Comments on: Starbucks, the Drip of Death, and the Destruction of the Universe

By: lyd

lyd — Sun, 09 Oct 2016 17:09:10 +0000

I think Starbucks FINALLY has new cups, I just bought a Starbucks and the cup is different, so far no leaks. Yes this has happened to me so often that I would wrap napkins around the cups to prevent the leaks, and, stopped buying from them since Peets and Caribou, tastier coffees anyway have firm lids. I understand it’s better for the environment to carry my ceramic holder but every time I NEED a coffee it is not with me. That, said, the problem was huge, completely faulty cups almost at the level of a “gag” or prank cup. It would always happen when I was in a hurry and walking with the cup only to have coffee all over me, always on my way to somewhere I had to be presentable. Although the lid appeared sealed it would leak from “somewhere” in the lid or on the seam as you mention. I baffles me with all their product research no one did spot checks? No one from product bothered to walk into a random Starbucks and buy a coffee just to live the customer experience? They really need to do a huge overhaul/firing/hiring/re-review if they can’t get this together. Next topic is their sickening sweet hot chocolate that make you nauseas after 2 sips. I finally asked if they can do less pumps and was told by an excited barista that she totally agreed, that 1-2 pumps is more than enough (I tried both ways, both are perfect!!) but, that due to corporate policy/workflow they had to put the mandatory 3 pumps in. In fact all the barista’s confided they would never drink it that way but had to serve it that way. Again, what is going on with the product team?? Does anyone care about the customer experience? Do they have an avenue where the workers, front line staff that interact with the end user can supply feedback up the chain, apparently not. Perhaps one of the CEO’s kids likes sickening sweet hot chocolate and that 4 year old was the taste tester?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 19:32:45 +0000

I feel the same way about Starbucks as I do about Dunkin Donuts. Why pay $4 for a donut or coffee when I can get a larger, more tastier product at my local gas station?

By: Matt O.

Matt O. — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 18:20:25 +0000

Friends don't let friends drink SBUX! Take the coffeeneuring challenge, a chance to try something else -- likely much better, in a proper cup!

By: Matthew Horne

Matthew Horne — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:37:58 +0000

Chris, while waiting on a site to finish transferring I thought I would read a few things on the site.

This has to be one of the best posts I have ever read. If it wasn’t for the fact that its 03:00 in the morning and my fiancee is sleeping I was be laughing pretty damn hard right now.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 20:58:17 +0000

YES! You vocalized my sentiment (and the sentiment to all my light khaki and stone pants with permanent coffee drip stains on them)! It’s 2012 right now – why has this not been fixed?

By: Sarah Arrow

Sarah Arrow — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 09:46:30 +0000

Simply ask them to put one cup inside another–and tell them it’s because it burns your hand;) This puts a damper on the infamous Starbucks save the earth with cheap cups campaign, which will eventually force them to GIVE IT UP. Don’t get me wrong–I am all for saving the earth. However, when you are paying $3 for a cup of coffee, I think the least you can ask is for it not to be spilled all over the car/pants/shirt/dog/whatever. Plus, I don’t think it’s about saving the earth. I think it’s about saving money under the pretense of saving the earth, which is just down right nasty. You are right, though, the best is when the lid pops off. Curses! I’m still seeking enlightenment on that one myself. I love Starbucks. I really do.

By: Luissa

Luissa — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:06:15 +0000

I have a variety of mugs, some even from *gasp* the Caribou Cafe that they gladly fill. You save $ everytime you bring in your own cup, you help the environment and you avoid the so-called DoD.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:02:00 +0000

This has happened to me many times. I did a search and sure enough I’m not the only one. The DoD kind of defeats the purpose of the splash stick. I might as well forgo the stick and have the whole thing splash on me.

By: John Sheehan, Marina Del Rey

John Sheehan, Marina Del Rey — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:01:06 +0000

Funny article, I really liked it. While we are on the Starbuck’s rant,
even though I do love Starbuck’s, because I am clean and sober
except for caffeine, yes, I know it’s a drug, I love it, I need it, and I
would never get anything done on my list without it. Hell, with it
I can sand and varnish an entire boat in a couple of hours. But,
I hate corporate art…have you seen this formica art they have hanging at most Starbuck’s? In the design are suttle little paper
cups or ceramic cups which they don’t even have, as if we didn’t know
what to drink out of. They should just have a caffeine drip from IV
tubes hanging from the ceilings with fresh mouth pieces you get
after paying ‘The Man”, also even though the chocolate brown leather
couches are about the most comfortable I have ever sat in, I wonder
what all those drips on the tanned bovine flesh are reading on a bacterial count meter. It’s like they’re trying to put the milk back into the cow one bad C-spot seam drip at a time. I also love the Artisan sandwiches, but must I look at their demo model which sits
near their display case all day long? I must admit though, I recently
discovered the best cold coffee drink ever…Venti Coconut Frappuccino, I have them mix lots of extra toasted coconut into the drink with of course whipped cream on top with extra sprinkles…
Lastly I feel I can say all of this because I once was a dreaded Barrista
at the Tamarac Square Starbuck’s in southeast Denver on Hampden.
It was the early morning shift, I think I had to get there at about 4:30, this and I’m not a morning person, just a recovering alcoholic,
bipolar guy with ADHD and OCD thrown in with a superiority complex and an inferiority complex operating at the same time,
so the manager, we’ll call her Sheila said,”John it’s time to switch
out the brewed coffee, it’s been there too long…”, I replied, “That’s
your job Sheila, cause I don’t fucking work here anymore.” I then
took off my adorable green apron miniskirt neatly rolled it up, and then proceeded to throw it at her behind the counter and then poured
myself a venti bold, went to the ‘sugar bar’, and then unscrewed the metal lid from the Vanilla sprinkles lid and like usual poured 4 ounces of free vanilla spinkles in my Joe, as I learned you don’t have to pay extra for vanilla flavor…All for now…or as Howard Schultz learned to say in Italian Starbuck’s, Trenta Bolda Mothafuckahhhh!!!

By: Suzi Sandoval

Suzi Sandoval — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:22:47 +0000

I appreciate the warning on the Starbucks cup and the DOD, but it isn’t Starbucks job to makes us happy after all they do best what they don’t do–serve up coffee in a seamless cup. Simple solution. Yet the frustrated customers keep coming back. We assume the next seam is the dream seam. Assumption is the mother of all screw-ups.