Comments on: So Long, and Thanks for All the Drugs http://blog.bradhubbard.net/2008/11/11/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-drugs/ Technology and Me Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:54:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: bryan http://blog.bradhubbard.net/2008/11/11/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-drugs/comment-page-1/#comment-17 bryan Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:36:35 +0000 http://blog.bradhubbard.net/?p=43#comment-17 "You know what they could do to fix it? Re-brand. Turn 1 in 10 Starbucks into a “Starbucks Experience”. Lower the light levels. Put in all-leather furniture. Kill the pop music, and stick with low volume ambinet jazz. Carpet everything, and make the machines quieter. Make Starbucks what it used to be, a destination, not merely a vendor. Charge 20% more for the coffee, but use “higher end” beans, for every drink. Use organic milk. Use syrups that aren’t just Tornai’s, or if you do, hide it by putting them in curved pitchers. Limit the crowd size, limit seating. Use soft, overhead lighting above each table and chair. Only let natural light in through diffused curtains, and use double-pane windows to block street noise. Serve coffee at the tables. Allow people to run a tab (even if it’s done thorugh a Starbucks credit-card). Create the impression that this is somehow “above” merely Starbucks, this is a Starbucks Experience. This is a place to be away from crowds, better than the common man. Somewhere that only a certain “class” of customer comes. A sanctuary. Over time, convert all your stores. Enjoy another 10-15 years of astronomic profits, then call me again." fantastic idea “You know what they could do to fix it? Re-brand. Turn 1 in 10 Starbucks into a “Starbucks Experience”. Lower the light levels. Put in all-leather furniture. Kill the pop music, and stick with low volume ambinet jazz. Carpet everything, and make the machines quieter. Make Starbucks what it used to be, a destination, not merely a vendor. Charge 20% more for the coffee, but use “higher end” beans, for every drink. Use organic milk. Use syrups that aren’t just Tornai’s, or if you do, hide it by putting them in curved pitchers. Limit the crowd size, limit seating. Use soft, overhead lighting above each table and chair. Only let natural light in through diffused curtains, and use double-pane windows to block street noise. Serve coffee at the tables. Allow people to run a tab (even if it’s done thorugh a Starbucks credit-card). Create the impression that this is somehow “above” merely Starbucks, this is a Starbucks Experience. This is a place to be away from crowds, better than the common man. Somewhere that only a certain “class” of customer comes. A sanctuary. Over time, convert all your stores. Enjoy another 10-15 years of astronomic profits, then call me again.”

fantastic idea

]]> By: Shaz http://blog.bradhubbard.net/2008/11/11/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-drugs/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Shaz Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:32:57 +0000 http://blog.bradhubbard.net/?p=43#comment-9 Sort of making a tier-system for Starbucks, like how McDonald's has rated restaurants and upgraded service depending on location. Starbucks keeps trying to re-brand itself, and perhaps that's the problem. They've recognized they have issues, such as the ones you noted, but they can't commit to a re-branding very well. First it was food, but the taste and quality was inconsistent for a while and I don't think people particularly approve that Starbucks has a policy of throwing out the unused food at the end of the day -- especially since they put themselves 'above' other restaurants and food providers (using organic, free trade beans, supporting individual farmers over corporations, etc.). Then it was saying they were getting back to "basics" with a daily, regular coffee (Pike's Place), which they throw out and make new batches of every 30 minutes, on top of introducing the crap Vivannos, which were theoretically against this "back to basics" idea. Thirdly, they supposedly wanted their customers to feel more connected to the experience so they put in the policy of having baristas more heavily involved in the drink-making process, but everything's still automated despite their fancy new machines. The most connected I've "felt" recently is when a barista handed me a straw and informed me this was how baristas are supposed to create that human connection with customers. And then the prices keep going up (understandably, but not no one's happy about it). And they come out with new products all the time (food, drinks, merchandise, card gimmicks, etc.). They seem desperate. Mind, I will keep going back for my toffee nut lattes/frappuccinos, but their issues aren't lost on me and I've definitely spent less time/money there in the last year. Sort of making a tier-system for Starbucks, like how McDonald’s has rated restaurants and upgraded service depending on location.

Starbucks keeps trying to re-brand itself, and perhaps that’s the problem. They’ve recognized they have issues, such as the ones you noted, but they can’t commit to a re-branding very well. First it was food, but the taste and quality was inconsistent for a while and I don’t think people particularly approve that Starbucks has a policy of throwing out the unused food at the end of the day — especially since they put themselves ‘above’ other restaurants and food providers (using organic, free trade beans, supporting individual farmers over corporations, etc.). Then it was saying they were getting back to “basics” with a daily, regular coffee (Pike’s Place), which they throw out and make new batches of every 30 minutes, on top of introducing the crap Vivannos, which were theoretically against this “back to basics” idea. Thirdly, they supposedly wanted their customers to feel more connected to the experience so they put in the policy of having baristas more heavily involved in the drink-making process, but everything’s still automated despite their fancy new machines. The most connected I’ve “felt” recently is when a barista handed me a straw and informed me this was how baristas are supposed to create that human connection with customers. And then the prices keep going up (understandably, but not no one’s happy about it). And they come out with new products all the time (food, drinks, merchandise, card gimmicks, etc.). They seem desperate. Mind, I will keep going back for my toffee nut lattes/frappuccinos, but their issues aren’t lost on me and I’ve definitely spent less time/money there in the last year.

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