Comments on: Corporate coffee cost cutting

By: Bret @ Hope to Prosper

Bret @ Hope to Prosper — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 17:23:02 +0000

My step-dad worked for a Chinese-owned company once that was too cheap to buy coffee. So, most people had coffee makers at their desks, which is a huge safety hazzard. Morale was very low and turn-over was very high. So, they finally brought in an American manager, who understood our culture better.

I am fortunate to work for a start-up that treats very employees well. We have a Kuerig machine and I start my mornings with a cup of orginic coffee. The coffee for the Keurig machines is expensive. But, there aren’t the mess, waste and safety problems with a regular make. Plus, you never have to drink the nasty burnt coffee.

By: Janette

Janette — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:56:16 +0000

Who made the coffee that you used to drink?
I actually think this has to do with another post you recently wrote about “chipping in”.
I do not drink coffee- hence I never learned how to make it.
BUT – for the first twenty years of my career I was expected to buy coffee for the coffee maker. “It makes everyone happy that everyone chips in”.
I was also compelled to clean the coffee maker- because I was often the last person off of our wing at night. I would go into the workroom and the coffee would be on. Instead of a fire, I would clean it out and set it for the morning.
And since I was the one who had to work with the “people are grouchy without their coffee” people, it served my best interest to have that maker ready for the coffee person who did the begrudged brew the first pot in the morning.
My last job was different. Each person brought in their own coffee or had their own pot. I was GLAD not to have to share in their experience. It was much better for me AND better for my pocketbook.

By: Big-D

Big-D — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 22:08:06 +0000

I have seen several offices which have had coffee and some which have had not. I understand that not providing it might save some money, but then you run into the other instances. People bring the $15 job from walmart so they can have “fresh coffee” at their cube, and now instead of one person turning off the coffee machine when they leave, they have to check all cubes for turned off machines.

The answer is not simple. I have seen people that go for coffee in droves and each has to talk while they get a cup and some sit until they are done with their coffee. Some don’t bring mugs, and they use Styrofoam cups. My former company had signs up that as a company, we used 250,000 Styrofoam cups a year (to use with the free Kuerig machines), even though the first day of work, they give everyone a free company logo-ed mug. A quarter million cups for everyone who has been given a free mug. People are just lazy.

This is why, at the end of the day, you have what you have. Companies want to give free coffee, it is a nice perk, but they cannot keep things clean, people won’t clean up spilled coffee, and keep the coffee fresh (ie. make a new batch before they leave if they use the last drop). It had to become someone’s job to manage that – and at the end of the day, forget it.

By: No Debt MBA

No Debt MBA — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:36:19 +0000

Definitely penny wise pound foolish. When you’re buying in bulk coffee is dirt cheap. The problem I’ve seen at more offices is logistical – who changes out the coffee, cleans up, etc. Providing hot water or a microwave seems at least an easy and cheap option so employees could at least make tea they brought from home. Some in my current office have coffee makers in their department’s area or their own cubicle.

By: JOEANNA

JOEANNA — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:24:54 +0000

You can see special Cappuccino Machine at here

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 23:20:35 +0000

Thanks for the comment, Kate – you’re right, it’s a terrible way to squander resources, but it seems to be a disease in corporate America. I guess we just have to grit our teeth and try to punch holes and make Xerox copies with a smile… unfortunately!

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 01:30:30 +0000

I think you’re right with pennywise, pound foolish. When I’m putting together engineering submittals, that’s a lot of printing/bindering time. My request for an automatic hole-punch was turned down, which is a shame. With how much I get paid for hour, doing 30 pages at once rather than 3-5 would have been a pretty big savings in my time (and made me quite a bit less frustrated and angry with that part of the task).

*oh well*