Comments on: Sacramento Starbucks: Ask twice, and you shall receive

By: Transmogrifier

Transmogrifier — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A suggestion: Would you also ask Cindy from Starbucks about having an fair-trade espresso blend? I feel that more people will prefer to get a fair trade espresso shot or an Americano rather than a French pressed cup. The barista at my local Starbucks said that by default they have to charge me the venti price for the French pressed cup which adds to the discouragement. I personally cannot handle that much caffein (let alone the price).

By: Yoga Korunta

Yoga Korunta — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

The Starbucks policy is for efficiency and, as you said, usually works.

By: Siel

Siel — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Yeah -- It worked again today, in Georgia.

BTW -- really like the random question & answer on your blogger profile -- Very fitting for a yogi :) Ashtanga, anyone?

Transmogrifier -- I'll definitely add those to the list of Qs. Sadly, I don't remember how much the barista charged me for my ordered-tall-but-got-venti fair trade cup in Sacramento. I thought the guy was just being nice, but maybe he was just trying to give me my money's worth?

By: DD

DD — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Seems to me that it’s not so much discouragement as letting people know what’s already being brewed in case they’d prefer that. It’s just good business sense to do that rather than fresh-brewing a cup of a different roast for every customer.

Not everything’s a conspiracy.

By: Siel

Siel — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Eh, maybe you’re right. But it really wasn’t a “Hey, wanna know the specials?” kind of tone, but a “Quit makin’ trouble” kid.

And it is indeed NOT a conspiracy at the headquarters level — According to official Starbucks policy, as I found out via Cindy in the CSR department (see recent posts), a request for fair trade coffee should immediately elicit an offer for a fair trade cup — WITHOUT “letting people know what’s already being brewed.”