Finally read the lil booklet Starbucks gives to its baristas: The Green Apron Book. And since the next Starbucks Challenge will be coming up quite soon, I’d like to remind Starbucks baristas of a bullet point in the “Be Knowlegeable” section:
“It’s okay to not always know the answer. When you don’t know, find out.”
Baristas get some serious amount of info thrown at them, which is why I think this point’s important. No one has a perfect memory. Challengers — please be nice to baristas if they say they need to ask their manager / another barista about French-pressing a cup of fair trade coffee for you.
But conversely — It would really, really be helpful if baristas didn’t pretend to know the answer when they really don’t — which leads to baristas mistakenly telling customers “We don’t do French presses” or “We don’t have fair trade coffee” or “We only offer what’s brewing” or “That’ll cost $3.95″ or just “Nope.”
The last page of the booklet, which states that customers “return for the very human connection,” puzzled me a bit, since I have a hard time seeing how drive-thrus facilitate that connection. Did you know that McDonald’s has started taking drive-thru orders long-distance? Reps in California take orders for customers in drive-thrus in Hawaii. No news, as of yet, on whether Starbucks will go that route –
April 17th, 2006 at 12:44 pm
Another Starbucks fun fact: Not only are Starbucks employees supposed to french press Fair Trade coffee upon request, but it is their policy that they french press ANY of their coffees that they have available in the store. It isn’t just a mandate for their Cafe Estima.
April 18th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
Hey Gillian — Yes — Starbucks will tell me that — when challengers are unable to get a cup of fair trade coffee — that baristas should be French pressing any coffee on request.
I’m not sure how the fact that baristas are generally uninformed about a general Starbucks policy should make me feel better about the fair trade issue –
But I know this: Starbucks publicizes the fact that it’ll French press a fair trade coffee for anyone who asks — making this a public guarantee. The mermaid makes no such guarantee for any of their other blends. That policy’s just an internal goal for the other blends — where as for the fair trade coffee, it’s an unfulfilled corporate promise.
January 4th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Anyone have a green apron book they want to sell?
I am curious to read it now!
Thanks!
April 11th, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Are the baristas the partners that sell the coffee? What ways does the company work with the community? How much of an impact do you think starbucks has on the community?
October 15th, 2007 at 3:44 am
i need to get hold of a copy of the green apron book, but have been to 10 Starbucks and none have it - I am in the UK - is this just a US thing (i can’t think why it would be!)?
October 15th, 2007 at 7:39 am
The book’s given to employees; it’s not for sale at stores.
November 22nd, 2007 at 9:37 pm
Hi,
M trying desperately to get hold of the Green Apron book.HAve tried in many outlets, but in vain.
let me know, how can i get hold of one.
Meenakshi