Update III.--After filling out a survey about my experience with Starbuck reps., I still didn't get my lost earned reward restored, but along with the 50 stars I got a $5 credit to my account on the app. I was honest in my answers to let them know I'll still be a customer for my normal $2 drink and spend my earned reward on more expensive drinks, but I won't be buying the more expensive drinks when there are several cafes where I live that make better ones.
If you're in Tacoma or Gig Harbor, those cafes are the Divesions Cafe on the University of Puget Sound campus, loud being students, but the best coffee drinks in Tacoma, and you don't even have to be a student, although the drinks cost a little more. After that the cafe in the Metropolitan Market in the Proctor District is a very close second, and they have a rewards card (buy 12 get one free). Third is the Cutter's Point cafe in Gig Harbor near Fred Meyer market, equally a very close second.
It's hard to decide which of the three is the best but the Diversions cafe is just slightly better tasting for the coffee they use. All of the cafes (above) use a better coffee than Starbucks, which probably explains why they're better than Starbucks, at least for mochas, the only flavored drink I buy except a rare chance to taste something different.
Update II.-- Starbucks responded to my two e-mails with a 50 star gift, which under the new rewards progam is 40% of a reward of the old program. It's all they'll do. They won't restore the missing reward I earned on the day of the release of their new app.
Since it takes me 31 visits and just over $62, compared to 12 visits and $25 under the old program, to earn a rewards problem I doubt I use Starbucks more than the usual coffee drink, a Doppio con Panna, and the rewards for other drinks. There are cafes locally and in the area which make better flavored coffee drinks and have better rewards programs. None, so far that I've tasted, make a better Doppio con Panna.
I understand the reason for the new rewards program, it favors people who spend money than those who just visit for a regular coffee or espresso drink, especially with the break even point at $5, which is about the price of a venti or larger drink, or a tall with food item.
It's their company and their policy, and I'll adapt, just not spending as much there as elsewhere now. As I told them, customers always have the right to exercise their choice with the feet and their money.
Update.-- They restored the two lost rewards but not one reward I eraned on the day the app was released. I've sent two e-mails to them and all I get in response is words about patience and they're working on ("tweaking") the app to improve it and get all the users' information available.
Orignal Post.-- I don’t know how many here are Starbucks customers, let alone regular ones like me where the Starbucks is at the turn-around place on my morning walks (3-4 miles there and 3-4 miles home), so a doppio con panna is the everyday drink.
If you're in Tacoma or Gig Harbor, those cafes are the Divesions Cafe on the University of Puget Sound campus, loud being students, but the best coffee drinks in Tacoma, and you don't even have to be a student, although the drinks cost a little more. After that the cafe in the Metropolitan Market in the Proctor District is a very close second, and they have a rewards card (buy 12 get one free). Third is the Cutter's Point cafe in Gig Harbor near Fred Meyer market, equally a very close second.
It's hard to decide which of the three is the best but the Diversions cafe is just slightly better tasting for the coffee they use. All of the cafes (above) use a better coffee than Starbucks, which probably explains why they're better than Starbucks, at least for mochas, the only flavored drink I buy except a rare chance to taste something different.
Update II.-- Starbucks responded to my two e-mails with a 50 star gift, which under the new rewards progam is 40% of a reward of the old program. It's all they'll do. They won't restore the missing reward I earned on the day of the release of their new app.
Since it takes me 31 visits and just over $62, compared to 12 visits and $25 under the old program, to earn a rewards problem I doubt I use Starbucks more than the usual coffee drink, a Doppio con Panna, and the rewards for other drinks. There are cafes locally and in the area which make better flavored coffee drinks and have better rewards programs. None, so far that I've tasted, make a better Doppio con Panna.
I understand the reason for the new rewards program, it favors people who spend money than those who just visit for a regular coffee or espresso drink, especially with the break even point at $5, which is about the price of a venti or larger drink, or a tall with food item.
It's their company and their policy, and I'll adapt, just not spending as much there as elsewhere now. As I told them, customers always have the right to exercise their choice with the feet and their money.
Update.-- They restored the two lost rewards but not one reward I eraned on the day the app was released. I've sent two e-mails to them and all I get in response is words about patience and they're working on ("tweaking") the app to improve it and get all the users' information available.
Orignal Post.-- I don’t know how many here are Starbucks customers, let alone regular ones like me where the Starbucks is at the turn-around place on my morning walks (3-4 miles there and 3-4 miles home), so a doppio con panna is the everyday drink.
As some may know Starbucks introduced their new rewards program Tuesday with the new mobile app. The new rewards changes from where you earn 1 star per visit or purcha and 12 stars earns a free drink to where you earn 2 stars for every $1 spent and 125 stars earns a free drink.
For me it went from a free drink for $25 spent to a free drink for $62+ spent. Yeah. The report is that about $5 is the break even point for the old and new programs, meaning the same purchases earns a free reward. It also means a free drink, which used to take 12 purchases, now takes 32 purchases of $2, the price of just coffee or espresso drinks.
I can live with that, but the app they introduced has had problems from the beginning. It lost the earned rewards for many users, like me, along with all the saved messages. And the desktop display doesn’t work. The company said they plan to compensate customers as they work on fixing the problems which could take a week or so.
Yeah, really, about a week to fix it, during which time some will lose some of their free drinks to the time limit. The only things that works is that it still takes the money people put in the app, which is their real focus, generating revenue, not customer satisfaction.
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