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Customers Work
Save-Our-Starbucks Task |
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Starbucks -- a
publicly-traded, for-profit corporation -- announced
that because it greatly over-expanded, it must now
close approximately 600 stores. In today's culture
of overly-empowered juveniles we observe a new
phenomenon that involves clumps of juveniles
glomming together to re-shape a corporate or
government policy using their inexperience and lack
of wisdom to ensure that a situation remains
inefficient and less profitable. |
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In some small towns
and cities various customers and
city officials with little else to do are writing
letters, using phone calls, circulating petitions,
and whining in Starbucks' direction begging for some
control over the corporate improve-profitability plan. Ironically,
Starbucks has become one of those mean,
nasty big corporations simply because it was foolish
during its decade of over-expansion and now needs to
cut costs in order to survive and profit. |
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An example of today's
activism is SunGard Financial Systems' facilities
manager Kate Walker who is responsible for
consolidating 525 people now working in seven of the
company's New York City offices into a different
facility. Upon hearing that the Starbucks
nearest the new facility is closing, she said, "Now
that it's going away, we're devastated." Kate said
that Starbucks "was something that we were using to
psych people up" in preparation for the move. |
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Kate Walker searched
the Internet to find a Starbucks corporate phone
number, but could only note a company post office
box address. She apparently plans to beg Starbucks'
corporate officials to reconsider. She said, "I know
it's going to be tough but I'll keep trying at it...
It's sort of an extension of our office." |
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Ms. Walker, in her
frenzy to change Starbucks' policy, has yet
to see if another Starbucks may be near their new
facility that might -- God willing -- appease their
delicate and sensitive employees. She said, "Knowing
Starbucks, there's probably one within a few
blocks... But that's probably two blocks too far." |
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Ironically for
years, Starbucks was one of the fastest
growing retailers. It caught negative attention when
an area didn't want it to enter and likely force
hometown coffee shops out of business. Local
coffee shops complained about the corporate
competition and residents squealed over erosion of
local character. But since Starbucks announced that
it will close 600 stores by early 2009, in order to
make a profit and cut costs, people have switched to
demanding unprofitable Starbucks locations remain open. |
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Online, several "Save
Our Starbucks" petitions have popped up for various
stores across the country, including locations in
San Diego, Dallas and New York City. Starbucks
spokeswoman Deb Trevino stated that company
officials are reviewing how to handle pleas. She
added the obvious in today's
inmates-runs-institutions society saying, "It's not a
simple answer." Starbucks' closures indicate it will
eliminate approximately 12,000 jobs -- about 20 on
average per closed location. |
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Rumors were heard in
Mississippi regarding the closure of the Starbucks
in Madison, on Main Street. Mayor Mary Hawkins
Butler reports that she immediately phoned
Starbucks' corporate HQ. She didn't know of the
store's fate for certain until it was listed
officially. One resident asked her if a petition
could help reverse Starbucks' decision. The mayor
said she will call Starbucks and ask it to reassess
her neighborhood store. |
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Observing
Our World:
Easy Solution No. 1: Starbucks uses variable
pricing, thereby allowing its prices to rise as
sales fall. Then these same Starbucks lovers will
whine that Starbuck is not fair because it charges
too much. |
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This
raise-prices-as-customers-go-away approach is akin
to the USPS approach. The USPS raises prices as
customers find new, better carriers and methods.
Then more customers skip the USPS, its revenue
drops, it increases prices, and more customers
vanish... and so on. This pricing model will send a
for-profit business into bankruptcy, employees will
lose their jobs, and the company shuts down.
Socialism fails. |
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These
juveniles who apparently spend many hours of their
"work day" in Starbucks should grab this opportunity
to buy the closing fully-equipped Starbucks
facilities. These know-it-alls should seize this
opportunity to invest their own money and
make those failing Starbucks locations profitable.
Do they have the knowledge or guts? They should
analyze to death this possibility. They apparently
spend little time working in their offices for the
employers who currently pay them. |
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These so-called
employees should work half as hard for their
employers who currently pay them as they are
working to interfere with Starbuck's plans to become
efficient. |
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Today's
juveniles should learn that without making a profit no
business can provide quality products -- even when
supported by a socialistic government. Yes, kiddies,
governments also can fail. Have you heard of the
Soviet Union, East Germany, and incidentally, how many Starbucks
are there in North Korea? |