http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:10:47 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-706335 Howard Shultz is not Hitler. Howards Shultz is a big business owner. I work at Starbucks, have been for some time now, I signed a contract saying, in large bolded type mind you, that I would try to keep my work environment as good as possible for my fellow partners. Starbucks has never made me work when I was sick even though we had to call every employee to find a sub and sent me home even before we knew we could even get one. One of my fellow employees was fired for sexual harrasment only because Starbucks has a partner complaint hotline to which you can make anonymous complaints. If you don't like the manager call and they'll transfer you to another Starbucks, one of the girls I work with transferred to my store because of a situation like that. The internet is not private, if someone can hack into yahoo, they obviously could get to your private blog without breaking a sweat. You pay more for soy milk because you can steam normal soy milk so Starbucks has it specially made so it can be steamed, though it increases the price it allows those who can't drink normal milk to still enjoy Starbucks coffee, which also costs more only because of it's high quality. Mouthing off online one a blog that is easily identified as yours is not how you should vent. I have never had any problems working at Starbucks, that managment didn't/couldn't fix, that didn't have to do with customers dumping hot coffee in my face because I forgot the one pump of sugar free mocha in they're twenty descriptor latte. I don't expect Howard Shultz to do anything for me personally because he has too much to do already, but with my medical and dental care that many other places don't offer I tihnk I'm alright with signing the contract saying I can't say anything bad about the company or my managers because if I did I wouldn't be working there. By signing the contract I gave up my freedom of speech I did it of my own free will there is no reason to say that Starbucks took it away because the truth is that I gave it to them. 706335@blogcritics.org Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:10:47 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-705340 really? 705340@blogcritics.org Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:57:52 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-696487 I don't give two hoots in hell what he said or where he said it - this is a FREE COUNTRY and if we have gotten to the point where the thought and speech police are reading over our shoulder, let's all collectively throw a hot cup of steaming black coffee over that shoulder. What we do on our own time, as well as what we SAY on our own time is NO ONE'S BUSINESS!! We WORK for you, you MORONS - you do not own or control us in any way shape or form! Shame on you Starbucks!! George Orwell saw you coming.... 696487@blogcritics.org Tue, 19 Feb 2008 14:42:59 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-680398 He not what he was doing. People know that the Internet is public. He may not have identified his target, but associations exist that he would know word-of-mouth was get back. It is a clear message to everyone. This isn't your personal diary or your private telephone call to a friend. It's etched in stone. 680398@blogcritics.org Sat, 15 Dec 2007 14:49:27 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-564048 I work for starbucks as a supervisor, and i know what this guy must be going through. it's not an easy job. dealing with the various personalities of customer and coworker can be very stressful. serving the public is usually thankless, and we are often looked down upon as the average, low i.q. fast food employee, despite the fact that most of us are working toward degrees in fields not related to food service. I was forced to work with a 104 degree fever, persistently passing out in the office, because no one could cover my shift. i wound up in the e.r. that night. I could have been the author of the online journal blasting the company for forcing me to continue my shift with a severe fever. No harm would have come to the management staff, but I have no doubt i would have been fired as well. 564048@blogcritics.org Wed, 21 Mar 2007 18:21:26 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-552655 I believe employers do have a right to expect that their employees be respectful of the company they work for. Needless to say there are a lot of people looking for jobs that can't find them, and those that have them should be at least thankful enough to speak with pride about the company they work for, or, if they are dissatisfied or disgruntled or dismayed, they are free to quit and then are free to say whatever they want as protected by their first ammendment rights. I have a separate gripe...At Christmas time I sent Howard Schultz a gift package to his Main office address at Starbucks. The package contained 5 beautiful Salt Lamps from my company www.SaltLampCreations.com While I was hopeful he would find them suitable for sale in Starbucks stores I sent no sales letter or any hype. Just a note saying they were a gift from Salt Lamp Creations and my address, jerry-saltlampcreations-com It is now nearly 3 months later and I didn't even receive an acknoledgment from Howard Schultz or any of his Starbuck's employees of the gift, though UPS tracking shows it as delivered. When you get to far removed from your customers, the dream of building a village starts to look morre like building an empire. 552655@blogcritics.org Sat, 3 Mar 2007 23:12:56 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2004/09/04/141004.php#comment-533283 I realize this is a really old blog....but I have no clue where all this antimosity comes from, I have worked for two seperate stores and both have been amazing expiences for me. It is one of the best working environments I have ever worked for. If you complain about an employer and they found out, I wouldn't expect much less than for them to fire you... Why would anyone want to keep someone working for them who is going to slur them. private or public if I owned a store or was a manager and found out one of my employees were saying mean things I wouldn't want to keep them either.Mean coments are hurtful, and who wants to work with people who are going to bring them down? The places I have worked have been positive, they work on building you up not tearing you down. I am sorry for the people who have experienced otehrwise. As for prices that occasionaly go up......When in life has prices not gone up? Did not bread at some point cost a nickel? Can you get that now? NO way. Prices go up, because costs of living goes up. It is just the way things are. 533283@blogcritics.org Sun, 11 Feb 2007 13:57:59 EST