Ask me about Starbucks - Page 22

El Diablo · #**211** 07-31-2007, 09:34 PM

CB,

OK, so full on actually step up and ask the chick to grab a drink later is not a standard occurrence?

ClassicBob · #**212** 07-31-2007, 09:35 PM

[ QUOTE ]
CBob,

i have never actually drank coffee in my life, but this thread is truly fascinating and i have always wondered about people with no extra cash who spend $300 plus a month at starbucks. i know a bunch of them too, crazy.

my question for you is this.
i had a friend who i was trying to help overhaul his lifestyle and diet and he drank 3 or 4 of these a day.
holy jeez, no one can overcome that can they??!! [img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutr...age_detail.asp

were you aware, as an employee, of the nutrional value or calorie content of some of these drinks?? and do you see alot of overweight people staying that way probably due to their "bad" coffee habit??

it amazed me.....that is all. oh and cool thread. J.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your link took me to a Nutritional chooser type thing, where I had to enter a bunch of options. Yes, I'm aware of how high calorie some of our drinks are.

I'm guessing that the people who are downing three Frappuccinos a day aren't exactly eating salads for their meals, though.

ClassicBob · #**213** 07-31-2007, 09:37 PM

[ QUOTE ]
CB,

OK, so full on actually step up and ask the chick to grab a drink later is not a standard occurrence?

[/ QUOTE ]

Not that I've seen. This is probably a clientele based thing.

El Diablo · #**214** 07-31-2007, 09:38 PM

CB,

OK. Trip report as soon as I have a chance to go back to this one Starbucks.

guids · #**215** 07-31-2007, 09:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
It was written in response to guids' original assertion that economically challenged hippies were going to starbucks, which struck me as odd in a number of ways. Seemed fair to say that anyone who was really economically challenged, at least by my definition(someone who was in trouble involuntarily rather than voluntarily), wasn't out blowing that kinda cash.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was talking about voluntarily obv. You know, people who spend 40$ a week on coffee, when they make 20k a year, I think I should have said "financially challenged".

El Diablo · #**216** 07-31-2007, 09:41 PM

quids,

That's exactly what I thought you meant, thus my initial confusion at Blarg's response.

ClassicBob · #**217** 07-31-2007, 09:42 PM

[ QUOTE ]
CB,

OK. Trip report as soon as I have a chance to go back to this one Starbucks.

[/ QUOTE ]

To clarify: Being hit on/flirted with occurs a lot. But, if you went in like a man and confidently asked one of them out, it would probably work, simply because most of the flirting is either innocent or sad, and actual confidence or gumption is often lacking. I look forward to the TR.

iversonian · #**218** 07-31-2007, 09:44 PM

http://www.slate.com/id/2133754/

Any merit to this?

Also, I've seen mostly white people work at Starbucks. They also tend to look and behave a lot like the college educated type (interpret that however you like). Why is this? I can imagine that the language barrier is a problem for, say, Mexicans since you need to keep track of complicated orders. But why is the employee demographic so different from the typical entry level service job? Do you command a wage premium over other service jobs (sorry if wages have been covered already)?

Quicksilvre · #**219** 07-31-2007, 09:48 PM

Why do you guys call yourselves "baristas," when most of you do nothing more complicated that pushing a button?

Blarg · #**220** 07-31-2007, 09:49 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Blarg,

How would you define "economically challenged"?

My point was simply that lots of people who really can't afford it patronize Starbucks. A number of those people would be characterized by most people as being "poor."

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd agree that bums really can't afford it, but only because I have a different value system than they do. By their set of values, they can afford it -- and proof is that they are affording it. For them, a $4.00 cup of coffee might fit just as reasonably into their lifestyle as it would for any yuppie.

A bum might well easily be able to afford what a poor person can't come close to affording. Some bums even live pretty well.

So I don't think a bum's problem is that he's economically challenged, or even that he necessarily has problems in the ordinary sense, the way that you or I might think. He's right in line with where he wants to be.

If someone is homeless but not a bum, or just poor, then he's being very careful with that $4.00 because he's legitimately economically challenged. To be truly economically challenged, you have to be really wanting to be somewhere different from where you are financially. That's where the challenge comes in.

So I think you're incorrect that a surprising amount of economically challenged people are buying coffee at 4 bucks a pop. But you may well be right about how many bums do it.