I just want to say thanks to two people who have recently sent me some things. @Darkkatpouncing sent me a scarf with Starbucks pins on it. It is a beautiful hand-knit scarf in seed stitch and I love the color! And since I knit too, I really appreciate the work that goes into this kind of thing. Meanwhile, a former partner (“Doug”) sent me a box of things that he had cherished when he was a partner – Thank you so much Doug! In it was a collection of pins for his apron that he had collected over the years. This blog post is just a very short big thank you, and a chance to look at the flair that is sometimes seen on barista aprons.
By the way, it has been almost two full years since I’ve written about the pins that go on partner aprons. My last blog post on this topic was here. (It feels weird looking back at two year old blog posts. I was still getting the hang of writing the blog!)
Thank you to Molly at Seattle Custom Framing for taking the photos used in this article. Sorry it’s a short little article!
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Melody I am now sitting at a SB because my internet went out because of the snowstorm (on my third SB try found one with seats available- that is how many people have no internet service today) and finally opened my computer and found this piece. I am enjoying seeing all the pins and the scarf is beautiful. A nice diversion for sure! Thank you.
@Purple1 – I watched a little news on tv this morning and saw tons of news about snow in the east coast and lots of power outages. Definitely thinking about my readers out there! Glad you’re safe and enjoying some tea. I think it sounds like your area needs either more Starbucks or less snow. 😉
My local SB has no power and for sure given the population around here we need more SB locations. I have electricity which is great and just lost phone and internet late last night. BTW I never see any partners wearing pins anymore. Have they been discontinued?
@Purple1 – I will have to ask around about the pins on the apron. I hadn’t thought about it a lot. I definitely still see partners wearing pins, but it sort of my anecdotal observation, it’s less common than before. Maybe it is harder to get a pin to wear than it was before? Hope you get power back soon!
Melody – That’s awesome! I’ve been with the company for *almost* 4 years, and I’ve never ever, not once, received a pin for anything I’ve done. 🙁 There used to be a partner at my store that had rows and rows of them on her apron and I’ve always wanted one! I’ve seen them floating around the back room at my store, but if I don’t “earn” it, I don’t think it’s right to have one!
What a lovely scarf! And the pins are so fun! I always love seeing them on barista’s hats or wherever when I’m in Starbucks. So cool!
Again I’m very excited that you like the scarf. It was a joy to make too! Though I was convinced that it was trying to make it’s way to you before I finished it as it kept wandering off, but I’d find it again – I mean it would come back so I could work on it some more LOL. I keep the bags from the different yarn stores I visit and though I used a miscellaneous one to wrap the scarf in the yarn actually came from Seattle Yarn in West Seattle
The scarf was inspired by the blog post you have a link to in this post 🙂 The pins I found are fun but I have to say I got a bit bouncy seeing the collection Doug sent you. I kinda laughed at myself because after your initial blog post way back when I wanted to start collecting starbucks pins, but I already collect the mugs and tumblers that strike me and I’m even careful with that so I don’t get over crowded with stuff…but if I got some pins for Melody…THEN IT’S OK! LOL I love my logic. HEE HEE HEE 😉
Thank you for the thank you and I am very much looking forward to future posts from you 🙂
ew…something happened when I posted my previous comment. I meant to share a link to Seattle Yarn but it ended up making the rest of my comment a link 🙁 Sorry!
I too have noticed that pins are becoming less and less visible. What I attribute it to is there are less and less long term Partners. There used to be a number of Partners that had more than 6 years in, they had lots of pins, most have moved on.
IIRC, most of the pins were earned so they meant something.
One heavily pinned Partner even had pins from Starbucks in Europe. She used to travel to Europe each summer and work at a Starbucks or three. Without a doubt she made the best espresso beverages and had a passion that is now Starbucks loss as she moved on last year.
Starbucks can make all the automated equipment they want, it is the experienced and passionate Barista that is the heart and soul of Starbucks.
Some folks may call the pins bling or flare, but to me it used to signify that the person behind them was more than just an employee.
@BCav – That is tragic. I know you, and I know you’re an awesome partner! Someone in your region needs to get some flair to you!
@Darkkatpouncing – Well I did find the link to Seattle Yarn, but I don’t know how your comment got like that. I’ve heard of that store! I just almost never get to W. Seattle. The Fiber Gallery is one of my fave places to go shopping for yarn, and then on Madison there’s an amazing store called http://www.tricoter.com/ – That store on Madison is like yarn heaven, and they will really help you get out of a yarn jam (dropped stiches and the link) but there’s something about the store that radiates that I don’t earn enough money to shop there! It’s just the store vibe somehow!
@DadCooks – On twitter, one partner pointed out that it is a hassle to constantly put flair on and off, but aprons are constantly washed. (I wish that person had commented here) – In places where partners where hats, that seems to be the preferred spot for the flair. I really do see a ton of long-term partners in my area, but it just seems to me like Store Managers aren’t giving out pins as they once did? I don’t know – like so many things that went into recession mode with Starbucks, this must be one of them. No flair. I assume it is up to SMs or DMs to decide to just give out flair – and maybe this is something that they need to be encouraged to do.
I am totally with you though – I look for the flair and bling on the apron! It does signify that the person in the green apron is doing more than just there to pick up a paycheck only.
the scarf is so cute 🙂
also, the baristas up here on queen anne wear their pins. i used to have some pins from long ago, but i have surely lost them by now!
Nice collection! I like seeing the pins on baristas. I agree with DadCooks – it shows someone who’s enthusiastic about working there.
Nice! A blog post from a thoughtful person to two thoughtful people.
Internet has returned! I agree with DadCooks that there seem to be fewer and fewer long term partners. The turnover at my local SB is amazing. When speaking with partners, I hear of their long term goals and SB is just a part of the plan that fits into their schedule or helps pay for school, etc. It was nice to see the pins and hear about the stories behind them. And I also agree that the passion a partner shows is important to the customer experience.
I have only been with the company for 3 years, so I haven’t had the opportunity to give or receive a ton of pins. I don’t give out a ton because honestly, my baristas appreciate other things more 🙂
To be quite honest, I don’t care a ton about pins either – it’s the words that go with the pins that I appreciate. We give green apron cards, and MUG awards, green apron certificates (which come with pins), and yearly anniversary cards/pins in my district. But the fact that aprons are washed every day by an outside vendor means that we have to be really careful to remember to take pins off, or lose them. A lot of us keep our pins on our green apron pockets in the back. It is interesting to hear what customer perception of the pins/lack of pins is though – thanks!
@Purple – I am not really sure there is a problem with turn over. At least in my area, partners stay for a long time with Starbucks. I think it’s natural that they don’t leave because they see the possibility of a job at the SSC. On the other hand, I worry about too many people hired from outside at every single position, whether shifts, or in the SSC, and not enough vertical movement of partners. There are SO many super-talented partners, and I seeing now shifts being brought in from places like the Gap, or BR. It doesn’t meant that they’re not wonderful, but there is something to the experience of working at a variety of rungs on the corporate ladder. And what I hear is that it is now almost impossible to go from the store into any SSC position. That bothers me. Starbucks should welcome the idea of moving their talented employees into a corporate level. It now takes years and years and years to get to DM, so I have heard. Many DMs are outside hires. It’s not the turn over per se that worries me at all – I’ve seen partners stay in positions for a long long long time. It’s the lack of career upward movement that troubles me. I hope that the store partners I talk to (and quite a variety of them) are exaggerating.
It is a shame that it is difficult for a partner to move up into corporate. I wonder why corporate would not want a motivated and talented partner to move up. I also think there is a difference in being at a store in Seattle and at a store around here.
I have been a partner for nearly 4 years spent at two different stores. At the first store giving out green apron cards and mug awards happened all the time. When you collected a complete set of 5 green apron cards you got a pin. They weren’t just from the manager, any partner could hand out a mug award pin just to thank someone for exceptional effort. We seemed to go through phases where we slacked off on the pins but it was strongly encouraged by the manager. So strongly encouraged that I actually lost points on my review because I wasn’t handing out enough of them. When I transferred to my new store a year ago, no one had pins or cards, and there were none to be found to give out. I had a hat full and got comments all the time because most people at my new store hadn’t seen them before. My usual response was that we all earned them but that since I am of a certain age and a bit eccentric (read flaky) I was the official pin-nerd. This past summer it was blistering hot and I finally got myself a visor. When I went to transfer all my pins onto it I realize that the whole handful was unbelievably heavy, so, sadly I tucked them in a drawer.
@R1 – Eeek – I’m trying to have lunch and quickly reply to you but I really want to write back. That is great insight into the pins! Amazing how different it is from store to store. This morning I stopped into a newer Starbucks (on 4th and Union) – I am near many many stores, and I drop by one of many, circling through downtown on my way into work. The register partner, who I think he said his name was Aaron, had a new long-Onward pin on his apron. I noticed it and commented how much I liked it – I’d never seen the onward pin before – It looks kind of like a new partner card???. He liked it, and said he’d just gotten it from his manager – Btw, his manager, Rachel, was right there on bar, and easily in ear-shot and able to hear all the conversation. She said she’d just recently dropped by the partner store (there is a physical coffee gear store at the SSC) and saw some new pins and decided to get some for her partners.
http://www.starbucksmelody.com/2011/09/27/starbuckscoffeegear-merchandise/
Needless to say, I thought that was very very cool. I mentioned to her that one my most recent blog posts was on flair. I don’t get the sense that anyone in that store reads the blog (which is fine, who the hell has time??? LOL) but although I don’t know the store manager well, my gut tells me she is absolutely wonderful. I thought it was a perfect fit with this thread. Ramble over. 🙂
I really admire anyone who can knit a scarf. It’s beautiful! And the pins are a great touch!
I’ve never seen any of the partners at my regular store wearing any pins but maybe it was because I wasn’t looking for it. I love the different pins in your photos. Especially the black camera one…starbucks and cameras are two of my favorite things 😀
@Kaori – The camera pin is for “100% Snapshot” which a program to measure customer satisfaction. Now Starbucks relies on surveys that print out at the registers (“My Starbucks Visit”) and customers fill out the surveys. It is a neat pin! Very unique!
@Melody, that is very cool! I didn’t know they had a system other than the surveys we have now. Thanks for the great info 😀
Was just reading this post and your previous one on the ‘flair’ that baristas wear, and i absolutely love looking at the different pins. Im such a hoarder of this sort of thing, and it’s nice to see a few that i had not previously seen before. on a more general note, absolutely love every blog post, have read my way back to April 2010 and am still going, keep it up! much love and respect, FleetSCM