This is not so much a review of this tea, though it is what I am drinking (see other tasting note), because I don’t feel like trying anything new or brewing gong fu style but I need to write this and it wouldn’t be right to do it under a tea for any other company. This is just to say that I will not be working at Teavana for the holidays or ever again, I’m not allowed.
I stopped by the store today while I was out, to check the schedule for next week since it wasn’t posted when I called on Saturday. There were guests in the store so I just headed to the back, looked at the schedule and just as I noticed there were no shifts for me, my manager came in behind me and told me I wasn’t on it and asked if anyone from corporate had given me a call, no…
Apparently Teavana has been monitoring Steepster.com and other social networking sites and noticed my activity on the message boards. Besides negativity there are issues with breaking confidentiality agreements and release the names of two teas. I’m fine with not working there, in fact I’m relieved. I tried to quit back in February, then again four months ago but my manager wanted to hang on to me and called me back a month ago to pick up a few shifts. I wanted to help, could use the extra cash and some time away from the toddler, so I agreed.
I felt more like a rouge agent at that point, but I did my job and was gracious to guests. It was during these three shifts that co-workers were telling me about these two new teas that Teavana let slip in some recommended pairing sheet they sent to all the stores. When I shared these two teas in a post about this year’s retiring teas, it was just as an interesting tidbit to generate discussion, I didn’t do it to sabotage the campaign, if anything it could only help create a buzz, just like my co-workers mentioning them to their guests, because their excited, even I was.
But that’s not really what its about, its about the negative things I’ve posted after I had “quit” and I completely agree with their decision, they shouldn’t have someone that feels the way I do working for them. I do hope they leave it at that and not try to pursue some sort of legal action, because really I’m not worth anything. But I also hope, really truly hope that they are not just monitoring Steepster to check up on their employees but to get a pulse on how tea lovers really feel about their company and how they can improve their customer service to stop driving away the very community they should be serving.
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Wow! I am sorry:(
Wow, that’s crazy! I do hope they keep tabs on how their customer service is generally perceived with the tea drinking community.
But I also genuinely hope that they don’t pursue you with legal action, and that everything is fine on your end.
Thanks ladies. No reason to be sorry Hesper, just feeling a bit shaken and foolish for not being more careful on social media. Steepster felt like a safe havens, my tea log a place to write and the discussion boards a place to share. As the husband said, that’s what screen names are for, funny that I changed mine on here just three days ago, but it wouldn’t change what shows up in search engines. Aelwyd means Hearth in Welsh and I rather like my name seeing as I chose it.
well that stinks! personally I find that Teavana cesnoring your personal opinion on social media is against your rights to free speech. If they didn’t want a buzz on those two teas they should’ve said something about it being a secret. So I’m pretty sure your not liable for anything :D
As far as I know they are not censoring me, just saying I can’t work there, which I agree with. As for the two teas, they didn’t mean for it to be leaked to the stores at all, it was an accident on their part, not sure what was said after the fact, I haven’t been in the loop, so its all just gossip really. But thanks for the reassurance! Honestly this helps me in not having to break it the manager after the holidays that I would not like to continue my employment (I feel icky working there, but I am actually pretty good at it and they like me so it would have been relatively easy holiday money, internal conflicts aside). For now I’m just trying to reflect on this as a lesson, I worry that it doesn’t speak well for my maturity.
I worry for the same thing. I’m just sticking out at the illusion of the “heaven of tea” for the sake of it looking good on my resume. I will not remove my posts though. In fact, I will continue to defame to the point of a struggle until I’ve had enough or until they fire me. Honestly, it will be a relief when this happens. I hate lying to my guests.
I did always wonder why you stuck with it ;) I am now debating if I still give my former manager’s contact info on new job applications that ask for such things, I feel like she still thinks pretty highly of me, but I don’t know what the regional manager has been telling her.
Why don’t you just ask her? It can’t hurt to ask if she would be worth including on future job applications. Especially if she thought highly of you prior to this incident.
I should have, may do, we’ll see, might be a bit raw at this point for everyone.
Wow! I am sorry:(
Wow, that’s crazy! I do hope they keep tabs on how their customer service is generally perceived with the tea drinking community.
But I also genuinely hope that they don’t pursue you with legal action, and that everything is fine on your end.
Thanks ladies. No reason to be sorry Hesper, just feeling a bit shaken and foolish for not being more careful on social media. Steepster felt like a safe havens, my tea log a place to write and the discussion boards a place to share. As the husband said, that’s what screen names are for, funny that I changed mine on here just three days ago, but it wouldn’t change what shows up in search engines. Aelwyd means Hearth in Welsh and I rather like my name seeing as I chose it.
well that stinks! personally I find that Teavana cesnoring your personal opinion on social media is against your rights to free speech. If they didn’t want a buzz on those two teas they should’ve said something about it being a secret. So I’m pretty sure your not liable for anything :D
As far as I know they are not censoring me, just saying I can’t work there, which I agree with. As for the two teas, they didn’t mean for it to be leaked to the stores at all, it was an accident on their part, not sure what was said after the fact, I haven’t been in the loop, so its all just gossip really. But thanks for the reassurance! Honestly this helps me in not having to break it the manager after the holidays that I would not like to continue my employment (I feel icky working there, but I am actually pretty good at it and they like me so it would have been relatively easy holiday money, internal conflicts aside). For now I’m just trying to reflect on this as a lesson, I worry that it doesn’t speak well for my maturity.
I worry for the same thing. I’m just sticking out at the illusion of the “heaven of tea” for the sake of it looking good on my resume. I will not remove my posts though. In fact, I will continue to defame to the point of a struggle until I’ve had enough or until they fire me. Honestly, it will be a relief when this happens. I hate lying to my guests.
I did always wonder why you stuck with it ;) I am now debating if I still give my former manager’s contact info on new job applications that ask for such things, I feel like she still thinks pretty highly of me, but I don’t know what the regional manager has been telling her.
Why don’t you just ask her? It can’t hurt to ask if she would be worth including on future job applications. Especially if she thought highly of you prior to this incident.
I should have, may do, we’ll see, might be a bit raw at this point for everyone.