At 5:30 PM my prospect and I were hustled out of the Starbucks on Church Street in New Haven, Connecticut. We had made this appointment to get to know each other long before the chain abruptly announced it was closing its stores across the nation to do what I think of as three hours spent hanging on a cross, contemplating its many sins in customer service.
As the prospect and I stood outside the store, a catering service was bringing trays of food in. We shook our head at this transparent attempt to deliver a loud message that this fallen angel of customer service was pulling out all stops to turn itself around. What public relations baloney.
It's doubtful that Starbucks can restart its heart and save its soul in three hours or even three months. The unique space it held in the coffee experience is gone. Dunkin' Donuts created a fresher, more fun, more affordable space. Rachel Ray gives DD working class chic which Campaign08 has made so totally in.
I don't own Starbucks stock so I could care less that it's going the way of other brands which weren't paying enough attention to the marketplace. All I hope for is that DD installs WiFi. Then I could not only buy iced java there but also hang out.
Comments