Mrs. Linklater Responds to Her Critic--Part One

Let me respond to the young person who left several comments in my journal about the recent entry I wrote, concerning the unionization of Starbucks' coffee.

NOTE: I have been putting an apostrophe before the "s" in Starbucks. This is wrong apparently. Even though Starbuck was the name of the character in Moby Dick and Starbuck's would be the correct way to spell the possessive of Starbuck, upper management probably decided not to get into the whole "where does the apostrophe go?" issue and dispensed with it altogether.

Do not be alarmed by the presentation of the numbers in reverse.  I simply copied all the comments as they were left, so this is kind of like a David Letterman countdown.

COMMENT:
12) "I think what we have is a bunch of whiny thirty something slacker wannabes who haven't got a clue what real work is like."

Slackers? Do you realize this job affords NO sitting time whatsoever? You're on your feet, back and forth, at the beck and call of the general public. Service with a smile.

Mrs. Linklater responds:
From the Wikipedia definition of slacker:

The term slacker was commonly used in the United States in World War I and World War II to describe men who were avoiding the military draft.  But in the 50's it specifically referred to a variety of tendencies in the young generation -- a use popularized by Richard Linklater's movie Slacker.  subsequently spawning the label "slacker generation."  A typical slacker is characterized by a static unenthusiastic air manifesting in an apparent lack of effort. This lack of motivation is usually represented as a status of unemployment or only minor employment in the service industry. [Underline and lovely shade of red Mrs. L's]

COMMENT:
I spent six and a half hours in anaphylactic shock in the hospital one night from an albuterol treatment, and guess what? I was at work 2 hours later at 4:45 in the morning so that Joe Schmo could come get his iced quad grande sugar free hazelnut nonfat light ice extra whip caramel macchiato. Am I a slacker? I don't think so.

Mrs. Linklater:
What is it about minor employment in the service industry that you don't understand?

COMMENT:
And last, but not least.

Do not, I repeat, do NOT insult my intelligence or doubt my competence without even knowing who I am. I am that 21 year old barista who has worked herself to the bone to get to where she is right now.

Mrs. Linklater:
What are you, some kind of control freak?  I'll do what I want.

COMMENT:
Could I make your drink with three customizations right? Yes. Could the particular barista at the Starbucks you frequented do it? I don't know.

Mrs. Linklater:
Apparently you didn't understand what I said. Let me repeat it ver-r-r-r-ry sl-o-o-owly for you. I said that I stopped ordering a 1) tall  2) decaf  3) mocha frap with a 4) shot of almond. That's four things, not three.  I don't order it anymore because the baristas couldn't handle an order with more than THREE things. They kept f**king up the order. Especially the "DE-CAF" part. So the fact that YOU can do three customizations makes you about average. Being able to do four is too tough for the average barista in my experience.  Reading comprehension is apparently too tough for baristas too.  

COMMENT:
Your problem is mostly generalization and stereotypes. Your little corner of the world does not equate to the rest of the company or the individuals in their employ.

Mrs. Linklater:
I have an opinion. I don't have a problem. You're the one who is having the problem.   

COMMENT:
I understand your stance on the unionization, but your point on that could have been made without generally bashing ALL those employed by the company.

Mrs. Linklater:
You're control freaking again.  I can do what I want.

COMMENT:
I'd really love to see you try and get through just two training shifts at Starbucks and see if you think it's still just "pouring coffee".

Mrs. Linklater
Luckily I never had to.

COMMENT:
Damn, I need a caramel apple cider...

Mrs. Linklater:
Odd place for levity.  But funny.
 
PS: As far as the Barista community on LJ goes...that is our place to bitch and whine about work. This is your place to bitch and whine about coffee. Any questions?

Mrs. Linklater:
I repeat, you have not comprehended what I wrote. This journal was my place to bitch about Starbucks' potential unionization. The terrible, burnt coffee, stale food and baristas were lucky strike extras.  

COMMENT:
 7) Part-time benefits

Twenty hours a week average gets you benefits. This is not a stretch, really. We're not so different from other retail and even desk jobs. I'm sorry...if you were working part-time somewhere and they offered you benefits. I do believe you'd take them if you were in my situation. No moron in their right mind would say, "No thanks, I'm good!"

Starbucks spent more on their employees' benefits and training last year than they did on coffee. Think about that.

Mrs. Linklater:
Once again your reading comprehension suffers. Starbucks is different from other retail establishments and companies that employ people part-time. Part-time equals no benefits. I'm quite impressed that Starbucks offers benefits to employees who work part-time. I can't believe the employees would risk losing them just to have a union.

COMMENT:
8) "Only making hot and cold liquids and pouring them into containers. Or sliding a cookie into a bag."

I'm not going to go into all that goes on in a normal shift at Starbucks, but it is evident, madam, that you have not paid ANY attention at all.

Mrs. Linklater:
Sorry, I forgot about making change.

COMMENT:
9) Union stuff.

Okay. I'm not for a Unionization Movement (tm). I'm really not. I think we're given enough great benefits, partner contacts, perks, etc. So I'm not going to argue with you. I think the whole "organize now" mentality is a little overdone and unneeded.

Mrs. Linklater:
I bet you cave just like everybody else is going to.

COMMENT:
I still don't agree, however, that it's "just pouring coffee".

Mrs. Linklater:
Okay, it's brain surgery.

COMMENT:
When you look at it, most of those behind this union movement are managers, assistant managers and shift supervisors. Your typical barista, true, is not in it for the long haul. They're college kids that need some money. And what's wrong with that? But more on that later.

Mrs. Linklater:
I never said there was anything wrong with people working part-time to make some money. I asked why would anyone want to work fulltime at Starbucks? It didn't seem like a smart career move to me.

COMMENT:
10) Safety

Any food service job has safety concerns. I've burned myself at least once a week since I started back in April. I don't complain. It's part of a job. I'm sure postal carriers get sunburn, and data entry clerks get carpal tunnel. That's part of the job. You deal.

Mrs. Linklater:
Once again this whole reading comprehension thing is raising its ugly head.  I was talking about the chances of becoming permanently disabled.