Can you remember back when Starbucks encouraged you to order a coffee and stay a while?
If not, perhaps the reusable Starbucks coffee mug will be that mental trigger for you. Starbucks used to give you a ceramic coffee mug as they wanted you to spend some time in their space, to share community with them.
But as with many large businesses with outside funding and shareholders the motives changed.
Starbucks lost a step.
They began giving out paper cups as they ushered you on your way, out their door, to be on your own.
What inevitably happened is other coffee shops began to pop up as Starbucks didn’t hold the hearts of their customers as they once did. Local, neighbourhood or community oriented coffee shops really took off. These little shops took a bite out of Starbucks’ position. These cafes offered coffee mugs! Pull up a seat and stay a while!
Starbucks has once again altered the coffee cups, they are now flimsy. Anther way to squeeze profit from each cup of joe! I catch myself accidentely squeezing the cup a little too hard – when I do this the cup begins to collapse.
Starbucks has lost some of their direction. The little things matter. To you and everyone else. Without the empathetic consideration of your customers you are on a slippery slope.
It is important to know what you stand for. Why your customers see value in what you offer. I spend a great deal of time considering what I have to offer my clients. How to address their needs. I find that the best way to reflect is to review my testimonials. There is a strong theme throughout them. Dating all the way back to when I first got into the real estate business 10 years ago. This review reminds me of what my client’s enjoy and will pay for again and again.
My goal is to offer more than a flimsy product and service. I want something that you can hold in hand, will use again and again then lend it to friends to also enjoy. An experience that lasts. Enjoyment. A lasting relationship and community.
I was a victim of Starbucks flimsy cup. I ordered a grande latte and took it to my car. As I drove away I reached for my cuppa for a sip and the whole thing collapsed, blowing off the lid and soaking my white pants, now completely unwearable, and my seat and carpet with the rest of my latte. Fortunately I hadn’t gotten far and marched right back to the store and demanded another with double cups. I spoke to the manager who agreed the cups had lost their quality. Shameful for a highly profitable company not to invest in the safety of their vessels to protect their patrons. I wrote a complaint to Starbucks but was completely ignored. No response whatsoever. Never again. It’s Peet’s coffee and anyone else frankly.
I wholeheartedly agree with your comments here. A slight squeeze of their flimsy cups has happened to me multiple times, not to mention lids popping off on their own when hitting a bump and filling the cup holders in my car with scalding hot coffee! This morning I had what will be my last experience with Starbucks flimsy cups. I squeezed my Vente cup of Pike Place just the wrong way at the top and there went over half of my coffee all over the passenger seat saturating my breakfast sandwich, Pumpkin muffin, iPhone and covering the seat, floor, down between the seat and console and of course enough came over to the driver side soiling my jacket, shirt and slacks. Fortunately, I now carry microfiber cloths for quick mop up!
I typically spend $100 per month or more at Starbucks and am paring down since Covid, but the other factors you mention have also caused me to scale back even more. What ever happened to the push to make their stores feel like your own living room?
I would write Starbucks if I thought it would do any good, but they, like all the big multi-nationals have little regard for their own customers, IMHO. I saw a report yesterday that their profits are down last quarter along with others like Amazon and Apple. Good!