was implemented in my store almost a year ago and it’s AWFUL. I could see how it could work with all of the positions doing role specific tasks, but in order for it to function properly, you have to have 5-7 people on at a time. If you don’t have enough people, it doesn’t work and is stressful for everyone, especially us supervisors who are responsible for the running of the store. In my district, they put Playbook training on hold for stores who hadn’t switched over yet. We were told that it worked really well in café stores, but there were some issues with drive thru stores that needed to be worked out.
Whoever came up with this obviously never worked in a Starbucks store as a barista. I would love to go back to the old way, my favorite part of the job is customers. It’s hard to even talk to them because it’s always busy and understaffed. And the customers notice as well.
I’m disappointed in the decisions Starbucks has made regarding operations, products and partners. It’s not the same company I started working for so many years ago. Profit is the only concern. My store manager is so awful, she smacked an employee’s hand out of anger, in front of customers. Customers and partners contacted the district manager and corporate office and nothing ever happened. Why is the cost of hiring and training a new manager more important than the safety of “partners”? It makes no sense to me.
I go elsewhere on my days off or use my Keurig.
About your store manager, the company (at least in my area) have totally stopped promoting people to ASM and then SM.. They rely mainly on hiring RMTs from outside the company who have never worked a day as a barista. It’s such a shame.
I work at a Starbucks that isn’t a Playbook store (yet) but everything I have heard is terrifying. We already have a line wrapped around the drive-thru cutting off traffic flow every morning. We are cutting back on labor as well, so I fear this will only get worse.
Your comment about being afraid for one’s job is completely true.
We are taught (or were, when I was a new Barista 6 years ago) that we should do whatever it takes to make a customer happy. “Surprise and delight.” Make someone’s day by giving them a cup of coffee when they’ve been through a rough time. But now we are scolded for attempting to follow this rule. It’s make a buck, make a buck. Personally I have to (literally) be looking over my shoulder during my entire shift for fear of being seen doing something I shouldn’t (which, I should point out, is probably something I didn’t know I shouldn’t be doing anyway… But don’t get me started on the communication in the company).
I was excited to be working for such a wonderful company. I loved getting to know my customers and partners. The partners at my current store are like a happily disfunctional family. I don’t know what I’d do without them. But, to be honest, with the way the company is going I have a hard time giving a damn anymore. I clock in, endure the shift, clock out, and forget about it.
It wasn’t just a “3rd place” for the customers, it was a place for the partners too. It was a way out of a bad home life for a few hours, a way to wake up in the morning before classes, or a pit stop on the way to a party or a date that night. We’d discuss our lives with our fellow partners and customers alike. But now it’s almost as if we worked on an assembly line. We are discouraged from holding a conversation for more than a few minutes and to keep our personal lives to ourselves.
All in all, Starbucks is still great in the grand scheme of things. It will always be a place of memories, both good and bad, that I will cherish. I have made lifelong friends here. Even a “sister from another mister” that I would have never met otherwise. I will still buy drinks here and use them for a guaranteed clean(er) bathroom trip. But the recent changes, including Playbook, is going to be the straw that broke this camel’s back.
Thank you for this article and thank you for seeing through all the hype to what is really happening.
I’m pretty sure that Ray Oldenburg (a sociologist) coined the term Third Place, not Schultz. Starbucks never was a third place, thought the landscape of third places is changing.
Joe,
I think you will find it interesting to know that after a multitude of discussion, planning, and attempted training, Playbook was rolled back from the company. It was supposed to be launched nationwide by the end of 2014 and the company ultimately “delayed”/”cancelled” the roll out of the daily management style. They rolled it out in waves and decided that it would be the best way to go about it. That has clearly been seen as false. Playbook isn’t the only poor decision that has been made. The list goes on. The third place is gone. The facade you see of it now is but the remnant that is hanging on for dear life. It’s a company that is acting out of fear because the numbers aren’t coming in like they did last year. It’s all about increasing the transactions, cutting labor, and lowering waste. While this is ideal, it’s being shoved down many throats.
You’re article scratches the surface of a bigger issue.
I became a Starbucks customer when they first arrived in Minneapolis over twenty years ago. I traveled with my work and sought out Starbucks in at least fifteen states because I loved the place.
My one staff member is a former Starbucks manager who managed several stores in two states. He loved Starbucks but left because the changes took all the pleasure from his work. Starbucks is a publicly held corporation and management’s first responsibility is to drive shareholder value. The only way customers can make an impact on the company is to spend their money somewhere else.
I hope positive changes happen. I still love Starbucks coffee.
Playbook can work when u have enough players to play with! Though it is still very flawed. Problem is in so many smaller stores, they run mostly on a two person team. Placing them in survival mode, not playbook mode. If your team sets you up for success, the old way worked great. Good old fashioned Teamwork rocking out each day. I’ve lived on the front lines for 7 years now. We dont need that small bucket of ice on the counter melting nor to pour a cup of beans in the hopper & sleeves?? Really? Playbook = fail. Somebody help, it is no longer fun here! This article could have been written by so many managers …so well stated. Spot on. Thank you!!
As a former Starbucks employee and now a proud owner of my own coffee roasting company and two Denver,CO based cafes, I’ve seen the Starbucks-dominated 3rd place mentality now drowned out by options. If you happen to find yourself in Denver, please swing by one of our great spots and grab a cup of coffee on me! Fortunately I live in a city with so many more options other than Starbucks but I think sadly there are still some places where the options aren’t quite as available. Thanks!
I think this story has a lot of complaints without a lot of facts or reasons why. It’s sad to hear your experiences lately. I’m a store manager for the company, and while I feel stretched to meet sales- it’s a business. We’ve made promises to share holders and we work hard to fulfill those promises. Playbook has been a great success in my store, has made work easier and more consistent. Sometimes you really have to dig into the reasons why we do the things we do- ultimately it’s to better serve the customer. I might be lucky and have a great leadership team who understands the reality of our jobs. We are always looking at my store from a customer standpoint…it’s an amazing company to work for, and sometimes you have to do things for the greater good of the company.
If you live in or near Centennial Colorado, Cafe Dolce on University and Arapahoe is a wonderful 3rd place! http://www.cafedolcecolorado.com
This resonates with me more than you would ever imagine. I’m a partner who recently transferred from a non playbook to a playbook drive thru store. I was in awe when I was told I couldn’t help the barista on “solo” (register and bar) when she had a line out the door because I was station on drive thru all I could do is watch; this is terrible customer service if I were one of those customers i’d deffinetly find another coffee shop. I’m actually so fed up I had a job inyerview today to get out of this negative enviornment and downfall of work ethics. I totally agree with this arrival I hope Howard puts a stop to this and if not I hope another company with similar standards to his original idea of Starbucks make a move and opens up a new “3rd place”
When a system is put into place and is run correctly the purpose is apparent. It’s very obvious that the customers and partners who have made comments have been in stores that are not running the system correctly. Every day is different at every store. To be a successful management team you must be able to check and adjust the system. This doesn’t mean abort the system but effectively make it work with your team and your customers while having the same goal as the company you work for. I am not perfect and I certainly don’t run a perfect store but when all gears are going in the same direction the outcome is success. I stand by my company and what we stand for. I hope your experiences get better and you have another 24 years of a 3rd place!
I’m a barista, and this (and many of the comments) is so true for me. Playbook failed (although is ‘in limbo’??) at our store since January. Our store is a high volume store that has had a fantastic reputation with customers, as well as consistent quality in our drinks. That’s changed a lot- especially this year, but I think it started late last year. Labor is continually cut, so that our seasoned dedicated partners are burnt out, and every day is a matter of just getting through your shift. I love so many of our customers- regulars or not, but most of my shifts these days consist of barely putting on a fake smile and saying things are great. When I’m not spinning around, knocking out drinks on the bar, or restocking- I LOVE to make conversation/eye contact/smile at customers, but there’s barely time for that. Our manager is overworked and hounded continually by our DM, and is hardly able to chat with any regulars anymore. We used to be able to have honest talks with our manager, but I can see in their eyes each time now, that they’re almost forced to operate a certain way and not be able to manage the store in their own personal way anymore.
With the La Bolange that we were forced to be so cheery about- it’s smaller, not as appealing, and with Starbucks trying to ‘reduce the waste’- we practically run out of food by mid-morning! There are only so many days you can make up excuses for that, and our customers have noticed. It’s becoming too much about turnover, transactions, cutting labour, and the buck (to fluff some/many CEO’s what- million dollar bonuses??). We certainly don’t see any extra money!
It’s been so discouraging for myself and my other partners. We can’t operate as the cheery, awesome baristas that we did just a year ago- and forget the ‘inspirational moments’! I know that sounds cheesy to some people, but that and making quality coffee were the two main reasons I’ve always loved Starbucks and working for them. Maybe there’s still time for them to clean up this mess. 🙁
As a customer of Starbucks, I have to agree. I’m finding that I’m increasingly getting a vibe of “get your coffee and get out,” from the lack of comfortable furniture, too short tables, lack of outlets, overcrowded locations, and loud music that is difficult to talk over.
As a barista that works for Starbucks I feel that it has nothing to do with play book. Starbucks has a big customer base and it only increases with time. The long lines and the wait time are a result of a business doing we’ll. Play book is simply a program that allows the store to run more efficient and to not over welm the patners working .If partners can truely understand play book the store should run perfectly fine. Play book is new to the company and we are all trying to adjust to the changes and rules. I have been with the company for almost 5 years and I have had my ups and downs that come with any job. The 3rd place will never die at Starbucks if anything it might just bump up to the 2nd place. I truely try to make a connection with anybody that comes into our store. If you ever feel ignored or feel undervalued after walking out a Starbucks don’t hesitate to turn around and let us know. Your feedback is what drives our company. With out our customers Starbucks can’t grow into the company it’s maturing to be. Thank you for the time.
I’m writing a reply to this article as an ex-partner (shift supervisor), in hopes that it does reach the desk of Howard Schultz eventually…
For me, Mr. Schultz has always been a source of inspiration, so when I read Onward for the first time, I’ll admit that I teared up once or twice. Although I take exception with some of the points raised in this article, I agree with most of what you’ve said.
When I started with Starbucks five years ago, the company invested in training their partners. We promoted internally, celebrated successes (read: Partner of the Month), and had great incentives for Partner Appreciation Day. All of these things in combination with stock options, health coverage and free goodies helped keep morale boosted. In fact, I’d never met a person that didn’t love working for Starbucks until after our 40th anniversary in 2011.
After the recession in the United States, I felt an internal shift from focussing on the Starbucks’ experience to sales. The bottom line took priority to the third place, and profitability became our key driver. Sure, Customer Voice was still reviewed by our in-store management teams, but an average ticket below $5.00 was far more likely to earn you a coaching conversation than a CV score of 80% or higher was to earn the team a “good job!” This wasn’t an isolated occurrence.
In the span of five years, I had seven home stores (and phantomed for MANY others) in the hopes that just one would reignite my love for the company. Management seemed lack-lustre, uninspired and unintuitive wherever I went. Store managers, in my experience, were incompetent external hires that couldn’t identify with tenured baristas, and District Managers were faceless voices in conference calls.
We reduced our Fair Trade/Organic selection and reneged on Product (RED) in-store. The ethical Fortune 500 company that once took ownership of its environmental impact stopped setting the bar, and started to drop the ball and I began to forget why I’d ever wanted to work there.
Once I realized how disenchanted I had become, I asked to be demoted. I didn’t feel that I could effectively lead a positive team of baristas when I felt so unhappy coming to work every day. I finally left Starbucks in November of 2013, after being offered a position managing a coffee shop for another Fortune 500 company (ranked this year as one of Fortune’s 100 top employers) for almost double my Starbucks’ rate of pay.
As a manager, I sympathize and understand that there’re business and operational needs that can’t be compromised and must be met, but the customer/employee experience must be THE priority, not just one of many.
I’m deeply grateful for what my early years at Starbucks taught me and, to this day, I carry my copy of Onward to draw leadership inspiration from. I once dreamt of climbing the ranks in Starbucks and having a team with which to engage, teach and promote, but I don’t anymore. I was in it (and have always been in it) for the customer experience, the partner experience, and my passionate love of coffee.
I believed in what we were doing, and I continue to believe in the men and women who uphold and represent Starbucks’ core beliefs and values, but I forfeit the dream of a future with this company a long time ago.
I’m grateful to the customers that have continuously supported Starbucks through their rebranding and transitional periods, and to the partners that have remained loyal. These customers, baristas, shift supervisors, and store managers are a dying breed, but Starbucks owes what’s left of their experience to them.
Joe, thank you for writing this article and shining light on the fast-food mentality Starbucks has adopted with Playbook. Many customers don’t have the behind-the-scenes insight that you’ve provided, and the transparency will help solicit genuine and thoughtful criticism. I sincerely hope your thoughts are read by Howard.
PS. Your baristas miss you, I guarantee it.
I have worked at Starbucks for 6 years, and have LOVED it. I felt like I was doggon lucky to have a job I looked forward to nearly every day. I genuinely felt like it was my 2nd home, and our customers were well treated, “surprise and delight” was one of the goals of Starbucks to serve customers. I also was extremely efficient, talented, and speedy on bar. I was like Professor Akins in “Atlas Shrugged” – someone who went “Galt” from the world, but did their simple job with the utmost skill, love, and pride. Playbook came in and turned me into a number and a robot. I clean the same damn table every 8 minutes, and sometimes it is not even touched. I put a singular scoop of beans into a machine every 8 minutes, and it doesn’t really need any more beans. Meanwhile the line is backed up, and I am not supposed to help out… just keep on my 8 minute cycle. It is embarrassing, and I wonder what the customers think when they see me cleaning the door, when the line is so long. What kind of service is that? I have been warned I will be fired if I can’t get positive about Playbook. But the economy is so bad, this job is really good for me to have. So I pretend to be fine.
I’m also a supervisor with the company and am glad to see so many of my fellow partners respond to this article. I have been with the company for 6 years, and with those 6 years, I have seen many changes. Some that seemed to happen every 6 months.
My current store does not operate on playbook but others in our district do. I have heard good and bad things from both customers and partners alike. Yes, playbook needs to have a certain number of partners working at one time to make it truly efficient and yes, it takes time to adjust to a new system. It is also true, however, that it should have never been implemented in some of the stores, and I believe that is why mine does not use it.
What I’ve seen in the comments about the 3rd place dying makes me truly sad. My store is quite busy on a daily basis and we are making about 20-25k a week (so roughly $4000) a day. My crew is exhausted every night from what we have to do in the time frame we have, but it’s because we are jumping through hoops to make sure out customers are happy. My crew and I are desperately trying to hold on to the third place idea and make sure our customers are willing to fight the good fight along side us.
I have seen comments about feeling like worker drones with the expectation of being effervescent, and I have to admit it’s true. It’s hard to fight and maintain your humanity when the company is pressuring you to move faster and get them (customers) in and out. We do our best on the wages we earn.
I unfortunately have seen customers leave and never return because we’re “too slow” and I’ve seen valued, hard working partners leave because they found a job that pays more. Some don’t want to leave and some are so burnt out that they are happy for reprieve. I’m sorry to say that lost of my team feels this way, I and unfortunately it’s exhausting trying to support them and encourage them to stay when in thinking the exact same thing about leaving.
I think the issue isn’t really playbook, it’s what the general feeling is in the store. A new management tool, when embraced, can be difficult at first of course… But if the partners are genuinely excited and supportive of it, the customers can not help but stay hopefull and loyal that things will return to the way they were.
When you have a store, even with out playbook, and the feeling is “I feel like a slave” or “I’m tired, stressed, and sick of feeling like this with nothing to show”, how is a 3rd place supposed to thrive? If your partners are unhappy, why would your customers be?
I can’t fully support playbook because I have never experienced it first hand, but I am saying, maybe it’s not the actual tool, but those who are implementing it. A hammer if not used properly changes the outcome.
I’m sorry if I rambled or if this comment was all over the place. I just wanted to give a different option. I do love the company still, but am honestly trying to figure out if it’s love or just a naive sense of loyalty.
Thanks for writing though. Our customers need to be heard!
Sadly your article touches on why I left this once great company after 11 years of service. I am saddened by the “new bux” and hope that Howards takes a minute to reflect on his original vision. What was once a place where I formed many great and wonderful memories is now a place of frustration and disappointment. They pay minimum wage and expect greatness….I think not. Howard used to preach that the only way to be successful was to have a happy and well cared for staff. Now…well the green apron is no longer a symbol of greatness but one of bitterness and loathing.
Like Joe, I am a loyal and longstanding Starbucks customer. Like Joe, I have the distinct sense that service has now taken a back seat to by-the- clock efficiency. In my view, Joe’s comments are spot on. The local managers should be given more common sense leeway in job assignments when things get busy. I also agree that the much-vaunted new pastries are a major step backward in quality. Perhaps it’s time for previously loyal customers to vote with their feet and seek out places with a more welcoming attitude.