Thirteen years at Starbucks. What started out as something small, turned out to be so much more. I've worked in one call-center, two states, three office departments, seven cities, called eleven stores home, worked for dozens of managers, covered shifts in over sixty stores, made lattes with hundreds of employees, and served thousands of customers. This company has been a great catalyst in my personal and professional development.
Starbucks was a wonderful place to work when I finally decided to go back to school. The two managers I've worked with over the last five years have been encouraging, supportive, and flexible while I earned my biology degree. Thank you!
Molly Pishue, Store Manager, Starbucks Coffee Company
Sarah is a role model for employees and peer supervisors because she enthusiastically embraces and represents Starbucks standards and core values. She has an unbridled passion for the company. She demonstrates this with employees by continuously searching for ways to empower them to excel at greater levels. This is a skill that comes naturally for Sarah because it is part of her personality. She constantly looks for ways to do more than what’s expected of her. I have watched her demonstrate this skill through her eagerness to help new and existing baristas and supervisors feel comfortable with their environment, responsibilities and product. She is an invaluable asset to Starbucks Coffee Company and I would recommend her to any endeavor she pursues without reservation.
Robyn VanEngen, District Manager, Starbucks Coffee Company
Sarah has been instrumental in the successful business conversion of Frontier Village Starbucks. Her strong ability to problem solve and teach the team to look at their business differently allowed for a $1M retail business to quickly become a $2M operation in virtually weeks after the reopening. Sarah continues to drive results and support the business, collaborating to create a stable work environment for her partners and customers.
Work History
Supervisor
August 2009 - January 2017, June 2006 - October 2007, September 2003 - June 2005
- Excel in high-volume, high-profile stores
- Develop positive relationships with management team and employees by understanding and addressing individual motivation, needs, and concerns.
- Effective oral communication skills and able to direct the work of others efficiently.
- Make timely and quality decisions based on a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment.
- Maintain daily cash handling and record keeping, including deposits, till audits, and managing discrepancies.
- Prepare store for health inspections, document temperatures 3x daily, and take actions to maintain compliance.
- Address customer and employee complaints and issues, including injuries and incident reports.
- Evenings Store which serves Wine and Beer: MAST Certified to serve liquor in Washington State. Maintain alcohol inventories and procedures per Liquor Control Board policies.
- Inventory: Do daily, weekly, quarterly counts, and place orders.
- Worked on transitioning the store following LEAN standards
Assistant Manager
June 2005 - June 2006
- Co-managed one of the busiest, and most profitable stores in, Los Angeles, CA
- Maintained composure during times of ambiguity, stress and high volume sales
- Created a safe and positive environment for employees and customers
- Learned to find balance in time management by prioritizing and delegating
Barista
April 2003 - September 2003
- Barista at Monroe and Snohomish Stores
- Gave legendary customer service to customers by providing prompt service, quality beverages, maintaining a clean and comfortable store environment.
- Able to work as part of a team and contributed to a positive work environment.
- Assisted in opening the first Snohomish Drive-through, 2003
Customer Care Rep
October 2007 - April 2009
- Certified in Warranty Services, Starbucks Card Services, and Customer Relations Department.
- Originally hired as a Temporary Holiday Position and converted to a Full-Time Representative later.
- Won the high honor of Coffee Ambassador and represented US Store Services Division (1 of 28 Retail North America Positions of all time over three years)
- Excellent Quality Assurance Assessments and Customer Feedback
- Participated when LEAN training launched in 2009
Partner Accomplishments and Awards
Coffee Ambassador
Certified 2008 One of the highest honors, I competed for and earned one of the twenty-eight brown aprons ever given within the US Starbucks Coffee Company (RNA). I became knowledgeable with all of Starbucks Franchise Brands including Seattle’s Best Coffee, Torrefazione Italia, Tazo Tea, and the products available in the grocery.
For one year, I represented the US Store Services Division and was responsible to inspire those within my division with coffee enthusiasm and education. I attended specialty coffee tastings, cuppings, and roasting events. I also taught classes, facilitated coffee education workshops, and participated in public-speaking opportunities.
Coffee Master
Certified in 2005, Re-certified March 2012
Responsible for the "last ten feet" and serving as an important link between baristas, customers, and coffee roasters.
Roles include inspiring others to deepen their knowledge of Starbucks coffees, teach how to make excellent beverages, and help customers find their new favorite coffee.
Certification takes about 10 weeks to complete and includes in depth training through the following modules:
- History and Geography of Coffee
- Growing and Processing Methods
- Sourcing, Buying, and Distribution
- The Roasting Process
- and The Importance of the Last Ten Feet: from Barista to Customer.
Partner Awards
Partner of the Quarter
2006, 2011, 2013, 2014
Partner of the Month
2003, 2004, 2005
Team Representative of the Month
June 2008