Starbucks Team Leaders

[Sickofspot]

@Ladida0905 , again I am sorry that you are going through this.

After my first trainer sucked, my ETL was great about sending me elsewhere. But, my issue came when a new ETL came in a few months later, knowing nothing about Starbucks. He made my life hell. I can tell you that if this TL and ETL are indeed friends, it will not fare well for you. I would start looking for work elsewhere. Is it too late to go back to the Pharmacy? Less stress, same pay.

 

[Ladida0905]

So update..my store is sending me back home lol to finish my training. But I have another issue at my store. The girls aren't excited I'm their TL plus one of the tm applied but didn't get the position so she's bitter and everyone is rallying around her

 

[Ladida0905]

So I'm basically getting my training from you guys

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

talk to your etl or hr on how to handle that tm. Be respectful, supportative & honest for starters.

 

[Ladida0905]

After my horrible training fiasco, I'm having a really hard time not being angry. Like hulk angry. Any ideas on how to shake it?

 

[sigma7]

Let it go. Let it go.


Deep breathing exercises. Just seriously don't let it get to you. It's over. It's in the past. Being mad isn't going to do you any good.

 

[commiecorvus]

After my horrible training fiasco, I'm having a really hard time not being angry. Like hulk angry. Any ideas on how to shake it?

It's not worth going into this being pissed off and will just make things worse.
In the words of the great and wise sage Robin Williams "Joke 'em if they can't take a fuck."

You need to be the calm in the center of the storm as the TL, the one who knows where everything is, the one who can step in to help out when things are crazyballs and make it suddenly go smooth, the one who can smack that machine in just the right place so it starts working again, and the one who can protect your people from all the crap corporate rains down from above.
Right now you're going to have to fake it till you make it, have that calm even though you don't have the skill set yet.
As long as you are honest when you make a mistake, give praise where it is due and pay attention to detail, you will be okay.

Don't worry, you've got this.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Take a break @ walk around the building. Make one of your guests smile at you

 

[redeye58]

Don't worry, you've got this.

....and you've got US.
PM if you have specific questions.

 

[Ladida0905]

Thanks a lot guys..today at work was pretty good..I told both etls what happened n they just wanted to make sure my training goes smoothly from here on. I will say that working in my own store was pretty cool yet I see so much I need to fix and do. Anyone had the same prob?..my store for some reason didn't have a sbtl for about a year..so it was recess everyday lol

 

[redeye58]

Don't bring the hammer down right away.....except in matters of cleanliness.
Everything else I'd move into gradually tightening up standards.
Approach it as expecting better from them, not as punishing them.
Show them the advantages of improving their performance (might offer a freebie here & there).

 

[commiecorvus]

Yeah if they've been slacking for a year, trying to get them to live up to standards right away (especially when you've got one who thinks they should have been promoted instead) you are going to have a constant battle.
Start out by encouraging them on everything they are doing right.
Then start changing things one thing at a time.
When you get push back, and you will get push back, figure out exactly where it is coming from and why.
If it's your former rival being difficult just cause you might have to deal with that accordingly.
Otherwise keep on top of things and always set the best example.
Like Redeye said, bribery goes a long way.

 

[redeye58]

Whenever possible, keep a little fun in there.
After reading a SB blog about a guy who went to great lengths to spell guests' names with outrageous phonetics, we had a contest on who could come up with the most lip-chewing spellings.
ie: Geuxseffe (Joseph), Quieriin (Karen), Dahfeni (Daphne), Ehduwaerd (Edward), etc.
We also had cup-decorating contests during holidays.

 

[Ladida0905]

I'm def doing the gradual thing for sure but the back room will be a dramatic change because the back room is horrible. We are grouped with food ave and our back room is in 3 different areas. We got so backed up during frappe hour and I couldn't find grande dome tops for an hour!!.. All because they were in the farthest section of the back room (deep by food ave) and secondly nothing is labeled. When you find lime wedges in the Java chip box..that's when you throw the mic down and stop singing lol. So I can't even work the truck from today because I have to spend my next 8 hr shift organizing the backroom. Oh and I still have to finish my sbtl training lol

 

[Ladida0905]

I'm only bringing the hammer down on work flow things. Like all frapp n shaken tea stuff should be on the side with all the frapp add ins..(java chips, berries, lime wedges)..not having to zig zag for syrups and ice. Secondly is any other sbtls letting their baristas just fill the whipped cream jar with whip n syrup n simply sticking it in the fridge without aerosoling it? I saw that and wanted to scream. Apparently my team has been taught that if you don't fully make items in sb you don't have to date them hence no fines from steritech..

 

[Sickofspot]

Ladida, I was so thrilled to hear things are looking up. That is great. Follow redeye's advice. Cleanliness is a big deal. You always want to be Steritech ready. If you slowly introduce best practice, you will receive respect. Explwining the why'w to the team helps.

 

[Ladida0905]

Side note how does vacations work with team leads?

 

[Sickofspot]

And no, whipped creams can't be handled that way. Everything must be dated. Steritech is so detailed. You want a green score.

 

[Ladida0905]

Yes, sickofspot I'm realizing cleanliness is everything. It's like being ocd and extremely anal at the same time. I got a little push back today because I wanted to relabel the steamer steel cups from "dairy" to the appropriate labels like.."whole, 2% or nonfat milk".. And then another for soy..apparently the store just does dairy and non dairy

 

[Sickofspot]

Vacations-partner with your ETL. But, also make sure you fill out a time-off request on ehr. The old rule was Target required at least a 3-week notice.

 

[Ladida0905]

Oh i figured. Can you imagine how frustrating that can be when you go to grab a whip n it's not areosoled?!..so many curse words went through my head. N then being backed up n frappe hour n the barista not Remembering if she put whole or skim milk in the frapp when she took the order

 

[Ladida0905]

But how long until you can get one?

 

[Sickofspot]

Yes, sickofspot I'm realizing cleanliness is everything. It's like being ocd and extremely anal at the same time. I got a little push back today because I wanted to relabel the steamer steel cups from "dairy" to the appropriate labels like.."whole, 2% or nonfat milk".. And then another for soy..apparently the store just does dairy and non dairy

Starbucks doesn't require separation between actual milk pitchers. Dairy suffices for nonfat. 2%, etc. Soy and nondairy have to be labelled as well, and have to have their own separate spoons.

 

[Sickofspot]

But how long until you can get one?

Depends on your ETL. Since you are so new, you may want to get with your ETL. I am in a similar boat. I need time off soon, but have only been at the job for 3 weeks.

 

[Ladida0905]

Oh wow..I feel weird asking about one now lol since I've only been there a month.