# Starbucks.... Socially progressive or disingenuous P.R. ?



## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

So at 3pm today, Starbucks temporarily closed their stores across Canada....


_AN OPEN LETTER TO 

STARBUCKS CUSTOMERS

Our founding values are based on humanity and inclusion. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with respect. 

So today, we will close our 1,100 company-operated stores in Canada at 3pm, for partners (that’s what we call our employees) to come together for a conversation and learning session on race, bias, and inclusion. We will be sharing life experiences, hearing from others, listening to experts, reflecting on the realities of bias in our society and talking about how all of us create public spaces where everyone feels like they belong – because they do.

This is only the second time in our history that we’ve taken such bold action. The first was 10 years ago when we closed our stores to perfect our espresso. We’re closing our stores again now because we must never be complacent in our desire to be inclusive, to live our Mission and Values, and to create a culture of warmth and belonging every time.

The reprehensible event in Philadelphia prompted us to reflect, and led to this day. But this isn’t just about the events of Philadelphia, or about race, or about social challenges in America. This is about humanity. This is universal. None of us are immune. And at Starbucks Canada, it’s about everyone who crosses our threshold feeling safe and welcome. 

This is not the end but rather the beginning of an important journey on inclusion for Starbucks partners. This conversation will continue and become part of how we train our partners going forward. We’re also making the curriculum available online. 

We thank you for your patience and support while we make this important investment. And we look forward to seeing you tomorrow! 
_


Do you think this is about humanity, or simply a clever mea culpa P.R. move to counter the bad publicity and social media shaming for having two black people arrested for nothing? 

If they wanted to hold inclusion training seminars they could have done it in groups, leaving some staff on-duty to run the stores. This just seemed to me like a public self-flagellation exercise - but then, I'm just a cynical old *******. :tongue:

Closing the stores to perfect their espresso is a cause I can get behind. However, that seemed to have entailed changing to automatic machines rather than the older manual ones; thereby, in theory, allowing a minimally trained chimp to draw perfect shots.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Makes no matter to me, I don't frequent places where they look at me oddly when I go in and ask for something as simple as a "coffee, black".


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## new dog (Jun 21, 2016)

Starbucks should be backing up its employees for doing the dirty work in getting out non paying costumers who used the bathroom and occupied the space of paying costumers. Now Starbucks could be the place for bums to go to take a dump, sit around and not pay before they leave. Costumers won't like that and will quietly go somewhere else where they can enjoy their cup of coffee.


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## ian (Jun 18, 2016)

Don't care. As long as they keep providing good, consistent coffee when I stop it really does not matter to me. Anything to avoid a Tim Horton's.


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## jyotii (Feb 9, 2017)

new dog said:


> Starbucks should be backing up its employees for doing the dirty work in getting out non paying costumers who used the bathroom and occupied the space of paying costumers. Now Starbucks could be the place for bums to go to take a dump, sit around and not pay before they leave. Costumers won't like that and will quietly go somewhere else where they can enjoy their cup of coffee.


It has been that way for some years. Now, they just makes it official.


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## fatcat (Nov 11, 2009)

i think that their bathroom policy is actually good business ... they have been known as a place to get a reasonably clean bathroom and this leads to one of the prime rules of retail ... get them in the door

getting them in the door leads to good things ... a decent percentage of people who stop by for the bathroom first will buy something next (hey, the bladder is empty, why not fill it up again ?) or form an attachment to the company for the future 

the bathroom problem is easily solved by frequent inspecting and cleaning

a bigger problem is increasing competition, the slight erosion of their brand and the lagging of afternoon sales

i had to sell either starbucks or disney and i chose to keep disney


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## TomB19 (Sep 24, 2015)

I think the Starbucks social agenda is sincere.


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## Earl (Apr 5, 2016)

Must suck being a franchise owner. Some idiot in the US does something that gets negative media attention, and you have to suffer the consequences just because you own a restaurant with the same name.


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

Has corporate capitalism has gone that far off the rails, that a CEO who displays a social conscience is considered as suspicious behavior ?


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

sags said:


> Has corporate capitalism has gone that far off the rails, that a CEO who displays a social conscience is considered as suspicious behavior ?


Has social justice shaming gotten so bad that a corporate CEO has to make a big overblown public display to get out from under it?


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## TomB19 (Sep 24, 2015)

sags said:


> Has corporate capitalism has gone that far off the rails, that a CEO who displays a social conscience is considered as suspicious behavior ?


I would say yes but in this case I believe it is sincere, even if I doubt the efficacy of such an effort.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

^ Might be useful to weed out employees with the wrong attitude in this business.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Makes no matter to me, I don't frequent places where they look at me oddly when I go in and ask for something as simple as a "coffee, black".


 ... to be further politically correct "coffee, well-done" + "please" (expected too).


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## Big Kahuna (Apr 30, 2018)

new dog said:


> Starbucks should be backing up its employees for doing the dirty work in getting out non paying costumers who used the bathroom and occupied the space of paying costumers. Now Starbucks could be the place for bums to go to take a dump, sit around and not pay before they leave. Costumers won't like that and will quietly go somewhere else where they can enjoy their cup of coffee.


This grifter is just like Bezos-he sees his employees as basically slaves.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Beaver101 said:


> ... to be further politically correct "coffee, well-done" + "please" (expected too).


Yes, good point. I was meaning to emphasize that the few times I have gone into SB, I'm asked "do you want a mumbo-jumbo, a diddley this, or a blah-blah". No. I just want a normal coffee (if such exists), black (no cream or sugar), thank you.
As best as I could tell, I should be asking for an "Americano" whatever the hell that is.

But then, I'm the guy that went out and bought some "Albino Rhino" beer glasses from Earl's several years ago when they were getting rid of them due to a human rights complaint. Hefty glasses they are.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Yes, good point. I was meaning to emphasize that the few times I have gone into SB, I'm asked "do you want a mumbo-jumbo, a diddley this, or a blah-blah". No. I just want a normal coffee (if such exists), black (no cream or sugar), thank you.
> As best as I could tell, I should be asking for an "Americano" whatever the hell that is.


 .. Americano is just regular coffee with a special price at SB.



> But then, I'm the guy that went out and bought some "Albino Rhino" beer glasses from Earl's several years ago when they were getting rid of them *due to a human rights complaint.* Hefty glasses they are.


 ... seriously?


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Price, ahh yes. Now that I think of it, at the heart of it, that is why I'm resistant to learning the SB lingo.

Yes, seriously: The Albino Rhino is no more: Earls rebrands beer after human-rights complaint


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

Beaver101 said:


> OnlyMyOpinion said:
> 
> 
> > ... As best as I could tell, I should be asking for an "Americano" whatever the hell that is.
> ...


Doesn't taste like regular coffee to me ... it tastes like the "cafe American" I would get in Rome - watered down Expresso.

Closest to regular AFAICT is to order the medium/bold/blonde which is pretty close in price to what McD's or Tim's charges.


Cheers


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Eclectic12 said:


> Doesn't taste like regular coffee to me ... it tastes like the "cafe American" I would get in Rome - watered down Expresso.
> Closest to regular AFAICT is to order the medium/bold/blonde which is pretty close in price to what McD's or Tim's charges.
> Cheers


Thanks for that tip Eclectic. :encouragement:
I should even be able to remember the 'lingo' since I'm married to a medium, bold blonde :chuncky:


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> I was meaning to emphasize that the few times I have gone into SB, I'm asked "do you want a mumbo-jumbo, a diddley this, or a blah-blah". No. I just want a normal coffee (if such exists), black (no cream or sugar), thank you.


Maybe now, after their new inclusivity training, they will be more accepting of those customers who are not effete coffee snobs. But for now... "Tall" is SB lingo for small, "Grande" for medium, and "Venti" for large ( 20 oz ). That's about as far as I've gotten in the lingo.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

OnlyMyOpinion said:


> Price, ahh yes. Now that I think of it, at the heart of it, that is why I'm resistant to learning the SB lingo.
> 
> Yes, seriously: The Albino Rhino is no more: Earls rebrands beer after human-rights complaint


 ... well, at least it ended as a win-win situation and Earl's Rhino ale is better known now.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Eclectic12 said:


> Doesn't taste like regular coffee to me ... it tastes like the "cafe American" I would get in Rome - watered down Expresso.
> 
> Closest to regular AFAICT is to order the medium/bold/blonde which is pretty close in price to what McD's or Tim's charges.
> 
> ...


 ... ok, ok, you're technically-coffee correct. Besides, not sure why anyone would want to order an Americano in an Italian café in Rome. I would go strictly for the cappucino and the biscottis.


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## Eclectic12 (Oct 20, 2010)

There's only so much cappuccino I could drink in a week ... after an Americano, when I had too much I went with tea or water instead as I didn't see the point of the Americano.


Cheers


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## Userkare (Nov 17, 2014)

Eclectic12 said:


> There's only so much cappuccino I could drink in a week ... after an Americano, when I had too much I went with tea or water instead as I didn't see the point of the Americano.
> 
> 
> Cheers


I have an espresso / cappuccino pretty much every day. I'm having one right now! 
I usually make them at home myself, but if we're out when the urge hits, there are so many Starbucks around that it's typically where we wind up. I would prefer someplace where they actually know how to make them, not just push a button; but in rural Ottawa, there's not too many choices.

I still think their whole closing of stores across Canada was a P.R. move.


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