Starbucks' CEO Howard Schultz spoke to shareholders at the annual meeting in Seattle yesterday (shortly after my last blog post) and came up with six resolutions to fix Starbucks' image:
- The Masterna. A newer, smaller model espresso machine than the one currently in use, the Verisimo, which is too tall to allow customers to interact with the barista and watch their drink being made, breaking the intimate experience.
- Freshly-ground beans, freshly brewed coffee. Beans will be ground fresh in-stores, something Starbucks has not done in at least a decade. Coffee will be brewed in smaller batches to ensure truly fresh coffee.
- mystarbucksidea.com. A social-networking site where consumers can submit ideas, comment and vote on others' ideas, and watch ideas get put into action.
No, consumers won't reap rewards for adopted, profit-earning ideas. - The Starbucks Rewards Program. That's right, a customer loyalty card. Finally, Starbucks will offer freebies starting next month for card holders who buy specialty coffee drinks, including free refills on brewed coffee.
Well, free for the initial period, anyway. - French-press-ness. Coffee - one cup at a time; now that's premium service! Starbucks will put their newly-acquired French-press machines in select locations over the course of the year.
- Getting greener. Starbucks is offering to further aid Conservation International, a non-profit organization concerned with responsible land use. That's as much as Schultz will say about this goal for now.
What advice would you offer to Starbucks to improve their products and service? Tell them. Create an account at mystarbucksidea.com and submit your suggestions for improvement. I'd be interested to see what other ideas you coffee connoisseurs come up with.
1 comments:
That is kind of cool. Hearing about all the corporate strategies to make the experience better
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