Starbucks/AT&T -- Why so complicated?
Incredible hassles this morning
trying to register my Starbucks card
for free wifi
support. Firstly, they obviously did not size the
system to handle the demand. Even though I was
entering my proper Starbucks login and password,
the system insisted on coming back with an error.
Then, finally when I got through, it wouldn’t accept
my card that currently has a $15 balance
because...get this...I haven’t used it in 30 days!?!
What about all the soy lattes that I have bought with
cash in the last 30 days? They don’t count.
This is what happens when a corporation treats their
customers like criminals. Obviously, some empty suit
at corporate headquarters is worried that someone may
“free ride” on the wifi network by buying a latte and
sitting there for many hours.
Starbucks just doesn’t get it! Simply provide free
Internet access like Panera, independent coffee
shops, etc. and they will come...and they will drink
coffee. Get rid of these absurd hoops to jump through
and 2-hour limitations. Particularly since your
competition already has!
Starbucks should trust its customers and they will
reward it with their business. Especially those who
already have their loyalty cards!
UPDATE:
I made a special trip
to Starbucks to buy a latte on my card. It was
accepted finally!
Was I in Tokyo?
Sometimes I am surprised and
yesterday was one of them.
While my wife was shopping for food at Nijiya Market
- the Japanese supermarket in Mountain View, Ayumi -
my 10 mo. old daughter - and I went to Grain D'or
Bakery in the same strip mall. Grain D'or is related
to Andersen's Bakery chain where I frequented often
when I lived in Tokyo. We get excellent premium white
and raisin bread there.
Also, I normally sit with Ayumi and have a cup of
coffee and sometimes a cheese danish. They brew Mr.
English Coffee from my favorite coffee shop in Los
Altos. This time however, they had run out of all the
freshly-brewed coffee, except de-caf. When I told
them that they needed to re-fill the "high test"
coffee, they offered me a free cup of espresso for
the inconvenience. Nice touch, but hardly
blog-worthy. Patience.
As I was having my coffee, an elderly person in a
wheelchair came into the restaurant and one of the
staff helped her to the table next to mine. She was
going to have lunch in the cafe. At the same time,
out of joy Ayumi let out a huge shriek and the
elderly woman commented how loud she was. It was
understandable so I moved to the outside tables to
give her some peace --- after all she is paying good
money for lunch, too.
Here is the blog-worthy service item --- after I
finished my coffee and brought the mug inside, the
same staff person came and apologized again for the
lack of fresh coffee AND to tell me how adorable my
daughter is and thank me for moving to accommodate
the elderly person. It is the kind of service and
commitment you unfortunately don't find here in
America, but is commonplace in Japan.
As Seth Godin puts it, it is part of Grain D'or 's
purple cow and what makes it remarkable. I recommend
that you visit the store at 137 E. El Camino Real,
Mountain View, CA 94040 (650) 210-9488.