Andy and his partner would just like some raspberry syrup in their Iced Venti Raspberry Soy Mocha, but in the midst of a change from old raspberry syrup to something called “juicy” raspberry… chaos at Starbucks. The use of juicy raspberry before the “juicy raspberry” promotion was simply not allowed. Attitudes were copped. Customers were offended. Business was lost. Apologies were issued. Gift cards were mailed.
This is an epic struggle for raspberry mochas, people. Epic.
Andy writes:
Ben and Meghann-
I won’t get into the story of how this came about, as it is all in the email that I sent to Starbucks. With the problems that I had, I decided to send my email to Howard Schultz, and the rest of the executive team. I received the response from Micelle Gass, Senior Vice President of Category Management, within 24 hours of sending the email on a weekend.
I realize this is long, but I wanted to paint a picture, rather than do the usual “I spend a lot of money with your company …etc.”
Dear Mr. Schultz,
Let me begin with some background on my partner and myself to paint a picture of our dedication to your brand.
I will begin in 1997. We became Starbucks fans over Caramel Sauce Lattes. We began by going to your stores about once a day. You know how these things go, that didn’t last for long. Eventually it was twice a day and maybe three times on the weekend.
In October of 2000 we moved to Shanghai China. A Starbucks had recently opened in the Portman Ritz Carlton, the first Starbucks in Shanghai. I did not work in China, however my partner did. We would both taxi to Starbucks in the morning, he would get his Iced Grande Caramel Sauce Latte and I would get mine. He would then go off to work, I would stay, read and get to know the Chinese baristas on their breaks. I still speak to one of them, however he no longer works at Starbucks. I would then go home and some days would make my way back for lunch, and every day I would meet my partner there after work, for yet another drink to catch up on the day. Some times we would go back for a quick decaf drink after dinner.
In July of 2001 we moved back to the United States. For the first few months we were living at our respective parents houses and would meet at Starbucks and spend time there. Soon we found a house on Eastlake to rent. With no Starbucks near, we would travel to Capitol Hill.
In June of 2003 we began a search for a house in the Seattle area. One of the deciding factors that our Real Estate Agent was advised of was that a Starbucks would need to be close to our house. We ended up finding a perfect home in the Westwood area of West Seattle. A Starbucks had recently opened in Westwood Village. We were in heaven.
Soon after moving my partner realized that he was lactose intolerant. So he had changed his drink to a Iced Venti Soy Raspberry Mocha. This has been a constant drink for at least two years now. Starbucks became more a part of our lives as we were now in a permanent place in our lives. We began to be very close with all of the baristas and enjoyed their company every day. Jan, the Managar at your corporate location was the manager at Westwood before heading there. (She is fantastic, which is why we remember her.) Another favorite of ours, Nori, has recently been working in the Partner Contact Center. We would be sad, but happy, to see our favorite people move up within the Starbucks organization. We have been invited to different going away parties many times for certain partners that have moved on. The first people that we showed our new puppy to was our baristas at this Starbucks. The first people who got the tour of my new MINI Cooper was our baristas at Starbucks.
In 2004 we got a new neighbor in our cul de sac directly across the street from us. She is a Starbucks employee and is one of our good friends now.
Now, after this long and winded introduction, I will get to the issue at hand. About a month ago, we were informed that Raspberry Syrup was going away and will be replaced by a new syrup called Juicy Raspberry. My partner had been getting at least one Iced Venti Soy Raspberry Mocha, most of the times, two, every day. He was to say the least very disappointed. Well, the current Stock of Raspberry syrup had went away and we were assured by our local store that Juicy Raspberry would be in soon. My partner was concerned that the new Raspberry would be more acidic and a bit more tart than the old syrup. As soon at our local Starbucks received the new syrup, they were jumping at the chance to tell us as we walked in the door. Especially the manager, as he was worried that he would loose our business if this specific syrup was not to our liking. Having tried the new syrup, my partner thought it was okay and would miss the old Raspberry syrup, but would have to do with the Juicy Raspberry. This is where the trouble starts.
We live in West Seattle and he works in Redmond. So in the morning, he would frequent the Starbucks near us and in the afternoon we would go to a Starbucks in Redmond. Both of these stores had served him Juicy Raspberry, no questions asked since they have sold through their current stock in Raspberry Syrup. Up until last Thursday.
He happened to be early taking his carpool partner to the ferry, and thought he would go through the drive thru Starbucks in West Seattle off of the West Seattle Bridge. He asked for a Iced Venti Raspberry Soy Mocha. The barista said that they were out of Raspberry Syrup. He then inquired if they had any of the new Juicy Raspberry. The barista faltered a bit and said that they were not selling it yet. He then said that other Starbucks were selling it to him and she then asked, what I am guessing was a superior, if they could sell it. This person said no. After being asked if he would like another drink, he responded no, and continued on his way. Later that night, we went to the Starbucks that we normally go to near our house in Westwood Village. We told one of the shift managers there about his experience and she offered to call and find out why that happened. We really weren’t too worried about it, but she did call and one of the supervisors or managers at that store said that they were not to sell it until the promo began later that month. That was somewhat understandable, however since the original Raspberry Syrup was discontinued, it made sense to use the new Juicy Raspberry as a substitute.
The next day, last Friday the 8th of June, he went to a Starbucks in a QFC in Redmond. He asked for his normal drink, an Iced Venti Soy Raspberry Mocha. The person taking his order informed him that they were out of Raspberry. He then asked if he could get the Juicy Raspberry. She checked with the barista, who was the Manager she said that she could not give it to him until the launch date. He said that other Stores were allowing him to have the Juicy Raspberry Syrup. She said that for all she knew, he “…could be a secret shopper for all she knew and she could get into a lot of trouble.” My partner then mentioned to the cashier about Starbucks “Just say yes” Policy. (Now this being the hometown of Starbucks, a lot of people know a lot of people that work for Starbucks and for as often as we go there, a lot of times we know more about the Starbucks policies and drink recipes than the newer baristas that are working these stores.) The Manager then butted into this conversation and in a very condescending and rude way said “Thats just not an option. I cannot do that.” Then turned her back on him and neither of these people offered him another drink. He then left and went to Tully’s across the street, the first visit to a Tully’s in 7 years.
Later that night after he got home we went to our Westwood Starbucks and come to find out that the person at the other West Seattle Starbucks just off the West Seattle Bridge had told the District Manager (Peter) who then talked to the Shift Manager at Westwood and told her that under no circumstances are they to sell the Juicy Raspberry. Under the “Just say yes” policy, I would imagine that if there is a new syrup that is conceivably replacing an older syrup that had been discontinued, this new syrup could be used to appease a customer.
I realize that this seems to be a lengthy letter and a bit of an effort over a syrup, however, when Starbucks has been there for us when we were half way around the world, there for us when we needed to get away from our families for a break, there for us to catch up on each others day, the baristas are there for us to make our day a bit better and make us laugh, we feel that Starbucks is a large part of our lives. I guess that you could say that we are your target customers. But after this whole thing with the Raspberry/Juicy Raspberry Syrup, it has been very frustrating and I feel that I need to tell you that we are looking at other options for our coffee source. Wether that be Tully’s, a more independent chain or simply purchasing a Jura Capresso machine and making our drinks at home.
What I would like to see happen is that the Juicy Raspberry be able to be used before the said launch date. Thats all. Not a large request and something that will keep two Starbucks junkies happy and to not have to go to Tullys. We would also like to see a more fruity flavor available, something along the lines of a Cherry promotion in the spring to coincide with Cherry Blossom festivals around the world. Just a thought.
Thank you for your time and I hope to hear from you soon.
Her response:
Hi Andy, I am extremely sorry to hear of your challenges with the Raspberry syrup. I lead the product efforts and it was surely not our intent to have this happen. I am following up immediately with my team when I get into the office tomorrow to ensure the stores know it is ok to use the new syrup, there may have been some confusion.
Thanks for letting us know of the situation. And again I apologize for the situation. May I get your address to send you a Starbucks Card?
Regards,
Michelle
I am incredibly pleased with the response that I received from her, it it exactly what I wanted to hear!
Thanks!
Andy
We’re glad that Andy got his syrup and gift card, and that Starbucks clarified their policy, but what’s up with everyone power-tripping over syrup? Andy should not have had to write the sequel to War & Peace to get his drink.
Was George W.B. running the counter? “I’m the decider, I decide who gets raspberry syrup!” Oh well, we’re happy for you, Andy. —MEGHANN MARCO
(Photo: Superchou)
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@Keeko_ca
That meant to refer to comment 3, but I pressed 2 by mistake. I was referring to iMike who said “teh gays” are picky. Apologies for the typo.
Stories like this make me glad I don’t barrista anymore.
BUT, there was one time when a customer insisted on a decaf, soy mocha made with carob. She was such a pain about it that I slipped her a regular mocha with extra choclate and 2% milk. She came back the next day to compliment me on the best mocha she had ever had and wondered why the decaf, soy mochas made with carob she usually ordered didn’t taste as good.
I told her it was all in the technique.
OK, so I worked for Starbucks for five years, and let me provide a little insight:
1. We are generally under VERY strict orders not to start using ingredients for customer beverages, or even talk about. And here’s a perfect example of why.
Basically, the clerks (I refuse to call anyone at starbucks a barista anymore) at your “home store” were being nice and considerate, since they knew your “partner” (I was getting confused, since starbucks calls their employees partners).
The clerks at another Starbucks would have no idea of your raspberry “situation” and would not be inclined to disobey their superiors, considering how Starbucks, at least when I was there, loved to write up people on every little thing. Depending on the district, employees there live in fear of management, and won’t generally go out of their way for a customer they don’t know.
I had a similar situation once with a promotional item, a customer ordered it, but I didn’t make a big deal of it, I just went ahead and made, and kept the whole thing under wraps, but explained to the customer that generally we weren’t allowed to do this, and if another store says no, here’s why, and explained why.
This comes to mind:
“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”
@tcp100:
rofl. Dude. Awesome.
You know, before reading this, I had a lot of sympathy for Cambodians that were starved near to death before being executed by some thirteen-year-old Pol Pot fanatic tying a plastic bag around their head then laughing maniacally as the victim slowly asphyxiated, twitching and retching bile into the bag stretched across their face until they finally died.
But no more. Those guys had it easy!
@hrvc55: I think you’re putting actions into the situation that didn’t occur (saying this story makes you glad you don’t barrista anymore). There was nothing in there of the guy raising a fuss, or being rude in any way. He asked one store why he could get it at another store, and was treated rudely by the management. When he asked if he could get the flavor at other stores, he merely left when the answer was no. I don’t see where he was being a rude customer.
@The Nature Boy: doesn’t drinking an “Iced Venti Raspberry Soy Mocha” increase your risk of incinerating yourself and your friends after a wacky gasoline spray-fight gone horribly wrong?
and to all the knee-jerkers out there: the beef isn’t that he and his partner are gay. it’s that they’re frivolous to the point of being caricatures. one of my gay friends feels guilty if he’s coveting a jetta with extra chrome; these two are the epitome of gayness-as-sideshow.
Yuppies whining about their coffee… I feel dumber for having read the whole thing.
[baristabrat.blogspot.com] has made some good points about why certain starbucks locations shouldn’t give customers special treatment (like making drinks that aren’t on the menu, or using fancy new syrups before they’re supposed to be used), because then customers will expect to get that treatment at other locations as well. if *nobody* was supposed to use the syrup, it’s not that one starbucks’ fault that the other starbucks used it. if you want something you’re not supposed to get, don’t expect to get it everywhere. instead, be grateful that one place made an exception for you. it’s entirely possible that a store manager could get disciplined by his/her supervisor for rolling out a product before its “official” release, so i understand why the one starbucks wouldn’t use the syrup.
anyway, this all reminds me of doug stanhope’s bit on the subway breakfast sandwiches. but at least doug presented his dilemma in a hilarious, rather than whiny and annoying, way.
@Recury: That gave me the biggest laugh I’ve had all day.
As far as the homphobia debate goes, I think people are more making fun of Andy and his partner’s picture-perfect Gay-Lifestyle-in-a-Box, which caricatures itself so efficiently that it needs no further lampooning. And good for Andy and his partner, and I’m very happy he got what he wanted from this whole exchange, and that in Starbucks, they have found that perfect life partner.
However, I would hope that Andy is equally as passionate about writing his elected representatives about ending institutionalised discrimination against us gays and lesbians, or the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, or doing something serious about climate change or Darfur or oil dependency or any of the other myriad problems that it would actually be worth giving a fuck about. As opposed to his partner being denied his fruity latte concoction of choice by a corporate coffee megalith.
And FWIW, I think the Caramel Sauce Latte sounds like almost as big a mouth-abortion as that Orange Mocha crap they’re peddling now.
Oh My Gawd. I’m with y’all–he crazy.
I’m gay, not self-hating or homophobic in the least. I read this and thought, “That’s the kinda whiny elitist sissy who gives us all a bad name.” Geez.
Dude’s crazy. Letter’s absurd. If the store’s out of something, rather than asking them to change their whole policy for you, show a little luv back to your own blessed and holy provider of froofy drinks and chill the heck out.
Crazy. You’re a loser and you’ve shared it with the world. We’re not all like he is, straight folks. And plusly Tully’s is better ’cause they have mocha milkshakes.
Wow…just…wow. There’s brand loyalty, and then there’s just creepy.
I’m so glad I got to read ALL of that. I’m also really glad I got to read a whole lot of insults towards homosexuals.
It’s just syrup. No big deal. Why did I waste 7 minutes reading all of this…
They seem like a cute couple, anyway.
i’d say it’s time for Andy to:
A) get an editor
B) buy a coffee maker
C) tell his ‘partner’ to get checked for diabetes
D) get a life
Honestly I don’t understand the obsession with Starbucks. Also, would it have killed them to drink something local when they’re a hemisphere away? I just don’t get it.
Hmm. I hadn’t even realized the genders of the people involved. I thought the use of partner was odd, but I was paying more attention to the complaint about a relatively insignificant thing to notice whether or not the complainer was gay or not.
Most of the people commenting on this thread don’t know anything about Seattle or the coffee culture. I lived in Seattle for 8 years, and people take their coffee very seriously there (usually these people do not shop at Starbucks, but that’s another issue). In Seattle, this would not be out of place behavior. I also think Andy’s letter was very polite, and the reason he wrote all the backstory was to show the level of engagement he has with the brand! Obviously, a loyal customer is worth more to Starbucks than a casual customer. Customers like Andy and his partner are probably responsible for a large percentage of Starbucks’ profits. (And not working and hanging around in coffee shops all day is also very Seattle. It’s not that expensive to live there.)
Also, STFU with the homophobic crap, you jerks. I know plenty of straight men and women who order frou frou drinks. Finally, move to NYC where all the coffee sucks and there are like 10 independent coffee shops and you’ll start seeing Starbucks as the wonderous invention that it is.
People are so mean. If you couldn’t tell from the title that the post was about raspberry syrup and nothing else, all you have is your own stupidity to blame. That is what this site is for, I thought, for customers to speak out when they feel they have not received good service?
IMO, it isn’t JUST about the coffee, it is the principle. It is the same thing we see all the time, employees who don’t use common sense and could care less about the customer. I mean, come on, did they REALLY think they would get fired over giving this guy syrup in his coffee before the “release date”?
By the way, wtf does sexual orientation have to do with any of this, people? What a bunch of a**holes!
Ok look.
Yes we all agree that he may be a bit overboard on this (maybe borderline crazy), but let’s do the math and see how much he loves this institution:
An Iced Venti Soy Raspberry Mocha:
Approx. $4.50 (won’t get into large stuff)
Times a day:
At least 2 (for bare minimum, sounds like a lot more)
Times a week:
7 days a week (2 blocks away from said store, plus have map layout of stores, plus in Seattle)
Weeks a year:
52 weeks of delicious unmasculine said drinks
Years being a customer:
10 Years (1997 to Present)
So putting all of this math together we get (Approximate):
$9.00 a day
$63.00 a week
$3,276.00 a year!
$6,552.00 a year for his partner and himself!!!
Now a lifelong total surpassing $30,000 per person not adjusting to inflation of products!!!!!
Now including the fact that each one of them are consuming over 700 caffinated drinks a year averaging around 350 Calories they are also gaining 245,000 Calories from Starbucks a year.
I am a firm believer in doing whatever you want with yourself and your money, so if you spend this much time and energy (especially in the gym) to just get a damned cup of coffee then you should have it with any syrup you want period. It’s about customer service not customer disservice.
That being said, maybe they should reevaluate their priorities in life.
- T
The amount of gay-bashing in these comments really disappoints me. People who make hate-mongering comments may find their commenting privileges revoked.
This is typical Microsoft employee and family. This is how they roll.
the math:
Bux drink $5
2 drinks a day, Andy and partner.
4 drinks at $5 each = $20 a day
Started in 1997, going on for 10 years
365 days X 10 years is 3650 days
3650 days at $20 a day is $73,000
If you throw in the extra pair of drinks on weekends thats 840 possible days of the 3rd drink for both of them.
840 possible weekend days for an extra $5 for each of them is $8,400.
$73,000 + $8,400 = $81,400 for 10 yrs of coffee.
Something is really wrong with this !!!
I C someone already did the math before me. I should have pressed “read MORE comments”.
I think those who claim this story wasted 15 minutes of their life and then took the extra time to comment are even more amusing than the original story! Regardless of the product involved or the letter-writing tactics used, the larger point here is that an arbitrary policy was causing customer dissatisfaction. A customer spoke up. The policy was changed. In that regard, how is this different from any other success story posted here?
@hrvc55:
You’re pretty lucky that the customer you’re referring to wasn’t lactose intolerant when you falsified her drink. I am also glad you don’t barista anymore.
@MMD: Or worse yet, lactose allergic. I’ve got a friend who’s allergic to dairy, and getting a glass of milk like that would have done some serious damage.
Okay, so first let me say that I didn’t have time to read all of the comments above, but I did read the post, and as a former starbucks employee, 1) I can completely understand HOW something like this could have happened, and 2) I am saddened by a once great brand losing its effect on people’s lives.
This story is not about someone not getting the drink they love everyday at every store, nor about them being picky, but about how they are treated as a fellow human being. One thing I learned at Starbucks was standing up for what you believe is the right thing to do for the customer, whether it breaks the so-called rules or not. You will not get fired, but as long as you can explain your actions to your superiors, you will only gain more of their respect.
Starbucks is beginning to lose this level of character, and maybe has lost it for a long time. I gained it over a period of seven years, but as Starbucks continues to grow, how hard is it going to be to keep this culture alive?
The managers of Andy’s and his partner’s regular stores should have been able to stand up to their DM and explain the situation. There is no way that any self-respecting DM would say no to retaining customers. To making a customers day, every day.
And, just one more thing. Definitely not to undervalue syrup itself, or any product at Starbucks, but this is completely different from selling something at Best Buy, or even the Apple Store (a better comparison, since Apple is company owned). An added syrup is 35 cents, not $500+, and not something someone is going to buy early, and then sell on the black market before the launch date at a highly inflated price. It is syrup, and it is continuing to enrich your relationship with that customer. Really, that is what it always has to come back to.
Starbucks exists to enrich people’s daily lives. Not to sell coffee, not to create a music label, but by doing these things, connect with people. That is something Wall Street doesn’t understand. It is something corporate America doesn’t understand. And it is something you and I find it hard to understand, as we live within this corporately minded society. And as Starbucks continues to hire more and more people, it will be their challenge to change the mindsets and the culture of those individuals.
And I thought I was a high-maintenance gay. This is through the roof. A whole. Notha. Level.
Doesn’t matter if Andy and his partner are gay or straight, high-maintenance or not. They had an issue with a corporation and resolved it rather civilly without resorting to boorishness or unethical/illegal solutions, which is far as I can see is the raison d’etre of the Consumerist…it just sad to see how many people can get over being assholes just because it’s the Internet…
Guys, seriously. Don’t y’all know that if you are a regular at Starbucks and get to know them well enough, you get your drinks for free? I used to go, literally, 8 times a day. I never paid once. There is no way they pay for all those drinks.
For all the people that are saying the baristas at their local Starbuck’s were just giving them what they wanted to get them out, I can tell you that that is highly unlikely. My ex-husband and I went to the same Starbuck’s for 5 years. 2 of those years were prior to our wedding and, in fact, 3 baristas actually attended our wedding. If we went into “our” Starbuck’s and they were out of something that we wanted (it happened occasionally) or we tried something new and didn’t like it they were always willing to replace/exchange/substitute/issue some sort of Starbuck’s credit (be it gift card or coupon) to make up for our trouble. Starbuck’s strives to make customer happiness a priority and in most cases they do. When the Java Chip Frappuccino went by the wayside I don’t think I paid for a drink for a week. When my whole bridal party stopped by on my wedding day they comped all of our drinks. There were 12 of us.
On a related note, it’s pretty astonishing to see that people are still capable of such blatant idiocy. Not the writer, I mean the people that say things like “The gays are picky”. Are you really that ignorant, uneducated and afraid of someone who is clearly more well-spoken than you? I’m straight and I still love my Grande White Mocha Frappuccino. Oh, and all the digs at how he/they are spending money are absurd. What do you care how they spend money? Maybe instead of spending it at Starbuck’s they should just hand over all that unspent money to the people that complain how silly it is to expect to get the same level of service they’ve come to love and expect over the years at all of the Starbuck’s locations.
And that’s my rant. For anyone that takes issue with this, it took me a total of probably 15 minutes of computer time to type it up. I do have a life, I’m straight, I stopped periodically to handle phone calls and various other things. Someohow I still deemed it important to comment on this. It’s amazing how upset people get because this man went to bat for something. Bashing him and his sexual orientation and the way he lives his life does not make you better than him. At least he voiced his opinion in a reasonable, calm, adult manner. And now I’m done.