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Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

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Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#201

Post by toomanybeersies »

brewdad wrote: post #191
rmason wrote: post #185

They modernized the gas pumps at our local Speedway by adding video players. Instead of news like I've seen in California they play endless commercials and the volume is loud. I remember stopping one time when it was twenty below zero this winter, no one was at the pumps and the same commercial was playing and not a single pump's sound was in sync with another. I felt like I was in a movie about a dystopian future.

I ran into a pump in MI last summer that wouldn't even turn on until it finished playing the first 30 second commercial. Eventually, I could start pumping but it continued to play obnoxious ads throughout. I won't be filling up there anymore.

Just wait until they start adding cameras that detect whether you're actually looking at the commercial or not, and pause the commercial when you're not paying attention.

I'd link to the relevant Black Mirror episode, but I'm sure we've all seen it.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#202

Post by 1auralynn »

save_ferris wrote: post #10

I experienced this working in retail during the holiday season back when I was in college. The little bell intro to Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas is You", will forever haunt my dreams. I rarely listen to Christmas music anymore because of that experience. Nowadays, I get irritated when I've burned through a 2 hour playlist twice at work and need to find something else to listen to, but I totally take the a…

I worked at a Macy's in college one holiday season, right across the aisle from the dancing santas that alternated their tinny versions of "rockin around the christmas tree" and "jingle bell rock". The tinny sounds on top of the general background muzak was extra-insanity-inducing. One day after being at work for 10 hours I got in my car and jingle bell rock came on and I totally broke down crying.

I've a lot of sympathy for retail people since then.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#203

Post by a3n »

rmason wrote: post #185

They modernized the gas pumps at our local Speedway by adding video players. Instead of news like I've seen in California they play endless commercials and the volume is loud. I remember stopping one time when it was twenty below zero this winter, no one was at the pumps and the same commercial was playing and not a single pump's sound was in sync with another. I felt like I was in a movie about a dystopian future.

> I felt like I was in a movie about a dystopian future.

Actually, you're in the dystopian future itself, it's just that "it's unevenly distributed." https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Future+unevenly+distributed&t=fpas...

The movie will come later.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#204

Post by BEEdwards »

baroffoos wrote: post #171
nomel wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it shows the motivation of the business. They're creating an area of easy conversation, not concentration. By having something similar to the volume of conversation, you make conversation both "safe" and less distracting. Safe since speaking won't break some period of silence that is bound to happen. Breaking silence in a populated area requires a certain amount of social tension, "Why is everyone quiet? Will…

Absolutely. I avoid places that are dead silent because I don't really want some random employee listening to everything I say.

Like you're that interesting.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#205

Post by FireBeyond »

rmason wrote: post #185

They modernized the gas pumps at our local Speedway by adding video players. Instead of news like I've seen in California they play endless commercials and the volume is loud. I remember stopping one time when it was twenty below zero this winter, no one was at the pumps and the same commercial was playing and not a single pump's sound was in sync with another. I felt like I was in a movie about a dystopian future.

One near me has a 7 second VHS clip (you can see the tracking lines) on repeat, which is just a "stretch exercise" with muzak playing.

And I wish I was exaggerating. Seven seconds.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#207

Post by spsrich »

Try finding any public space in the USA where there is not blaring background music. Good luck. I always felt the reason Starbucks plays deafening music is to discourage people from lingering. It certainly has the effect on me, and I pity the poor employees.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#208

Post by peapicker »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #163

Obviously "cafe has music" is going to be a popular comments section on HN where we all relate our horror stories of working at places with nonstop music. But this is a surprisingly terrible article. Guantanamo bay, really? Quoting a no-name Adam Johnson with a head shot, unrelated to the source, to weigh in on music? Focusing on Starbucks as linkbait when this is ubiquitous?

Funny, I haven't heard any Skinny Puppy[1] at Starbuck$ recently. (Ironically, I'd find that a reason to go there...)

[1] https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/07/skinny-puppy-p...

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#209

Post by krrrh »

rmason wrote: post #185

They modernized the gas pumps at our local Speedway by adding video players. Instead of news like I've seen in California they play endless commercials and the volume is loud. I remember stopping one time when it was twenty below zero this winter, no one was at the pumps and the same commercial was playing and not a single pump's sound was in sync with another. I felt like I was in a movie about a dystopian future.

You don’t see these in Canada but I am always flabberghasted by them while in the US. I noticed that holding my finger over the tiny speaker hole greatly reduced the volume, and I resolved to carry a roll of duct tape with me so I could do some public service next time I had to deal with them.

Re: Starbucks' music is driving employees nuts

#210

Post by icebraining »

eftychis wrote: post #47
rovyko wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There's no carolers, the smells aren't the same, the shops aren't the same Growing up in Canada, I thought carolers and olde-timey Christmas themes only happened in movies these days. Are these traditions still alive in the UK?

Not only in the UK. Carolers are a thing in other places of Europe, for instance Greece.

In Portugal we have "singing the kings" in the first days of January, and traditionally people shared the Christmas food and drinks with them.

https://youtu.be/JlBnLlKPPGA?t=11

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