Rick O.

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing this letter both as a regular customer and a fellow business owner. I am very offended by a practice so ubiquitous across your stores as to tell me it is informally if not officially encouraged- I am referring to the tactic of pouring excess tea onto the scales then casually saying to the customer, "is this alright?"; for example, customer says he wants 3 oz. Of a given tea; after the salesclerk has put some tea on the scales, he will offhandedly say, "Is 3.4 ok?". I've even had your salesperson add. 8 oz. To an order. While I'm sure in the short term this strategy pays off, in the long run it projects an image of seedy pushiness that telegraphs- this is not a business to be trusted.

Ironically you are now owned by a company, Starbucks, whose reputation is one of unimpeachable integrity- no pushy or deceptive tactics- Starbucks has earned its faithful followers because we know they are forthright- if their employees are driven by commissions, I never feel it (which is all that counts).

With Teavana, it's the opposite: people bark the product from front of the store, they PUSH you continually while in the store, then, once they've succeeded in selling you something, they manipulate you further by furtively selling you more than you ordered.

My hope is that Starbucks will bring its more enlightened formula for business success to its otherwise promising acquisition. In the meantime, I will buy my tea online.

Thank you,

Joe