Archived New (and not so good) Starbucks leadership.

[HalfBarista]

I've been working at Starbucks for over a year now and it's been a rewarding job until about a month ago. We lost a team leader and we were without a team leader for about three months. We went through the order crisis (no shipments for nearly two months). I had a problem with a GSTL who tried to get me in trouble for getting water after pushing carts (leaving my station) as a cashier. I went to HR about that, and she retaliated by trying to write me up for taking my Starbucks break 15 minutes late. After a confrontation, I got no coaching, but I went to my LOD's and they sided with me at the moment, but surprise! She is now Starbucks team leader. I am an unofficial trainer because I know the most in my area, I have taken on the team leader role (unofficially, once again) and everyone comes to me for things, I move the orders and make sure everyone is properly trained, make sure everyone knows about promotions, stock properly etc. When our new team leader started, she was okay to work with and willing to learn from my training. But after she got the hang of it (kinda) , she has gotten less grateful of how supportive our team is and she looks for any reason to give us a coaching, I knew things would head south. All of our team has spoken with the LOD's about how she treats us (she ignores us during our shifts and leaves us alone making drinks) but it feels like nothing is changing. My teams morale is down and they hate being treated the way they do. They don't even want to work there anymore. The team leader could use some training because I get a lot of guests that vent about how she doesn't make their drinks right, so they don't come when she is there. She also has a reputation of being very rude in the checklanes, so that lost quite a few guests for us. Two team members quit when they knew she was going to be our team leader. I wanted to quit too, but I stayed hopeful that things would go back to how they used to be. I am wondering what the next course of action would be, who would I get in contact to have this fixed? I just feel used and unappreciated, but with the right choices on my stores (and my) part, things could get better.

TL; DR I have a new team leader from hell and I hate coming to work now.

 

[jenna]

Can you switch work centers?

 

[HalfBarista]

I'm really considering moving to sales floor (or anywhere else). I'd like to help my team out still though, we get along well and I'd hate to see them going through this stuff from afar.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Spot will figure it out. Hang in there! Did you apply for sbtl?
Welcome, btw.

 

[redeye58]

It's going to take a group effort, meaning all the other SBTMs will need to go to HR with their complaints about this TL so it doesn't look like you have an axe to grand.
The complaints need to be specific & work-related; not "we don't get along".
Not making drinks to order, unfriendly to guests, not leading by example, unwarranted coachings, killing morale are examples.

 

[HalfBarista]

Thanks, I had to leave early last nights closing shift after speaking to an LOD who just made things worse. I got really depressed.

 

[Coqui]

Thanks, I had to leave early last nights closing shift after speaking to an LOD who just made things worse. I got really depressed.

You guys can alway go to your direct ETL and explain what is going on. Does your ETL have a presence in Starbucks?

 

[RedorBlue]

Ya know, this sounds like a bunch of political BS that I absolutely hate in retail. We are only getting one side of the story and it sounds like maybe you have a chip on your shoulder. I would suggest let the TL be THE TL and you be the barista. I would also stop rallying up all the other workers and trying to cause issues. Because in the long run, this TL was chosen for a reason, so she obviously has some backing in the store. This may back fire on you.

 

[redeye58]

'Chosen for a reason'? lol
At my store, it was whoever they could sucker into taking the role & the last two TLs were only interested in using it as a stepping stone to another role. Unfortunately, they found out our area was a black hole & the only way out was to quit.
Fortunately, the rest of the team was tight-knit & we had the duties divided so we were pretty autonomous.
Unfortunately, Starbucks corp doesn't allow autonomy so we'd have to train someone who REALLY wasn't interested in SB, would spend most of their time off the floor 'handling TL duties' (other TLs saw him in the TL area updating his status on Facebook) & did very little.
We ran fine without them until the SBDM would drop by & the TL was absolutely clueless.
Also OP wasn't 'rallying up all the other workers'; THEY were coming to the OP.

 

[RXninja]

OP came here to vent and look for support. Assuming that the OP is stirring up trouble and attacking them for it is not helpful. OP is trying to make the best of a bad situation and does not need anymore negativity.

 

[HalfBarista]

Its not about trying to stir up stuff at all. I just feel as if all of us are being pushed out of our work area, two team members got different jobs once the new team leader started, and one switched to electronics. I do like Starbucks, it can be very enjoyable, and I have done more than enough to help our team leader as well. I tell her about new promotions and tell her what people need to be trained on, even though I'm the one that ends up doing all the training. I've told HR that I don't mind doing the extra work, but that they should tell me their expectations so I don't get in trouble for not finishing work that's not mine in the first place. And I don't want the Team Leader out, I want her fixed. Not everyone is out for blood.

 

[Coqui]

Ya know, this sounds like a bunch of political BS that I absolutely hate in retail. We are only getting one side of the story and it sounds like maybe you have a chip on your shoulder. I would suggest let the TL be THE TL and you be the barista. I would also stop rallying up all the other workers and trying to cause issues. Because in the long run, this TL was chosen for a reason, so she obviously has some backing in the store. This may back fire on you.

Lots of people take the Starbucks TL position because it's a TL role, they can try and move on somewhere else in the store and they have control over their own schedule. If you have someone who is solely interested in themselves, the team will suffer. You need to be on the floor with your team most of the time, it's not a role where you can be in TSC playing with Workbench. Most stores just want the Starbucks TL position filled because like my STL said, it is probably the TL position with the most turnover. Hmmm, I wonder why?

 

[mrknownothing]

I have to ask - if half of you is a barista, what is the other half?

 

[HalfBarista]

Cashier haha