Starbucks - Would You Like a Lecture With Your Coffee?

From the initial days of employment, we've always been told that it's never a good idea to discuss religion, politics or other hot-button topics in the workplace. It seems to make sense considering many people are very sensitive about their personal beliefs. Well recently, Starbuck's has made plans for a new program in which the company will encourage their baristas to engage in conversations with customers about race relations. Their calling this program "Race Together".

So, now as a young java-brewing philosopher hands you a cup of overpriced coffee, he will also dish out a complementary dose of white guilt,...Have you ever used a racial slur? Have you ever uttered the n-word? Have ever uttered a word with the letter n in it? 

All you wanted was a simple cup of overrated Joe! And now you've got to listen to this crap?

If one of these Starbuckers ever started lecturing me on race relations, I'd lecture him on how rude it is to charge someone $7 for a cup of shitty coffee! After about two minutes into the discussion, the Starbuck's police would be firing Josh Groban CD's at my upper body mass.

I guess I shouldn't be so hard on the Starbuck's employees. From what I've read, they are not at all comfortable having to do this. They have been set up to fail. When customers see slogans like "I Can't Breathe" and "Hands Up Don't Shoot" scribbled on their coffee cup, it's probably not going to go over well. Ultimately, the poor counter person is going to be thrust into a verbal browbeating that he probably wanted no part of in the first place. If there's any "harmony" in this program, it's that it has the potential to offend both blacks and whites.

Aside from all of this, the program has the potential to irritate customers who will inevitably be spending more time in line. When you initiate a hot-button conversation with someone, can you really have a meaningful dialogue in 30 seconds? As the customer in front of you goes deep with the cashier, the line behind you grows longer and longer.

(On a somewhat related note......Many moons ago, I interviewed for a technical job at the Post Office. During the process, one of the interviewers asked me if I would have a problem working for a black manager. I replied, "I'm not really sure why you would ask me that. Frankly I'm offended by the question." Not surprising, I didn't get the job...)

Personally, I see Starbuck's "Race Together" as a condescending extension of what the media constantly tries to sell us. While I agree that race-relations are not perfect in our country, I do believe we've come a long way. In case anyone didn't get the memo, the President of the United States happens to be a black man. Countless people of different races live, work and play together every day in this country with no problem. But instead of celebrating and/or acknowledging that, the race-hustlers prefer to sensationalize the exceptions. The end result is an unnecessary divisiveness.

Perhaps, instead of Starbucks fueling the modern race narrative, they should treat their customers as human beings. I think that would be a helluva lot more productive that writing a stupid slogan on a coffee cup.....

kw


http://fortune.com/2015/03/16/starbucks-baristas-race-talk/

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/03/19/3636233/starbucks-race-together-employees/