SBX, Fair Trade Coffee & Me

Spare-a-Dime, Lost: A Tale of Reusable Perfidy

2007-02-02T06:48:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time -- nearly a year in fact -- since I have blogged anything about SBX, and their efforts to be green. Today I rise to gripe about the Personal Cup Overcharge.

Thanks to a work colleague's thoughtfulness over the winter holidays, I started using a reusable insulated mug for coffee from the mer-girl's place in 2007. I drink more of their coffee than I should, and the exhortations of Anna at Bring Your Own and the "Coffee Cup Waste Calculator" link on the temporarily defunct Noreen's Five Percent convinced me, when this windfall fell my way, that I should stop using paper for my coffee.

In addition to it being a good thing from an enviro perspective, there is a 10 cent discount for bringin' your own.

Except today I noticed that the register girl rang up my drink at the full price. And I realized, in retrospect, that this had been happening a lot.

Now, even if I drank two mocha's every single day (and I'm not quite that bad), still that amounts to a little over $70 a year. Not earth shattering, but I wouldn't toss $70 all at once in the trash if you handed it to me either.

Then it occurred to me that this may happen hundreds, or even thousands of times a year! And given the millions of cups o'joe-to-go that SBX sells -- well egad! -- that could be thousands of ill-gotten dimes falling negligently into the mermaid's coffers . . . and out of customers pockets.

Frankly, it screams class action to me. (Wicked grin.) And if there is a good, struggling lawyer out there looking for an interesting case, let's chat.

Meanwhile, I think I will have a chat with SBX brass and see if they are interested in earmarking those dimes for some worthy cause or something -- just to do the right thing.

Oh, and I will keep using the reusable cup: The cup calculator says that our mythical coffee addict would use 45 pounds of paper cups in a year. Yikes!

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Amused by the Starbucks Challenge? Me too. Now come see my real mission in the blogosphere: Easy Green and its companion journal, Observations, and such: Notes on the Kitchen Calendar

Paranoia Will Destroy Ya: Darkness in the Heart of SBX?

2006-02-11T05:12:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, Siel of greenlagirl asked if I was still feelin' so positive after the meeting with SBX managers in LA; at the time she asked, I was still quite happy notwithstanding the nine-month-long time frame they set and my recent heavy run of challenge failures. So, am I happy today?

Today, not so much.

Oh certainly part of my discontent may stem from the fact that the Vice-President's chief of staff says he forgot he leaked classified information for political gain and that he was ordered by the vice-president to do it, now that he thinks about it for a minute -- and the mainstream media, even the blogs0sphere is hardly mentioning it.

I mean, really now -- this is the John Dean moment, when the Counsel to the President turned to the public and said "it's exactly as bad as you thought, the [vice]-president ordered these criminal acts, and ordered more crimes to cover them up."

Next is supposed to come the shock and outrage, and media frenzy to get all the details; and then Cheney resigns (for health reasons), to help save the foundering Bush administration, and then George W. resigns after the FISA court finds his warrant-less wiretaps were felony violations of FISA and a violation of the Constitution -- resigning before he can be impeached, mind you-- claiming he didn't know what he did was illegal. (And of course the the current Attorney General, Alberto "Brownie" Gonzalez and some others will go too, since the esteemed AG both (a) gave the bad advice and (b) doesn't really even understand why what W done did is illegal and immoral too boot.)

But it's not happening!

The media has given it a big yawn, perhaps because every one kind of knew in their gut that this was going to happen, that in the world of an Alpha-male like Cheney a toady like Libby doesn't sneeze without permission and a gruffly growled "Good job, Scooter" from the boss.

So I am not in a charitable mood: Or more to the point, my dusty old legal strategist used-to-be-a-lawyer hat got dusted off and I am in a disgruntled and paranoid mood.

Let's Play Paranoid "What If?"

What if one ore more of the folks at the meeting realized that over the summer, or at the start of fall, Starbucks would be making major changes that would affect the issue?

What if one of those changes was to eliminate FT coffee altogether, substituting its OWN certification that allowed coffee from plantations, say, or corporate growers, so long as certain barely green and barely socially-green requirements were met?

What if Starbucks is simply planning to stop selling FT all-together, and is just waiting for current contracts or stocks to run out?

What if the canny manager who came up with 9 months had a good laugh after the meeting about dodging a bullet and keeping us on hold indefinitely?

See what I mean?!?

In a world so cynical that direct, unambiguous, unimpeachable evidence that a top elected official casually broke the law for political gain is a yawn would it be any less shocking that the Mermaid's Manager Minions were in on the joke, and part of every conspiracy laid to SBX door?

In such a world, I am a real chump.

(Hey -- watch it! This is self-flagellation, you don't get to play.)

In such a world Cynical Siel's intuitions are validated, and I am going to go hide in my tree house drinking certified FT, Shade Grown, Organic, hand-ground, french-pressed coffee all by myself. I might even use a magnify glass to heat the water.

Silver Lining?

Or -- wait, ouch! Wait's that? Ooooh. It's Hope. Hope springing! Springing eternal, right here in this chair. What if -- what if -- no, it couldn't be true.

Ok, I'll say it and then you can hit me too: whatifstarbucksis (gasp) goingtochangetoallFTcoffee(furtive look over shoulder) oratleastdoubleortripletheFTintheirrotation??

Huh? Well?!?

Hmmm?

You're right of course. The President has admitted to impeachable felonies and the Vice-President has been fingered by his long-time top aid for the same, and they still get their coffee served by the White House mess.

Do you suppose Dick Cheney drinks FT, organic coffee? If you need me, I'll be in the treehouse.

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Nine (9) Failures in a Row! or Monrovia's Monster Mistake

2006-01-24T09:31:00.000-08:00

This is so unbelievable its -- well its unbelievable. I have gone to nine Starbucks in a row since my last published Challenge with every single one an unmitigated FAILURE.

NINE!!!

And this includes my favorite stores and stores I have terrorized before, and stores that have passed before and even baristas who've passed before!!!

* Sigh. *

About 10 days ago, when I'd had a "run" of three Challenge failures, I vowed to wait until I had a success to brag about even if disappointed with the lack of awareness in some stores. But the loses mounted, and store after store had no clue at all about Fair Trade, about Starbucks posted policy or worse: Tried to pass off ordinary coffee as Fair Trade.

I went to stores in Pasadena (several) Monrovia, LaVerne (several) and various LA County locations in between. No joy. Here is a typical experience for this month, from Monrovia on January 13, at 3:40 PM, written in the store and saved as a draft entry via WiFi, so the memory was fresh.

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LOCATION: Monrovia

621 W. Huntington Drive
Monrovia CA, 91016 United States

It was nice day in the San Gabriel Valley, and, for me a rare event, I strode into the Starbucks without Miss Hannah, who was home with her mom. Thus unencumbered, I casually asked for my usual "Venti Fair Trade drip, please."

The tall Monrovia partner-boy looked puzzled, then scared. He rang up my sale, and poured me a cup of coffee.

"What's this?" I asked, knowing full well that FT Estima was on display out front but not on brew.

"Uh Guatemalan, uh mumble mumble, " said he.

"Is it Fair Trade?" asked I.

"Mumble mumble," said he. "Cough."

My inner Middle School Teacher took over.

"No. Its not," I said sharply. "Cafe Estima is your only certified Fair Trade blend. Please read the Scoop, ask your manager and your regional manager about the policy on fair trade."

I was curt, to say the least. The partner looked stunned.

"I'm sorry, but you are the fourth store in a row with this problem, and it is pretty discouraging. Just check out Fair Trade so you guys are up on it, ok? "

"Uhm, okay."

"Thanks. " Then, more, "Can I have a triple Grande Mocha, then? "

"Uh, okay."

"Whole milk, extra whip," I added sullenly, feeling suddenly depressed by the whole episode. Serve 'em right if I dropped dead of clogged arteries on the spot.

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Estima Mystery Solved, But Make Mine A Cup of FAILED Trade

2006-01-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

LOCATION: Colorado & Bonnie, Pasadena
1687 E. Colorado Blvd
Pasadena CA, 91106
United States 626-578-7244

Oh my. One big win, but now one bigger-than-big booboo, and utter SBX failure. Sigh.

"May I have a venti fair trade coffee please?"

"Sure," said the Barista and turned to pour the cup.

"Whoooo Hooo ... oops," I thought, as he pulled the tap on a cup of Christmas Blend.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Your coffee?"

"Uh, no. That looks like, uhm, Christmas Blend."

"Yes."

"That's not a Fair Trade blend."

"Oh." Blank stare.

The completely blank stare left even me unable to bring myself to educamate the completely clueless partner on his own product.

Mark: FAIL

To be charitible the partner -- tall male (about 6'4"), mid-20's dark hair, dark eyes, on shift about 7:15 am) took the "Say Yes" training a shade too far, saying "Yes" without a clue as to what he had agreed to do.

And as an aside, I think the Mystery of the Missing Estima is solved: The other partner on told me, when I asked, that she thought Cafe Estima as Coffee of the Week was optional with local managers, and that they had a ton of the Christmas Blend left over that had to be moved first (thus it was the COW). Now I don't know about what is optional and what is not, but maybe they would have sold more Christmas Blend if it had been Fair Trade . . .

And oh yeah, Starbucks -- why stop at Christmas? Why not have a Bodhi Blend available only on December 8; or a Kwanzaa Pack, with eight FT African coffees; etc, etc. Just kidding. Well, maybe.

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Challenge #9: Winner #2!

2005-12-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

Location: Sierra Madre Villa & Foothill
3429 East Foothill Blvd.
Pasadena CA, 91107 United States

When a store passes the challenge it is much less interesting for blogging purposes, but it needs to be reported . . . and this store was a winner!

I asked for a venti fair trade drip; two beats passed and then the girl on the register said "No problem, That's not brewing right now so I'll have to make it for you and it will take just a minute." No pause, no redirect; no fumbling over which was the FT coffee. Yay!

Mark: Pass

Guess this was a 4.0 beta challenge. (Grin.)

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No Challenge: SBX Confab, Diaper Update & A Monkey at the Door

2005-12-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Last week greenlagirl, Anna C. of www.bringyourown.com and I met with Starbucks local and regional managers for SoCal in a big Fair Trade chat. The meeting went well, and while I had intended to blog extensively about the outcome, I pretty much had my say as a comment to greenlagirl's blog entry. SO, if you care to you may read my longish comment on the meeting, right here.

Suffice to say that, as an old trial lawyer, I was far more gleeful that there had been a commitment to a time certain, and an easy-to-calculate metric agreed to than I was dismayed by the longish time-frame. But that was my take, and it is informed by many many years of impatiently waiting for what should be an obvious and easy change by one company or agency or another. The metric leaves no wiggle room, which means when the newspapers start to pick up the challenge -- say over the spring or summer -- it will be clear if Starbucks passed or failed their own challenge.

Diaper Update or, This Man and A Baby

Starbucks La Verne (@ D St. & Foothill), and BigBoss Paula have proved true to their word and installed a diaper changing table in -- ta da -- the men's room! So far as I can tell, there is no changing table in the ladies room, yet.

Well knock me over with a feather, they did it! Huzzah!

Ms. Hannah will be getting a clean rear-end with dignity and style today. I am kind of bummed (haha pun!) that I can no longer show off my six-second, one handed, on the lap diaper wrangling style. I really enjoyed the part where I threw both hands in the air and the crowd roared it's approval of my . . . oh wait. That last didn't happen.

Really.

But the fold-down changing table did! And again I say huzzah!

Monkey at the Door

In this holiday season it is not unusual to see a package or two show up on the door step, but I didn't order anything recently, so I was a little surprised to find a box addressed to me from no one I immediately recognized on the door yesterday. I opened it up and Oh Yes! I had almost forgotten that glg and cityhippy had awarded me a cool prize for, er, something Starbucks challenge-y, and here it was -- a big package of certified, Fair Trade, Organic coffee from Monkey & Son . . . cool.

Since it was beans, I ate a couple, and they were quite nice; a little dry, but nice. They should make fine coffee . . . now, how to grind them? Should I dig out the old electric spice and alleged coffee grinder, or use the wedding-gift Magic Bullet (and in JUST 6 SECONDS have FRESH GROUND COFFEE)? They both work, but they both really chop the beans, and I have had gourmet types sniff deprecatingly at "chopped coffee."

We have a hand turned grain mill, that grinds wheat between two little mill-stones. No, really, we do. But I think it would be wrecked for flour-milling if I ground coffee in it.

We also have a hand cranked coffee grinder, which I think uses a more traditional grinding technique, but it is not currently mounted (it clamps to the the counter or bolts to the wall), so I can drag it out this afternoon for a cup.

Although I DO have a mortar and pestle -- but I try to reserve that for crushing eggshells for the worms and compost. (Grin; confused? Tune into my Easy Green blog next weekend (URL below) for the low down on bein' a worm farmer in the city.)

I think its the hand-cranked, wall-mounted coffee grinder after all.

Meanwhile -- Thank you greenlagirl, cityhippy, and, of course Monkey & Son! (Ironic that I am sitting here in LaVerne, blogging live from Starbucks no less, mere blocks away from Monkey & Son's operation. Ah technology!)

[UPDATE: See how the Coffee got ground, read Clean Coffee, Extreme]

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Challange # 8: You Can What?!? Laaaaadies and Gentlemen, We Have a Winner!

2005-12-16T10:03:00.000-08:00

Location: Fair Oaks & State Street
454 North Fair Oaks Ave
South Pasadena CA, 91030

I walked into the store in the middle of morning rush -- but as I was on the way to meet with greenlagirl, Anna C. of www.bringyourown.org and the Starbucks regional Big Bosses and some local store managers, I was in a heartless mood.

"Venti Fair Trade Drip, please," I asked, despite the 12 people in line behind me.

The Barista paused, looked over her shoulder. I could see the wheels working: Hmm. No FT on brew.

"We can press it for you; it will take about four minutes."

DING DING DING -- Weeeoooooo WeeeeeeOOOOOO WeeeeeOOOOOO -- Flashing lights: JACKPOT!

The first store, ever, to offer the FT coffee, pressed, without the redirect!

There's not much else to say; when I declined, because I was suddenly struck by the urge for chocolate, and I asked for a mocha instead, the barista looked stricken, and tried to convince me to have the FT. ROFL!

I assured her that I was not unhappy, just interested in Chocolate. She asked why I asked for the FT drip then. "Because I am going to chat with the regional bosses this morning in LA and want to tell them that you gave the right answer!"

She looked really relieved; and yes, I told Big Bos Marisol, of South Pasadena, specifically of this store's excellent response! In fact, she is sitting right here next to me at Pico & Robertson as I finish and publish this post via WiFi.

Thanks State Street So. Pas!

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Challenge #7: Mystery Solved? Inching closer to an easy FT Cup.

2005-12-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

LOCATION: Pasadena, California, USA
(Hastings Ranch) 3699 E Foothill Blvd

I was killing time waiting for a nearby store to open, so I stopped by another Pasadena Starbucks.

"My I have a grande fair trade drip, please?"

The Partner on the register begins inputting the drink on the register, then pauses.

"Right now we're brewing [some other coffee], would you prefer that?"

Ooooo, I think, a crafty blend of diversion to 'what's brewing' with just a hint of 'I'm providing a special service by getting your coffee to you faster'. He's good!

"No, I would prefer the Fair Trade, please. Would you press it?"

"Sure!" he says perkily. Once again the words of power are effective, especially when delivered as a polite imperative, not as a request. "It will take about five minutes." Sigh.

"Ok," I say, and ask for a "light" pressing.

To his credit Mr. Partner goes in back and scores a 1 pound bag of Cafe Estima without hesitation; he explains to me that they have changed the name of the coffee.

I explain to him that it's still Fair Trade, that the FT label is a third party certification that has nothing to do with Starbucks, and lots of people sell Fair Trade Certified Coffee. It is true that Starbucks has only one FT blend, which is now called Cafe Estima, but there is other Fair Trade coffee. My explanation draws another Barista who hovers, listening, apparently prepared to intervene if Mr. Partner is out of his depth.

"What size did you say you wanted?" he says, a little nervous now. I smile and cut him some slack and do not "warn" him of the challenge as I often do.

Six minutes later, he approaches me apologetically, and tells me he has just noticed that the French Press he used has a hole in it. I do not ask what this means, although the longer I contemplate it the more bizarre it seems. Still, he is so apologetic I cut him some more slack, and he hurries off to remake it . Four minutes later, he has the coffee in hand and at my table.

I notice a curious look as he sets it near the computer -- I have the SBX store locator up in one window and am writing this entry in another. (Wicked grin.)

Although I got the FT drink with only minimum hassle, there was a clear and deliberate effort to direct me away from it. That this happens in nearly the exact same phrasing and the same perky helpfulness from store to store suggests that it is part of company policy.

Then it hits me: This must be their general training accidentally snagging on the Fair Trade policy ! If someone asks for a flavor or blend that is not brewing, I bet they are trained generally to use suggestive selling techniques to steer the customer to something they are brewing -- both to make the sale and keep the customer happy.

It always takes a beat for my request to sink in, and it seems likely that the hapless Barista is reaching into his training for something appropriate -- which, in light of the company FT policy, turns out to be inappropriate. Mystery solved, maybe!

Still, score this one a FAIL, because I had to ask twice, and explain how to do it. I give points for NOT having to go through the "we're out of FT" schtick, but in the end I had to work way too hard for a simple cup of coffee which should be available with out having to be a stickler.

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No Challange: But Fair Trade is Back in Stock, And SBX Is Helping Men Change (Diapers)

2005-12-07T08:26:00.000-08:00

Fair Trade coffee is back at all my Starbuckses.

Maybe it was just a supply glitch, like I thought. I'm going to hold on to that, as my usual Starbucks haunts have all begun to stock Fair Trade again, their Cafe Estima blend. Since they all know the french press drill by now, that means instead of a mental "No Pass" every time I walk in these stores, I can chalk-up a mental "pass" and relax. Unless I see a new barista (wicked grin) or intentionally vary my routine to Challenge new stores!

Meanwhile, for all those who have asked, here is the next installment of "As The Diaper Turns." (If you are behind on this saga, start here: Diaper, Diaper, Who's Got the Diaper? then see Dirty Diapers and 'A Present For Me?' )

Yesterday Hannah and I were waiting out traffic as usual, and I was talking to the barrista who was busy cooing at my baby.

"See, the reason I keep asking about Fair Trade is there are over a hundred folks shopping just the Fair Trade then writing up their experiences online, part of an international check-up on some corporate claims. So every time you guys are out, and I write it up, it doesn't look so good."

"Oh!"

A few minutes later, the BigBoss walked in the door. "Hi Paula!" all the crew chimed in, one after another. Duly noted, then: the big boss is named Paula. Unfortunately, after yesterday, I may owe Paula an apology.

Shortly after BigBossPaula sat down at a table and began slinging binders and talking labor numbers and big meeting arrangements and more internal stuff with what appeared to be the store manager, the first barista scooted over, beaming, with a pound of Cafe Estima: "We just got it in!" she said, truly happy to bring me the good news.

"Cool!" I said; she cood at Hannah some more.

A few more minutes later BigBossPaula and the probable-manager started chatting about something personal, and Hannah cooed at them and I interjected a comment. BBPaula mentioned that she had two kids, aged 1 and 4 years; that her husband had been a stay at home dad until just recently (Did I call her sexist in a prior post? Oops.) , and that the changing table was in the back room. As she got up to go confirm that fact, I asked which restroom she was going to put it in.

"Oh well, I guess we should put the first one in the men's restroom." Cool! "Then we'll order another one for the ladies' room."

Ahhh. Didn't even get to savor my blow for equality. Ah well, I think I did call her unconsciously sexist. Sorry about the assumptions BBP, but you really do want to keep a close eye on that ol' subconscious. It's a devil, and it wants to keep women in "their" place. (Grin.)

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No Challenge: Dirty Diapers and 'A Present For Me? Ah, You Shouldn't Have!'

2005-12-01T12:07:00.000-08:00

Every Starbucks I've checked lately has been out of their Fair Trade blend, Cafe Estima, for awhile now. I've even had a couple go "check in back" for me, although not part of an official "Challenge." No joy. So as greenlagirl might say, what's up with that? Could it be that demand for FairTrade has been massively higher than SBX buyers anticipated, and they just can't keep it in stock? That would be my guess. (I prefer that over the thought that no one cares about the FT stock, so no one was paying attention.) But it doesn't do much for the "always available" claim when the stuff is out of stock in three, four, now FIVE stores in a row, neh?

S'okay, though -- our very own fille verte L.A. decided, along with cityhippy apparently, to give an early solstice prezzie to yours truly. Having turned my-life-as-a-Starbucks-dad into this blog, and taken excessive delight mysteriously menacing clueless baristas, I win the LA Challange Award . . . COOL!

Much appreciate both the prominent blog mention [Yay, hits! :-) ] and the promise of a said-to-be yummy package of Fair Trade Monkey & Son coffee. Thanks folks! I had an email chat with the Monkey, and was going to stop by for a taster, but, well, things being what things are, never got around to it! So, thank you folks -- I am gratified and humbled -- no, wait hungry! -- it's lunch time, and we are low on the organic coffee concoction we usually pick up at Trader Joe's, and my chemical free, non-GMO TJ brand burritos are getting cold. Thank you !

Speaking of TJ

Turns out, they do stock a triple certified Shade Grown, Organic, Fair Trade coffee. I forget the price, but it was similar to other coffees, but about 3 oz smaller. Yay, TJ.

Unfortunately, I really like the taste of the TJ brand organic; sigh. After Christmas, if we are a little more flush around here, we may have to try the "3-Way TJ" coffee.

Diaper's On the Other Foot

Happened to be merrily blogging away in Starbucks La Verne yesterday, when I heard a female voice in the distance ask "has that diaper changing table arrived yet?" I turned to see who might be asking about my second interesting Starbucks caper, when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but the Big Boss and her laptop at a seat in the rear!

Hannah and I wandered over and tell her the bad news.

"I thought I heard someone say 'changing table' just now" I said, "and I have a special request."

"Yes," said the BigBoss warily, as the changing table obviously had been a special request in the first place.

"Go ahead and put the first one in the men's restroom after all. I've checked three times to see if you had gotten it into the ladies room, and have been glared at, yelled at, and called a bad name. I thought I was brave enough to use one in the women's restroom, but I guess not. "

She looked startled; I didn't give her a chance to say anything or try to explain why the more sexist placement was a better option. Hannah and I went back to our seat, and I promptly changed Hannah's warm, damp little diaper with her on my knees. In the middle of the store. With half of the customers talking to the "pretty baby," and the baristas all cooing and calling her by name and commenting on her nakedness. (Grin). I thought it was a pretty effective little demonstration myself. [Whistles innocently . . .]

We shall see what comes of it however.

Got so excited about the chance to fix the kind-but-sexist offer of a diaper changing table that I neglected to ask what was really on my mind, which is why are all your stores out of Fair Trade coffee?

As I contemplated my missed opportunity, I began to wonder -- if coffee is Organic, Shade Grown and Fair Trade, is the shade organic too? My guess: Yes. It would have to be, or the overspray and leaching would destroy the organic cert on the coffee. Ah, so much for a snarky tag line with which to end this No-Fair-Trade, Fair-Trade post . . .

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Challenge #6: Wrong Answer, Wrong Question, and Ackthpt! II

2005-11-18T23:42:00.000-08:00

Location: Starbucks
1100 Hamner Ave, @ Hidden Valley Parkway, Norco, CA
(951) 738-8880 10:20 PM

There is nothing terribly amusing about this challenge; the store failed, although the Register Boy did at least have the good grace to look caught, and as if he knew better.

Me: May I have a venti Fair Trade drip please.

Register Boy: I, uh, I'm sorry, but we're brewing [coffee] and [coffee] right now.

Me: Oops, wrong answer. That's not the way to say yes! (Smile)

Register Boy: [Looks caught; nearly snaps his fingers and says "Shoot, " as he has recognized the Words of Power and knows he has messed up.] Uh . . .

Me: You can french press it.

Register Boy: Would you like me to French Press one?

Me: Yes. [He begins ringing up the sale; my fun begins in earnest] You really want to offer that to me, without making me ask for it, let alone ask for it twice. [Smile.]

Register Boy: Uh, uh, I don't know if we have it . . . uh [asks self-confident looking bustling fellow barista; she meanders around glancing vaguely at the shelves, then announces they are out.]

Me: Oh no, that's it down there on the bottom row. The one with the "Fair Trade" logo.

Etc etc. My three minute coffee came to me after six, and was thick and burnt as fried mud. Not quite Moose Turd Coffee, but darn close. I couldn't bear to ask them to remake so it was drinkable.

Of course I did my little social engineering bit, and good-naturedly warned Register Boy that the Fair Trade would be shopped heavily in the next couple of months and to bone up on the details, etc. Got the usual mixture of relief, fear and thanks for the "tip."

Bustling-But-Clueless Girl: [Handing me the undrinkable coffee] Do you work for Starbucks?

Me: No. [Wrong question, lady. Maybe I work for a secret shopper company, and am not actually employed by Starbucks. Maybe I'm a lawyer, checking up on your use or misuse of the Fair Trade trade mark. Maybe I'm just a crazed blogger with nothing better to do at 10:30 PM on a Friday night. But I'm a customer. And it should be embarrassing that I know your policies better than you do.]

SPECIAL NOTE TO Cindy, or any other
Starbucks employee that wanders in here:

Great policy, the "we can press it" thing, if only it were known to your employees. And since I am really more likely to want to buy ORGANIC coffee (not just Fair Trade) which many independents don't seem to stock (weird, that) you could solidify your world coffee dominance by making the policy work. It would be great if a pressed cup was so ordinary that it was not an experience to blog home about!

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Challange #5: Another Save By A Sr. Partner

2005-11-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Location:
Pasadena, California
Lake Avenue at Green Street.

Call this one a miss, a save, and an oops.

But first, through the miracle of modern technology, I am actually sitting in Starbucks, composing this challenge write up, and will post it from my seat, French-pressed Fair Trade in hand.

Snort!

I don’t know why it tickles me so to do this, and I am tempted to take the technology a step further and whip out the digital camera to take and upload pictures with the report, but I will restrain myself I think.

Meanwhile, Hannah and I dropped off the car for tires – had a slow flat yesterday, and dare not drive much more on it. We walked down the block and around the corner to wait for the tire.

We strode -- and strollered -- boldly into the empty store and I asked, ever-so casually, for “a venti Fair Trade drip, please.”

“We haven’t had the Fair Trade for months,” the boy on the register begins.

Sigh.

“Café Estima is Fair Trade,” I reply matter-of-factly. He looks confused and stunned.

Behind him, a tall female barista who knows me from a different store (but has never been around for a Challenge, that I know of) pipes up with “We can French press it for you!” and saves the day.

I ask her to press it a minute short, because I do not like it quite as dark as it usually comes out. She says OK; I find a table in a far corner of the empty store and make a phone call on the cell to make a debit card payment on a bill . (Technology!)

Now remember, I had asked for the coffee to be pressed, as per my usual, for only two or three minutes instead of the standard four, because pressed coffee comes out too strong for me otherwise. Ten minutes and two phone calls later no coffee yet, although it had been sitting in the press pretty much since I asked for it. I finish my second phone call, and look around – there is the unpoured coffee on the back counter. Still.

Uh oh.

An employee coming on shift asks the others what the press was for, and Tall-Girl scurries over, pushes the press plunger, and pours the coffee.

May I interject a silent ackthptblehsplorflept Arghhhhh?

I say, ever so sweetly, “You know that cup’s been in the press nearly 10 minutes, could I get you to press a new one?”

“Sure,” the Tall-Girl says, without a hint of annoyance. And she does, forthwith, although why that cup was brought to me after such a severe soaking, I have no idea.

In any case, she brings the new coffee over, and we chat a bit about Fair Trade.

“Hey, you know some of your partners are confused about the difference between your old Fair Trade blend and Fair Trade certified coffee,” I mention. I point out that it is only Fair Trade if it has the third party certificate, that “fairly traded” is similar, but not the same thing.

She smiles and lets me know that “all my partners know that.” Hmm. Debatable, given Register-Boy's initial response. He did remember after prompted, though, or pretended too. And I only had to provide one hint.

So, as I say, I score this a Miss, A Save, and a non-fair-trade Oops.

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Challenge #4 Catch & Release Baristas

2005-11-09T19:48:00.000-08:00

Starbucks, Pasadena, California, USA
Corner of Allen & Washington Blvd.

My request for a "venti Fair Trade drip" got a puzzled look, and a back and forth head tilt, sort of like a cocker-spaniel earnestly trying to understand human speech.

"We aren't brewing that today, but we are brewing . . . huh?" Barista # 1 began.

"Sure, I'll have to press it, it will take 4 or 5 minutes," gushed Barrista #2, verbally shoving #1 out of the way. "Now that's the way to say 'yes,'" I said, and smiled.

Barista #2 then explained to Barista #1 about which coffees were Fair Trade, and that they could always brew a pressed cup --

"Ah, someone read the email!" I said pleasantly, chortling a little in the direction of Barista #2.

Then, suddenly, I remembered my last pressed cup (shudder) , so asked if I could have the coffee in three minutes -- not that I was in a hurry, but I had found that four minutes made some awful dark (shudder, shudder) coffee. No. 2 said OK, and then I did the evil social engineering thing.

See, I figure its not fair to trap 'em and stuff 'em and display the barista carcases here. Not really a sustainable practice, as I see it.

So I leaned in and said, quietly and conspiratorially to the not-so-knowledable Barista #1 "You know, you are going to get shopped pretty heavily for fair trade over the next sixth months, so you will want to be sure you are up on the product details. Let the other partners know. But quietly, " I added as an after thought.

Rofl! The combined look of horror and gratitude was priceless.

"Thank you! I will!" she said quietly, and then louder "enjoy your coffee!"

See, the the way I see it, this Catch & Release SBX Challenge is far more eco-friendly, and sustainable to- boot. Saves on Barista burn-out and retraining, while naturally improving the the local politico-ecosystem for the next SBX visitor.

Catch & Release. I like it.

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Amused by the Starbucks Challenge? Me too. Now come see my real mission in the blogosphere: Easy Green, quick ideas for a greener world, and its companion journal, Observations, and such

Challenge #3: Moose Turd Coffee

2005-11-07T15:33:00.000-08:00

“Oogackthpftzshssss! Bleh! That was vile coffee!” I said to my son. “Fair Trade though!”

Starbucks, La Verne, Foothill and Wheeler. Not my usual. An older barista (over 30, neh!) with a Master Coffee Sumpthin’ black apron on.

“Hi,” I said “a venti Fair Trade drip, please.” Ms. Coffee Master looks over her shoulder “We’re not brewing that right now . . . “

“Rrrrrr.”

“Would you press it please?” I ask, somewhat abruptly, as if issuing a command to be obeyed, not really asking.

Ding! A light comes on, and she goes looking for the Fair Trade on the shelf. She offers me an organic coffee “Which one [Fair Trade] would you like? This is one,” Ms. Coffee Master temporizes.

“Uhm, no, “I say, again peremptorily.

“It is organic, which is good, but Fair Trade has a specific label”. She looks on the shelf again as the line grows from just me to me+three. “We must be out of it.”

I look too; don’t see it on the shelf, but as I turn toward the register a single, lonely, green bag of Café Estima catches my eye. I pluck it off the shelf, hand it too her without looking – “here you go” – and turn to walk back to the register.

Ms. Master Coffee returns and rings up the venti without a pause, and brings me the brewing coffee press and an empty cup. She has clipped a timer to the press handle to let me know when it’s ready. I am startled and amused. I ask her to pour it when it’s ready. I’m feeling snarky.

As she is ringing up the cup I am snarkier still.

“You should be aware,” I begin, in my best middle school teacher / district manager’s voice “that the Fair Trade coffee has to have the Fair Trade label on it to be Fair Trade; it would be a trade mark violation that the Fair Trade people could be upset about to offer the wrong coffee.”

I smile.

“You should also be aware – and let the other partners know – that Fair Trade is going to be shopped heavily over the next four to six months, and it’s important to say 'yes' and offer the correct, pressed, coffee before the customer asks.”

Gad, I love social engineering.

After a few minutes, Ms. Master Coffee brings me the press and cup again. “Go ahead,” I say and smile. “It’s good practice.”

She presses the coffee, and pours it after one false start. “See, I’m nervous now,” she says.

“No worries,” I say, “I don’t really like pressed coffee much anyway, but offering it right away when asked, and offering the right coffee, is important.” I smile broadly again, as if rewarding an apt pupil. “Thank you! I say effusively.

“Thanks for the lesson,” she says, smiling in return. “No problem, “ say I, content to know that poor rattled Ms. Master Coffee will let the partners know how to find – and handle – the Fair Trade coffee.

In the end, I have to score this a miss, albeit one that was mostly pulled out, and I bet I don’t get a miss here again. And yes, the coffee was damn strong, for a simple drip coffee – and this from a guy that will drink shots of unsweetened espresso. After a few sips I was able to drink it, but if I didn’t feel like I had already harassed the good woman enough, I might have asked for a drinkable cup. (Grin).

(For an amusing story called Moose Turd Pie have a listen to this.)

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Challenge #2: More (Coffee) Pressing Business, and Diaper, Diaper, Who's Got the Diaper?

2005-10-31T14:22:00.000-08:00

[Originally posted at Observations, and such; reposted here to complete the set.]
This morning Hannah and I stopped at our usual Starbucks in La Verne, at D Street and Foothill. I was kind of interested in having that Organic, Shade Grown Mexican coffee, but was disappointed to see that it wasn’t brewing, even though I understood it to be the COW from my Pasadena store.

“Oh,” I said “isn’t that shade grown coffee supposed to be the coffee of the week?”

“Yes,” the girl at the counter said “We don’t have any brewed right now, but I can press you a cup. What size would you like?”

Oooo. Cool, thought I. I didn’t even have to ask, and wasn’t going to, I had just expressed my spontaneous disappointment – and she offers to make it all better without even a blink. This store has *definitely* read the email!

Hannah and I find our seat, and endure the usual round of moms and grandmas and at least one dad cooing at and talking to Hannah. I start doing some writing, when I realize that I am sitting next to a Big Boss (some sort of regional boss, I’d guess) and the store manager in a big confab.

Coffee Command and Control

I eaves-drop shamelessly, but hear nothing at all about Fair Trade, or pressed-cups or the like.

Eventually, Hannah is a little fussy, and food isn’t working, toys aren’t working, The Blanket isn’t working – and then it dawns on me, she needs a diaper.

Starbucks (I have now learned) does not install diaper changing tables in restrooms as standard equipment. As I am changing the baby on a chair in the middle of the store, as per my usual, I turn to the Big Boss (who has been cooing at the baby) and say “Man, you guys could really use a diaper changing table.”

A short discussion ensues regarding same, in which I point out that many older DINKs (Dual Income, No Kids) are having children late, but still want to come for coffee, and that any store, like this one, with a kids' table and chair and some toys is going to attract patrons with poopy diapers too.

Now That's Customer Service

Big Boss tap-taps on her laptop and says without missing a beat “we’ll order you one.”

Buzz-whir click. The mind is busy boggling. I consider asking if it will be a Fair Trade diaper changing table, but figure the joke will be lost on her.

“Don’t forget to put it in the men’s room.” I quip instead.

“Oh, that’s right. We’d need to order two,” Big Boss says. After a few more tap taps on the laptop, she says we can do one right away: "Would you be able to use one in the women’s room.?"

Now I guess she didn’t see the irony: Here was a dad asking for a diaper changing table, which Big Boss assumed (in a fit of unconscious sexism) needed to go in the women’s restroom.

“Well, you might not want to do that, my wife in particular will give you grief for that,” I say. “She even had these special postcards printed for sexist managers.” [Click the Photo at right for a readable view]

“Would you use it if it was in the Women’s room?” she asks, determined to stick to her gender-biased reality.

“Sure,” I say laughing.

Now in fairness, their restrooms are of the one-room, lock the door type. But still I want to add “of course, your women customers will hassle me; I will need to knock on the door each time and might find it embarrassing to disturb a female potty user, and therefore will continue to use the chairs out in the main part of the store, and other dad's won't even know it's in there. And of course you are sending a subliminal message that diapers are women’s work."

But I can’t; she has been so nice and so unconsciously clueless at the same time, making her really aware of what she was doing would be pretty rude. So I give her one of our postcards (hoping she will think about it), and in a further fit of cowardice, give her the URL for this blog and greenLAgirl’ s Starbucks Challenge.

Maybe she’ll put the diaper changing table in the men’s restroom first.

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Challenge #1: Starbucks, Breastmilk & Me

2005-10-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

[Originally posted at Observations, and such; reposted here to complete the set.]

I like coffee. But then you might have guessed that, given all the coffee cup graphics here. So I have been watching the Starbucks Challenge over on greenlagirl with some interest, and think the idea of Fair Trade products is not so bad. I wanted to play too, so today, when I stopped for coffee, I resolved to ask for a Fair Trade cup. Here's what happened at the store in La Verne, California at the corner of Foothill and D Street today:

SBX Challenge: My Turn

The line was out the door – nearly 20 people – so I had plenty of time to screw up my courage to ask for the Fair Trade drip. And I was really going to do it too, long line or not. I felt like I could because I kind of know this crew because I come here so often.

“Can I get something started for you, sir?” the counter guy asked as he worked his way down the line. I was six patrons away from the register.

“Yes. I’d like –” I began, thenhen silence: Tic tic tic, the quiet stretched out longer than the line. “Uhhhhhm, a venti mild drip, please,” I finished, caving to the self-imposed pressure of the line behind me. And a venti hot water, half full, please. ”

“Yes, sir,” he said, “The mild is almost finished brewing, I’ll bring it over to you; here’s the water.”

“Uhm, thanks. Say – oh never mind.”

Just Like Mother Makes

See, I’m a stay-at-home dad this semester. My four-month-old daughter Hannah and I drop big brother Spencer off at 5th Grade down the street, but the traffic home is abysmal at that hour. So I stop at the nearby Starbucks for an hour or two, writing, using the WiFi to email, etc. And I order Hannah her “mama latte” – a venti cup half full of hot water.

The half-cup is just exactly right to float a four ounce bottle of frozen breast milk in. With the lid-on, the bottle floats so that the hot water covers the entire bottle, with the hot water just a fraction of an inch below the screw top, which is important because, frankly, all baby bottles seem to leak a little. In about 10 minutes a frozen bottle is warmed to perfection, a thawed bottle in about three.

The baristas all know Hannah, and greet her by name. If I order an espresso drink, they have taken to writing “The Dad” on the cup in place of my name. In fact, I don’t think they know my name anymore.

A man with a baby is apparently such a novelty, in fact, that every mom with older kids at home and any grandparent with a grand-baby “just about her age” feels compelled to say hello.

To Hannah, not me.

Inevitably they coo at the baby, smile, and wave and say “Hi!” in a goo-goo voice, and then they make The Statement.

“Oh, having a day out with Dad, hmm?”

Okay. They know she can’t answer. I know she can’t answer. They know I know they know she can’t answer. So even though they also know that it would be impolite to say “So, first time out with the baby?” to me, they get to ask anyway by pretending to ask her.

I have considered taking ventriloquism lessons. “No, you sexist pig; dad is my primary caregiver," she would say, in a cutesy-falsetto preternaturally mature baby-voice.

“And if you don’t believe it just watch how fast he can change the nipple on a bottle one-handed, and see if he doesn’t unconsciously do the “mommy mambo” swaying back and forth to comfort me (even if I am asleep in the stroller) while he talks to you.

“And don’t even get me started on this man’s skill as a diaper slinger.”

But no. Usually I smile and say something benign yet subtly cutting: “Yep, just like every day.” (“Aha! Sexist pig!” is the subtext of course, but I smile nurturingly, and coo at the baby. No one can accuse me of anything!)

So this day, we’re settling in to our usual spot in the corner at the table with the computer plug, and the perky counter guy brings my mild-drip over. Maybe three minutes have elapsed, but the rush of 20 people is down to 2 people in line. I am emboldened.

Really Going to Do It This Time!

“Oh, hey, uhm, excuse me. “ I say, calling him back to me from halfway back to his station. “Would you be able to get me a Fair Trade drip?” I ask. He looks puzzled. “Uhm, a second cup,” I add lamely.

“Sure. I’ll hafta brew it; it’ll only take a minute.”

I’m floored. I had my “didn’t you read the email” shtick all practiced. I was prepared to politely but firmly grasp the teaching-moment and point out the fair trade label, explain the best way to “say yes” and see if he put his foot in it.

A perky “Sure!” was not in the script.

“Uhm, no, that’s okay. Next time. I didn’t want to ask before with such a long line,” I explain sheepishly. “No worries,” he says, more puzzled than before. “Just ask!”

Guess he read the email.

Way to go greenlagirl and cityhippy! Way to go Starbucks!

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