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Take responsibility for yourself first.

Posted: Feb 18th, '09, 21:30
by teapotofury
Earthprince,

I find your story a very, very sad one.

The Teavana store that you and your friends from the "candy store" worked in is now one of the best stores in the company. The only failure was your team's lack of ability and passion for the product. You guys ran it into the ground and what is sad is that you blame everyone but yourselves.

You should take responsibility for yourself and learn from your mistakes and stop all this mudslinging.

In this life, you decide whether you want to fail or succeed.

Choose wisely and don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone.

Posted: Feb 18th, '09, 21:45
by Chip
Soooo, who are you?

Re: Take responsibility for yourself first.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 01:17
by earthprince
teapotofury wrote:Earthprince,

I find your story a very, very sad one.

The Teavana store that you and your friends from the "candy store" worked in is now one of the best stores in the company. The only failure was your team's lack of ability and passion for the product. You guys ran it into the ground and what is sad is that you blame everyone but yourselves.

You should take responsibility for yourself and learn from your mistakes and stop all this mudslinging.

In this life, you decide whether you want to fail or succeed.

Choose wisely and don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone.
Au contraire, mon ami.

First, let us both celebrate the stores success. The manager is a good person, and deserves such success. However, I can only speak on my ability, and passion.

I agree full heartedly that I am not a great salesperson. I am socially awkward, and do not like the spotlight put on me. I fulfilled the steps I was asked to in the sales process, but did not have the personality to follow through and complete the sale. If someone asks how great something is, I can only tell my opinion, I simply can't exaggerate. So I'll take some of that blame. This also interfered with my sampling. I wasn't amazing at bringing people in to buy stuff. I knew it, but figured as long as I could help in my own way, it was okay. We all have strenghts/weaknesses, and I believe so long as I played up my strengths, it would balance out in the end.

As for passion for the product? I researched everything we sold! I read all the books we had in the store. I have Teavanas homepage and blog bookmarked, and I still check every week for changes! One of my strengths is dedication, so I have no fear that my passion was an issue. Again, note that I speak for myself only.

As for mudslinging, everything I've written is exactly how I witnessed it all happen. Of course its through my perception, but I add that disclaimer at the beginning. I also add a note about the company being great for some people, in case you somehow missed that. I even avoided replying to anyone in this thread. This is my first reply, in case you haven't noticed. I gave this company my all, and was treated disgustingly. I had to get my frustration out, even if just to make myself feel better after having to quit.

Nice rhetoric about life though. If you do want to actually discuss this matter with me, I'd be more than welcoming. You can private message me through this site. Or better yet, having worked for the company, you know all my contact info. I would not ignore or be upset by any communication. Despite this resolution, I would still prefer a more amicable ending to all this.

Re: Take responsibility for yourself first.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 02:12
by Earthen_Serenity
teapotofury wrote:
Choose wisely and don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone.
>don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone
>don't judge others
>when the blame is yours alone
>blame is yours alone
>yours alone


The man was writing about his experience involving the company, and if I know anything about him I know that he is not one to exaggerate and cause trouble. He wrote about something that HAPPENED, deal with it gracefully.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 02:27
by Pentox
One thing that it sounds like to me is that the stores where the employees are happy, they aren't pushed by management to follow procedure, but rather are allowed to abide by their own style. Whereas the less happy employees (or former) were pushed by DMs/GMs to stick to the script and sell as dictated.

It sounds like Teavana should reevaluate their policy based on behavior / sales #'s in their stores.

Re: Take responsibility for yourself first.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 02:51
by Ryoruki
teapotofury wrote:Earthprince,

I find your story a very, very sad one.

The Teavana store that you and your friends from the "candy store" worked in is now one of the best stores in the company. The only failure was your team's lack of ability and passion for the product. You guys ran it into the ground and what is sad is that you blame everyone but yourselves.

You should take responsibility for yourself and learn from your mistakes and stop all this mudslinging.

In this life, you decide whether you want to fail or succeed.

Choose wisely and don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone.
it is rather funny that you're judging earthprince and putting them down for judging the company

i guess the pot is calling the kettle black here (har har har~~!)

humor aside, earthprince wasn't mudslinging. They were simply telling their version of an event that took place, complete with how they felt about things that had occurred. I don't think that there was any exaggeration in the story either judging from my own experiences with the store and others who have posted here.

You might be angry that they boldly stated their negative experience with the store. But obviously earthprince is not the only one. the warped business plan of teavana is rather obvious to anyone paying attention while in the store. I really doubt that any salesperson would be able to prosper with such an unscrupulous business strategy that they must follow.

Is it then the salesperson who is at fault for not being able to coerce customers into buying things that they may not actually need or want? Or is it the company's fault for putting the sales-staff into the position where they must tell half truths to customers in hopes of retaining their positions. While i suppose it is all well and good when the customer themselves are blind to the truth and thus happy with their purchase, one might argue that the company in pursuit of profits is trampling on the faith of their customer.

perhaps the ones that do not have an honest passion for the product is the company themselves, since they are the ones who would so dishonestly deal with customers in order to create a profit for themselves.

perhaps i'm being a bit harsh on teavana. They do have some teas that i enjoy. However their high pressure sales and the downright blatant disregard for me as a customer has caused me to dismiss them as a good place to buy tea. There are many other retailers that would like my money and who have quality product.

Re: Take responsibility for yourself first.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 09:25
by disillusioned
teapotofury wrote:Earthprince,

I find your story a very, very sad one.

The Teavana store that you and your friends from the "candy store" worked in is now one of the best stores in the company. The only failure was your team's lack of ability and passion for the product. You guys ran it into the ground and what is sad is that you blame everyone but yourselves.

You should take responsibility for yourself and learn from your mistakes and stop all this mudslinging.

In this life, you decide whether you want to fail or succeed.

Choose wisely and don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone.
Another fishy pro teavana post, don't worry earthprince i have at least 20 current and former teavana employees who can back up ur statements

Re: Take responsibility for yourself first.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 09:40
by Salsero
teapotofury wrote: You should take responsibility for yourself and learn from your mistakes ... In this life, you decide whether you want to fail or succeed ... Choose wisely and don't judge others so freely when the blame is yours alone.
This sounds like typical corporate claptrap: blame the employee when the corporate model fails. If that store is doing one iota better, it is because the mall where it's located is drawing more traffic.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 11:55
by Odinsfury
I will certainly steer clear from Teavana. I have no use for a company that uses over-aggressive approaches to selling products to consumers. If you want to suggest something to me that's fine, but if I say no after you tell me why you think I may like it or find it useful that should be the end of it. It also sounds like the Andy, the owner of the company is a downright prick.

To each his/her own...

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 17:00
by teapotofury
I am not attacking Earth Prince. I am saying that he made the right choice by leaving. He is obviously happier and better suited where he is now. The more luck to him. All I am saying is that he had a bad experience. So what, get over it and move on.

To dwell on the negative is to become the negative.

However, all this negative feedback comes from people. People like all of you. If you have a bad experience, get mad, throw up your hands in the air and scream. But this forum is like beating a dead horse - pointless. If you dislike Teavana, you all have a choice - leave, don't shop there, buy your tea elsewhere.

Sales are sales. Tea is tea.

Good luck, Earth Prince. As for everyone else, enjoy your Lipton.

To each her/her own.

Re: To each his/her own...

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 17:14
by Chip
teapotofury wrote:However, all this negative feedback comes from people. People like all of you. If you have a bad experience, get mad, throw up your hands in the air and scream. But this forum is like beating a dead horse - pointless. If you dislike Teavana, you all have a choice - leave, don't shop there, buy your overpriced tea elsewhere.
To each her/her own.
We have another choice, to share so many bad experiences about Teavana. Having read just about every post on this forum totaling close to 100,000 and counting, funny how overwhelmingly members concur on Teavana. There are likely hundreds of bad experiences documented by many members.

And the point is, we do NOT shop Teavana already, thus AVOIDING the overpriced tea.

I have heard plenty of negative comments from you in your whole 2 posts. You are certainly entitled to your opinions here just as everyone else is.

Yes.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 17:27
by teapotofury
And I for one, do like Teavana.

They have an amazing product and their mission is to bring tea awareness to a country drunk on coffee, candy, fast food and soda. You have to be a little aggressive to do this, no? Americans are rather resistant and so, at Teavana, you have to push.

Anyhow, you can just say no if you don't want to buy a trillion pounds of tea. Although it is better for you if you do. You'll get a GREAT discount.

Re: Yes.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 17:56
by Geekgirl
teehee! This whole exchange is funny.

Having tried more than a dozen of the "freshest" tea varieties at Teavana, then purchasing the same varietals elsewhere (usually for substantially less money,) my personal consumer experience has been that the Teavana teas were mediocre at best (with the exception of one tea that I quite liked,) and the prices were egregious. I'd only use the word "amazing" if I were doing satire. Wait, is that satire?
teapotofury wrote:And I for one, do like Teavana.

They have an amazing product and their mission is to bring tea awareness to a country drunk on coffee, candy, fast food and soda.
Is that why the typical hot or iced tea premade offering at Teavana is so full of sugar I can't taste the tea? My next to final visit to the store resulted in a cup of iced tea that was so sweet I couldn't even taste the "natural fruit flavor" much less the tea in the blend. How is that any different than Nestea from the soda fountain?


You have to be a little aggressive to do this, no? Americans are rather resistant and so, at Teavana, you have to push.
Haha. If you have a product worth selling at a fair price, you don't have to be aggressive. Car salesmen are aggressive. Vacuum salesmen are aggressive. Ponzi scheme salesmen are aggressive. Are you saying that Teavana is the Glengarry Glen Ross of Tea? Whoopee! "Always be closing!" You're just a regular pep-talkin' Blake, aren't ya.
Anyhow, you can just say no if you don't want to buy a trillion pounds of tea. Although it is better for you if you do. You'll get a GREAT discount.
10% is a GREAT discount? Surely 10% off of 1lb of tea that is priced 800% over the exact same tea at a competitor doesn't warrant ALL CAPS to describe the deal. Maybe 15% would be worth ALL CAPS, but 10% is really only an italics at best. Give me 20% and I'll throw you a bold.

That last time I visited? I was at the register, there was this weird squabbling over who got credit for what part of the sale, then I got the hard sell on buying a larger quantity and tea tins. After saying "no thank you," more than three times, the sales person (who's tag said she was the manager,) did NOT quit trying to increase the sale, I walked out without purchasing anything.

Educate, don't bludgeon, and perhaps these stories might not be quite so rampant.

Re: Yes.

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 18:17
by disillusioned
teapotofury wrote:And I for one, do like Teavana.

They have an amazing product and their mission is to bring tea awareness to a country drunk on coffee, candy, fast food and soda. You have to be a little aggressive to do this, no? Americans are rather resistant and so, at Teavana, you have to push.

Anyhow, you can just say no if you don't want to buy a trillion pounds of tea. Although it is better for you if you do. You'll get a GREAT discount.

Funny how this sounds exactly like my former manager. Is that you posting Lisa?

Re: To each his/her own...

Posted: Feb 19th, '09, 18:49
by tsverrir
teapotofury wrote:But this forum is like beating a dead horse - pointless. If you dislike Teavana, you all have a choice - leave, don't shop there, buy your tea elsewhere.

Sales are sales. Tea is tea.
I don't think you're getting the point here. Sharing bad tea experience so others can avoid it is definitely a part of what this forum is about.