OrangeBlossomBaby |
11-16-2023 11:47 AM |
The logic in this thread is faulty. I have a coffee maker at home that can make better coffee than Starbucks can, for a fraction of the price. But when I'm out, and want a latte, or a chocolate croissant, or one of those weird heated chicken and some kind of pesto sandwiches, I find Starbucks to be a convenient option. Especially if I'm picking up a few things at Target, since they have a Starbucks right there in the store.
I prefer the human contact to a machine, when I'm out and paying for something other than groceries (then, I prefer the self-serve). The Starbucks back home had a corner section with a couch and loveseat and coffee table where people would read a People magazine they've bought, and leave it for other customers to read. The store had a subscription to 6 copies of the daily newspaper for customers to read as well. It was absolutely a relaxing experience, even if there was a line to get your food. Taylor Swift showed up to the store one day, unannounced, and it was the big headline in the town's paper that week.
The baristas were all hard-working and well-trained, with solid customer service skills.
So while I'm absolutely NOT a fan of their coffee, I get why people are. And I get why people congregate there. The problem as I read it in the Times magazine article, is short-staffing. On one of the busiest days of the year for Starbucks (Red Cup Day), the corporation has chosen to NOT increase the number of employees on the day's shifts. So they have to deal with a significant increase in customers in drive-through, pick-up, and in-store orders, without enough staff to cover it all.
It poses a safety hazard because they just flat out don't have TIME to clean up. A single fallen ice cube left to melt on the floor could mean a broken leg for a barista and dozens of customers being told "no service" while the ambulance has to sort it all out.
They don't necessarily need many more staff per store, but even one employee per shift extra whose job is ONLY to clean the dining area and back of the bar, and see to keeping the coffee roasting and product stocked, would go a long way to making customers happy, keeping employees safe, and maintaining an efficient, professional, and pleasant atmosphere for both. But Corporate has refused to provide the hours to accommodate an extra person per shift on this, the busiest day of their year.
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