Starbucks is really a great company just like I said in my previous article.
After I wrote an article saying I would not go back to Starbucks because of the non-free Wifi, paying $5 for a card and getting $2 off a drink at the time, both the CEO and Frank Buzzo contacted me. I was astounded by the fact these people, high on Starbucks executive ladder took the time to answer me, a commoner.
Well we all know what happened within 2 weeks of my email with them; big announcements about Free Wifi coming July 1st. I got so many emails about what I helped change. I would have loved to believe all of them.
Yes I would like to believe that I had something to do about making that happen. I felt like I did. I even gave it 5 minutes from my Andy Warhol 15 minutes of fame we all get in a lifetime. Of course Andy did not include child birth and my son took more than 15 minutes.
OK, Free WiFi, it is time to go back to my favorite coffee establishment. Of course I am now an expert on how to help Starbucks. So I am looking at things much differently. I am even feeling taller as I walk in the door.
But Did I Really Help Starbucks Last Time?
Most people know I am an online marketing director and was director of an offline advertising company back in the day. So wherever I go I look at things from a marketing standpoint. I love the subject of marketing and always will.
So I am back in Starbucks awaiting my fantastic new experience. Now it is time to sign on for my “FREE WIFI”! No more $5 Starbucks card check ins to get free WiFi. So I went to add a new network connection and nothing says Starbucks? HMMMM.
When I go to Panera Bread or Charlie’s Italian Castle they say both those names on the sign in for free WiFi.
Now I see many networks but no Starbucks? The first one says att as a network.. But what is att? So I connect to that network, then open Chrome and there is a Starbucks page. Luckily I knew the relationship and guessed the network correctly.
My point is Starbucks execs seem like really great engagers and care about their customers, but levels below them someone is missing the details or they do not exist.
Most in the ad world know one of the major motivations for businesses to offer Free Wifi is to get a customer’s name and email and give them some offer. Starbucks now has no more sign on and no product offers on a sign in page.
So is Free the idea and Starbucks does not need to increase its list of clients to contact and get return business?
I am in Starbucks and I got my Ice Coffee, which is great there, and I get a stamp for $2.00 off something on my receipt. I could not read because it smeared on my receipt. Then I notice a receipt on the floor and I wanted to pick it up but felt guilty someone would come back looking for it…….
Then I said am I crazy, I am picking up receipts on floor for coffee products?
So time went buy and now at 12 noon there was only one seat, which I luckily got, and there were laptops everywhere, so different than before. This was great Starbucks, you really filled the seats at noon. That is really a great feat.
I was at Starbucks to meet some potential clients. They were late so I went to get another Ice Coffee. A nice women was there and got it for me and handed me my receipt. Guess what happened, she forgot my stamp. Now feeling like a 4 year old, I looked at her and almost cried and asked for my free stamp. She said how sorry she was, bla, bla, bla….
Would it have made more sense to put a special offer coupon with a unique number at the entry of the att sign in, or could she have given me a unique number? Well the last idea already lead to human error, so forget that. Of course all this unique number stuff takes computer coding and a lot of money. But Starbucks has $120 million to spend on a truly brilliant newspaper, TV ad campaign to attract new customers.
So is the strategic marketing plan to get people into a store and keep spending money doing that? No email offers for new visitors. No follow-up? Or are new customers one shot wonders?
Ok some icing on the marketing cake. I go to show new potential clients how smart I am about what is happening with online advertising and how great Starbucks is leading the way with validating Foursquare and guess what happens.
I am in Lincolnshire Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, there is no Starbucks listed on Foursquare. I went through the listing twice. The stores around it were listed. They looked at me I looked at them. Well maybe they changed their telephone number, or are not registered ????…..
Just as an addition, I tried it at another Starbucks the next day and got the same thing, no listing.
This is not a bash of Starbucks. This is to help any way I can. My wife is a shareholder and I have to watch her interests. My wife is essentially a Starbucks partner.
WHO monitors their Facebook Fan Page? A team, a person?
Is there an online philosophical statement that Starbucks implements that says do not pay attention to the companies complete Fan page?
Starbucks Fan Page monitors missed the pornography ads for starters at this LINK and this LINK. You can go to a picture the 4th one from the left in your picture area and you have a girl advertising pornography. How did I know to go there. I have used Facebook, Twitter and others for a number of years, you develop an idea what looks like porn.
Is the answer you cannot catch everything or whoever is in charge is not training or having people screen the information consistently? Or is no one or some one not paying attention?
Lastly, there are two sections on the Fan Page under Discussions and Notes.
The notes section has not been updated since January 9th 2009 and is a confrontation about whether or not Starbucks supports the war and does not send coffee. They apparently support the war, but, as I understand it, the kids don’t qualify for coffee??
That is their philanthropic area and it is not updated since 2009.
Lastly, the discussion section about Starbucks issues updated in January 2010 slams the Starbucks Gold Card. Whatever that is.
In the last two sections no one is watching or updating some sensitive material and it looks like no one who is monitoring this area cares about those issues. OK so who cares, about pornography, war issues and bad criticism with no rebuttal or elimination?
Just ask what your favorite Ice Cream is? People look beyond the polls section of a fan page. Although the polls help you tell what your customers want. The other stuff they don’t want and the image can become we don’t care! Just buy coffee.
Unofficially I am working for Starbucks. Just working for small beans:)
Thank you Starbucks for allowing people to speak up and talk to you. You are truly a Great American Institution and I would not shout out like this if I did not care about your company.
