Comments on: What You can Learn From Starbucks Coffee’s Blogging Boo-Boos

By: Starbucks' latest marketing blunder: Value-meal pricing | SEO Copywriting

Starbucks' latest marketing blunder: Value-meal pricing | SEO Copywriting — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:39:15 +0000

[…] marketing.Â There was the breakfast sandwich blunder. The incredibly horrible Gold Card blogging screw-up.Â And now, the concept of Starbucks “value meals” (or, more accurately, what Howard […]

By: susan

susan — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:02:53 +0000

well said. I just got my gold card yesterday after contemplating for several months. what pushed me over the edge was when I asked my barista one more time just to clarify, “I get free soymilk with this too right?” and she said “well, yes if you register it online.” I used the card this morning after registering and got my 10% off but still charged for the soy. Needless to say I am upset. I thought I would be saving $.84cents per day but now realize it will only be .44cents, plus shelled out $25. I could have just stuck with the free card to get my free soy. What is really messed up is that it is now May 2009, you would think the baristas would have the facts down by now.

By: Karri Flatla

Karri Flatla — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:43:22 +0000

I hadn’t heard about the Gold Card promotion … uh, still waiting to find out what the benefits are of having a Starbucks card at all. Aside of that initial free beverage coupon I received in the mail. Oh wait, I think I might have also received some small discounts when I used it to purchase drinks. But who the heck keeps their receipts anyway?

Speaking of conversing with customers, I follow SB on Twitter but I’m really not sure why. I think I’ve actually seen maybe less than 5 drive by tweets in the entire time I’ve been on Twitter. I don’t check Twitter by the minute but they don’t exactly have a “presence” there. What’s up with that?

Losing touch indeed. And oh how I dearly love my Caramel Machiattos (X-Hot, 2 Pumps, No Foam thanks).

Great post.

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:49:13 +0000

Hi, Charnell,

You are very welcome. :) This is one of those interesting marketing situations where you know that Starbucks didn’t mean to be evil – but they also didn’t realize how some loyal customers would react to the news. It will be fascinating to see how they react to the controversy, and how they reach out to members of their online (and local) community.

As an interesting side note, I tweeted this blog post to @mystarbucksidea and got an immediate response. They said that they were “working on a follow up to that post” – and acknowledged that it could have been done faster. So, the SBUX Twitter Group is definitely on the ball (good job, guys!). Now if Starbucks could just figure out their Gold Card Policies…

By: Charnell

Charnell — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:10:01 +0000

I’m so happy to have stumbled across this post. These are the exact thoughts that many of us Starbucks customers have had since they’ve announced this Gold Card.

I have visited Starbucks 3 times a day, every day for the past several years. This amounts to me spending approximately $272.70 per month on just my drink alone ($3.03/ea). Just within the last 13 months, my significant other who works with me now gets a daily drink at each visit, so now we’re spending approximately $648.00/mo ($7.20 each visit x 3 x 30).

We visit the same Starbucks location each time, we know the employees and they know us well. Each visit they ask if we’ve purchased the Gold Card yet. My response everytime is, “Nope. I don’t feel that I should have to pay $25.00 for you to recognize me as a loyal customer.” They continue to push the card and I continue to respond with the exact same line.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for publicizing the “boo-boos” that we all see clearly (except for Starbucks apparently).