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80p for any Starbucks coffee, any size!
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Hi all, first post... sorry it's a long-un! I'm a long time lurker, and worked for Starbucks until very recently, but this whole water debacle has really angered me. There's nothing at all to do with cost-cutting in this post - hopefully I can contribute to the forums more usefully in the future.
Yes, in Starbucks they have small taps on an awful lot. The taps are used to wash the spoons needed to control steamed milk. Spoons have to be washed between each drink - This is to prevent bacteria from building up on the spoons and to ensure there is no cross contamination between different types of milk (including soya and eggnog - it's not just a case of a bit of whole milk mixing with semi-skimmed).
In the store I worked in, during a busy period we would serve around 230 milk-based beverages an hour - thats about one every 16 seconds. It isn't fesible to turn the tap on and off during busy times. I agree that the taps should be turned off when the store is quieter - which is how I was trained and what I witnessed in every store I worked in. Yes, some stores have badly trained baristas or people who just don't care - it's a near-minimum wage job and as with any large chain, some stores are better than others.
Starbucks use semi-skimmed as standard across the UK. Very few customers specifically ask for whole milk, which is why the jugs often just have 'skimmed' and 'soya' - plain means semi-skimmed. In the larger stores they'll likely have a jug with 'whole' written on in a cupboard for the one guy a month who asks for it.
The calorie chart linked to is for Starbucks in the US, these are the UK ones:
http://starbucks.co.uk/en-GB/_Favorite+Beverages/Beverage+Nutrition.htm
I've yet to make a drink that tops 1000 calories, but if you do opt for whole milk, sweet syrups and cream... well, what do you expect?Health conscious people should remember to ask for skimmed milk, no whip (if applicable) and if you'd like a flavored syrup both hazlenut and vanilla have sugar-free versions which have far fewer calories.
Talk to the baristas - they're not all till monkeys, lots of them are actually very passionate about coffee. They can recomend drinks if you're counting the calories or just want to try something new, explain procedures that seem crazy or wasteful and stay up til 4.30am ranting on message boards on the back of all the free coffee they get
Thanks to the OP for posting the offer (Which I'd take up if there was a Starbucks less than an hours train ride away. Though if there was one near me, i'd still work there. The middle of nowhere sucks!)0 -
This morning, I received my MOCs from them so the next couple of Fridays I'll get a delicious Starbucks for only 40p!!:D0
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"In the store I worked in, during a busy period we would serve around 230 milk-based beverages an hour - thats about one every 16 seconds. It isn't fesible to turn the tap on and off during busy times. "
what?! I'm a well trained barista and you should know that statistic is just impossible, even by Starbucks standards. Fair enough you work on virtually completely automatic machines saving you time and meaning the majority of the work is done for you by simply pushing a button (and thus destroying the bean, however..), and even taking into account you reheat milk again and again and again - but milk based drinks cannot be made that quickly. If you are going to make excuses for why the taps are left on during busy times make it a valid one at least.0 -
Flickering_Ember wrote: »This morning, I received my MOCs from them so the next couple of Fridays I'll get a delicious Starbucks for only 40p!!:D
when did you order them? I just want a rough idea of when to expect mine. Thanks:DAye, look - I got a siggie0 -
what?! I'm a well trained barista and you should know that statistic is just impossible, even by Starbucks standards. Fair enough you work on virtually completely automatic machines saving you time and meaning the majority of the work is done for you by simply pushing a button (and thus destroying the bean, however..), and even taking into account you reheat milk again and again and again - but milk based drinks cannot be made that quickly. If you are going to make excuses for why the taps are left on during busy times make it a valid one at least.
We used to have 3 people making the hot drinks at any time, working across 2 machines. I'm pretty sure you don't work for a busy coffee place - it's pretty common to have 2+ people working together on bar in the inner city stores. This does obviously greatly reduce the ammount of time needed to make a single drink as you can make multiple drinks of the same nature at the same time.
It is possible - it's just tiring and takes a lot of communication. The store I worked for did have an automatic machine, purely down to how busy we were - again, not feasible to add another 20 seconds or so per shot. Some Starbucks stores do still have manual machines.
Starbucks don't teach staff to reheat milk - they realise it's disgusting. They do train people remarkably well and unfortunately a few bad staff manage to ruin the reputation of all Starbucks employees.
I understand a lot of people hate Starbucks and thats fine - I just hate people using misinformation as the basis of it. If you hate it because they all look the same and at Christmas the music is enough to drive a sane person crazy over the course of an hour... fair enough0 -
"In the store I worked in, during a busy period we would serve around 230 milk-based beverages an hour - thats about one every 16 seconds. It isn't fesible to turn the tap on and off during busy times. "
what?! I'm a well trained barista and you should know that statistic is just impossible, even by Starbucks standards. Fair enough you work on virtually completely automatic machines saving you time and meaning the majority of the work is done for you by simply pushing a button (and thus destroying the bean, however..), and even taking into account you reheat milk again and again and again - but milk based drinks cannot be made that quickly. If you are going to make excuses for why the taps are left on during busy times make it a valid one at least.
I mystery shop at a lot of coffee places, and part of the requirement for all the ones I have done is does the customer get his/her coffee within 60 seconds, sometimes 90...and it's always YES!! Even when super busy.0 -
FrostySnow wrote: »when did you order them? I just want a rough idea of when to expect mine. Thanks:D
Tues or Wed last week; think Wed.0 -
Just wondered if anyone else had the same problem as me. I went to a Starbucks - Starbucks sign, furniture etc etc and was told that they were a franchise and were not accepting the vouchers. looking at the small print it does say participating outlets so how do I know if they are participating or not. Is there some where I can find out??
thanks0 -
We used to have 3 people making the hot drinks at any time, working across 2 machines. I'm pretty sure you don't work for a busy coffee place - it's pretty common to have 2+ people working together on bar in the inner city stores. This does obviously greatly reduce the ammount of time needed to make a single drink as you can make multiple drinks of the same nature at the same time.
It is possible - it's just tiring and takes a lot of communication. The store I worked for did have an automatic machine, purely down to how busy we were - again, not feasible to add another 20 seconds or so per shot. Some Starbucks stores do still have manual machines.
Starbucks don't teach staff to reheat milk - they realise it's disgusting. They do train people remarkably well and unfortunately a few bad staff manage to ruin the reputation of all Starbucks employees.
I understand a lot of people hate Starbucks and thats fine - I just hate people using misinformation as the basis of it. If you hate it because they all look the same and at Christmas the music is enough to drive a sane person crazy over the course of an hour... fair enough
Good for you, sticking up for Starbucks. Alot of people put alot of pride and effort into their work, be it for McDonalds, Starbucks or any employer and deserve recognition for that.
I have worked in two less polished outlets which prided themselves on their coffee, one in Germany and one in Belfast, and I have to say that Starbucks staff seem very efficient and friendly in comparison and their products are great.
I generally tend to prefer independent retailers to large chains but I don't think there are many independents who offer what Starbucks do. My only gripe with Starbucks is the price so I only buy it every so often.0 -
is this the same starbucks that was charging the firecrews during the 9/11 disaster0
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