Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Types of Stupid Customers that Order!

Here is the list of silly types of customers when they order!

- the phone addict
this is the customer who refuses to put the phone down long enough to order - instead opting to make us (and all the customers behind them) wait until their conversation is over. sometimes, in-between sentences they'll whisper something unintelligible to us and then toss their money on the counter, as if "decaf mumble, mumble, mumble" translates into starbonics.

- the first-timer
the newbie customer who waits until we've asked them "what can i get for you today?" to actually LOOK at our menu board. and of course a five-minute explanation of each and every one of our beverages ensues while the line gets longer and longer and longer.

- the should-know-better
this is the customer that has been to bux a million times, knows exactly how the ordering process goes, and STILL hems and haws when we ask them what they want. they giggle and smile and say "gee! i should know what i want by now, huh?" and then re-reads the menu forty times before deciding on their usual. their friggen' USUAL!

- the bottlenecker
at bux we usually have what's called a 'floater' to call down the line so the register partners don't have to take extra time to mark cups. usually it's a very efficient process, although occasionally we'll come across a customer who will demand so much attention, and ask so many questions, that we cannot fulfill our floater duties. meanwhile the register partner has already started to ring up the bottlenecker and cannot help the next customer in line. of course that means everyone behind them has to wait even longer just to order.

and my personal favorite:
- mr./ms. ultra-complex
this is the person that won't tell you what they want to order unless you have out your sharpie and have cup in your hand. problem is - if you don't tell me the size of your damn drink, or whether it's hot or iced, it's USELESS for me to start writing! still mr./ms. ultra-complex will say "you need to write this down" and won't utter another word until i'm perfectly poised with cup and pen in hand. then they proceed to say rather slowly "nonfat.....decaf.....three shots.....no foam.....sugar-free hazelnut....why aren't you writing this down?"
"because i need to know the size and what kind of drink it is first." i inform them.
"i'm telling you!" mr./ms. ultra-complex will huff. "nonfat....decaf....three shots...."
of course the drink ends up being a venti when we've started writing on a grande cup, or they will inform us it's supposed to be iced after watching us write down their order on a hot cup. grrrrrrr!

partner rant: please don't bitch to me about a barista you're having problems with. if it's upsetting you so much, then talk to the manager if you can't work it out with your nemesis. talking to me will fix NOTHING, and it only makes me want to take the side of the person that hates you. seriously.

Starbucks Store Review - Seabus Terminal

Location: Seabus Terminal @ Waterfront Station
Type of Location: Corperate Store

General Evaluation:

Time of day: Mid-Afternoon
# of partners on the floor: 3 - (1 Stocking/Refilling)
Service time: 6.5min
Business level: Busy
Cleanliness: Good
Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: No Bathroom at this Location
Legendary service: Not Really!
Would I recommend this Location: YES

Food/Drink Evaluation:

Items Ordered: Grande Green Tea Lemonade and Venti Strawberry/Creame Frappaccino
Display Case/Beverage Sinage: Excellent Condition; Average... Store is too small/Compact!
Drink Preperation/Presentation: Standard yet all over the place!
Quality of Drink/Food Ordered: 7.5/10

Grade: B+

General Comments:

Its a good location! Standard service and beverages! Not a top 10 but havent been let down yet!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

The First Coffee Tour! August 2nd, 2009!

The First coffee tour held by Espresso Vancouver was a great success! Althought the heat was unbearable and the participants were getting a little restless by the end... A Fun time was had by all!

Participants enjoyed a stop at Prado Cafe, Turks Coffee Exchange and Bump and Grind Cafe!

Tour Packages prepared for the participants were a success and a little "The Drive" shopping was also enjoyed!

Another Tour is scheduled for Early September! Be sure to Inquire about the next Tour!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Starbucks Store Review - Broadway @ Commerical

Location: Broadway @ Commercial Dr. (near Brdwy Skytrain)
Type of Location: Corperate Store

General Evaluation:

Time of day: morning
# of partners on the floor: 4 - (1 Stocking/Cleaning)
Service time: 5 minutes
Business level: Average
Cleanliness: Average
Was the bathroom cleaner than a gas station bathroom?: Was not used!
Legendary service: YES! Some of the Baristas know me by name or Drink
Would I recommend this Location: YES

Food/Drink Evaluation:

Items Ordered: Chocolate Crossant and Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Display Case/Beverage Sinage: Excellent Condition; well stocked!
Drink Preperation/Presentation: Well Done!
Quality of Drink/Food Ordered: 10/10 (This Barista always does a great job)

Grade: A

General Comments:

There is always room for improvment Regardless of how great a location is! Drink Calling and proper starbucks standards are well followed! Baristas take the time to recognize a repeat customer and learn names and regular drink orders for those customers! Great Job!

Monday, August 10, 2009

Reviewing Starbucks Locations!

A New Part of the Espresso Vancouver Family will be Reviewing S-Bux Locations around town!

Look to the colum on the right for Reviews!

Following a Simple Standard of Evaluation below each store will be graded and evaluated based on the Criteria stated below!

Good Luck Stores!