207 challenges taken in 28 states (welcome Nebraska!) and 13 countries, with 170 blogs participating!

5 days to go, and 5 more reasons to take the challenge!

1. You wanna see if Starbucks employees had time to read their email over Thanksgiving.

2. You want on the spiffy Starbucks Challenge map.

3. You live in Alabama or Utah, and wanna represent.

4. You could really use some free, organic fair trade certified coffee.

5. You’re a masochist and enjoy hearing “no.”

Wondering if things improved at Starbucks this second month? I just did the stats: Nationwide, the fair trade success rate has GONE DOWN since the first month of the challenge, from 59% to 49%!

I’m proud to report, however, that the stores in California have improved — a whopping 4%, from 55% to 59%. This anomaly was mostly due to the work of Roger, gone green, an uber-challenger who’s made it his mission to personally educate the baristas he runs across, scaring them into compliance.

It’s pretty clear that most store managers have no clue about the fair-trade-on-demand policy that Starbucks so proudly displays on its website. Perhaps a lil more embarrasingly, Starbucks employees evidently don’t care to check out their website — or read their emails, for that matter. Legendary service, my ass.

But before Starbucks’ CSR department offers to send out yet another ineffective email, The promised LA meeting’s been set up! If you live in the LA area, are free Friday, Dec. 16 from 10 until about noon, and would like to put in your two cents, email and let me know — ASAP, cuz spots are limited.

Filed in: starbuckschallenge coffee csr fairtrade starbucks

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