BS ...disillusioned wrote:One of the main points we are told to express to people is how unlike coffee, the caffeine in tea affects you jitter free. They also liken all caffeine content in tea to a cup of coffee. For example the white teas we are told posses about 1% the caffeine of a cup of coffee, green teas 5-10%, oolongs 10-15% and black teas about 20%. We are also told to direct coffee drinkers towards our sample of MateVana and Rooibus chai since it has a coffeeish flavor and a decent amount of caffeine.
Dec 8th, '08, 16:37
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blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!
Caffeine levels in tea are not everything when it comes to jitteryness.... but an easy topic for casual customers to get their heads around.disillusioned wrote:One of the main points we are told to express to people is how unlike coffee, the caffeine in tea affects you jitter free. They also liken all caffeine content in tea to a cup of coffee. For example the white teas we are told posses about 1% the caffeine of a cup of coffee, green teas 5-10%, oolongs 10-15% and black teas about 20%...
Dec 8th, '08, 17:09
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From what's being said, it does sound like they go over the line. If you're in it because you love the tea, though, this is what I would do: Keep working there until you know tea and the customers well. Find your own way to approach people that are still within the company rules (eg, instead of saying the monkey pick is your favorite, say "I think the best one we carry is the monkey pick TGY" and then you can make other recommendations as they ask for them), and keep learning on your own. Then once you know more about tea than it's worth being there you can find a better shop to work for. When they ask why you left you can honestly tell them that you learned too much about tea and want to work for a better place (make sure you know what you want and can articulate it), and you will have good experience with bringing in new tea drinkers - which will add a lot of value to a better shop if you can do it well. It will also show the prospective employer that you are more likely to stick around rather than just take off when it's not fun anymore.
Working for companies like that suck, I know all to well. But the experience you get can actually be very valuable later on, when you get into a place that you can develop a true passion for. So don't let yourself burn out - just take it for what it's worth, learn all you can, and eventually you'll have all you need to make a difference at a place that really deserves it
Stick around here - tea really can be a fun and rewarding hobby... even if it does tend to drain your bank account
Working for companies like that suck, I know all to well. But the experience you get can actually be very valuable later on, when you get into a place that you can develop a true passion for. So don't let yourself burn out - just take it for what it's worth, learn all you can, and eventually you'll have all you need to make a difference at a place that really deserves it
Stick around here - tea really can be a fun and rewarding hobby... even if it does tend to drain your bank account
Dec 8th, '08, 17:28
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LOL! exactly my experience with Teavana. EVERY time, no matter why I am in the store, someone is trying to push that "monkey picked" on me.disillusioned wrote: Exactly, my manager insists that we tell every customer our favorite type of tea in the store is our monkey picked oolong because it is $25 for 2oz and she even gets upset when we tell customers otherwise
THAT one I'll give them. If you leave the tea in the paperbags, they will definitely lose flavor and aroma within a short time frame. 1-2 weeks is not unreasonable for a change to be noticed by someone really hardcore. However, the tea will still be perfectly drinkable, just not as good. And chances are, someone who is a big enough enthusiast to notice tea changes that early would not be buying Teavana. Now, I know the financial impetus behind that is to push the Teavana tins. The tins, while not bad tins, exactly, are not particularly good ones either. The small washi tins with the little plastic lids inside are quite good, but the branded ones... for my money, I'd rather just pick up some foil ziplock bags. They'll work just as well if not better.disillusioned wrote:Another question for everyone here, we are told that all of our tea's will go stale within 2 weeks unless it is kept in an airtight/lightproof tin is that true?
I do use tins, but I've weeded out all the Teavana brand tins, except for a couple that I keep for heavily flavored teas, so I don't defile my good double lidded tins.
Last edited by Geekgirl on Dec 8th, '08, 17:33, edited 2 times in total.
There is a little bit of truth behind this, but not much. 2 weeks is REALLY FAST for that to happen. Lightproof isn't so important so long as the temperature is normal and the container is UV blocking (at least from what i've heard). Airtight depends on the tea. I find blacks to be much less air sensitive than a Japanese green.disillusioned wrote:Another question for everyone here, we are told that all of our tea's will go stale within 2 weeks unless it is kept in an airtight/lightproof tin is that true?
I guess though if you were to leave your tea sitting in an open bowl in the sun it would probably go stale within 2 weeks.
Well we are told that our teas will go stale in 2 weeks in the bag, hence the customer should buy one of our tins which cost at least $6.
Pentox wrote:There is a little bit of truth behind this, but not much. 2 weeks is REALLY FAST for that to happen. Lightproof isn't so important so long as the temperature is normal and the container is UV blocking (at least from what i've heard). Airtight depends on the tea. I find blacks to be much less air sensitive than a Japanese green.disillusioned wrote:Another question for everyone here, we are told that all of our tea's will go stale within 2 weeks unless it is kept in an airtight/lightproof tin is that true?
I guess though if you were to leave your tea sitting in an open bowl in the sun it would probably go stale within 2 weeks.
Last edited by disillusioned on Dec 8th, '08, 17:34, edited 1 time in total.
I'm agreeing with Chip here. Most of this is urban myth over generalization BS.disillusioned wrote:One of the main points we are told to express to people is how unlike coffee, the caffeine in tea affects you jitter free. They also liken all caffeine content in tea to a cup of coffee. For example the white teas we are told posses about 1% the caffeine of a cup of coffee, green teas 5-10%, oolongs 10-15% and black teas about 20%. We are also told to direct coffee drinkers towards our sample of MateVana and Rooibus chai since it has a coffeeish flavor and a decent amount of caffeine.
I'm also surprised that you're supposed to say Rooibos chai has a decent amount of caffeine. Unless you guys are doping that stuff with some pure caffeiene a Rooibos chai is going to be next to caffeine free. Rooibos by default is caffeine free. Chai spices normally aren't a decent supplier of caffeine either.
Like I commented earlier, the 1% for white tea is really really BS unless you're telling them some strange strange method of brewing.
Sorry you misunderstood I know the Rooibus is caffeine free but we mix it with a Mate blend which provides the caffeinePentox wrote:I'm agreeing with Chip here. Most of this is urban myth over generalization BS.disillusioned wrote:One of the main points we are told to express to people is how unlike coffee, the caffeine in tea affects you jitter free. They also liken all caffeine content in tea to a cup of coffee. For example the white teas we are told posses about 1% the caffeine of a cup of coffee, green teas 5-10%, oolongs 10-15% and black teas about 20%. We are also told to direct coffee drinkers towards our sample of MateVana and Rooibus chai since it has a coffeeish flavor and a decent amount of caffeine.
I'm also surprised that you're supposed to say Rooibos chai has a decent amount of caffeine. Unless you guys are doping that stuff with some pure caffeiene a Rooibos chai is going to be next to caffeine free. Rooibos by default is caffeine free. Chai spices normally aren't a decent supplier of caffeine either.
Like I commented earlier, the 1% for white tea is really really BS unless you're telling them some strange strange method of brewing.
I'm really starting to wonder if this is all corporate policy or your manager just being interested in pumping up her sales figures. If it is the latter I would start talking to Corp about it.disillusioned wrote: Exactly, my manager insists that we tell every customer our favorite type of tea in the store is our monkey picked oolong because it is $25 for 2oz and she even gets upset when we tell customers otherwise
According to the company info we are given it is the most popular blend the company sellsPentox wrote:Ah ok, that makes more sense. I find it odd that Teavana is trying to convert people to tea with a product that isn't tea at all.disillusioned wrote: Sorry you misunderstood I know the Rooibus is caffeine free but we mix it with a Mate blend which provides the caffeine
Apparently it is corporate since it happens on both coastsGeekgirlUnveiled wrote:LOL! exactly my experience with Teavana. EVERY time, no matter why I am in the store, someone is trying to push that "monkey picked" on me.disillusioned wrote: Exactly, my manager insists that we tell every customer our favorite type of tea in the store is our monkey picked oolong because it is $25 for 2oz and she even gets upset when we tell customers otherwise
Heh, sounds almost chicken and eggish though. It may be the most popular because it gets pushed so much. Or people buy it because it is popular, but it's popular because people are buying it.disillusioned wrote: According to the company info we are given it is the most popular blend the company sells
It is also one of the two samples right in front of the store as people walk inPentox wrote:Heh, sounds almost chicken and eggish though. It may be the most popular because it gets pushed so much. Or people buy it because it is popular, but it's popular because people are buying it.disillusioned wrote: According to the company info we are given it is the most popular blend the company sells