We live in a time of confusing Starbucks rewards. It won’t always be this way, but for right now, it is. Today (3-13) as I stood in line at Starbucks in Lynnwood, Washington, I saw the following exchange:
Customer: “Quad venti iced white mocha latte.”
Barista: “$6.11” (Caveat: Melody doesn’t remember the exact price).
Customer: Hands barista a gold Starbucks card, the kind with her name on it.
Barista: Swipes card. It still says your balance is $6.11.
Customer: The customer, a short asian woman buying a drink twice her size, says something that I could not hear.
Barista: “Let me swipe your card again. Maybe it is supposed to discount it. Nope, your total is still $6.11. There is no money on the card.”
Customer: Again I couldn’t hear the customer because her voice was too quiet. Customer appears perplexed and hands some cash to barista.
I watch as the customer hands the barista some cash AND the gold card. At least eventually her drink gets paid for.
Even right in Seattle I routinely run into baristas who have no idea what the My Starbucks Rewards are, and even have had one barista tell me that she doesn’t care. This blog post is just the common areas of confusion at the store-level associated with these loyalty rewards programs. I am going to outline here the common sticking points that I personally hear about and watch as the points of confusion for the rewards programs:
Common problem points of the loyalty rewards programs:
1. The Black Starbucks Gold Card
If I am using my black Starbucks card, it causes confusion. The problem: Currently there is NO way for a barista to look at the card and know which of two Starbucks programs the customer is enrolled in. As a consequence, if a customer hands a barista a black card there is no way that the barista can even begin to talk about the customer’s rewards before asking the question, “I see you have a black card. There are still some black cards under the old ten-percent off program, and there are some black cards registered and under the new My Starbucks Rewards program. Do you know which yours is?”
Let me repeat this, because I watch this mistake happen all the time: If a barista is handed a black card, there should NOT be any assumptions that the customer is getting ten percent off the purchase. Rather, the barista can only make educated statements about the customer’s perks by asking which program he or she is enrolled in. However, baristas routinely assume that a person using a black card is NOT part of My Starbucks Rewards.
Why is this true? Well this is true because a customer can use ANY Starbucks card to be a part of the new My Starbucks Rewards. Actually, this is one of the improvements that did happen with My Starbucks Idea. It is far more flexible to be able to use ANY card for My Starbucks Rewards, so some customers may have their favorite customized card, a (Red) card, a First and Battery Card, an old Shareholder Card, a new green Conservation International Card, or ANY card of their liking. I think there was even an Ichiro baseball Starbucks Card once upon a time, and I regret not collecting cards back when I saw it in the stores! I didn’t care about the card until Howard announced card benefits at the 2008 Shareholders’ meeting! (As to the Ichiro card, I’m not into any sports, but I love Seattle and the Ichiro card tugs at my hometown love).
The bright side to this: One thing about this sticking point is that it WILL get better. By the time we get to the year 2011, this common problem and assumption as described above will be gone. Starbucks has said that there will be no more black cards left with a 10% discount when we get to 2011, and this is because there were only a limited number of them sold, and the ability to buy and register one ended in late 2009.
Let’s just hope though that baristas don’t try to take and throw away the black card from customers. If the customer wants to keep using the card, he or she can.
2. If you’re buying a pound of whole bean coffee, you can get ANY beverage in a tall size free.
This reward perk causes enormous confusion. I’ve experienced myself, read about it on MSI, and see others go through this in the stores. It is a perk of ANY beverage in the tall size, and not just a free drip brewed coffee. If the customer wants a 4 shot, espresso Frappuccino, then that’s what the barista gives the customer. The drink is simply entered into the register and then when the card is swiped, — and assuming that there’s money on the card, it’s registered, and at the green level or higher, — the drink will magically be “no charge” on the receipt.
If the Starbucks card is (1) Registered online (2) A part of MyStarbucksRewards (automatically true if registered unless by chance the customer has an old black card and still under the 10% discount) (3) pays with the registered card and (4) is at the “green” level of rewards or higher then the tall beverage will automatically be free.
There is no code to make this work. The register will do all the work. There is no special code on the bag of beans. I have seen it happen many times where I ask the barista for a tall beverage and the barista picks up the bag, confused look on his or her face, and says, “isn’t there a code on the bag?”
I’ve also seen many a barista simply NOT input the tall drink into the register at all, and simply ‘give’ the drink away. This is not correct either (as far as I know).
Over the two years that My Starbucks Idea has been around, there have tons of threads on this topic, but here are just a few examples:
Another Gold Card comment … What’s the free drink with bean purchase?
Free Tall Drink with 1lb Whole Bean purchase
Make it crystal clear on free tall drink with lb/Coffee
And once in a blue moon the issue pops up in tweets too:
http://twitter.com/karldotcom/status/11553393185
A second point of confusion around this, though far less common than the above scenario, is what happens when the customer is buying one pound of small-batch Clover coffee offerings. I used to complain that the register would not give a free beverage automatically above because it was unaware that a person was buying one pound of coffee. All of the small batch coffees are only sold in half pound sizes, meaning that the register has to know to add up two half pound bags to make one pound. I know there used to be some kind of bug with this, but amazingly, it’s been fixed. It works now! The register can add up two half pounds of small batch Clover offering coffees and then give the tall beverage as free! Wow! So this too should be seamless. But again, the customer has to be buying a full pound of coffee to get the perk. Despite that the small batch coffees are expensive, there is NO perk of a free tall beverage if the customer is buying just a half pound of coffee. 100% Kona is $19 per half pound, and Yirgacheffe is about $12 per half pound.
3. I just got a Gold Card with my name on it? What do I do with it? What’s it for? Do I have to use it?
For some reasons both partners and customer get confused that there is some magic to the Gold Card that doesn’t exist in any other registered card. That’s not true (at this point). When a customer receives a Gold Card in the mail, with the customer’s name on it, there is NO requirement to switch to the Gold Card. And funds are not automatically transferred back and forth. If the customer decides that he or she wants to use the Gold Card, he or she must take the affirmative step to put funds on it. This inherently confuses the customer who hasn’t read the fine print about what he or she actually can or should do with this card.
4. What’s a sauce? What’s a syrup?
In March 2008, when Starbucks announced card benefits, they told customers that syrups would be free with a registered card. It’s been two years and I still see confusion around this. Just to be clear, this perk is now part of the “green” level of My Starbucks Rewards.
The average ordinary Joe customer really doesn’t know what is a sauce and what is a syrup. From the perspective of the customer, if they’re even paying attention in their peripheral vision, they see some bottles, and a barista pumping something into their cup, and that’s about it.
Of course when Starbucks opened up the door to this perk in 2008, it wasn’t their intent that from that point forward every drink is simply charged as just a “latte” because everything else is just a modifier on one basic drink. However, the average customer isn’t operating at a level of Starbucks sophistication to immediately understand that there is a distinction to be made between Mocha Sauce and Vanilla Syrup.
As a consequence, the barista at the register has the space of ten seconds to try and explain, “You get free syrups of our regular selection of syrups, but not free premium seasonal syrups and not sauces, because a sauce is not a syrup. A sauce is thicker than a syrup, and Mocha is a sauce.”
Just as an example of the confusion this causes, here’s a thread on MSI where the customer doesn’t really understand that Mocha is sauce, and so a barista has to step in and gently explain the customer the mocha is a sauce.
Better Rewards for People Who Like Mochas
Despite that trying to explain this benefit in ten seconds at the register is a challenge, most baristas really do quite well at explaining it from what I can see. The confusion consistently arises on the side of the customer, not on the partner side. (Contrast the whole bean purchase and ANY tall beverage which has the reverse problem: Lots of customers are acutely aware that they can receive any tall beverage free with a whole bean purchase, but baristas often appear unaware and confused how best to effectuate this reward).
Key questions at the register when dealing with card rewards:
1. For customers with a black Gold Card, the first question out of the barista’s mouth should be “Is this card under the old 10% of Gold Card program or under the new My Starbucks Rewards?“. There is NO WAY a barista can really give accurate advice without getting the answer to that question from the customer. Since ANY card may be enrolled under the new My Starbucks Rewards, it may even be a black card.
2. Is there money on this card? That might be a particularly useful question for people carrying the Gold Cards because not everyone seamlessly figured out that you only get a perk if you put money on it. Although ultimately, the barista is going to see pretty quickly if there is money on it once the card is swiped.
3. Is this card registered? This question is best suited for customers carrying any of a myriad of cards whether it is a Shareholder Card, mini card or (Red) Card. The Gold Cards with the customer’s name on it are automatically registered. Of course, if the the customer says “no” it opens up the door to talk about the benefits with registering the card. Hopefully the customer will be enticed by the idea of earning free drinks every 15 swipes. Of course, one thing the barista could do is simply look at the back-side of the card and see if the pin number has been scratched off, so that it is now readable. That’s going to be a very good sign that the card is registered. And the Gold Cards with the customer’s name on it are automatically registered.
On the plus side, all of the above should get easier over time as people get used to the My Starbucks Rewards program. By 2011 this might be a breeze, but it still leaves a few months of growing pains now. After all, many Gold Card holders were automatically enrolled in the new My Starbucks Rewards program on January 5th this year, so we’re really about 3 months into the new rewards. I guess a few hiccups now and then are to be expected. Please note that all of the above information in this posts applies to the United States only! Other Starbucks markets have some card benefit but often isn’t quite the same as the U.S. version. That’s it for the quick review of common rewards sticking points! Your comments are welcome!
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This is quite a valuable resource. I’ve had plenty of confusion, both from coworkers and customers, about how rewards function. Honestly, I could probably use a bit of brushing up myself. So thanks for this information. If it’s cool, I’ll probably share it with the folks at work too. This info is, of course, contained in store literature; but not so concisely as this.
That was quite the exhaustive list of MSI pitfalls, so much so that it answered questions I didn’t even know I had!
I still miss the days of the black card though. I thought the black card kept it simple – 10% off. Piece of cake. No questions to ask, no money needed to be on the card, it just was. I’m sure Starbucks has increased enrollment in MSI by several orders of magnitude now, but they lost the simplicity of the old program.
This is why it was a bad idea to come out with a frequent buyer program in the first place. Before my Sbux rewards when you bought a beverage were you ever upset or displeased? Now it seem that since the discount people are more fed up. The price of normal beverages is so high because of the incredible amount of free things we give away. I am not saying your gold card is the reason for the latest price increase, but it comes from somewhere. Just think about that brewed cup of coffee. A full batch of regular coffee costs around $1.25 for just the coffee. Why is a tall $1.50? The built in cost of cream and sugar is incredibly high. Some people put a half a carton of half and half in their beverage. That carton is three to four dollars. It comes from somewhere.
As with the White Mocha “Latte” all is well but if the customer actually calls 1800-23Latte then Sbux, as usual, sides with the customer instead of the partner following his Beverage Resource Manual Verbatim. If you complain it is free. This adds to the frustration of the incredibly wobbly and transparent line of what to charge for and what not to. It actually changes PER CUSTOMER.
The amount of free beverage coupons sometimes hovers at over ten a promotion. Theoretically somebody with a really good printer could produce their own and we would not notice. This actually leads to my biggest gripe about the gold card. It does not tell you how many points you have on receipt and instead of comping your beverage with a swipe, they pay postage and waste additional paper to mail you a free drink coupon!
Sometimes be careful what you ask for. Customers always want free things and when those free things came, it did more harm than good.
Great post! I really don’t like the new rewards program because it is confusing for customers and baristas.
Customers want quick, simple & easy to use. Nothing like the current reward metric. It may seem straight forward when you have the time to read through the explanations or someone eloquent like yourself spells it out for you. However, when customers are tired, groggy & just need a caffeine hit to help them get to work on time, they don’t really care.
That was the beauty of the Black Starbucks Gold Card program. You pay $25 and you get 10% every purchase. Short, sweet & simple.
I’ve got a custom card w/ my logo on it though so shouldn’t be complaining.
Wow Melody this is so comprehensive. It just is clear to me that this new rewards program continues to be a mess and I wish SB would take your comments and others and do a stage 2 so to speak and tweak it out. There has to be a way for those of us that are loyal customers to get the gold card rewards (and more perhaps) and feel like we are the loyal customers SB so wants. On another note- is there a way to make it a bit easier to respond to a comment. I find it a bit cumbersome to find the leave a comment space. Thanks Melody for your thoughtful thread re the rewards program.
I have always had issues with the free tall drink. I think I’ve only gotten it once and I buy whole bean from starbucks at least twice a month. I’m assuming that on the black card the discount is only for a tall drip? Also if you do get a lb. Of whole bean using your gold
card does that card have to have money on it to get the free drink? It helps that it’s done automatically. Still I still find the blanket 10% a better “reward” for loyal customers. Also the new gold cards are pretty pimpin’. They even have your name on it. Makes me feel all important and all. According to it I’ve been a member since 2007? Who knew! PS good question @ shareholders mtg. Re. Loyalty and rewards too bad they couldn’t give you a direct ans.
Great resource. Thanks for gathering all this info. I am two stars away from Gold! Woo Hoo!
Hi Wes! Great comment! Thanks for the Shareholder meeting props. As to the free tall drink, your consternation with it in your comment is exactly what’s going on. The problem goes like this (maybe I should have written this in the blog post) –
Customer has a great emotional need to CONFIRM free tall drink before ordering, because the truth is, Customer doesn’t want to be surprised with a charge for their tall mocha (or whatever). Customer says, “Hey, I’m buying a pound of Espresso Roast. Don’t I get a free tall drink?”
Typical barista (and I’ve watched this happen a thousand times!!!) replies, “No, you get a free tall coffee.”
Customer acts surprised, but at that point, many will give in and just take the coffee. Most customers don’t really want to argue with the barista.
Barista never learns the lesson that if they just punch in as normal and swipe, free tall drink is free, and customer walks away unhappy, and hence, you get a million threads on MSI about this.
Thanks to everyone for lots of really great comments in this thread.
By the way, I started writing it on Saturday the 13th. I was driving north to see the digital menu boards (prior March 13 blog post) and stopped in a Starbucks in Lynnwood and witnessed the exchange above. And then this sat in my drafts for a long while until now.
Thanks for being transparent about the challenges and benefits of the rewards program. I’m a BIG fan of Starbucks and the company’s philosophy of listening to – and responding to – its customers. Keep up the great work, and I’ll continue to feed that monkey on my back (AKA: a skinny vanilla latte w/ 2 extra pumps of syrup). 🙂
Out of my own stubborness, I never bought a black card (I don’t like paying for a discount). I clearly see the value and my Starbucks consumption is such that it would have paid for itself in no time, but I didn’t like the principle (it’s the same reason I use Border’s rewards instead of Barnes and Noble).
That said, the black card was simple and effective.
The new structure/program is anything but. It’s very convoluted, confusing and for many customers, not very “rewarding.”
The value proposition of this new program isn’t really there for me. I had the opportunity to participate in one of high value for me (black card) and I chose not to. Now, the only opportunity to participate is in one of very low value to me that is complex and convoluted. I’ve gone from my own personal and principled angst of not wanting to participate in the black card program to now not being interested in the latest chaos that Starbucks has created.
What this means is that a shift in my thinking has occurred. Before, I always had a nagging feeling that I “should” take advantage of the black card. Now I no longer have that feeling. The new program is not worth the effort and as a result I am less tethered to the siren.
This reward system is very consusing in many aspects and I’m glad we don’t have it in Canada. I think this program causes more confusion for the average customer than the free drinks are worth.
Baristas really need more training on the free drink with pound of beans. Even with my short time working at Starbucks, I’ve had many fellow baristas confused by this. They typically will look for a discount code, and when one is not found, they generally just give the drink to the customer without ringing it in. When I see this, the following exchange will normally occur:
Me: No, no, just ring it in and the register will automatically deduct the cost when the card is swiped.
Other Barista: Are you sure?
Me: Yes, I promise it will.
Other Barista: Wow, it worked. I would have never known.
The same goes for free coffee refills. Many baristas just give them away without ringing them in because they don’t know that the register will make it free. Baristas should be trained on this better.
Great post Melody…I get into this “discussion” nearly every week….In fact, I tweeted you right after my last encounter on Friday.
After I brought a pound of Sumatra to the counter to be ground, I wanted to confirm I was going to get a free tall “beverage.”
Of course, this started off the old “No, you only get a free tall drip” routine. I will banter back and forth if there is no line…I even showed her where it says “free tall beverage” on the My Starbucks Rewards brochure (no, I don’t carry it around with me…but I have thought about it!)…and she said “Oh…I didnt know that”…then she said she had no way of knowing how many stars I had accumulated, what level I was at, and that she needed a code to ring in regardless. Well, some people showed up so I surrendered.
I ended up getting a Venti Mocha Frappaccino just to cool me down…
I think the confusion about codes on the bag stems from the Starbucks Coffee bags sold at the grocery stores. There is a coupon or code on some of those bags (which are 12 oz, not 16oz) that offer a “free tall drip at any Starbucks location….”, and they tell you to bring the empty bag in with you for the discount. (I assume the barista takes these, as then you would have people walking around with empty Starbucks bags getting a free tall drip every day)
Also, last week I was sitting at a Starbucks counter when a harried Yoga instructor sat next to me trying to get on the Starbucks WiFi….I tell you, that is even more complicated for the first time user than getting a free tall beverage out of a barista. She bought a $5 Starbucks Card, I watched her register, and it still wouldnt let her on. I believe it is because she needed to answer a confirmation email first…but how do you confirm when you can’t connect to click the email?
Melody do you think or hope that all these great comments will get SB to take some action to revamp the rewards program? Have you ever gotten any clue or suggestion from SB that they are thinking seriously of revamping and improving the existing rewards program?
Starbucks Cards Rewards are so confusing. Some of it may be our POS (Place of Sale) register… which is ALL CHANGING SOON! There is a new program for registers being rolled out, and I’m crossing my fingers that this may simplify the rewards for baristas.
Sometimes if I ring a customer up, I’ll say their total is 4.76 (or something like that), when they tell me it shouldn’t be because their card is registered. “The register takes off the soy/syrup after I swipe it.” And I have a lot of the same conversations you’ve described above, too… maybe the new POS program will save us of some of our woes… maybe…
Melody, I thought this was a great post. You should train Starbucks partners; our internal stuff isn’t as thorough as this. I’m posting it at my store today. 🙂 Keep up the great work.
I was thinking about this the other day, I always have problems when I buy ground coffee and want to get the free beverage, but I do complain, and most of the times baristas agree.
But the last time I noticed they just charge de beverage as normal and then when they swipe the card, you get it for free.
So I think I’m just gonna order my tall beverage without asking if is free, it does work, right?
Thanks Melody
what a timely post! I encountered three “rewards” problems during my shift today! 1.A customer was irate because her white mocha “syrup” wasn’t free with her registered card. 2. One of my baristas (who has been trained before!) told a customer that he only got a free tall drip with a grocery store bag of whole bean and not a free drink with the lb. of verona he was purchasing – thankfully I heard the exchange and was able to jump in and correct her. 3. A gentleman insisted that it was his birthday and starbucks promised him a free drink. (he even pulled out his drivers license to prove it!) I had the barista give him his drink on us b/c of the confusion and told him to watch for a free drink coupon in the mail. Can’t wait for the new simphony POS system – I’ve heard great things. Hopefully it rolls out this year!
PS- I don’t even want to get into the time spent EVERY DAY helping poor confused customers sign up for and log into our wi-fi! I completely understand the agitation I often see with that process!
This is a GREAT RESOURCE Melody! Even I didn’t know that the free tall drink with the purchase of a lb. of coffee was ANY tall drink, and I’m sure none of my partners know this but they will tomorrow! Thanks!
You have done it again. Great post. And the comments you inspire are great too.
I must admit, that I like the newest rewards program, more than having multiple programs before. That was very confusing, for everyone. The current program, including the “More You Use It, The More You Get” step increases, is confusing, but much better, and understandable. The problem is, not having visibility at the store level to answer customer questions, on the spot: “how many stars”, “what level am I at”, etc.
One of the biggest problems with the free drink is the “code” issue. Codes are needed for “everything” on the current POS. Nothing was ever “automatic”. So now this benefit of a free drink (with bean purchase & registered card @ green level or higher) without needing a code, is totally new to baristas. If they don’t meet those requirements, customers do get a free tall coffee (however, a code is needed in the POS). The sad part is this is not a new benefit. This was the case when I started 12 years ago, but very few people knew it, or even more sad, KNOW it, even now.
As far as the Wi-Fi issue that txmgr brought up, unfortunately, it usually WON’T work right away. Current program has free wi-fi only after 5 uses. This means, someone going into a Starbucks for coffee and to get some internet will get this experience (I’ve seen, even in my store):
Come in, and stake out location for the ideal work spot: lighting, outlets, sound level, etc
Set up “shop”
Go to register to purchase coffee beverage, sometimes a pastry or sandwich.
Go back to computer and try to access wi-fi…NOPE.
Go to register to ask about wi-fi
Told about registered Starbucks Card program.
Buys $5 card (after already spending money in store).
Spends 10-20 minutes doing next 2 steps:
Logs on to Starbucks.com and registers card (can be accessed without AT&T account).
Can’t register for an AT&T free access account because it is not a benefit yet (use 5x).
Goes back to register to find out what is going on. Barista does not have an answer.
Calls support (AT&T or Starbucks).
Customer told not eligible for that benefit yet.
Customer packs up, and goes to McDonald’s across the parking lot to enjoy their free wi-fi.
Partners really have no way to recover the situation, none at all.
Sorry, I told myself I wasn’t going to post long comments anymore… Next time… I HOPE.
…just my 2 beans
WO
@WO – There are so many great commments in this thread, that I’m at a loss for words. I love the store level insights (both customer & partner) from Nathan, txmgr, and Karl but all the comments in this thread are fabulous. Keep ’em coming.
THANK YOU for posting this! I explore the http://www.starbucks.com/card page often and keep finding things I haven’t noticed before so felt somewhat familiar with the card and bonus goodies…I was STILL a little confuse however. For me I wasn’t sure what “activated” a benefit. Like I purchased a lb of beans with my registered card and once out of the store and half way back to work thought “HEY! I didn’t get offered my free drink” I haven’t made time to inquire if I have to ask for it or if I get coupons. I’ve been curious about a lot of different things like the syrups and sauces and I was please to see I had that one right 😀 What I haven’t taken advantage of is the free drip refills. I’ve used the free wifi on occasion and that has come in handy 🙂 Overall I feel this blog post is pretty comprehensive on the basics of the card. I felt like all my thoughts on it were being brought together in a cohesive understanding. Thank you thank you thank you!
I nominate Melody for “COMMUNICATION CZAR” at Starbucks! One of her posts eliminates the need for tons of “Barista Need to Know’s” and customer press releases… Melody, report to the SSC tomorrow morning and bring your laptop so the barista in the lobby cafe will know which syrup you get for free and which sauce you don’t…
Uhh, txmgr, I hate to ask a dumb question, but what is a “barista need to know” – A cheat sheet like a 3×5 card? Something on a computer? Sure, I’ll report to the SSC tomorrow. It’ll be fun. I’ll surprise them on the 8th floor. Maybe just follow someone in through the doors, as if I work there. Wasn’t there a movie like this? I know in my office, once in a while see someone in the elevator and think, “does that person work here?” LOL
sorry, I forget sometimes that you might not know all the lingo… BNTK’s are just communication tools used to alert partners to new/updated programs/promos etc. Usually comes in the form of a printable bullet-pointed file from the SSC. We usually post them for partners to read up on new/upcoming things and they sometimes have a list of FAQs. (we had one for the recent free pastry day.) I heard somewhere they were going away in favor of something new on the laptop, but not too sure if that’s true or not…
BTW, I think that’s a Seinfeld episode you’re thinking of… the one where Kramer shows up at some company and starts working on a big file and everyone just assumes he belongs…
Another huge point of confusion is that the in-store literature (the Rewards Brochures) are not up to date, causing a lot of confusion. A couple weeks before the new My Starbucks Rewards program launched, a FAQ file for baristas was sent out. It was a huge file and very long, so with our labor issues you can be sure not everyone was able to read it. It basically outlined what the brochures said, but highlighted a change: Wifi was now a Welcome Level benefit. So few people seem to realize this.
But I have helped many customers set up their Wifi accounts moments after buying their card.
Just an FYI for any of you partners (or customers) that aren’t aware!
By the way Melody, GREAT topic!
It’s almost funny how you are able to lay out the benefits better than corporate can 🙂
…or it could be that movie, “Catch Me If You Can” with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Great post, Melody! Thanks for clearing up a few things!
so, if you register a new card, and remove the old one, does your wifi reset?
as for the free syrups, mine have come off no problem at all and i never questioned it. actually, i usually get free soy, which makes me even happier.
(this comment was going to be longer, but i got distracted, and now i cannot remember what else i was going to mention!)
mel, i actually have a photo in the ssc’s computer, as i *have* been on the clock there before!
also, for kat: just order the drink when you buy the beans. if you don’t order it, they don’t remind you (in most cases). it should come up free, as melody explained. i’ve lost a couple free drinks because *i* never remember, and the baristas don’t say a word, which is a service issue, if you ask me.
@WO at least in our area the whole ‘you have to use this card 5 times to get free wifi’ has reverted back to the old way of doing business where the customer can purchase a Starbucks card, log on and register it for 2 free hours of wifi.
First of all Great great article Melody, as always…I hope that this bridges the gap in between the old and new rewards. I plan on commenting more later.
@elly – I do know for sure (from experience) that you can remove any card in your library and replace them and the wifi will still work the same. Since you have to use an ID and password in order to log in when you create the AT&T account, it retains that you have an account, regardless if you delete that card you created it with. I switch out cards from my library all the time.
I’ve also noticed that it doesn’t kick people off after 2 hours, and I’ve had many customers comment to me on how they often sit down and use it for over 2 hours.
I also meant to add that while you can delete the original card you created the wi-fi account with; I assume you still have to have a registered card in your Starbucks library. I know at first it also had to have an active transaction on it within the past 30 days.
I’m not a barista, and I always have a registered card I pay with and I stop at Starbucks pretty much everyday; so don’t know if any of this is still a requirement. I would assume it is, though.
Love this article and I never knew there was so much confusion over the rewards program. I have an uncomplicated approach to my rewards.
Every day, sometimes twice a day I go to Starbucks and order my drink of choice. I smile, I engage the baristas, I have my gold card swiped and I leave the store with a smile on my face. Magically a couple of weeks later I get a coupon for a free drink. I smile again. Simple.
I went to Starbucks before there was a rewards program and I will continue to go to Starbucks even if they choose to discontinue the program. I want the drinks, I buy the drinks, if it so happens that I get a free drink every now and again than that is just an added bonus!!!
Melody: GREAT thread….and probably one of the most needed. I’ve personally experienced every issue (I think??) that you mentioned. 99% of the time I (the customer) am the one with the correct information…..generally that is met with apprecaition, but not everywhere.
This should be an MSI thread…..just as you outlined it.
I agree it is amazing how many times I know more than the baristas that work in the store! On both sides it continues to be an issue of effective communication. Melody, continue your great comments!
I’ll repeat what I’ve said in other posts: Starbucks needs to hire Melody because
1) She has a long standing and loyal customer experience as well as a strong connection to Starbuck’s history and core that seems to be missing in a lot of what Starbucks does these days AND
2) as evidenced by this post, she has the ability to utilize her legal/analytical training to compile a lot of information and communicate it in an easy to follow format.
Howard – are you reading this?
Hey! I just wanted to let you know that after reading your post, I wanted starbucks and got me a venti double chocolate chip frappachino (^_^)
Hi Ryan! Welcome to my little Starbucks blogs. I see from the link in your name that you’re in Hawaii. I have 2 questions for you! (1) I’ve heard that in Hawaii you can still buy the Mocha Coconut Frappuccino – Is that true? and (2) Since you’re in the US, you should be using a registered card so you can get the perks, and start earning free drinks! Have you registered your card? Register card, load money on it, pay with it, and you’re good to go!
Performing a balance inquiry and printing the receipt will provide the information to answer most questions in regard to card rewards. The slip will indicate if the card is registered, if it has a balance, if it is enrolled in the sunsetting Starbucks Gold program and when it did/when it will expire.
Having visibility to the number of stars at the POS would be nice but providing better communication on the program to baristas and customers alike would go a long way.
A balance inquiry will not, however, tell you what level a registered card is at. So if it won’t take off a syrup, or give a free tall drink for a pound of coffee, etc, I can’t double check the rewards level for the customer.
As of right now, the new POS system does not have any special rewards-related activity. CamSpi, don’t get your hopes up, there’s really no change in functionality — just in layout. You can do a balance inquiry w/o printing receipt, but no star checks, rewards level, etc. Automatic discounting is done just the same as the old POS… ie free syrups, free bev with beans, etc.
Suzanne C, if only we baristas had more customers like you! Clearly you’re demonstrating the response SBUX was hoping for…. however for the majority of my former Gold Card customers, they’re resentful.
This is a way better information source than even the MOUNDS of stuff we get from the corporate office. That being said, when I receive name embossed gold card I think I will just get rid of all of them, spend all the money off of all cards and be done with the whole rewards program. I spent money to create a personalized card and now it will be worthless, wanted to use the (RED) card to help the cause, and now that one is going to be worthless too. I’m not one that will be carrying all those different cards. No wonder this loyalty program confuses everyone. Thanks again for explaining it better than our bosses do but I guess that’s the end of my Card/Rewards involvement. I just won’t spend any money at Sbux anymore, I take my partner beverage and nothing more. I thought about giving up on SBUX cards when I found out they can’t be used in license locations anyway, just sealed the deal. Congrats on your 100th post. You really pour your heart into it, so to speak. LOL One cup at a time applies to you everyday.
Personally I have no problem with this rewards system. It isn’t as nice as it was before with the 10% discount. I don’t buy packaged beans nor do I buy multiple items requiring separate swipes of my gold card. I just load the minimum on my card, which is 10 bucks on line, get a blue berry muffin or bananna nut slice on my way home in the mornings to heat up with breakfast, reload with another 10 bucks when the balance is low, and wait for my free drink coupon to arrive in the mail after I accumulate the required 15 stars. The only problem I might have is that since they can track my balance instantly on the bottom of the receipt I don’t see why they can’t track my stars too and print a coupon after the 15th so I don’t have to wait around for the post card to come in the mail.
Oh yes a larger type when typing comments like it was before would be nice too.
A couple of small observations:
(1) It can take some time for your personalized gold card to be made and mailed (4-6 weeks) once you jump from Green Level to Gold Level Rewards. (My card arrived about a month after I earned my 30th star.) Quantitatively, this is inconsequential, as you can earn stars and get rewards with any registered card, as Melody has mentioned. On the other hand, though, it feels cool to have the personalized card and the free drink coupon that comes with the welcome packet.
(2) Sometimes my mobile device “remembers” that I’ve been to a certain Starbucks and used the AT&T wi-fi service before, and automatically connects without making me sign in. This is helpful on the rare occasion that I pay with cash (or a freebie coupopn) instead of a registered Starbucks card, since I can use the wireless service without swiping my card—but I wouldn’t rely on this loophole to work every time.
What a thoughtful and comprehensive post, Melody!
I just got rehired as a partner and am working in a retail store for the first time in almost 6 years. I actually quickly explained to a customer the method of registering a new card online (which can be done in the store without already having a WiFi account), and he was successful and online in less than 5 minutes. I also watched one of my baristas patiently (and accurately) explain to another customer how her new gold card differed from her old black card. Change is difficult, but it’s pretty clear to me that the 10% off program is gone forever and customers need to understand what they are getting from Starbucks at completely no charge to them ever! Yes there are baristas out there who are unclear about how the rewards program works, no person or company is perfect. But by educating yourself as a customer, you can ensure that you always receive what you’re due, without any need for the store partners to cause you any consternation.
I thought I knew enough about all the programs until I read this, lol. I guess I don’t pay attention to sauce vs syrup and things like that because those aren’t the drinks I purchase.
I guess this blog stuck out (even though it’s not super recent) because when I went last week there was SO much confusion. After months of not getting a new gold card, I finally got mine, transferred funds, and went to buy some beans and get a drink. The barista swore up and down the new gold card was 10% off and didn’t include bean purchases- that, basically, the gold was a completely separate program and that I needed a ‘regular’ card to receive perks (also among the perks apparently? The personal cup discount). Uhm, what? Crazy.
It only slightly annoyed me, but I could see how this could seriously turn off customers who don’t really know any better.
I still miss my 10%, though. I have yet to get ANY of my free drink coupons in the mail 🙁
This only goes to prove that there is lack of communication somewhere in Starbucks. It says right un the little brochure titled CAN WE BUY YOU A DRINK? then when you open it up it says “turn your visits into rewards” under both the green level and the gold level Free tall beverage with every pound of coffee purchased.right under free soy milk and above free trial offers.I don’t know how much plainer that could be.