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Grrrrr . . . Starbucks Baristas Are Trying My Patience
You can love something or someone absolutely and still have to occasionally give them the Cher/Cage 
Moonstruck “Snap out of it!” bitch-slap back to reality.
Such is the case with my beloved Starbucks, who seems to have suffered a bout of Worst Practices coupled with my personal favorite, Bad Customer Service with a dollop of Indifference on the side.
Look, I buy all my coffee from Starbucks - ground by the pound and individual drinks.
I own SBUX stock.
I’m not a fanatic or anything, they just have the best-tasting coffee so it’s simply a practical issue for me.
I’ve sampled other coffees over the years, because if you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know how I HATE to have all my eggs in one basket.
No one, but no one does coffee and the coffee experience better than Starbucks.
When I travel to a new city, one of the first things I do is find where the nearest Starbucks is to the hotel.
When I traveled to the IMC Summit in L.A. last month, I was doubly-blessed that the nearest Starbucks was inside the hotel. Didn’t have to walk blocks for it nor send the concierge.
I was doubly-blessed, and it was a glicken pile-on that IMC also saw to it that we were served Starbucks coffee throughout the summit.
And . . . this blog’s Tip Jar is for my favorite Starbucks drink, the Grande Americano. With their Chocolate Chip Frappucinos during the summer and Green Tea Lattes during the winter being close seconds and thirds. And the only ground coffee I get is their heaven-sent Celebes Sulawesi, the finest whole bean I have ever tasted.
So, safe to say I’m rather fond of the company and product, right?
And you would not be surprised to learn when last March, Starbucks released their Starbucks Card — that I would get one. And for a few bucks more, I could design the card I wanted?
Bam, I’m in. The baristas enjoy it when I whip it out and it never fails to draw attention and comment to the point where they even shown to each other and the nearest customers.
Seriously, I have a tear in my eye as I write this. No . . . I really, really do. Stop it . . . I do.
Love On The Rocks
But that’s where the romance jumped the tracks and I’m forced to bring down the hammer of tough-love - Starbucks has dropped the ball and dropped it repeatedly.
So you know what time it is, right? Yep . . .
[rolling up sleeves] Time to get to work . . .
When I couldn’t get satisfaction from the baristas, nor the shift supervisors, nor the managers by educating them, I was forced to write one of my Wrath Of God Complaint Letters.
Here’s what I sent to Starbucks’ Corporate Customer Relations. Let the sturm und drang commence:
“It would be helpful to us who purchased Starbucks cards, if store employees were trained in the perks that come w/the cards.
Wait . . . let me rephrase that more accurately to reflect my experience — the perks that **allegedly** come with card ownership.
Today was the 3rd time I’ve purchased whole bean coffee w/my card, and when I asked ‘If anything extra comes with that?’ I keep getting told (by different employees in different stores):
“Sorry, that is something they’re rolling out down the road.”
Yet it says otherwise on the Starbucks website: “Complimentary tall 
beverage with whole bean purchase.”
Today’s latest incident had the employee leaving the register to confer at length w/someone in the back office (while impatient people piled up behind me), only to ultimately give me the incorrect answer.
Consistency, please.
I’m wondering why in the world I bought the bloody card in the first place.
I was such a fan of the idea when it was announced because ‘At last,’ I thought. ‘Starbucks is rewarding people who frequently pick Starbucks from the many coffee-buying choices they have.’
Instead I (and a throng of others, judging by the online chatter) are made to feel like Oliver Twist asking for more porridge.*
I understand the advantage to Starbucks of selling people the idea of the card, but execution of the idea leaves MUCH to be desired.
When your customers are treated like they’re asking for something extra, or worse, like they are trying to sneak a ‘freebie,’ it starts to wear thin.
Thus far, there has been nothing “complimentary” about the experience.”
======================================================================
So far, I’ve heard nothing back. Stay tuned.
* = Oliver, toiling with very little food, remains in the workhouse until the desperately hungry boys decide to draw lots; the loser must ask for another portion of porridge. The task falls to Oliver, who at the next meal tremblingly comes forward, bowl in hand, and makes his famous request: “Please, sir, I want some more.”
A great uproar ensues. The board of well-fed gentlemen who administer the workhouse, while eating a meal fit for a king, are outraged by Oliver’s ‘ingratitude’.
See the parallels? 
Technorati tags: Walter Terry, ROI Copywriting, info product strategist, info marketing, info publishing, starbucks card, starbucks baristas, worst practices
By Walter |
Topics: Fighting Back, Marketing Mishaps, Pet Peeves |
May 19th, 2008 at 11:05 am
As a HUGE fan of Starbucks and someone who is considering the very card you speak of, I hope they make this right for you in spades Walter.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Didn’t even come close to making it right, Kyle.
Sadly, our favorite coffee company is another to-big-for-its-britches corporation that cares little for its customers.
Their idea of making it right was to include **1** additional free drink coupon. Bringing the grand total to 2.
A-mazing.
Nice to hear frm you,buddy and know you’re still alive out there.
Walter