In every large chain, there are going to be good stores and bad stores; good managers and bad managers. While I don't doubt that several people participating here have had bad experiences, I'm skeptical of classing an entire corporation as "evil" based on a few representations.
I've been to two Teavanas. In each case the staff were friendly, not pushy or "bullying" at all. I was able to try three or four teas, many of which I liked. The scale was tared every time. Having been in a business that required weighing product, I would have noticed and spoken up had they not.
Again, I'm not advocating Teachat participants shop there. I still prefer buying my tea elsewhere both for quality and price, but I stand by my opinion that there is nothing inheirantly wrong with Teavana, and that they are doing a lot to promote the consumption of loose leaf tea in America.
Pam
Re: My experience at Teavana.
I'm happy someone with experience is saying what I tried to say... I completely agree with you... they may be overpriced and under-quality... but they are introducing tea to the american public which can only help the market.PamEast wrote:In every large chain, there are going to be good stores and bad stores; good managers and bad managers. While I don't doubt that several people participating here have had bad experiences, I'm skeptical of classing an entire corporation as "evil" based on a few representations.
I've been to two Teavanas. In each case the staff were friendly, not pushy or "bullying" at all. I was able to try three or four teas, many of which I liked. The scale was tared every time. Having been in a business that required weighing product, I would have noticed and spoken up had they not.
Again, I'm not advocating Teachat participants shop there. I still prefer buying my tea elsewhere both for quality and price, but I stand by my opinion that there is nothing inheirantly wrong with Teavana, and that they are doing a lot to promote the consumption of loose leaf tea in America.
Pam
Re: My experience at Teavana.
I have only been to one Teavana store, and it has been both nice and not so nice.
Though I will say I probably would not be on this forum, and as into tea as I a now were it not for Teavana.
But I have had many good experiences where sales clerks have approached me and if I had a question I asked, otherwise, I said I didn't need any help right now, and they would leave me alone.
Though I have experienced some of the bad parts about this company, once when I was ordering a tea, they automatically put the tin on the Scale, to which I was paying attention enough to tell them that I did not want a tin.
But the worst thing that has happened to me in one of their stores, is I was in the middle of placing an order for tea, and (I don't know why) but I wanted to try Gunpowder green tea, so I asked if I could get two ounces of it, at which point another person at the counter tells me, 2 oz is not that much because its a pretty compact tea. Which I was completely not thinking at the time, because you really should be brewing tea by weight not any sort of measure of volume, but they talked me into buying twice as much as I wanted, on an absolutely horrible tea. Something I probably would not have minded if I actually liked the tea.
So I will go into a Teavana from time to time, they do have nice canisters, and certain other tea accessories. But should I actually get tea there, it might have to only be their unflavored black teas (should they still carry any of those).
Though I will say I probably would not be on this forum, and as into tea as I a now were it not for Teavana.
But I have had many good experiences where sales clerks have approached me and if I had a question I asked, otherwise, I said I didn't need any help right now, and they would leave me alone.
Though I have experienced some of the bad parts about this company, once when I was ordering a tea, they automatically put the tin on the Scale, to which I was paying attention enough to tell them that I did not want a tin.
But the worst thing that has happened to me in one of their stores, is I was in the middle of placing an order for tea, and (I don't know why) but I wanted to try Gunpowder green tea, so I asked if I could get two ounces of it, at which point another person at the counter tells me, 2 oz is not that much because its a pretty compact tea. Which I was completely not thinking at the time, because you really should be brewing tea by weight not any sort of measure of volume, but they talked me into buying twice as much as I wanted, on an absolutely horrible tea. Something I probably would not have minded if I actually liked the tea.
So I will go into a Teavana from time to time, they do have nice canisters, and certain other tea accessories. But should I actually get tea there, it might have to only be their unflavored black teas (should they still carry any of those).
Re: My experience at Teavana.
If you make it very clear you know a lot about tea and you are not interested in buying, it can be a nice place to shop for teaware.
Or you could say - "I'm on a tea board and I am just here to look around and to see if it is true that if I just want browse you will pressure me and not leave me alone. I hope to report back favorably." Ha.
I have bought some very nice teaware from Teavana, both in person and online.
Or you could say - "I'm on a tea board and I am just here to look around and to see if it is true that if I just want browse you will pressure me and not leave me alone. I hope to report back favorably." Ha.
I have bought some very nice teaware from Teavana, both in person and online.
Re: My experience at Teavana.
......... and?tomasini wrote:So this polar bear walks into a bar......
Re: My experience at Teavana.
wasn't it a panda ? 
ok, I'll share:
A panda walks into a restaurant, sits down, and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, pulls out a gun, and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands up to go, the manager shouts, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter, and you didn't even pay for your sandwich!"
"Hey, man, I'm a PANDA!" the panda shouts back. "Look it up!"
The manager opens his dictionary and reads:
Panda: A tree-dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves.
found it awhile ago here: http://dashes.com/anil/2005/03/panda-joke-vi.html
so I just retrieved it from FF's deep memory.
but if there is one involving a polar bear, I just need to know
ok, I'll share:
A panda walks into a restaurant, sits down, and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, pulls out a gun, and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands up to go, the manager shouts, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter, and you didn't even pay for your sandwich!"
"Hey, man, I'm a PANDA!" the panda shouts back. "Look it up!"
The manager opens his dictionary and reads:
Panda: A tree-dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves.
found it awhile ago here: http://dashes.com/anil/2005/03/panda-joke-vi.html
so I just retrieved it from FF's deep memory.
but if there is one involving a polar bear, I just need to know
Re: My experience at Teavana.
alan logan wrote:wasn't it a panda ?
ok, I'll share:
A panda walks into a restaurant, sits down, and orders a sandwich. He eats the sandwich, pulls out a gun, and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands up to go, the manager shouts, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter, and you didn't even pay for your sandwich!"
"Hey, man, I'm a PANDA!" the panda shouts back. "Look it up!"
The manager opens his dictionary and reads:
Panda: A tree-dwelling marsupial of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves.
found it awhile ago here: http://dashes.com/anil/2005/03/panda-joke-vi.html
so I just retrieved it from FF's deep memory.
but if there is one involving a polar bear, I just need to know
ROFL!!!
Thanks for the early morning smile.Re: My experience at Teavana.
i work at a teavana and i completely disagree. the tea quality is just fine. the company itself orders the tea from well known and high quality tea companies all across the world. i love working at teavana and i love all the experiences i had working there.
Re: My experience at Teavana.
And I suppose all the tea you drink is from Teavana? Or you compare it to the stuff you find in the supermarket?emilykangx wrote:i work at a teavana and i completely disagree. the tea quality is just fine. the company itself orders the tea from well known and high quality tea companies all across the world. i love working at teavana and i love all the experiences i had working there.
Basically this thread is full of people who have tried teas from Teavana and teas from elsewhere, comparing quality to price, and we all came to the same conclusion.
Re: My experience at Teavana.
I'm not sure it's so much a question of quality as "quality vs. price". Since Teavana operates out of a mall, the overhead is tremendous. As a result, they have to charge much higher prices for the products. A little judicious online shopping results in much better pricing for very similar teas.
I have tried many samples at Teavana, and have liked a lot of them. But I can't bring myself to spend the $$$ they want for them when I know I can get teas that are just as good or better elsewhere for less.
This is nothing against Teavana, and they do serve a specific market. That market just isn't me or most of the teachat people here.
I have tried many samples at Teavana, and have liked a lot of them. But I can't bring myself to spend the $$$ they want for them when I know I can get teas that are just as good or better elsewhere for less.
This is nothing against Teavana, and they do serve a specific market. That market just isn't me or most of the teachat people here.
Re: My experience at Teavana.
I know a few people who were big time coffee drinkers and have now become lovers of tea thanks to teavana... they have the money and they don't mind spending it, I have been able to teach them a little more about tea and broaden their perspectives on the matter. Had it not been for this mainstream company they would still hold fast to their coffee addictions.
On the other hand I know a few people who have been to places like teavana and suddenly they were more knowledgable in tea than I was and were "schooling" me about green and black tea (which apparently comes from seperate plants!
)
I think many of us have drank (and possibly even enjoyed) teas of similar or even lesser quality, it's really the price and sales invironment that turns us off.
But as Pam said, in a mall the overhead can be very high and the cost of opperation almost forces a company to have annoying sales practices.
On the other hand I know a few people who have been to places like teavana and suddenly they were more knowledgable in tea than I was and were "schooling" me about green and black tea (which apparently comes from seperate plants!
) I think many of us have drank (and possibly even enjoyed) teas of similar or even lesser quality, it's really the price and sales invironment that turns us off.
But as Pam said, in a mall the overhead can be very high and the cost of opperation almost forces a company to have annoying sales practices.
Re: My experience at Teavana.
I wouldn´t be so quick to blame the mall...there´s two tea stores in my local mall neither of which have aggressive sales practices. (Tea Desire and DavidsTea)
Their prices can be a bit high compared to online only vendors but not drastically so...and they´ve never been pushy or used any nasty tricks to get more sales. Always have been friendly, properly tared scales, went to the effort to get the exact weight measured ect.
And DavidsTea includes free, properly tared canisters with good airtight lids for orders of at least 100g
Their prices can be a bit high compared to online only vendors but not drastically so...and they´ve never been pushy or used any nasty tricks to get more sales. Always have been friendly, properly tared scales, went to the effort to get the exact weight measured ect.
And DavidsTea includes free, properly tared canisters with good airtight lids for orders of at least 100g
Last edited by entropyembrace on Sep 21st, '10, 12:57, edited 1 time in total.
Re: My experience at Teavana.
But are they retail chains?entropyembrace wrote:I wouldn´t be so quick to blame the mall...there´s two tea stores in my local mall neither of which have aggressive sales practices.