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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Thanks for the sauce vs syrup vs seasonal syrup explanation as even the local baristas have been unable to explain that. Unfortunatally SBs own iPhone app show mocha as a syrup and makes no distinction on seasonal vs non seasonal syrup (ex dark cherry)
Welcome to the site MJ! Glad you found this blog article helpful!
Baristas seriously need education on the Starbucks Rewards program. My biggest complaint is I’ve had baristas almost throw away my registered card 3 times!! I’ll use up my balance and instead of asking me if I want to keep it, or noticing that my syrup was free so it must be registered, they turn around to toss it in the garbage-Ive literally had to yell “Stop! My card is registered!” Once, the barista gave my husband attitude when he had to tell her to dig his card out of the trash can. Its getting a little ridiculous.
GREAT blog Mel! It is a very confusing program for customers… 🙁 AMAZING benefits but still confusing. I don’t understand how so may Sbux partners are still confused about it. It’s our job. Ugh.
@Katie and Kristin –
Katie thank you so much for replying here. Your comment is a good example of how so many partners know so little about the card.
@kristin – The benefits aren’t really amazing. They’re calculated to be a minimal reward with some “slippage” of the reward (lost/forgotten/destroyed free drink cards). Stars per transactions measure one sole and lonely metric: Frequency. It would be like as if the airlines said, we will give one point for every flight you take, regardless of from Seattle to Portland, or Seattle to Florida. People would have a cow because they understand that a reward program should have SOME connection to the dollar value of the transaction. It is what it is though. The other thing is that there may be very loyal customers who simply can’t get to Starbucks as much as they like. Those of us who are literally surrounded by one Starbucks every block, in downtown Seattle, have a better reward than people who aren’t near a Starbucks so come in infrequently, and stock up for the whole family. I’m really disappointed with Starbucks with this reward program. It’s designed to benefit the shareholder, not the customer, and done so in a sneaky way: Add up how much 15 transactions are plus delayed reward and you’ll see, it’s not much of a reward. There is a “disincentive” to add anything to the transaction within one single purchase. There is no additional reward to adding on in a single transaction so the customer who benefits is the one who buys the least. That’s also not a well designed program from the business end, when your customers are encouraged to spend as little as possible. But most customers won’t understand the details, because they haven’t read up on it, and will be fooled into thinking that the reward has some relationship to how MUCH they spend, but it does not.
Gads Melody you hit the nail
on the rewards not being too amazing and your example about a flight from Seattle to Portland has the same reward as one from Seattle to Florida was riight on or as some people would say “spot on” and your description of “slippage” of the reward (lost/forgotten/destroyed free drink cards) is very good and I might add stolen (since anyone can turn the post card over and see FREE DRINK in big capital letters) and also undeliverable. You are also so right, as always, when you said “there is a “disincentive” to add anything to the transaction within one single purchase”. The rewards system benefite people like me that buy one inexpensive item (I usually get a blueberry muffin on my way home at Safeway to heat up with my breatfast) and it would make people who get multiple items to say “ring them up separately” appear to be somewhat of a cheapskate especially if buying for other people.
Well that’s all I have to say. Now to proof read this and on to breakfast. GOOD JOB MELODY!
Oh I forgot 2 things. The post card does NOT have to be turned over since the capital letters FREE DRINK is right on the same side as the address. The other point I forgot is people like KJ Minton that only have licensed stores where they live and the only real Starbucks where they can exchange their free drink and birthday drink coupons and any other coupons Starbucks sends them is a
drive away so they must waste a whole day just for a free drink. Naturally they combine it with a Christmas shopping trip but how many free drinks can a person have in one shopping trip? Besides most will expire worthless.
In Canada, the rewards systems work differently, but gold card members still get 10% off. What I find amusing is that gold card members only get 10% off their purchase but not benefits of a regular registered starbucks card (free syrups, free soy, free ‘add dairy’, free drip coffee refills when you stay in store). So really, if you’re ordering for a group of large people and they get vanilla lattes, soy drinks etc, you could save more money by using a regular Starbucks card. Then again, I have had a person try to pay with a registered starbucks card to get their free syrup and soy, then hand me their gold card. I thought you had to pay for the thing in full with your card. Let’s say you order a Tall vanilla latte, after HST in BC that comes close to $4.00. With a gold card you would save about 40 cents. With a regular registered Starbucks card however, you would save 55 cents. For the average person, I would recommend a regular registered starbucks card. But if you buy lots of whole bean coffee, and like to purchase retail merchandise at starbucks, then go for the gold card!
As for sauces, mocha, white mocha and chai are “premium” sauces or syrups and are not free with a starbucks card. I don’t think gingerbread or dark cherry is free either.
Thanks for this post! I’ve been trying to figure out that syrup thing with the seasonal syrups! I just had a pumpkin spice added to my coffee and was charged and was like – huh? I think it really depends on your barista. My usual store knows me and usually doesn’t even add the syrup on the register.
I do want to post that I was just in Canada and I used my American rewards card and it totally worked. No exchange rate difference, the drink made it onto my rewards card as a star, and I was given a free soy customization at no charge.
This may be a silly question, but I was wondering if you needed to tell the barista you have a green level card so they don’t charge you for syrup, or if it’s automatically done through the register.
@Emily – Hi there! Welcome to the Starbucksmelody.com blog! Hope you will “like” the blog’s facebook page too.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/StarbucksMelody/180068562003180
As to the rewards, this blog post is a little old now, but the basic information in it is unchanged. You can use ANY card to get your perks, just has to be registered and loaded with money.
The register will AUTOMATICALLY remove the syrup charge if you are eligible for a free syrup. What that really means is that vanilla, SF vanilla, classic, toffee, and the standard syrups, when added to your latte to customize a latte, or no extra charge.
Mocha is always charged for – it is considered a “sauce” not a syrup.
And usually promotional syrups, like when the stores had “dark cherry” recently or probably the upcoming “coconut” syrup will also be always charged for. Promotional syrups don’t count as free syrups.
In the end, you don’t have to say anything to get your benefits. The register should do it for you.
If you use twitter, you can follow the Starbucks card by following @StarbucksCard. I think for a while there was a Starbucks card email address for questions – rewards@Starbucks.com. If you send an email to that email address, give it a few days before you expect a reply.
Then there is also this official link too:
https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards
Of course the short answer to your question is, “the register will do it automatically, and you don’t have to say anything to the barista.”
Hope all of this helps!
Thanks again for finding my blog.
~Melody
Thanks so much!
I found your website this morning after visiting my local Starbucks. I purchased a card and registered it to get rewards, great! But now when I use my card (third time now), the person ringing me up asks “Do you want to keep the remaining balance?” My reaming balance is about $80 bucks, so I know she is not asking for that? I’m assuming she is asking for the difference between my $4.40 purchase and what? Is she nonchalantly asking for a tip based on the rounding off on my total? What’s going on here?
On the topic of Starbucks, we have 5 in the area I live in (Chicago Burbs North West). One particular Starbucks (Woodstock Illinois) has a problem getting flies in the pastries and food glass. I have seen this for the last two year, haven’t been there this year yet. I’m talking about 10 flies or so buzzing around on all that food (trapped in there). I told a few of the workers and they said there was nothing they could do, and if they got rid of them more would just fly in. Anyway, I e-mailed Starbucks three times about the location and have yet to get a response. Is that normal? Not the flies, but getting no response.
Last word on Starbucks.
I found I’m best off just going to the Barnes and Noble Starbucks (not a “Real” Starbucks) according to a “real” Starbucks employee. If you have a B&N discount card, you not only get a discount on the coffee, but the Soy or syrup is free too. They also don’t have a tip jar or beg for tips. Grocery Store Starbucks are the same way. They’re just not “real”.
I’m not cheap, but I don’t tip for $4 coffee. Sorry.
Hi Scott…
I believe the partner is asking if you want a printed receipt showing your remaining balance. Tips are counted separately outside the register system, and divided among the stores hourly workers using a formula.
@Scott – Welcome to this blog! I hope you’ll stick around and enjoy some of the other articles I’ve written!
I’ve never been asked that question in that exact manner. There is no way for the barista to collect ANY tip from your registered Starbucks card. I have seen baristas say, “do you want your balance?’ which is shorthand for saying, “would you like me to print your receipt and show you how much money you still have on the card?” – Which is just what Karl, above me, said. I can see that, if taken literally, it would sound like asking you if you wanted to hang on to your balance.
As to addressing flies, and customer service: Customer service should definitely get back to you. I think you can still email info@Starbucks.com with Starbucks questions. Starbucks customer service has been through a number of changes in the last year. There are a whole range of options here – contact them – they need to know what is happening at your store:
http://www.starbucks.com/customer-service
http://www.starbucks.com/customer-service/contact/retail-stores-form
I was wondering if you could clarify this for me…
I’m currently at the Green Card level which to my understanding meant that I could get a free regular coffee or tea regardless of my initial purchase (among other ‘rewards’). As someone that has worked towards getting to the “green” level this seems like a nice benefit and an incentive to get to the 30 gold star level.
Getting my free refill of any flavored tea regardless of my initial order has never been an issue until this one particular barista started taking my orders. She said that I can only get a free refill of coffee/tea if my original purchase was a coffee/tea. Do you know the technicalities of ‘free refill of tea/coffee’?
If my whole goal was to get to 30 stars, and I could only get free refills if my original purchase was a coffee/tea, why would I ever, ever spend more money on the expensive fraps etc etc.
Thanks for any help! I appreciate all the info on your blog!
It is a free, unlimited refills of coffee or tea while you are still in the store (and not left and returned)….so yes, you would have to initially buy coffee or tea.
Hi EM-
First off, I recommend that you contact Customer Service and let them know of your experience with free refills:
http://www.starbucks.com/customer-service/contact/retail-stores-form
Retail Customer Relations
(800) 235-2883
Mon – Fri 5 AM – 6 PM (PST)
Secondly, as Karl stated, it is a free refill only while you are IN the store. When you leave, there is no longer a refill perk.
My understanding of the rewards is that even if your first beverage is a Frappuccino, if you are in the store, you could ask for a plain coffee or tea refill. I am not sure exactly what you mean by “flavored” tea. The “tea lemonades” are not a refill option.
So please contact customer service!
And last but not least, I hope you’ll look around this site at some of the other articles, and “like” this blog’s Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/StarbucksMelody/180068562003180
Good luck!
~Melody
Ok now wait! We have to get this straightened out. (I thought I was clear on all this long ago;)
It’s not a “refill”, is it, unless the coffee or tea was your original drink ? Otherwise, why wouldn’t people just get a frapp (or whatever) and turn around and get a coffee ….maybe for themsalves, maybe for a friend. ???
I really think the plan is that you first have to buy said item (ie: coffee), stay in the store, and then you can have a refill on that item. (which is only coffee or tea) Otherwise, the word “REfill” would be meaningless…you’d just be getting a free coffee with any purchased drink.
We need to get this officially clarified. where is someone?
Denise – I think this has come up on MSI, which is where I’m getting my reply from. I think Starbucks can easily afford to do their “free refills” in store regardless of what you bought first. The reason they can afford it is that the overwhelming bulk of the US Starbucks business is to go! The rationale, as I recall, is that if you’ve bought a more expensive drink to begin with (meaning a Frappuccino or espresso bar beverage like a caramel macchiatto …) that it would not make sense to to tell you “no” to a free refill of brewed coffee.
Hi all– thanks for your responses.
I didn’t realize I needed to clarify that I do understand you cannot leave and come back to get a refill. That would be ridiculous. I have a lot of studying to do so I often sit there for 3-4hr.
My point is what’s so special about having a rewards card at the Green level, allowing you to get free “refills”, if that means a refill of coffee/tea if and only if your original purchase was a coffee/tea. That doesn’t seem like a perk at all.
I’m sure the regular coffee/teas don’t cost much for starbucks and if they are really trying to reward loyal customers via a rewards card, a free refill of coffee/tea regardless of initial purchase shouldn’t be a big deal.
When I said flavored tea I meant something like Passion Fruit Tea. I’m new to starbucks so I’m still learning the lingo/menu. Maybe that is a completely separate tea than plain iced tea?
Thx for the feedback!
Sorry, I also wanted to add a few comments.
This typically has not been a problem which is why I was so caught off guard by the incredulous manner in which the barista spoke to me. Maybe it is an issue of lack of awareness of not only what the rewards program consists of but also which customers have a registered card.
At the same Starbucks, another barista did the same thing to me but when he saw that I was holding the “gift card” he asked “OH is your card REGISTERED? Sorry!” and he immediately got me a Passion Fruit Tea without further questioning.
Also, the only reason why I usually get a Passion Fruit Tea is because at a different Starbucks, I was told I can get any tea/regular coffee, Passion Fruit being one of them. Maybe it just boils down to different people and who is/isn’t lenient regarding the rules of the rewards program?
On the website under Green Level rewards it says something to the effect of ~At Starbucks we want you to feel at home. Free refills of regular or iced coffee.~ The way this Barista treated me did not make me feel at home!
Anyways, I wrote to Starbucks and will let you know of their response.
Perhaps repeating what others have said, but this issue seems to not want to go away. I remember when I first pushed on MSI for free tea refills because at that point there were only refills for coffee. Although now you can get tea refills, it is a shame that different partners and different stores have different responses to the rewards program. SB needs to really sit down and work out an easy rewards program that everyone can understand and that in the end would not make a customer feel not welcomed in the store.
Oh, I was just going off was the My Starbucks Rewards page says:
https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards
“Free Refills on Brewed Coffee or Tea
When you’re at Starbucks you feel at home. Paying with your registered Starbucks Card gets you brewed or iced coffee or tea refills at no charge during your visit to a participating store.
You must use your registered Starbucks Card to purchase a hot or iced brewed coffee or tea and then present that same card for refills during the same visit. Offer not valid on Pour Over, Starbucks Reserve TM or Clover Brewed coffees, or at Drive Thru locations. Offer subject to change.”
That said, a free drip refill is costing Starbucks next to nothing, as they empty the old coffee down the drain when they make a fresh batch every 30 minutes.
from Karl’s comment (and Sbux info) it does appear that a REfill is only a REfill if the original item was what is being REfilled.
Yrs ago there was always free coffee refills while in store. And personally, for me, I’ve always been given a refill if I wanted one (coffee only) whenever, whatever yr. Now we have this (complicated) ‘tiered’ system which, I know from experience in various stores, is not completely understood by all baristas.
either way, in this program, as I understand it, a ‘refill’ is only a ‘refill’ if it is a ‘refill’. that part doesn’t seem complicated to me and yet, apparently it is. weird.
So it seems there are multiple issues here.
First and foremost is barista education.
Next is the refill policy, by itself. The policy for years, until the new Rewards Program started, was time-limited. Meaning you got refills (on coffee), for the first hour you were in the store. The policy has been updated to grant refills on coffee & teas, both hot & iced, but not tea lemonades. Refills are NOT free, but heavily discounted to around $.50. However, no matter what your first drink was, you are able to get a refill of coffees or teas at the refill price. The idea also included the idea that you were reusing your original cup, hot for hot, iced for iced. However, now that policy does not allow us to reuse your disposable cup a second time, Starbucks must give you a fresh cup. So swapping between hot & iced should not really be an issue. This means if you get a caramel macchiato, you CAN refill with coffee. The same goes for a Mocha Coconut Frappuccino, and refilling with a iced green tea. However, you want another caramel macchiato instead? You are entitled to get a cup discount of $.10, even though Starbucks will be making your drink in a new fresh cup. Bring your own cup every time, and save on every drink. It does add up.
Next is the Rewards card. At the Green level and above, you are entitled to get your refills, as described above, at no charge. I completely see what Karl & Denise are saying about the original purchase, however in-house manuals state what a refill is. So if that policy is followed, and you use your card on that refill, it will be free.
The final issue is really the “just say yes” policy. Where did that go? Why is it that every barista seems to think that every customer is now trying to “scam” them out of a free cup of coffee. The cost is “nothing”, but the reward is a highly satisfied customer.
…just my 2 beans
WO
twitter/@WOnet
@WOnet – Thank you for weighing in!
@WOnet – I agree totally that a big issue seems to be barista education and beyond that how each barista connects with the customer for sure. It seems to me that the training or even ongoing training is very disjointed. I watch sometimes when new partners start at my local SB and see different approaches to training depending on the person doing the training. I guess it really does not matter what is in the training manual if the communication between the person being trained and the trainer is not there.
@Purple and @WOnet – I think that there is a lot in Starbucks training that has room for interpretation. Not drink recipes, but rather this kind of thing we’re talking about right here. “What is a refill” Any time there are gray areas to a policy, the interpretation of the trainer IS important. I loved what @WOnet said because it made sense and I agreed with his interpretation. However I still hope that “EM” is reading these comments and will call Customer Service.
I’m getting more confused by the minute! According to some of these interpretations (which really, shouldn’t even be such a thing: “an interpretaion”???)
re: the “refills”: then alot of what is being said is just go into Sbux (be a reg. card holder etc), order whatever drink you want and you’re then entitled (can’t think of any other word) to a free coffee or tea. In which case, since that would NOT be a REFILL, is there any size limit on that free coffee (or tea) “refill”. ???? this is just not making sense to me. (which would not be, necessarliy, unusual 😉
Hi All,
Just wanted to share the official response I received regarding this issue.
Thanks
——-
Please know that the standards on refills to ensure customers are charged consistently are as follows:
During the same store visit, a customer may purchase a refill.
The customer may choose from the following, regardless of the original beverage, when purchasing a refill of the same size:
Brewed Coffee (including Caffè Misto)
Iced Brewed Coffee
Hot Tea (includes tea bag; customers should not be charged if requesting hot water)
Iced Tea
Green Level and above participants in My Starbucks Rewards can receive free coffee and tea (iced and hot) refills during a same store visit. There is no time limit, the number of refills a customer can purchase per visit is unlimited.
@EM: amazing. Thanx for sharing the response!
EM nice to see the response. I am a bit skeptical though because I am not totally confident that this policy is carried out at every SB (corporate). Curious from the readers if they have seen the official policy as noted by EM implemented at their stores?
@purple: I feel pretty sure they would oblige me such a request (order ANY drink and then get a free coffee) at my regular place but honestly, I don’t think I’d even have the nerve to ask at any other store. seems too strange to me. (and I’ve never asked at my store, either)
@denise_r
I am with you Denise! It is that sense of entitlement I seem to be lacking…even though I have been going to Starbucks since before most of the partners were born!
I was looking at your blog and this post was on the right side so I decided to read it. Over a year later,I learned on Friday night that some stores still don’t understand the benefits.
@Amy In Boston – The thing with the card benefits makes me crazy. I’ve spoken with so many partners who simply don’t really know them. It appears to me that what partners are told often times really doesn’t match what is on the customer-facing website. I don’t know if one partner thinks he or she has got it down and then spreads bad information (possibly even unknowingly) and then it spreads, or what happens, and partners don’t look at what is on the Starbucks.com website. ??? I have no idea. I just know that many partners think any or all of the following mistaken beliefs:
If you buy a pound of whole bean, you can get tall brewed coffee: False – The register will give you ANY tall beverage. Must be at green level or higher with money loaded on the card used to pay for beans.
You must be at the gold level to get the free beverage: False – It’s a green level perk. Gold card is meaningless here.
No tall free beverage for a half pound of beans: False – The Reserve lineup of coffees only will still get you the free tall beverage.
The free refill has a 2 hour limit – False – At least as far as I can find, I can’t find any customer-facing material on the website or in the card reward booklet that says it must be within 2 hours. I guess theoretically you could sit in the store for hours and hours, though it is an IN store perk only.
The list goes on and on. I so wish that the SSC would require baristas to learn about the card. I guess that learning about the card perks is considered a really small thing compared to everything else that partners have to learn about.
Of course this blog article is now dated, because there is no more 10% black card discount, but there are still partners who don’t seem to realize that you get ALL your perks with ANY registered card. There is no requirement to use the gold one. It doesn’t get you anything. It’s just pretty and has your name on it.
Melody I am glad you have written some new comments about this issue. I too see partners struggling to understand the perks with your card and also at my local SB there has been some turnover and at times a new partner seems dazed at the system. Perhaps there needs to be ongoing continuing training to keep partners up to date on the changes.
@Purple1 – The thing with the card rewards really makes me crazy. It’s like as if that is the least important issue to Starbucks of everything that happens in a store. I should do another one of these “top mistakes” blog posts because this old one is now dated. If one partner says to another, “a gold card gets you a free tall coffee with a pound of beans” then the bad information gets spread from person to person.
I guess that part of the reason I get riled up is that I really remember the launch of card parks. I remember Howard talking about them at the shareholders’ meeting in March of 2008, so my own idea about what Starbucks meant for each of the basic rewards is influenced by having listened to him describe them.
https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards
https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards/rewards-program-ts-and-cs
It should be simple. The card education that baristas receive should be consistent with what is on the customer facing side of rewards information. Anything else will naturally cause confusion/
Melody I think it would be great at some point to do an updated blog post. One thing I found out is now when you fill out the survey and can get a free drink it is whatever size drink you want. At least that is what one partner assured me although another partner standing next to her had no clue and thought it was still a tall size with survey.
@purple1 I think they were being nice…the last survey I received (maybe a month ago?) it was still a tall beverage, but some baristas I have noticed ‘surprise and delight’ and will give your normal size.
@Purple1 – I haven’t heard of a change with the size of free drink with survey. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten one. I might ask around. I thought it was still a tall? But you never know, I distinctly remember having a discussion with partner when the rewards were brand new – He thought for sure that the perk with one pound of beans was a grande free beverage. I tried to explain it was just a tall, but he looked at me like as if I was crazy. I gave up pretty quickly – If he’s somehow giving out free grandes, oh well, happy customers. Still, all these perks cause confusion. I almost with Starbucks would just get rid of ALL the rewards.
I have a question. If I want a soy vanilla latte, but order it as a soy latte with a shot of vanilla syrup, if I use my registered starbucks card, I should be charged only for a latte, right? I should get the soy free, and the vanilla syrup free, right? Without fail, I’m charged for a vanilla latte (which is abour 30 or 40 cents more than the typical latte here in FL), and get the soy for free. Why is this? I’ve experienced this in all Starbucks locations where I live, and everywhere I travel, too.
Aside from this one annoying thing, I’ve never had a problem with the rewards program, and hope it never goes away! 😀 I’m glad they finally have a frequent buyer program!
@Nicole – I think that is just a latte charge. It’s latte plus syrup plus soy, both of which should be waived at the “green” level of perks. I think here in Seattle you’d have no problem. I know that there are ways to ring things up that will avoid free perks, and there might be a “vanilla latte” button that doesn’t allow the barista to separate the syrup from the latte so that the register removes the syrup charge. To be honest, I need the help of a barista here because I’m not very sure.
I know that once in a while I order a vanilla milk. (Yes, just iced milk with vanilla syrup) and if the register barista charges it as a “vanilla steamer” it ends up costing a lot more because it won’t remove the vanilla charge. But thankfully, that almost never happens. But the same issue exists with the steamers. I’m pretty sure there is a vanilla steamer button, but that’s more costly than a milk add vanilla.
I need help from a partner to answer your question!
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Thanks!
Melody
THANK YOU!!! I’ve been trying to figure out this sauce/syrup thing since the pumpkin sauce was re-released this season. In the past, every time I order a grande Pike w/one-pump pumpkin, baristas have always rung it up as a syrup, which made it free. 50% of the time they wouldn’t even add it in since it was only 1 pump and they told me they hardly ever charge for just 1 pump. However, this season…every single time I order my drink, I get charged for the sauce, which isn’t free. I’ve always wanted to ask but the line in the morning is out the door so I never wanted to waste time. Thanks for clearing that up…although I think it’s a dumb Starbucks rule. 🙂
So…how can I talk to Starbucks about not being sent my free drink after 15 purchases OR my bday free drink? Both were supposed to be mailed in August, and I dont have anything yet!
Call SB customer service at their 800 number. I also had to call them re my birthday free drink which they said was mailed in August and I did not get so today I got my replacement birthday drink card. The 800 number is on the back of the card.
Apologies if I am posting in the wrong place (I know there is an August 2011 “refill” thread) I just read a comment above and am confused. Can you get a bold refill if it is pour over time? The comment above seems to say that pour over coffee is not eligible.
The comment was:
Oh, I was just going off was the My Starbucks Rewards page says:
https://www.starbucks.com/card/rewards
“Free Refills on Brewed Coffee or Tea
When you’re at Starbucks you feel at home. Paying with your registered Starbucks Card gets you brewed or iced coffee or tea refills at no charge during your visit to a participating store.
You must use your registered Starbucks Card to purchase a hot or iced brewed coffee or tea and then present that same card for refills during the same visit. Offer not valid on Pour Over, Starbucks Reserve TM or Clover Brewed coffees, or at Drive Thru locations. Offer subject to change.”
Just letting you guys know, it ALL happens within the register now. When I go to my regular starbucks, I just hand them my cup, and ask for a refill on my iced tea, the register says it’s fifty-four cents, but when they use my card to pay for it, my balance doesn’t diminish. Its easy.
So you just order whatever you want, and pay with your registered gift card. The register does all the work. Pretty slick, if you ask me.
On a side note, you do NOT get stars for transactions that do not charge your account. so the free refills do not help you rack up stars.
@CD and Tom In Atlanta – I desperately need to do another episode on My Starbucks Rewards. I COMPLETELY understand that the register does this all automatically, but that is not the issue here at all.
The problem comes with partner knowledge. It’s human nature that people want to double check that something is a perk. The same force that drives people to ask partners, ‘Can I get a free tall Frappuccino with this pound of Verona?” is the same force that in retail causes people to pick things up from the sale area and say, “Is this really 40% off? Would you do a price check for me?”
Most customers do NOT know all the perks so well that they will just order without out worry about what the register will do. And most customers will try to confirm perks to be sure they’re not charged.
When a partner says, “no you only get brewed coffee with that pound of Verona” that is a failing on the part of Starbucks – The damage is done, and the register hasn’t been touched yet.
Starbucks has to think about this in terms of the real conversations that happen between customer and barista. Those conversations are where relationships with the brand are stressed, or built.
And actually with the refill policy, there are plenty of times that partners will say, “No that’s not a refill,” even when it is, but that is another story.
I am not for a minute suggesting that drinks aren’t wonderful, or that partners don’t give a lot to their stores, or I’m not suggesting that partners are not friendly … I just see the card rewards as a huge opportunity for improvement.
@CD – If you order a tall mocha, stay IN the store, and then take your cup to the counter and say you would like Pike Place Roast in it, that is supposed to be a refill price. That is an area where many partners get confused. But if only PPR is brewing, it is NOT a refill to ask for a pour over of Verona, for example.