As a Former Starbucks Employee...

[stillalive]

After seeing a couple of posts about Starbucks, I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in. I know it might be tempting to vape in Starbucks just to protest their really stupid policy (and yes, it IS stupid, I agree!), but please don't. When you vape in Starbucks or on the patio, you're not sending a message to corporate. You're making life more difficult for the people who make minimum wage and work CRAZY HARD with a smile on their face. Seriously, Starbucks was one of the most challenging jobs I've ever had!

We were told that if someone was vaping in the store or on the patio, we had to leave our co-workers (who also make minimum wage) to do our job for us (on top of their own) while we went and politely asked them not to vape. If they didn't stop, we had to call the police, or else we would get in trouble. And if corporate had walked through the door while someone was sitting there vaping, even if we had asked them to stop and call the police, everyone would have gotten in trouble! Our GM was an amazing, sweet lady, and she didn't agree with the policy any more than any of us do. But if some of y'all had been vaping in her store, she would have faced a lot of problems.

I don't think it's that big a deal to go outside and take a few steps away from the property to vape, but if you really can't go without your nic fix and you're stuck inside Starbucks due to the weather or something, please just go to the bathroom, lock the door, and stealth vape. Call or email corporate, definitely! But please don't be an ... to the hardworking people trying to make your coffee. A lot of them are smokers, and you making their life miserable isn't going to make them interested in switching to vaping.

Thanks for reading.

 

[jcco]

I couldn't agree with you anymore. Leave those Barista's alone. It's obvious they work hard enough as it is.

It's corporates call & that's just the way it is.

 

[Butters78]

Batista power!

 

[joePec]

I couldn't agree with you anymore. Leave those Barista's alone. It's obvious they work hard enough as it is.

It's corporates call & that's just the way it is.

So let me get this straight... Not only do i spend 4 bucks for a cup of coffee... tip the person making it - now i need to worry my vaping might make them have to tell me to quit?

Tell ya what Starbucks, Baristas and all... I never vaped before in a Starbucks, but I'm going to blow freakin CLOUDS the next time I walk in one. When a company policy is "cranial-rectal", they need to know it. Jackwagons...

FYI - There are PLENTY of coffee houses with wifi, great coffee and no attitude. Think I'll burn my 4 year old gold card.

 

[Butters78]

Who peed in your coffee Joe?

 

[Statistic]

I can appreciate where you're coming from. Personally though, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere altogether, some place that will let me vape and actually has good coffee. Starbucks is just about the nastiest excuse for coffee I've ever tasted, I'd rather drink vending machine coffee.

 

[klynnn]

I have never even been in a starbucks but you can bet if given the chance I won't. I can't imagine paying their prices for a cup of coffee but maybe I am old school or smart school as I like to call it.

 

[nicetucu]

Thanks for putting it in the employee perspective. Most of us will just get our coffee elsewhere. I really like starbucks coffee, it's a shame really. But dealing with corporate can be a pain as well. We just don't want to be lumped together with smokers is all. I feel bad for the barista's being so under paid it is ridiculous, they do work so so hard. I wouldn't be surprised if someone from corporate came in at the end of each shift and emptied the tip jar and left lol.

 

[wbart]

So let me get this straight... Not only do i spend 4 bucks for a cup of coffee... tip the person making it - now i need to worry my vaping might make them have to tell me to quit?

Tell ya what Starbucks, Baristas and all... I never vaped before in a Starbucks, but I'm going to blow freakin CLOUDS the next time I walk in one. When a company policy is "cranial-rectal", they need to know it. Jackwagons...

FYI - There are PLENTY of coffee houses with wifi, great coffee and no attitude. Think I'll burn my 4 year old gold card.

That is not letting them know that the policy is wrong that is just giving the local workers headaches. If you want to change something you need to take it to the corporate level. You blowing clouds in your local starbucks is not going to do anything other than make someone who works there for minimum wage have a bad day. And I hate to say it but corporate does not really care how the employees days go. It is all about the bottom line, I agree with your second statement and boycott starbucks I do not drink coffee so it is not a problem for me. But I have worked a few jobs where ....... customers who disagreed with the store would take it out on the employee. That is not the right way to approach anything in my opinion.

 

[Signal30]

Chances are the coffee shops that are locally owned will let you vape and not only will you be able to vape in the shop but will also be drinking better tasting coffee anyway. It's a win-win.

Starbucks to me is a half step above McCafe anyway.

 

[Crazyinariz]

When I asked abt the policy at the starbucks by our office I was told that they hadn't heard of the policy and therefore they were going to allow me to continue vaping inside as long as no one complained. I thought this was fair and i only use starbucks when I'm working as I prefer the mom n pop coffee shop by my house anyway. At the mom n pop, 'Extreme Bean', there are 3 or 4 barristas who Vape also so it's definitely acceptable there.

 

[jcco]

I'll have mine to go please.

 

[Natebreynolds]

So let me get this straight... Not only do i spend 4 bucks for a cup of coffee... tip the person making it - now i need to worry my vaping might make them have to tell me to quit?

Tell ya what Starbucks, Baristas and all... I never vaped before in a Starbucks, but I'm going to blow freakin CLOUDS the next time I walk in one. When a company policy is "cranial-rectal", they need to know it. Jackwagons...

FYI - There are PLENTY of coffee houses with wifi, great coffee and no attitude. Think I'll burn my 4 year old gold card.

This does nothing to help out the vaping community..... lets use some common decency. If a company has a policy and you dont like it.. guess what dont go there! We dont need anymore eyes on us than we already have.

 

[mcol]

I go elsewhere.

 

[Gautama]

That's odd. The Starbucks my brother and I go to (2 separate towns/4 separate establishments) have never said anything to he or I about smoking or vaping. If they did we would just, you know, follow their policy.

 

[Mac]

The starbucks here is in the mall and the mall allows vaping so starbucks gets no say

 

[Barbara21]

I love Starbucks coffee but I usually get it to go. Last time I actually stopped was because it was a beautiful day, I had a few extra minutes and I thought I'd sit in the patio area, drink coffee, vape, and read my book. (I knew about the corporate policy but planned on pleading ignorance/disbelief because their signs say only 'no smoking'.)

Anyway, when I walked up, there were three people already in the patio area. All smoking cigarettes. One of them was a Starbucks employee.

Obviously no one said anything about my vaping.