Starbucks Team Leaders

Well, given that my STL says that my sales comp doesn't really count. . . .
My ETL changes the pop for me--used to work at a movie theater. Otherwise completely mia.
GSAs and GSTL are certified, and one of my SRs. too.
When I go on vacation, my DM comes to check on the team for me.
 
A couple past ETL-GEs have at least known enough to ring up a guest while I direct them and make drinks. None of them really knew Starbucks or anything like that, but a couple have tried to make time to speak with me at least once or twice per week. My current ETL is spending less and less time with me, which is great because I hate her and at least a third of our conversations end up in arguments. Also she makes each of my GSTLs cry on a bi-weekly basis. I have two goals in life right now: first is to minimize the fruit flies that have plagued my store for the last decade (making progress!!! it was in the mid 80s for at least a week and they came back with a vengeance, but then I found something to clean and put out traps, it got much better) and the second is to make Starbucks run so well that my ETL-GE can fuck off and go bother the other TLs because she doesn't have to worry about me. I want Starbucks to be the least of her problems.

While we're on that topic, I absolutely love my role. It's almost like running my own little store, as long as I get left alone (which is usually true). I have so much control over everything. I do logistics: instocks (ordering), flow (breaking down the pallet, pushing it), backroom (not really backstocking, but storing everything), POG (new Siren's Eye), sales floor (zoning/reshop, although this is almost non-existent), cashiering, guest service (returns and just general problem solving), HR (managing payroll, writing the schedule, some involvement in hiring), PMT (I usually try to fix things before putting in a workorder, if possible), and that's all before making drinks, which is fun. I have enough control over things that I can minimize problems and keep guest complaints very few and far between.

It's a hell of a lot of work. I break a sweat every day. I cover call offs just about every time I've ever attempted to take vacation because there isn't anyone else in the store to cover it. But I love the job, I love my team, and I love my regulars and I wouldn't have it any other way.
 
Xanatos said:
My current ETL is spending less and less time with me
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This can certainly be a good thing sometimes. My store is smaller than yours--my ETL is GE/SF and is a real micro manager. Can't stand not knowing what to pick at in Sbux, but can't be bothered to learn. Drives everyone crazy, but would never make anyone cry. So, in short, we are left to ourselves. Also, I am only scheduled at the same time as my ETL one day per week--just sayin'.

Ideally, I would like to spend more time in Starbucks--lately its been 1 or 2 days each week. I actually like my LOD shifts, though, except for the whole front end. LOD to the service desk is the worst thing in my life! However, stepping down wouldn't automatically mean more time in Sbux for me. #smallstoreproblems 🙂. Thank goodness my team is awesome!

Sounds like you are in a great place now!
 
Yetive said:
This can certainly be a good thing sometimes. My store is smaller than yours--my ETL is GE/SF and is a real micro manager. Can't stand not knowing what to pick at in Sbux, but can't be bothered to learn. Drives everyone crazy, but would never make anyone cry. So, in short, we are left to ourselves. Also, I am only scheduled at the same time as my ETL one day per week--just sayin'.

Ideally, I would like to spend more time in Starbucks--lately its been 1 or 2 days each week. I actually like my LOD shifts, though, except for the whole front end. LOD to the service desk is the worst thing in my life! However, stepping down wouldn't automatically mean more time in Sbux for me. #smallstoreproblems 🙂. Thank goodness my team is awesome!

Sounds like you are in a great place now!
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I definitely am in a good place now. I appreciate you guys all being concerned about me.

You know, the weird thing about me is that I enjoyed being called to the service desk as an LOD. I've spent basically my whole target career at the front end and that's where I'm most comfortable, even when I have to speak with a difficult guest. Also, I think our stores are similar volume; my ETL is also GE/SF.
 
our ETL showed up just enough during our training to be able to complain about random things, but not enough to actually know what he's doing. every time he comes over and tries to give us a spiel about how we should be doing things, we basically smile and nod until he goes away. also if he tries to get us to use one more non-approved chemical I'm going to chuck it at his face.

oh, and he keeps leaving those stupid REDcard brochures from the lanes on our transaction plane. ugh.

he does at least go to bat for us a lot of the time though. he advocates for us getting the hours we need to run the store, he handles complaints from my TL and usually gets issues solved, and he does at least understand that we have a split loyalty and tries to let us keep both companies happy. so... that's good I guess.

in other news, I just found out that our STL was asking our SBTL if she had anyone in mind for her replacement should it ever become necessary, and she totally name-dropped me. 😱 😀 it may not happen for months if at all, but she said she'd like to start developing me. and that I probably know more about Starbucks than she does, lol. (I mean, it's kind of true, but I would never say that out loud, lol.) either way, that's a huge vote of confidence, and I feel really great to have that kind of recognition!
 
yes. along with our TL, it was me and one other girl who did AST training before our launch last November. I believe she's on the TL bench elsewhere in the store, as well.
 
So I'm on the team lead bench and was offered a sbtl spot at another store. I have absolutely no experience in starbucks, our store doesn't have one and I'm an electronics tm currently. How bad an idea would it be to take the job? I'm willing to work hard to learn the processes, but I don't know if I'll be able to garner the respect of the team coming from another store and role.
 
I think it's a great idea. Whether you become a TL in your own store, or in a different one, you will still need to earn your team's respect. In some ways, a new store could be easier. You won't suddenly be supervising people who were your peers last week. Learning the Starbucks part is just like learning electronics--it seems like a lot to learn all at once but you will get it pretty quickly. I think it would be a great idea to partner with a TL from your current store to start learning the "TL stuff". Also, it would be great to have someone you trust as a resource while you are still learning.
 
radiochu said:
also if he tries to get us to use one more non-approved chemical I'm going to chuck it at his face.
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Hahaha. A couple years ago, one ETL, not mine, told one of the baristas to dump bleach down the drain--seriously--go get a gallon of bleach off the floor and pour it down the drain. 😡 Sometimes smile and nod is the best response. 😉
 
Yetive said:
Hahaha. A couple years ago, one ETL, not mine, told one of the baristas to dump bleach down the drain--seriously--go get a gallon of bleach off the floor and pour it down the drain. 😡 Sometimes smile and nod is the best response. 😉
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Yep I've had a few ETLs suggest that and I'll tell them we aren't allowed. Not only that, but our sanitizer is ammonium, and, uh, yeah that ammonium+bleach = spending all day filling out incident reports from the toxic fumes. Although you could just avoid that drain I guess. Still though...
 
Yeh, nothing like gagging from fluid-filled lungs.
What could go wrong?
Our ETL-GE is largely clueless about what our area is about so the more we keep them away, the better.
 
CoquiAzul said:
Is there some sort of policy between Starbucks and Target that prevents either company to recruit team members from each other? I have a TM that quit two months into me moving into the SBTL role that works at a company operated Starbucks and keeps coming on my days off to recruit the TMs that were there. They keep telling me he's coming and telling them and talking a lot of crap about me for some reason: I've never done anything to this person. It's really getting on my nerves. I'm wondering if I should tell my Starbucks DM.
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No, there is not a technical policy. It is frowned upon, at times. But, there is nothing that states we cannot do so. I do not recruit licensed store employees, due to knowing so many people in my former Target district. I don't wish to burn bridges with them. Your DM can get mad, but they cannot forbid it. A company store used to do it to me, when I was a SBTL.
 
Have you guys received the cups for the sunset menu yet? I'm dreading this. We better get more payroll for this.
 
we haven't yet. I only just had an opportunity to read over the mailpack this morning. lucky for us the launch is coinciding with our new DM taking over... we haven't had one in three months. sigh.

part of me is hoping this is a huge flop, but I realize that our particular guests are EXTREMELY susceptible, so if we advertise it at all we will sell them. (case in point, nobody knew we even made cold brew until the sweet cream sign went up, and now we're entirely out of beans, because we didn't know we'd need to order it since it NEVER SOLD.) I'm kind of excited to try the youthberry granita myself, if I'm being honest, but I'm wondering where exactly we're going to find the time (and how exactly we're going to keep the product in stock...) to make ALL those freaking premixes, and god knows we don't have the fridge space. not with already having vanilla sweet cream and marshmallow whip to store. seriously, get everybody hyped up with the 'no Fan Favorites this year!' and then throw all this new crap on us anyway. so thoughtful.
 
CoquiAzul said:
Have you guys received the cups for the sunset menu yet? I'm dreading this. We better get more payroll for this.
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Nope. Haven't seen them yet.
Also, they haven't shown up on the register yet. We have all tried the drinks--can't say I'm too impressed. The espresso one is 4/5ths water.
I think we cannot count on more payroll. Will find out today, I suppose.
 
radiochu said:
susceptible, so if we advertise it at all we will sell them. (case in point, nobody knew we even made cold brew until the sweet cream sign went up, and now we're entirely out of beans, because we didn't know we'd need to order it since it NEVER SOLD.) I'm kind of excited to try the youthberry granita myself,
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The youthberry is not very flavorful. Let's just say the lemon is elusive.
We are selling the vanilla cb like crazy too. But we were already selling the regular pretty well.
Good luck with your new DM. I love mine. 🙂
 
I hate Starbucks for doing this. My SBDM told me that Starbucks isn't doing as well as it wants to fiscally and that's why they keep coming out with these promos so close to each other.
 
Hello sorry to jump in but I have a few questions about the Starbucks team lead position.
I am a team member at the Starbucks in my target.

I wanted to know if a Starbucks team lead needs to have open availability.

Can a Starbucks team lead give themselves the weekends off?

Can a Starbucks team lead never have to close?
 
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