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Starbucks Tunes into Customers
After years of forcing students, freelancers, writers, small business owners and other sipping surfers to pay T-Mobile for Wi-Fi access, Starbucks has finally tuned in to customers...and we probably have Apple to thank!
The company is dumping it's T-Mobile contract and forging a new deal with AT&T. Starting in the spring,
Starbucks will offer the java addicted masses two-free hours of Wi-Fi service per day for registered and active Starbucks card holders.
This means you now have a place on almost every street corner where you can start writing your book, conducting your job search, meeting with clients and keeping connected all the while!
Hmm, the iPhone is looking more and more like an legitimate business expense!
Check out the announcement: Howard Schultz Transformation Agenda Communication #5
Reprinted from Revolution Me!
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We are very, very happy about this. Thanks, Howard! And thanks Nicolette for letting us know!
Very smart business move by starbucks. An even better move would be unlimited free wireless.
Thanks, Nicolette for your post. As an Apple/Mac/iPhone loyalist, the move to Starbucks/AT&T deal is definitely welcome news. I also know that more "good news" will be forthcoming as AT&T comes closer to the end of its two year exclusive iPhone contract with Apple. And, as you probably all know, Starbucks has been struggling lately and Howard had to take back the reins. This is a smart business move all around, except for T-Mobile.
Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
Author of Prisoners of Our Thoughts:
Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work
Email: alex@prisonersofourthoughts.com
Web: www.prisonersofourthoughts.com
It’s nice to see the services at Starbucks extend; however, they seem somewhat careless to licensed franchise business that invested much in helping build their brand. In a Brookfield WI shopping mall - I would visit the BN frequently - at times twice a week. I could browse the books and sip on a latté as I made my way back home – this for me was my transition from a hectic workday to family time – the drive at 5 wasn’t putting my workload to rest. (Try it sometime, it works great)
Starbucks built a very nice Starbucks kiosk in the middle of the mall –one night I was to meet a business partner to go over some plans of an upcoming meeting. I suggest to her, that we meet at Starbucks. Forgetting about the Starbucks within BN, I assumed she’d meet me in the mall, so I’ll wait for her there instead and ordered a latté – After a short wait, I begin to think she probably don’t know about the Starbucks in the mall? So I give her a call and she wants to meet at the BN Starbucks, which is fine with me – I met up with here near the malls entrance and we made our way to the back of the store to get to the Starbucks coffee shop to buy her a drink – and get on with our meeting – only to be stopped at the door by management telling me I couldn’t bring my Starbucks drink into a Starbucks sitting area? I fully understood his concern, maybe not his skill in dealing with the problem (or customer for that matter)
In my opinion, Starbucks is stepping on the hands that got them to where they are today! They better be very careful not to extend their brand further then they can see. I frequently went to Starbucks for the books or fireplace and comfortable surroundings – now I can have this a regular cup of coffee with free refills and not have to spend the $10.00 bill I was forced to spend in the past on a great coffee drink (that I never minded doing)
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