Starbucks Employer Reviews

fast paced, good memory skills, overall learning to mulity task n communication with customers. great introduction with customer service industry.

This was by far the most positive experience that I have received so far from a work environment. The employees, and management are actually a team. I loved the customer service aspects about the positions as well. Finally, career advancement at this company was at my disposal, as long as i put in the necessary work required i was promoted instantly.

Honestly, a very enjoyable job solely based on most staffing and customer interaction. It taught me the value of seeing a customer's genuine smile after every cup of coffee while providing my honest and earnest gestures. Initially, my time with co-workers grew a bound that can truly allow us to be called partners as opposed to just fellow employees. – more... These other driven individuals created a warm, but thriving work environment that allowed me to grow both as a person and as a sales associate.

Management however was the biggest issue I've had with the company. The turn over rate at my store had 6 managers in the past 2 years. This was a huge impact considering we had the highest volume store in our district. A lot of the time which management hired was not used to such a high volume store and had distribution of workload in a very miniscule manner. Also, appreciation was hugely lacking for efforts often go unseen as to how much work is actually done. The latest hire, an external, caused such a stir that customer complaints became a frequent, and worker morale dropped to an all time low. I feel the lack of communication and genuine care was given to my shift supervisors and fellow barista's.

The management issues were probably the hardest part of the job for me. Without a healthy superior-subordinate relationship, the work place isn't as aspiring as it could be. It was difficult to work with such poor time management and workload distribution; but it made me all the more a learner to deal with these situations.

That being said, it's always the customers that keep me coming back. The genuine appreciation of delivering excellent service and have that reciprocated to you in their eyes is truly vivid to me. – less

What I like from Starbucks is that at the same time you work you also have fun.

It's also great to work as a team in Starbucks.

Very labor intensive job, great way to meet new people, great co-workers very understanding and helpful to others.

I have no fantasy about part time jobs, but who wouldn't want a fun place to work where people do get along and is cooperative.
- come in to work, get assigned to a task, start closing tasks like sanitizing small wears and cleaning the espresso machines, sweep and mop the floor, set up pastry case for next morning, clean oven, greet customers, customize – more... their drinks
- I learned new knowledge about coffee, espresso, tea, and Starbucks company in it self, that work and the relationship between co workers are different from friends or fellow students at school/church
- management is well run. Shift supervisors are very organized in orienting tasks among team members, managers/ assistant managers tries to be flexible with hours, co workers are respectful of each other and their assigned tasks
- closing (since it was switched to 10pm from 9pm) - going home late
- well organized duty distribution, breaks, respectful team members, making drinks, getting to know people – less

I enjoyed this job. My average day depended on the shift I had as I did openings, mid-shift, and closing shifts. I was responsible for setting up pastries, brewing coffee, cleaning washrooms, the frontage of the store, dishes, and the back end and espresso machines. I also cashiered, mixed drinks, prepared food and stocked products. When I started with – more... the company the store I was initially hired for had a fire, and then the manager who hired me left, during the period I started working we received a new manager who then left within the month for another job, we then received a new manager who was promoted, and received another new manager. It isn't that any of the management was bad, but that I never really got to experience much long-term management, primarily random supervisors as stand-ins managed. The one issue I had with working at Starbucks was that I often had to swing shifts between opening and closing, this would mean at times that I left work at 11:30pm, and had to be back for 5:00am this caused a certain amount of stress on my life which is why I rated the balance low. I had no problem working either shift, I just did not enjoy swinging with a short period from one to the other. Aside from that the benefits were really good, however for a city like Vancouver the salary was very low, and it was a barely livable wage (in most other cities the wage would have been decent). – less

A typical day at work will consist of making beverages at a high speed. Making and taking orders under 2 minutes is very common and doesn't take a lot of time to get used too.

I learnt that the management puts the health and education of it's employees last when it comes to hitting the targets. The managers at Starbucks have to ensure to reach their – more... targets - which is fine; however, the Store Managers get "testy" if the partners at the stores ask for time off for educational reasons or for personal days off.

It's great that the Store Managers believe greatly in the visions and missions of Starbucks, however, it seems to keep their vision narrow about what is going in and around the store.

The hardest part of the job is being pressured from the Store Managers.

The customers are the best part of the job - talking with the regulars, and sharing stories with them. – less

Was a great place to work most of the time. Lot's of fun, laughs and smiles. Lot's of interaction with the public, and most of the team were incredible to work with.

Working as a barista then i was promoted to a shift supervisor.

Working at Starbucks was not an overly pleasant experience. Being paid minimum wage for a high-stress job is simply not worth it. The culture is good, but again, you can't live off of $9.50 an hour. Management is just as inexperienced as the employees they "manage" and work/life balance is not good because you're contantly asked to work on your days – more... off. – less

Starbucks is a true ambassador of its mission statement.

"To create a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity"

If you "pour your heart into it" like Howard Schultz once said, you will climb up the ladder.

Worked evening shifts at the Vancouver airport. Learning curve was slow since some people don't like to train the new employees but once I had a grasp of the system it was productive and fun to work.

Management was not very helpful at all and brushed me off most of the time I had a question or was uncomfortable. The day shift employees were rather – more... rude but the evening/night shift people were awesome to work with and friendly which made it more enjoyable and easier to get through the day. – less

Very fun work place,benefits are very good but low salary since the work and life balance is very hard to control.

- Fast passed and on-the-go
- Lots of cleaning
- Co-workers are sociable
- Have to be good with quick atmosphere and rushing
- I have learnt how to handle myself in stressful situations

I have enjoyed my time at this company from day 1. I was not only concerned about getting a job to pay off my tuition loans but I was enthusiastic about working in an environment where support and positive reinforcement were readily available, where management stands by one principle and that is satisfaction of its employees which is passed on to its – more... customers. A typical day would start off at 5:30 am, where we would prepare ourselves by setting up the espresso machines, sanitizing, putting together our patio, and planning ahead for the unfolding of the days events. The hardest part of the job is probably the physical aspect from lifting heavy cartons of milk to pulling out a bag of coffee grinds from a bin. The most enjoyable part are getting to meet new people by the minute and being able to share an experience with them, also known as 'The Starbucks experience'. This is more of a personal incentive and satisfaction that i get from being able to create this experience into one that makes them to want to come back and re-live that experience. – less

I worked as a barista from the end of summer in 2011 to end of January in 2012. I enjoyed working at Starbucks however I had to quit because they required me to work for at least 20 hours a week and at that point I was still in highschool and found it to be too much work. I just finished my first year at the University of Toronto and I'm much more flexible – more... with hours and I'm currently able to work full time or part time.

I found it quite easy to adjust to the fast pace demand of constantly working for hours on end when I worked at Starbucks. I learned how to make all of the starbucks beverages, maintained a clean workspace and cleaned the washrooms and floors. I made great friends from working at Starbucks. The hardest part of the job in the beginning was learning all of the drinks however after several weeks of working there I quickly adjusted.

Overall it was a great learning experience and I love working in the food/drink service. – less

- Working for a licensed, independently owned Starbucks in a hotel.
- Above average pay with good benefits and the ability to pay into RRSPs.
- I learned that a healthy environment is the best environment to work in. Management was excellent at resolving any and all conflicts and took all considerations to heart.
- I learned that attention to detail – more... while working in a fast paced environment is more important than most people think.
- The hardest part of the job is dealing with the fact that hours are based on seniority. I feel that even though some employees have seniority over myself (mostly supervisors), they don't care about the job like I do. If they do not want to do the job properly, they should give it to someone who does do the job properly and who can enforce the rules and perform the tasks that a supervisor should.
- The most enjoyable part of this job is connecting with your customers. If a customer comes in everyday, and they order the same thing every morning, you shouldn't have to ask them anymore. Sometimes just having their drink ready for them, or having it started before they order, can make their day run a little bit smoother by not having to wait around. It also makes them feel special and/or appreciated and welcomed, and is likely to make them return. Often people thank me for knowing exactly how they take their coffee or lattes, and commend us on the fast (yet reliable) service we provide to them. – less

Working at Starbucks was pleasant. I worked well under the pressure. The customers were easy to please and my coworkers were a great team.
Management was in a constant turn over which made it difficult to build the rapport to advance at all.

Having worked at Starbucks from 2003-2007 as a shift supervisor and able to return in 2011 when choosing to go to college. I believe that Starbucks did provide me with the best opportunities to develop myself into a great management level employee. The first round I was well trained and the resource material was readily available. I strived to advance, – more... but being in a smaller town didn't see the opportunity to do so.
Now having returned I find myself being the odd person out when getting excited about a new blend of coffee. Or explaining to a customer or even partner about the perfect pairing of a coffee and particular pastry. The legendary experience that I provided before only tends to happen with regular customers. I'm old school. Most chnages are good but I feel Starbucks has lost their identity and become more of a fast food outlet. Especially with the introduction of ovens into the stores. I miss the real 3rd place experience Starbucks provided before. – less