Rant: Selling Up at Starbucks

Now, before I go on my rant, I have to say that I do enjoy Starbucks coffee as perhaps the only chain coffee that I'll buy - I don't think the other competitors like Second Cup or Timothy's here in Toronto are nearly as good. What to some might seem like burnt coffee at Starbucks comes across to me as very robust and flavourful; perhaps some varieties are indeed overly roasted, but I drink dark roasts sparingly anyway.

In any case, has any of you noticed a trend at Starbucks stores where the employees seem to defiantly "sell up" if you ask for a small cup of coffee? I like a good coffee now and then, but I find that even their tall size is a bit much; the short size is better, as I can finish it before it goes cold. Thing is - and this has happened in like 3 separate stores already - if I ask for a "small" cup, it's like the young staff always hear "tall" - they'll even repeat it: "Tall?" "No - small; I mean, short", at which point they usually go rummaging for the short cups.

Another thing is that the short cups are never laid out for comparison - why do sizes start at "tall" and not "regular"? The marketing behind this is a bit silly in my opinion. "Short" almost sounds self-deprecating; could it be that they named it that way on purpose so that people psychologically go for the bigger cup, since it rubs the ego better? I dunno.

Anyway, this situation often forces me to repeat time and again that "what I want is the size you call short - your smallest cup". And often even this request brings back empty stares from the young'uns (and sometimes older'uns) behind the counter.

Unbelievable.

Paul,

I didn't even know that Starbucks had a "short" size. I thought the Tall was the smallest size they had.

Yup, that's the thing: they seem to keep it hidden from view! But they do have it.

[Jenise]

Paul, never had the problem, and I always order shorts. Maybe there's something determined about the way I order my "short double nonfat capp" thats says don't mess with me but I doubt it. Are you just ordering a plain cup of coffee?

Dunno, Jenise ... I've asked for the short size but have gotten tall on a number of occasions. I just have this feeling that selling up is behind it, but that wouldn't be the first time it's been done at a big-name franchise.

I'm pig-headed and object to 'regular' which I see as an American, rather than UK term. For me small, medium & large are perfectly adequate.

As for double tall skinny frotho-latte or whatever they say It's ristretto, espresso, cappuccino, (caffe) machiato, or corretto, maybe Americano at a push. The rest is just made up rubbish!

Does this satisfy the stereotype of stubborn stick-in-the-mud Brits?

Yours grumpily

Ian

[Jenise]

Paul, I've occasionally been told that they didn't have any short cups and would have to give me a tall cup, but I've not noticed that I get charged any less for a short than the next smallest size, the tall. I order short to prevent them from turning my cappucino into a latte. "If I'd wanted you to deluge me in milk, I'd have ordered a latte", I've had to say over and over. Anyway, as well I've never heard them try to upsize the person next to me from a tall into a vente, or a vente into a grande, if I remember their names right. People are very particular about how they want their coffee, and to sell someone more or different than they want would usually be a fruitless exercise.

About the only exception I can think of might be someone wanting a 'short' brewed coffee simply because almost no one would ever ask for it. For clarification purposes, I can see them asking if you don't want a tall--I'll bet customers say 'short' when they mean 'the smallest of the other three sizes', which would be the tall, all the time.

Things might be different in Toronto.

As for you Ian, you pinheaded opinionated Brit , 'double' means extra shot, 'skinny' gets you low fat milk, 'tall' is the size of cup, and frotho-latte is the face Ian makes when someone opens a bottle of 50 year old port!

As for you Ian, you pinheaded opinionated Brit , 'double' means extra shot, 'skinny' gets you low fat milk, 'tall' is the size of cup, and frotho-latte is the face Ian makes when someone opens a bottle of 50 year old port!

Jenise - in agreement with you on the last part of that

Paul, never had the problem, and I always order shorts. Maybe there's something determined about the way I order my "short double nonfat capp" thats says don't mess with me but I doubt it. Are you just ordering a plain cup of coffee?

Ha, Ha, they don't mess with me either. But then I buy my coffee at Java City inside Raleys. Better than Starbucks. "16 oz sugarfree Almond, non-fat latte, no whip, and give me the cup because I have three additional things to add!" At this point I have found the Splenda, nutmeg and cinnamon. She hands me the cup, I make up my blend, hand it back and she does the rest. It is so yummy, I do the hot drink all summer long, once a week right after the Farmer's Market.
Gene orders a huge, blended, Javalanch (or some sort of mocha thingy) with whip. He makes sure they put the whip coming out of the top hole. We go back to the car upon which time our darling 13 lb. apricot poodle licks the whip on top. We are all happy on the way home!

[Jenise]

Karen, not only do they not mess with me, I've actually been congratulated for ordering "a true coffee lovers coffee".

That's some drink you get. Would have been very satisfying to order something like that a few years ago when I was in a place that was so backed up with customers they were having to write our names on our cups in addition to our orders. The order-taker was really pissy to the woman in front of me, so when my turn came instead of giving him the nickname "J.J." I use in these situations, I gave him the longest name I could think of: Anastasia.

I've actually been congratulated for ordering "a true coffee lovers coffee".

Jenise, I know that feeling. Tastes are a personal matter, but I do find the proliferation of frothy/creamy/caramelly "coffees" (or coffee-based beverages, more properly) to be a strange phenomenon. I was out for coffee recently and I had a cappuccino while everyone else with me had the caramel/whipped-cream stuff. I kept hearing "oh this is sooo good, you have to try some ... just a sip," etc. I did try some, and all I can say is that I immediately went back to my cap' to cleanse my palate.

I've cut back on coffee considerably over the past year, but when I want it, I still prefer a good concrete brew over all the whipped candy floss drinks.

[Jenise]

Paul, the dolled-up coffee drinks have their place, too, I'm not dissing them. I was only trying to make another comment on size, that not only have I never been encouraged to order a larger drink, I've gotten pats on the head for ordering small and strong.

Paul,

That's great to know that they have a "short" cup. Sometimes I just want a small cup of coffee.

As for the "Selling up"...not sure if that is what is going on. I don't think any of the Starbucks employees have a vested interest in the sales, since I believe that the salary is not commission based. It's probably more along the lines of what Jenise mentioned, just laziness or finding the short cup is inconvenient for them. Either way, I would find it VERY annoying.

One of my daughter's friends is a manager at Starbucks. I'll ask him, off the record, what is going on with this behavior.

Dear Paul,

My guess is the "upsell" is a result of the intersection between fast food sizes and Starbucks' idosyncratic system.

At McDonald's, the choices are small, medium, and large. People are used to them, even though the current "small" is the same size as the original "medium." When these customers visit Starbucks, they are as likely as not to ask for a "medium" coffee, which the Starbucks order taker will translate into a "grande." When you ask for "small," you probably get "tall," despite the availability of a smaller size.

Walt

Thanks Walt. Yours is a very reasoned and sensible explanation, and it pretty much dissolves the upsell motive. I was being a bit hyperbolic in my rant, but then, that's what rants are for, eh?

Starbuck's nomenclature sure is idiosyncratic, I'll say that.