KICK SOME BALLS

Esta es la venganza de Doña Inés. Los gilipollas del mundo no se dan cuenta de que de vez en cuando ponen sus huevos en la guillotina, y que podemos ser buenas personas, pero JAMÁS tan imbéciles que perdamos la ocasión de ver rodar las nueces de aquellos opresores (que para eso somos representantes de las dos Españas, coño!!!!). Bueno, aquí os dejo con el alegato "Baristas del mundo, a por ellos" que ha preparado la familia Valero-Valero-Byron. Como dicen los anglófonos... KICK SOME BALLS!!!!




I have prepared this report at the request of Mr. XXXX XXXXXXXX, Assistant Manager (from now onwards AM), of signing a document confirming that I have decided not to go through the process of assessment to become Core 2.

I want to be clear about this: this is a decision which I do not feel comfortable with, it has been difficult and even if unforeseen the consequences that this may have in my future in Starbucks, I am determined to explain my point of view and my reasons for taking this decision.

I am sending this document to the Store Manager (from now onwards SM), with copy to the District Manager and the Head Office. This is not to seek any intervention from superior instances, but in order leave proper record of this document.

I will try to be brief, but I consider necessary to introduce some background:

1. I decided to apply for a job in Starbucks because a friend of mine was working as barista in Baker Street transmitted me the enthusiasm of working there: a company with care with the environment, the community, and overall, with the people.

I started my career in Starbucks with great interest. The SM of XXXX back then was proud of me: she gave me a pin-mug in Christmas to recognise my contribution to the team, she was keen to engage the store in my volunteering activities (for which she gave me great references) and, when she was promoted and left the store, she told me that I should become a Supervisor as soon as I had made nine months. Furthermore, when she decided to move back home, she asked me to be her referee for her application for Starbucks in her country.

2. Of course, I have made mistakes: I do not have the same relation with all the customers, my till has been unbalanced sometimes and I have my favourite partners to work with. I was embarrassed when I was doing sampling the first time and I do not know how to describe accurately all the coffees that we sell. I am sensitive to what the other members of the team are doing and I do not like to work with partners unable to cooperate or behave flexible depending on the needs of the team. I am able to analyse a situation and decide the priorities, I am not afraid of suggesting tasks and activities (like cleaning or stock up), but if I am working with partners or supervisors uninterested about it, and I feel myself making an extra effort which is not praised or recognised, I lose interest. I am aware that my compromise, responsibility and initiative are very positive qualities and I would like to be more impervious.

3. With the new SM, the possibility of my promotion as Shift Supervisor was raised again. This was in January.

I must admit that I was not sure about this step. I am Psychologist and Starbucks could not be my long term future if I want to pursue my career. Nevertheless, I was happy with these comments. It was a sign that I was doing it well and I was happy about that. I considered the opportunity as a way of improving my general skills: supervising a team, assuming responsibilities or dealing with difficult situations. However, I was aware of my hesitation and I never wanted to take the commitment without being completely sure.

I am an honest person and I advised the SM about my thoughts. I did not want to disappoint anyone and I did not want to accept something that I was not sure to deserve. I am aware that to train a Shift Supervisor is an investment for Starbucks and I know that it is an important role where one has to lead by example and make sure that the team is following the standards and policies.

4. I need to mention that the SM and the AM replacing the former ones met a consolidated team.

I am aware that it may have been difficult for them to integrate, but it was difficult for us too, and not only because of the natural periods of adaptation, but because of the lack of organisation and, specially, communication with the team.

The standards and rules changed every day. I remember one week when we were charging the staff’s meals as eat-in or take-away, depending on whom of them (SM or AM) was running the shift. When they were working in the same shift, the team received contradictory orders. Not only that: the stock orders were not made property and the team had to be dealing with constant lack of resources.

My experience working with them is and has been really unpleasant. They (SM and AM) have tried to impose their own style without spending a second asking us about our inner way.

With the SM: I have not felt free to make any decision and I have felt unable to develop my role in any position that I was assigned. For example:

× When working on till, I have not being able to develop a natural relationship with the customer as the SM has been always interrupting my work telling me what to do and what not to do. He has never borne in mind that maybe I was considering different factors (for example, who the following customer was -maybe they were a regular so I did know that they were going to ask the same drink that I was ordering before-, how many change I had on my till or how busy was the partner on bar) and therefore my decision had a sense in that precise moment.

× When I have been working on bar I have felt frustrated and exhausted. I remember one occasion: I had under control the temperature of the milk, the speed of the shots or the ingredients of the frappucinos, and I realized that he had decided to stop the deployment because he had to ask all of us who made the whipped cream 5 minutes ago - the sticker had the date and the hour but not the day of the week - so in 2 minutes, I passed from coping successfully to have a terrible mess that he did not help me to resolve.

× I have seen how he writes reports to the Supervisors because they leave the store when being on charge, when in fact he does the same thing; or reports because they do not check the temperatures at times when we were already closed (afternoon checks when the store was close for refurbishment).

× When closing the store, I have been waiting for him almost an hour because he was not able to finish his tasks on time, and after punching out I have been asked to revise the cleaning rota.


To clarify my position: I understand that the SM has to supervise the correct development and the stick to the standards of the staff. What I am criticising is that his lack of trust in the team makes him run over the situations mining the self confidence and autonomy of the team, who feels completely unable to act and to make correct decisions in his presence. Moreover, he has proven being unable to perform certain basic barista’s tasks, and we had to fix his unsuccessful incursions in this roles.

With the AM:

My beginning with the AM was the proper of team colleagues. When the SM enquired me about my opinion about being promoted, I expressed honestly my concerns to the AM, seeking his advice as senior member of Starbucks. Instead of orientating me as to this, he went on to talk disrespectfully about my personality and my private life as if he had any idea about it or any entitle to do so.

I can recall a few of his sentences: ’you are going nowhere in your life with your attitude’, ‘you only care about the money’ or ‘don’t let anyone know what you really think’.

I felt prejudged and misunderstood. The AM was taking advantage of his position and my lesser command of the English. I was both stunned and with lack of speaking resources to express myself.

Since that moment, my contact with the AM was reduced to the minimum necessary. Something which was not difficult because both the AM and the SM were most part of their time in the office with the door shut.


5. Having made this necessary introduction, I will refer now to the CORE 2 matter.

5.1 One of the new changes introduced by the SM was that those partners who wanted to progress from Core 1 to Core 2, were supposed to read the book in the spare time, without being paid, taking notes of our doubts and asking the SM the following day.

With the previous Manager the training for Core 2 was in the same conditions as the training for Core 1, therefore this was a negative change for everybody. I still do not know which the real standard is, but in February I decided to follow the new rules (I was the only out of 5 partners who did it) and I read the book at home during my holidays, resolving my doubts afterwards, after or before my shift.

The day of the assessment, in March, the SM told me that the AM was going to practice his skills of team leader with me. It was a tense situation because during the last three months our communication had been rare. We reviewed the relevant questions. I failed those related to the characteristics of some coffees and how to show to a customer the use of the espresso machine (this last due to the fact that we do not have the machine in the store and the book with the instructions is not available for us).

The AM affirmed that I was not answering those failed questions correctly because I did not want to. I expressed my disappointment with this personal comments, not only unfunded, but also irrelevant to the matter.

He enquired about my training for the Core 2 and, when I explained it, he said this was not according to the protocols and was adamant that I should have filled a formal complaint about it. I advised him that I had discussed this matter with the SM and, when he had confirmed the same criteria, I accepted it as I did not want to confront him. However, the AM was so insistent that I gave up and told him that I was going to fill the complaint if that was the only way to proceed with the Core 2 evaluation. Instead of accepting my decision, the AM vehemently criticised my attitude, my personality and left the meeting without signing the Core 2 or advising as to next step.

Again, his attitude was abusive towards me because:

I depended on him to obtain the approval for the Core 2.
I was in an inferior professional position.
He wanted to oblige me to confront the SM.

5.2 Time passed without anyone telling me anything about the Core 2. Needless to say that I did not feel with the temper to deal with the AM again about this. So, when the AM went on holidays, I spoke to the SM. I asked him what was the final assessment and he told me that I had not been signed off because I would have said to the AM that I did not want to learn anything about coffees.

Therefore, not only the AM had lied, but the SM had not enquired me about this and it has had to be me the only one concerned about this.

I confirmed the SM the circumstances of the assessment and how the AM had been intentionally misunderstanding my words and behaviour, I advised that if I had been given a proper feedback, I would have been able to learn the necessary knowledge required to acquire the Core 2. The SM promised to talk to the AM after his holidays.

5.3 The AM returned from his holidays and nothing changed. Time after, the SM enquired me again about this matter and I confirmed the lack of news with this regard and I also said that I was truly demotivated for the past events.

As for my knowledge, the other staff member who had prepared the Core 2 has had paid training and his review was signed by the SM.

5.4. On Monday 18th June I have been asked by the AM if I am ready to do the assessment again. I expressed him my lack of motivation for this and his only answer has been that I would need to sign a report with this.


In conclusion:

I feel that I have been discriminated with respect to other members of the team. I feel highly demotivated with the Management team of the store (SM and AM). As a result of this time working with them, I do not trust them and I do not want to expose myself to the Core 2 assessment and being treated with such disrespect again.

Therefore, if in the Starbucks standards it is allowed to stay as Barista Core 1 indefinitely, I will like to remain in this position until either myself or XXXXXXXX Starbucks Store managements are relocated.