The Observer, December 2, 2005
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12
Free Speech Zone: Convenience store fails to live up to name
To the Editor:
As a resident of The Village at 115, I have enjoyed the benefits of being able to visit the convenience store and Starbucks Coffee without having to leave my building.
Last week, however, a visit to the convenience store was not so convenient. On my way home from class on Tuesday, around 4 p.m., I stopped by the convenience store to pick up some milk and a few snack items. I was surprised to find no one in the store while it remained wide open. I also noted that there are no visible security cameras in the store, so anyone could have walked away with merchandise.
After waiting for a clerk to appear for nearly twenty minutes, I left my purchases on the counter and walked into Starbucks, in an attempt to find someone to check me out. There were only two employees working in Starbucks, far too few for the crowds brought in by such a cold day. I patiently waited in line to ask my question, and was told to go back to the convenience store to get my purchases, so I could be rung out at Starbucks. I came back and again waited in line.
When the line in Starbucks had temporarily ended, I was told to take my items back to the convenience store, because ringing me up in Starbucks would mess up the drawer count. The person who rang me out was very apologetic. She explained that higher management had only scheduled two people for that day, and they were doing their best to manage both Starbucks and the convenience store.
I understand that the people actually working in the store are not to be blamed. However, upper management for the locations needs to understand that as the weather gets colder, more people will be needed to run both locations. The convenience store exists to benefit the students on campus, and it should not have taken me an hour to buy milk.
Melanie Aloi
Undergraduate Student
