Established in 1971, Starbucks has understood and catered to the needs of its fellowmen. The ambiance of Starbucks is relaxing and inviting. Unlike other coffee shops Starbucks wants its customers to stay and spend their time in the shop. The company has decided to go a step further and offer free internet to its entire customer for an infinite period.
About the Company
Starbucks is the largest coffee chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It has 33,000 outlets in 80 countries. It is ranked 114 on the fortune 500 and generated revenue of $29,000 million. In addition to coffee, Starbucks outlets also offer other hot and cold drinks, beer, appetizers, and wine. It also has official merchandise such as bottles, tumblers, coffee pressers, etc. The company also provides high-end coffee at their coffee bars.
Company Logo
Starbucks had a Siren – A two-tailed mermaid on its logo. It was adopted by the company “To capture the seafaring history of coffee and Seattle’s strong seaport roots.” It was first designed by Terry Heckler. In 2011, it was redesigned by Lippincott along with the staff of Starbucks in its present form.
Values and ethos
Starbucks has always supported the idea of community and togetherness. It also encourages its customers to spend time in their café and relax. The company aims to inspire and nurture the human spirit. It believes in treating its employees and customers with affection, dignity, and utmost importance. It was perhaps the reason My Starbuck Idea comes to light.
My Starbucks Idea
Starbucks acknowledges the power of customer feedback and has always welcomed their suggestions and ideas. In 2011, the company took a big step in the form of My Starbucks Idea is to enable customers to voice their convictions. It is a platform where the customers can voice their experiences, and suggest some ideas and recipes. Many times, the company also organizes voting in favor or against an idea and implement the idea following its result.
The company implemented more than 300 ideas suggested on the platform. It includes Mobile Payment Drive-Thrus, Free Birthday treats, and Cake Pops. One of the most popular ideas suggested by the customer is free internet access. Now the company has implemented this idea also.
Free Internet Access
One of the most sought-after requests on the platform is free Internet access. The company has tried to fulfill the request in one form or the other. Initially, free internet access was available to a few privileged customers for a limited time. The internet service partner of Starbucks AT&T had offered free Wi-Fi access for 2 hours. This offer was valid for only those customers having registered Starbuck card or an AT&T customers. Others had to pay $3.99 for two-hour access. Later on, Starbucks changed its strategy and offered free internet to everyone.
Starbucks had changed its network partner to Google. Now, it is offering free internet to everyone along with its digital network. The company aims to create a new place between home and work, where one can relax, work and access exclusive content and information. The portal is advertisement free and provides access to the content of leading e-newspapers such as WSJ and NYT free.
This is much more than any internet provided by any food chain so far. This facility is available in all the stores in the USA.
Internet Availability
The speed of the internet provided by Starbucks is close to 50mbps, which is considered a fast service. The free internet facility provided by Starbucks is strong enough to be accessed from outside. For this reason, though the service is meant to be for paying customers, anybody close enough to the store can access it easily from outside.
Moreover, the facility is available round the clock. Thus, the store doesn’t need to open to use the free internet. One can use the free services near the store even if it is closed.
Safety Concerns
Like any other public Wi-Fi, Starbucks Wi-Fi is also not very secure. It is certainly nice to sit in a clean, beautiful ambiance with great coffee while scrolling down the social media posts. But it is not advisable to use it to access any app or website storing valuable information such as bank accounts etc. Also do not use the unsecured internet for financial transactions.
Conclusion
Starbucks is committed to enhancing the consumer experience. It may be the best coffee or the perfect ambiance; Starbucks always wants to be on the top of its services. Providing free internet and offering an exclusive digital portal is a major step in its pursuit. Due to its quality services, Starbucks is way ahead of its competitors.
Q: Does Starbucks provide free refills?
A: Yes. If you have ordered your first drink using the Starbucks app or Starbucks registered cards, you are eligible for free refills.
Q: How can I use free internet in Starbuck?
A: It’s very simple. You have to just find “Google Starbucks” on your device. On the landing page, fill in the information like your name and email id. Then just press “connect” and you are connected to the world for free.
Q: Does Starbucks have Donuts?
A: Yes. Starbucks sells old-fashioned glazed donuts at $1.91. It is a bit expensive but tastes awesome.
Q: Why is Starbucks internet so slow?
A: The Wi-Fi network at Starbucks is one of the fastest public Internet provided by any food chain. It speeds up to 50 Mbps for the download. If you are facing some problem in accessing the internet at any store, kindly contact the manager of the store.
