Update from Starbucks: Free drip coffee to any customer who requests it on Tuesday

Starbucks has posted this notice: "To ensure that we are in compliance with election law, we are extending our offer to all customers who request a tall brewed drip."

Comments

[Chucktown Barista]

Holy sh*t!

[Chucktown Barista]

Holy sh*t!

[Jim C]

Any PR is good PR

[Melody]

Starbucks must've missed the legal analysis in the previous thread, that they're fine in California. ;) (j/k)

[Greg]

Great!

As a principled non-voter, I look forward to my free cup of joe tomorrow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igbBItLemsM&fmt=18

That will explain why you should abstain from voting tomorrow...

[anon]

never has it been so good to be off

[SBUX Cust.]

The Starbucks official website no longer has the green ad presentation for free coffee on their home page.

[Melody]

http://blogs.starbucks.com/blogs/customer/archive/2008/10/31/free-Starbucks-for-voting.aspx

^ @ SBUX Cust - I don't think I'm losing my mind but there WAS a post in the comments that said ANY person could get the free tall drip, and now it seems to have gone missing ... I could have sworn that I saw one in there.

[sneaky]

Hey Melody - I have nothing but the utmost respect for you and your knowledge, but it is a violation of federal law - ". . .prohibits payment of money, goods or services in return for voting".

I am just SO surprised that a company as big and powerful as this manages to hire people who can't seem to do their due diligence with something this major. It is absoultely no wonder the company is in such trouble.

Another example: I was talking to a senior execuutive in Store Development the other day. I asked how so many stores in such bad locations were opened. He said Store Development was bonused on how MANY stores actually opened - not the quality of them (such as meeting sales plan or ROI in the 1st year). The RD's have the power to veto a location, but when you have an uninvolved RD (as so many were) it doesn't get their attention. Plus new stores traditionally have lower plan and it helps the RD make their bonus. And no one in senior leadership (Howard's direct reports) knew this until this year. Now it's been changed.
How is that POSSIBLE???

[Melody]

sneaky thanks for the update! There's a reason why they call it "practicing the law". The store dev info you gave is totally interesting stuff!

But as to the free coffee - I must've been spacy as to the comments! But it is free to anyone who asks - The blog has been updated with this note:

AN UPDATE: to make this as easy as possible, we're going to extend this offer for a free coffee on election day to everyone who asks!

So it is anyone who asks for free coffee!

[Joe the Barista]

This is just like Starbucks to buy their customers! Every single consumer who gets a free cup of coffee should oops have the lid fall off and scald them! It's time that people finally see them for who they really are! They want us all to believe they "pour their hearts into it", believe me they could care less they are ALL ABOUT YOUR MONEY! Every day is the same strategy 'Catch and Release", they get all of us as managers to buy into it and sell it to you...that's the only reason we take time and connect with you, so you will spend more money thinking the whole time we give a damn about you or your family!
If you want real coffee and amazing service go to Woods Coffee in Bellingham!! Starbuck's should be worried about this fabulous family chain!

Thank God I'm not working tomorrow, we get enough homeless people asking for a "sample cup" as it is.

[Jennifer]

"they get all of us as managers to buy into it and sell it to you...that's the only reason we take time and connect with you, so you will spend more money thinking the whole time we give a damn about you or your family!"

Joe the Barista - maybe it's time to find a new job! If you think so poorly of the company you work for, then why do you work for it?

I'm so sick of hearing people talk about Sbux only doing "nice" things for the sake of PR. We've done so many things for so many years that haven't been advertised for the sake of PR. Maybe it's about time we actually let people know about the things we do for the community. The fact of the matter is that Sbux is a business first and foremost and needs to do anything they can to be as profitable as possible.

Part of the reason Sbux is having the problems they are now, is because they've spent too much time trying to make the mediocre partners like you feel good about their job, instead of taking care of the really great committed partners that actually care about the company.

So, does everyone who asks for a tall coffee get one for free, or do you have to specifically say "I would like a FREE tall coffee."
Seriously, I can imagine riots if someone comes in and just demands a free product and gets it, then the next person has to pay for the exact same thing.

Gawd, just PLEASE tell us..... Does it have to be Pike's Place???

[Pat Nerr]

Sneaky... you forgot the part about how they were bullied and pressured to open ALL of the stores... There was much pressure to get them open. Of course, the Store Dev execs bonused, but not of the chumps doing the work

[Melody]

@anon at 8:10 - The comments to the Starbucks blogs on this say that either you can have Pike Place Roast, or it sounds like Thanksgiving Blend should be brewed all day in the stores tomorrow ... ??

Holy crap am I glad I asked for election day off. What a cluster f*ck. Does anyone really think that Howard and the other Mensa members at corporate know what they are doing? I'm going to start looking for a new job. Seriously, I am so embarrassed at this point.

Hey, just make the rounds.
1. Free Starbucks coffee
2. Free Krispy Kreme donut
3. Free scoop at Ben & Jerrys

[Starbucks Customer]

Just curious.
With free coffee on Tuesday, is the signature hot chocolate truffle still being released on Tuesday?
Will free coffee plus launch day of the new drink both on the same day create longer lines or cup shortage?

[Starbucks Customer]

No shavings on the espresso truffle signature hot chocolate?
I just saw the description on Starbucks's website under beverage lineup and it mentions a dusting of chocolate powder but no chocolate shavings.

[Mrs. Tillinghamshackles]

Melody - All stores should begin brewing Thanksgiving Blend until 5 PM tomorrow.

Starbucks Customer - The Peppermint Mocha Twist gets the dark chocolate shavings, not the Espresso Truffle.

[what the??]

to the partner who said that they have homeless people coming asking for a sample of coffee..
I'm sorry but I really don't see a problem with that. you said they are asking for a SAMPLE cup. not a venti cup 3 times a day! how much is the company really going to lose because you gave them a sample?

I am a partner and I am disgusted by your comment.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Free coffee!!! Let the chaos really begin. And not voting in an election is showing your lack of cofidence in our so broken system. I'm personally in favor of small government and low taxes. There is this thing called states' rights. I believe that all politics are local.

[Sbux Has No Clue]

Well, the memo on free tall coffee for all has NOT filtered down to my neighborhood, Manhattan's upper west side.
At Sbux on 76th and Columbus, the poor girl had no idea about free coffee, even for voters. At 73d and Columbus, the girl would give free coffee only if you had proof of voting.

So maybe customers need to get on their WiFi and show the baristas what the company policy is. Because the company sure has not communicated it to them.

I called a bunch of stores around my area and they didn't know either. Again one of the institutional problems of Starbucks is the lack of communication.

[baristajack]

i'm all for us giving out the free voting day coffee, i do however thing we should charge them 1.75 if they want access to the cream and sugar...

[Pat Nerr]

Hilarious to say the least. They just can't get a break in the world... You make dumb decisions, you get a dumb result

[SoyMMM]

Not that this question is even related to this thread, but to answer you, no, the chocolate shavings are for the peppermint drink lineup.

[Brandon]

you would think that once people started asking for free coffee, the shift or even the barista would run to the back and check the portal... it only takes 2 minutes to load up login and see the action items??

[Susan]

Well...I just went downstairs in my library for my free coffee and guess what? Apparently, all Starbucks are not honoring this. Starbucks, you should make this clear. There were a lot of customers that left the Starbucks in my library because of false advertising...

[sneaky]

Hi Susan - Unfortuately, the store you went to was a licensee. Starbucks builds the store and provides the product but the school actually owns the store. The licensees have the option to "opt out" of any promotion.

So sorry for the glitch.

[Starbucks Customer]

Susan, what school are you at? My library has a coffeeshop too. Maybe we're at the same school.

[joe the barista]

Hey Jennifer, catch and release just like I just did to you!! I don't work for Starbucks, I have taken responsibility for myself and my future! So go ahead and preach to someone else! I can speak 1st hand about what I know...move on to what you know!

[grumpyoldman]

Will they honor the free cup at the drive through also?

[Jeff]

My girlfriend went to Starbucks half an hour ago and asked for a free coffee, and they asked her if she voted. She said no, and they refused to give it to her. WTF. She texted me and I told her it wasn't necessary to have voted, but she had already left. *&@#^ *#*#*& STARBUCKS! I'm going after work and pouring the damn free cup into the tip jar! Get better customer service, how's that for a tip?!

[Me]

Jeff, a little tense today?!?!?

[what the??]

Jeff, the free cup of coffee was supposed to be for the voters. all she had to do was say yes, instead she said no. I don't know about the other stores but in my store if you said you voted it didnt matter if you had a sticker or not. we gave it out anyway when asked.

Here's an idea. How about people voted because THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.

[Ronald McStarbucks]

Hey hey my thickset friends!

Now if only McDonald's would do the same with Big Macs we'd have 100% voter turnout.

When you don't have a vote you are disenfranchised! Enfranchise yourself by hitting up your local proximate McDonald's/Starbucks combo and vote for a Big Mac and piping hot quad latte!

I'm lovin' it!
Ronald McStarbucks

Starbucks did not, for some strange reason, send the email about free coffee to anyone who asks, Starbucks enjoys overworking their partners. I don't understand why partners continue to put up with the crap for starting pay of $7.35 when one can start at many other food establishments for way more. I mean if you are going to have to increase speed while heating sandwiches making oatmeal, and whatever else they decide to make, then one ought as well go work somewhere else. The benefits aren't as great as one might think. Try getting you vacation and other stuff upon leaving the company. Have a wreck when you go to the bank and watch the company say oops that is your responsibility you should have car insurance and you pay the deductible. Yeah they really care for you. STOP KIDDING YOURSELF THEY DON'T