Epic Battle For Raspberry Syrup Ends With Starbucks Apology And Gift Card
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-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.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
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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Comments:
Sigh...why did I read through all of that?
a) I think my thesis was shorter
b) Teh gays are picky, aren't they
c) WTF is the "partner" not writing on his own behalf?
d) Jesus Christ.
Not only that, but writing a letter to executive customer service seems a little excessive. I recall an experience I had at Peet's a few weeks back where I ordered a "tall" black coffee. They were out. I was given the option of waiting for another pot to brew or to get an Americano instead.
I got the latter, which was just fine. (If a tad hot.) I didn't make a scene, quote their store policies, claim that I was disgusted that they were out of "regular" coffee or whatever. I moved on, and even got that Americano for the price of a regular cup of coffee.
There are more important things in life than going a day without your "regular."
Geez, it's a coffee shop, it's a beverage. Has the phrase "get a life" ever been more appropriate? Can we get back to some real consumer issues?
Holy freakin crap. Ok, that was way to long to bother reading, but the summary seamed to tell all that was needed. Bitching about a raspberry coffee? You fail from humanity. Done. Gone. If this is something you can put that much effort into, you need to reevaluate your priorities.
@BillyShears:
I have to agree. It goes up to the top of my "I don't get it" list, topping the hoopla over the iPhone.
@iMike:
2) I was thinking the same thing.
3) Because the writer of the e-mail wears the pants. The other "partner" wears the skirt and has no voice of their own.
4) YES!
@Keeko_ca: Me, too. I want the last 15 minutes of my life back. All of that over a syrup. Go figure. Here's a thought for your partner, Andy...how about trying something different in the meantime?
Man, I really want the last 15 minutes of my life back. :(
I knew this was coming, that people would make fun of the guy. Come on, we all have our quirks. And it's OK to jeer at him just because his happens to be coffee?
@iMike: These ones maybe, but trust me, we're not all like that.
Reading this was torture, on many levels. Just try something different until the product actually releases, ferchrissakes...
@BillyShears: Well, if he couldn't get help from managers (specifically says so in the letter) what else is there to do when you get bad service? Do you think all the people who have gotten satisfaction that way are all "over the top" too when clerks just don't care?
@iMike: No, we are not all picky. And I would NOT demand to a real estate agent that I need to live by a certain store/restaurant/whatever. That's just sad.
I find it difficult to care about people who visit Starbucks up to three times a day and are experiencing a crisis when one of the flavored syrups are temporarily unavailable.
I have to tell you as far as 'Rant and Rage' letters go this one is one of the nicest I have read.
I would not be surprised if they ask to use it in a promotion.
And I thought I was pissed when they stop selling McCaffrey's Irish Ale in bars in the US. Geez.
Talk about burying the lede!
Andy -- 1,820 words written on Raspberry Syrup? Have you ever considered doing something more productive with your time. Maybe a hobby? Volunteer some more? Get a life? Something?
Whaaaat a minute here. Is Andy a homosexual??! This is gonna sound bad, but "Iced Venti Raspberry Soy Mocha" sounds about the gayest drink I've ever heard of.
Whew, I've said my piece...and didn't bother to read that thesis either! Good god!
Damn, that's a lot of money dropped on coffee and coffee-related beverages over the years.
I gave up Starbucks unofficially a while ago in favor of the affordable Dunkin Donuts varieties (save for the occassionaly mortgage-busting mocha Frapuccino). I've since given up coffee and caffeine to get in better shape and have found so far I don't really miss it.
Too bad all the hard-assed servers got in the way of a simple beverage. Glad it worked out.
They must have a lot of money if they can afford to visit Starbucks several times a day.
Ok, I know that this was completely ridiculous over a syrup, that is even mentioned in the letter.
This letter would never had been written if a) the girl didnt "tattle" on the shift manager when she was doing the correct thing and got her busted, and b) if the manager was not so condesending at the Redmond store.
All things coming together really made us mad. It is about crappy customer service and district managers not following corporate communications.
I am a retail manager and the only thing that gets me through customers like this (along with gritted teeth and a smile on my face) is thinking about how good or how bad that their life is that this little thing can upset them so much. Either life is great and they have no other worries, or life is pure shit and they nitpick on everything. Either way, I'm glad they were taken care of, and I pray they never move to my area.
Uh... I agree with the above posters about having wasted 15 minutes reading this.
I was expecting something BIG at the end like a mouse in the coffee...
I find Starbucks to be overpriced and overrated. It's a product, not a lifestyle. That was nuts and whiny.
@Andywsea:
You could have just said just that instead of the autobiography on you and your partner's coffee purchases IMO. It's like the verbal equivalent to opening the SkyDome because one fan in the stands farted.
Slight overkill!
Anyways, glad you won in the very end.
All that time devoted to a letter about syrup, yet our country falls apart around us.
Some people seriously have screwed up priorities in life.
3 times a day? I only go to Starbucks or Coffee Bean a handful of times a month. 6 drinks at approximately $4 (probably closer to 5 or 6 since they get Venti) equals at least $24 a day! That seems like quite a bit of cash to me.
garbage in ... garbage out.
The Dunkin Donuts Caramel Coolatta tastes just as good as the Starbucks Caramel Frappucino, and it's a lot cheaper.
@enroper:
45 minutes at 11:00 pm on a Saturday night. Not hardly enough time to save the world.
@Keeko_ca: LOL! :) I was thinking the same thing. A teacher once gave me some great advice when I was young: "KISS". Keep It Simple, Stupid.
I can see where Andy was going with this. Check out the Starbucks Gossip blog and the whole concept of "third place," which Starbucks was for Andy and his partner. Starbucks built an empire on "third place" and "just say yes," creating an entire customer base of people who expect to get anything they want, just the way they want it, anytime.
Now I have a bad Journey earworm.
@Andywsea: "It is about crappy customer service and district managers not following corporate communications."
dude, we aren't fooled ... it's all about precious little you.
Wow... I'm not going to make fun of the author of this letter, but we really have our priorities out of whack if we can devote such time to a syrup.
Dunkin Donuts has much better coffee... and donuts. You could eat three glazed donuts for the calorie/fat content of one "raspberry coffee cake".
@Jasmo:
Yup, All about me. I am sure that Starbucks was just thrilled to find out that their stores were not following the release schedule for the new syrup.
tl;dr
I love Starbucks. I go in and order a Grande Dark Roast, no cream, no sugar. It's not overrated or over priced. Just because some of you deal with McD's coffee and don't understand what real coffee tastes like, it's not their fault.
Jeez, if you like Bud light, whatever, but don't go picking on Guinness if you can't take it any ways.
Guess what?
They get it right every time.
I mean Chrissake, if a drink had 17 ingredients and they changed the wording around a bit, you'd get confused too.
I'm sure we all have our little obsessions. Kind of crummy for you guys to throw out such demeaning replies and to judge others. We all have things we are passionate about, no reason to demean these people for theirs. Internet anonymity, gotta love it. :(
hahahahahahaha.
i work at an independant coffee shop...if anyone walked in and ordered a iced venti raspberry soy mocha i would...well i would make it except we don't have bullshit like raspberry syrup and our sizes have names that you aren't embarassed to say out loud. but after i made their drink and they left my coworkers and i would have a good laugh.
on the other hand, starbucks is well known for making all kinds of bizzaro drinks, so i can understand why this guy is upset. perhaps his priorities are out of whack but there are worse obsessions. but andy, seriously, a little editing would do a world of good. in addition to being excessively long, it shows the pitfalls of relying on spelling and grammar check i.e. loose instead of lose.
i wish i had the metabolism to drink two 350 calorie beverages every day, that would be great.
Just about every bigot that commented on here, has missed the point. They were out of the old syrup, had the new syrup sitting in the back, but wouldn't use it. I could understand if no stores had any kind of raspberry syrup and his partner had to wait just like everyone else. But if it's in the store then it should be sold, used, whatever.. that's what it's there for.
I am a Seattle gay, and we aren't all like this!
Really, no one cares about your frou-frou drinks and no one who goes to Starbucks that much is doing anything for their health or wallet.
my comment disappeared!
THESE are the people who come to my Starbucks on Eastlake. GET THEE BACK TO SHANGHAI!
@3drage: Nah, I say crap to people's faces all the time. Ask my boss...God knows she keeps talking to/writing me up for ripping people new assholes everyday.
@3drage: Actually it's totally correct to judge others. People who don't judge others tend to get their throats slit giving rides to people who they should never let into their cars in the first place.
I always get something black with two shots of expresso in it. Adding anything else just weakens the buzz.
"......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."
Spent a year in retail in an airport. Hey, when we got told not to sell something, we stripped it out soonest and it was gone to the warehouse. Sometimes management didn't tell us peons why.
There are other things in life besides iced venti raspberry soy mocha, and it doesn't hurt to try something new now and then.
Now speaking as someone who knows customer service, those two stores did fall down on the job. Never be rude to a customer even if one feels like shooting them.
@Rusted:
"Spent a year in retail in an airport. Hey, when we got told not to sell something, we stripped it out soonest and it was gone to the warehouse. Sometimes management didn't tell us peons why."
Too bad Walmart can't hire you guys to take those Nazi shirts and poison dogfood off their shelves...
All this over raspberry syrup? I think Andy and his partner need to seriously consider getting a hobby. Raspberry syrup is OUT. Deal with it. Sure, if my favorite drink were an Iced Venti Soy Raspberry Mocha, I'd probably be upset, but not obsessed.
My response would have been "Oh, that's terrible." That would have been the end of it, and I would have ordered something else. Life is too short to get that worked up about raspberry syrup. Even if they did have "juicy raspberry" in the store and wouldn't use it, I just can't see making this big of a deal out of it.
I actually liked the letter. Andy made SURE to tell the Executives just how loyal a customer he is. With the name-dropping, that can be checked out. Often, customers who drop that much cash on a company's product get really nasty with their requests; these people just wanted to be served something that was already in the store (though not yet for sale).
It's not like they wanted a bookstore to open cases of the new Harry Potter early.
For what Starbucks charges*, they can bend a little. I'm glad they did.
_____
*I can't afford Starbucks three times a MONTH. Then again, we buy Kirkland coffee which, I believe, IS Starbucks, and make it at home.
Yeah, um, I can't work up that much "care" for people who get that specific with their caffeine.
It's coffee. If I'm in Starbucks I order it black with a little bit of room for cream. Seriously, "Iced venti raspberry soy mocha" sounds like the punchline to some joke.