Doggy Latte

I don't drink coffee, but I love Starbucks.

I love their philisophy and how they give back to the community.

And I drink their teas.

Remember what I did once to get a free drink?

I have no shame!

Well, whenever I go through their drive-thru with my sweet Annie,

the baristas want to give her a "doggy latte."

They told me a story about one customer who comes through the drive-thru with his dog every day,

and his dog has learned how to put down the automatic window all by himself because he knows he's gonna get a doggy latte.  

The addiction of Starbucks!

Here's some photos of Annie enjoying her doggy latte:

It's just whip cream in a cup, I think.

She enjoyed that!!

Grab a camera and a critter and join Camera Critters!

Crappy Customer Service

In honor of Labor Day, I'm going to post my thoughts on customer service.

It's something that's gone the wayside in the service industry these days.

How long are you put on hold when you call a company?
Do you even get a human voice?

It makes a huge difference to me if I'm served my food with a smile.

If you go somewhere with crappy customer service, do you want to return?

When I think of a place that has good customer service, Starbucks comes to mind.
They create a feeling there that not many other places attempt.
(Remember my Singing for Starbucks moment?!!)
It's called the Starbucks Experience.

As a consumer, I want:

To be listened to.
Not to be lied to.
To be greeted warmly
To be treated fairly.
To be able to deal with someone who has KNOWLEDGE about their product.
And to get a little extra than I expect.

I want to help the company I work for produce excellent customer service.

So, share!

Share your good customer service experiences or ideas...and your bad experiences as well.

Because we can learn from BOTH.

The Starbucks Experience - brought to you live & personal

I'm a people-watcher, and I love writing about life, ordinary life, in a fun way, because everyone can find a way to relate to it.

I think there needs to be a Starbucks' blog that focuses on what happens IN Starbucks. TRUE LIFE. Because, I'm in awe of all that goes on. Job interviews, old friends meeting up, blind dates, meetings, support groups, and who knows what else? When I stand in line, I see all kinds of activity around me. Groups who gather there regularly...are they friends meeting? Or have they all become friends through running into each other at this Starbucks?

I propose a blogger hangs out in different Starbucks around the state or country and gets the scoop. She could take photos and feature these customers on an Internet blog, willing participants who make STARBUCKS A PART OF THEIR LIFE. Because it is a part of so many lives, in so many different ways.

I think this would appeal to people, because I think people are more about personalization these days. And making things more personal, bringing it home...

Don't you think Starbucks would like this idea? I posted it on their idea site. Any suggestions how I should promote this? While I'm in the middle of job interview land, my mind is working overtime...

Have you ever gone to Starbucks for more than a drink?
I had a job interview at one the other day
(the interview wasn't WITH Starbucks, we just met there to have an interview).

Singing for Starbucks

As you know, I'm visiting family in the Houston area. Well, when I woke up this morning, I needed a nice warm chai tea to start my day. So, while my sweet sister (who's a fabulous hostess) made banana pancakes for my kids and hers, I plugged in the address for the nearest Starbucks into my new GPS. (I am having too much fun playing with this thing!)

So, after finding it no problem, I procede through the drivethru. I ordered two chai teas, made the special way I like them. However, then the coversation took a different turn...

Hopped-up-on-caffeine Starbucks guy: If you sing your order, it'll be free.
Me (sleepy and confused): Um, no thanks. (is he nuts?)
Hopped-up: Your total is $8.64, are you sure you don't want to sing for it? It'll be free!
Me (waking up slowly. I did hear the word FREE): Ok, wait, if I sing my order, you're really going to give me the drinks for free?
Hopped-up: Yep.
Me: You promise?
Him: Yep.
Me: I don't have to sing well, do I?
Him: Nope, if you sang well, then you'd be rich, and it wouldn't matter if you got a free order. The worse the better.
Me: Ok. There are no recording devices involved, right?
Him: Nope.
Me: Ok, you know what, I need you to sing first.
Him (way too willing): Grande and venti soy, no-water chai's!! (he sang really well)
Me: Ok, I'll do it. It's really free?
Him: Yep.

And, yes, I sang. In a psuedo-opera voice. My Starbucks order. Humiliated but figuring this was good blog material.

And, my order was free.

As he handed me my drinks, he said that he couldn't talk most people into singing for their drinks. I was kind of surprised. I shouldn't be though, after all, my initial reaction was not to sing either. I'm a shy person, not outgoing, and I never, ever, ever sing in front of people. We as a people are suspicious of a good deal, aren't we? I figured there were strings attached. There may have been, ones I didn't know about.

Who's covering these free drinks? It is a promotional deal? A dare among employees? I love it.

So, that's how I sang for my supper, I mean, my Starbucks.

Sweet Magic happens inside this building.

Here's a big hint.

Yep, it's a Starbucks!

This is where I get my morning addiction soy, no-water, Chai tea.

Soy-drinking, gay children?

I was at Starbucks the other day, and this employee making my drink (Soy, no-water Chai) brought to my attention a crazy news story that really had him steaming mad. Apparently, my take on the article is that children who drink soy milk will become gay. Hmmm....I'd really like to see the evidence on that theory. Here's the story if you're interested. The author also wants to blame obesity and cancer on soy milk.

Guilty Pleasures

This is one of my guilty pleasures. I am totally addicted to Starbucks Chai tea. I don't drink coffee at all, but my mom introduced me to this drink, and I love it. The price is outrageous, I mean, we're just talking tea here, but then again, the price of tea can drive people to do pretty rebellious stuff (Boston Tea Party anyone?). There must be something addictive in their chai...is surely can't be MY fault I need to drink one all the time!

The people at my local Starbucks know me by my name now...or by my drink. One or the other. Speaking of which, I have noticed an inordinary amount of MEN at my Starbucks. They meet there in droves. Lots of them seem somewhat older and drive motorcycles. Have I discovered a new species? Motorcycle, retired, coffee-addicted biker dudes who live in Suburbia? Sounds dangerous!

But, seriously, I like the Starbucks atmosphere, even though I never stay to drink and hang out. They have good music going, the employees are all suspiciously cheerful (someting in the coffee/tea, I swear), and the quotes and photography on the walls all seem intellectual and clean and artsy. It's just a really nice atmostphere, I think. I could become a Starbucks rat, I think, (as opposed to a mall rat) but that name doesn't work. I'll have to come up with a new term.

For now I'll just call it my guilty pleasure. My venti Soy, No-Water Chai. Thanks, Mom.