Robert Fripp's Diary

The energy for finer quality

17.24

Interesting moments in the Starbucks, two blocks from the Warwick, this afternoon: I ordered a venti cappucino and large regular to take out. The total came to $4.71, I handed over $5.00 and was given $2.29 in change. Even grumpy & reactive posters to ET who, rather than accept personal responsibility for their anger dump their negativity onto others, might easily calculate that this was a one dollar bill too much. What to do? In this small act lay temptation. Rationalisation is simple:

I've been ripped off and handed bad change often enough to accept this as a gift from God to lessen the injustice which I commonly suffer on a daily basis, along with the rest of the world. (Rationalisation One, Version One. Readers please extend the book for yourselves).

Alternative approach:

This is temptation. How could the insignificant CEO of a small company which aspires to ethical conduct take advantage of the server's simple error?

I made my choice, and moved to collect my venti cappucino, the regular black already served and on a cardboard tray.

Two young people, male & female, were serving at the expresso / latte station. There was a small backlog of orders, and four shots of expresso stood waiting in four small glasses to be poured into the appropriate drinks: a mocha, a latte, a cappucino.

While waiting, I read on a Starbucks' paper cup, holding milk awaiting the addition of its expresso shot, the following:

"The 10 Second Rule. Starbucks renowned freshness standards ensure that you enjoy flavorful expresson. We use each shot of our rich Expresso Roast within 10 seconds, or we pour it out. This rule is your guarantee that Starbucks expresso is always fresh and made to order".

I watched the four expresso shots sitting for a duration significantly in excess of the 10 second period guaranteed by Starbucks (like, two minutes).

At the bottom of the cup is printed, and sitting on this desk as I type, the following: "Careful, the beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot". Actually, the beverage which I didn't quite enjoy was extremely warm, but not even a-little-bit hot.

Should anyone from Starbucks read this, please note:

1. You are too large an organisation to undertake quality guarantees.

2. If you are foolish enough to print this guarantee on your paper cups, substantiate it.

3. Alternative courses; please:

i) Increase your quality control (not practically possible in, at least, the short term);
ii) Reduce the size of your organisation (you won't);
iii) Remove the empty printed guarantee from your cups;
iv) Acknowledge that your organisation lies for money.

Your organisation lied to me, twice this afternoon, for $4.71.

Pat Mastelotto called at lunchtime, discussing our ongoing plans.

Bibliophiliacal info: this afternoon I completed reading William Patterson's "Taking With The Left Hand" and, act of folly, visited Barnes & Noble. And left with Arnod Steinhardt's "Indivisible By Four - A String Quartet In Pursuit Of Harmony", his account of life inside the Guarneri String Quintet.