Starbucks Says NO! To Windows Phone APP

[RTNovak]

Hi all,

This is my first post and it has been motivated by a response that recently received from Starbucks. I sent their customer service department note asking when a Windows phone app would be available. Below you will find the response. Make not of the "opportunity" statement and realize what Starbucks is really saying.

Anyway, I am done with Starbucks. I truly believe this is a social political decision and not an economic one. They have at least have an app although it needs work. However, they also have great coffee!

If you are a true Starbucks lover, I suggest you contact customer service and let them know how you feel!

From Starbucks:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting Starbucks.

We have continued to look at the Windows platform and listen to our customer?s needs. As we grow and evolve our mobile applications, we seek to develop on the platforms where we see the greatest opportunity. At this time we will not support the Windows platform but will continue to evaluate it as the landscape evolves.

Your feedback regarding this decision is much appreciated. Rest assured, your questions and concerns have been documented and passed along to the appropriate teams.

If you ever have any questions or concerns in the future, please visit us at customerservice.starbucks.com.

Sincerely,
Diana M.
customer service

 

[Laura Knotek]

Hi RT and welcome to WindowsCentral.

It's a bummer that Starbucks hasn't made an official Windows Phone app, but I've used Buckstar, a 3rd-party app that works well. You might want to give it a try.

 

[RTNovak]

Thanks Laura for the welcome!

I am going to try and take a stand on this one. I have already found a nice local coffee shop that provides great service, good coffee and is more quaint. Also, I plan to visit all the Coffee Bean stores I can find while on vacation next week using their app.

I do appreciate the recommendation though.

RT

 

[jefbeard911]

Hi all,

This is my first post and it has been motivated by a response that recently received from Starbucks. I sent their customer service department note asking when a Windows phone app would be available. Below you will find the response. Make not of the "opportunity" statement and realize what Starbucks is really saying.

Anyway, I am done with Starbucks. I truly believe this is a social political decision and not an economic one. They have at least have an app although it needs work. However, they also have great coffee!

If you are a true Starbucks lover, I suggest you contact customer service and let them know how you feel!

From Starbucks:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for contacting Starbucks.

We have continued to look at the Windows platform and listen to our customer?s needs. As we grow and evolve our mobile applications, we seek to develop on the platforms where we see the greatest opportunity. At this time we will not support the Windows platform but will continue to evaluate it as the landscape evolves.

Your feedback regarding this decision is much appreciated. Rest assured, your questions and concerns have been documented and passed along to the appropriate teams.

If you ever have any questions or concerns in the future, please visit us at customerservice.starbucks.com.

Sincerely,
Diana M.
customer service

It's simply a business decision due to the costs of building and supporting an ecosystem that has a 3% market share.

Do as you wish but their not out to get you...

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[jefbeard911]

Thanks Laura for the welcome!

I am going to try and take a stand on this one. I have already found a nice local coffee shop that provides great service, good coffee and is more quaint. Also, I plan to visit all the Coffee Bean stores I can find while on vacation next week using their app.

I do appreciate the recommendation though.

RT

Sounds like you were looking for a reason to ditch Starbucks anyway..I applaud you though for supporting local, independent coffee houses. I miss them too...cheers!

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[Laura Knotek]

Thanks Laura for the welcome!

I am going to try and take a stand on this one. I have already found a nice local coffee shop that provides great service, good coffee and is more quaint. Also, I plan to visit all the Coffee Bean stores I can find while on vacation next week using their app.

I do appreciate the recommendation though.

RT

Sounds like you were looking for a reason to ditch Starbucks anyway..I applaud you though for supporting local, independent coffee houses. I miss them too...cheers!

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

There aren't any good local coffee shops here anymore. We don't have Coffee Bean. It's Starbucks or nothing for me.

 

[wrm1]

At least they haven't pulled a snap chat or google and killed or maimed third party apps. Nor have they tried to get the tile taken off the Band. Personally, if I was them I would just release more open APIs for devs and let them do the dirty work.

 

[mjyumping]

Ok people let's go to elsewhere like Rex Cafe or Figaro.

 

[adrian1338]

Well I spoke to the barista in starbucks Luton Airport and she was surprised they didn't have an app there. And so they should with the market share across Europe. Used to use sbucks card but this is not working anymore
been asking them on twitter as well for a while now

 

[ttsoldier]

There actually is an Official Starbucks App for Windows Phone....

Starbucks | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)


.... In Mexico...

 

[rhapdog]

This has nothing to do with the market share of Windows Phones. It has to do with the fact that a vast majority of Windows Phone users have the low end budget phones. That's what Microsoft sells the most of, by a LONG shot. Therefore, Starbucks looks at it and say, "If they don't want to pay good money for a proper phone (being an iPhone, as they are typically among the most expensive), then they won't pay too much for their coffee either."

Let's face it. Starbucks makes a fortune on buying coffee and selling it at a profit that would make your head spin.

I go down the street to a local convenience store that has better coffee than Starbucks, and I only pay $0.88 per cup. They make it fresh every time, with coffee being brewed every 30 minutes or more often than that even. If you have to wait for it to brew fresh and their guarantee, then you get it free. It's better than Starbucks, and I absolutely love their Southern Pecan brew. People talk about how great Starbucks coffee is, but as a coffee lover who knows all the beans about coffee (pun intended heavily there), I believe it's a placebo effect of getting the "hip" coffee. Yeah, a lot of places don't know how to brew coffee properly, but for any place that knows how to do it right, it's not that hard to brew better coffee than Starbucks. I do it at home several times per day.

I never have liked the political stances taken by Starbucks. They tell their customers if they don't like it, to take their business elsewhere. The propaganda machine is more important to Starbucks than the profit. They have said so to the press more than once. I applaud anyone that will grind their own beans at home, brew their own coffee, and stay away from Starbucks. It's what I do except on my once weekly trip for my $0.88 coffee.

If you still think Starbucks is the best coffee, well, we'll just agree to disagree.

 

[PepperdotNet]

Starbucks is all about the "diversity" as long as you carry an iPhone.

 

[theefman]

Its only coffee.....

 

[Robbed Time]

Here's a thought. All us WP users stop using Starbucks. Then when they see their profits tumble, they'll surely have a rethink about making a WP app. I can't see a flaw in that plan.

 

[fatclue_98]

There aren't any good local coffee shops here anymore. We don't have Coffee Bean. It's Starbucks or nothing for me.

You're in Cleveland for God's sake!

BTW, sorry for your loss. LeBron did all he could with the D-League stiffs around him.

 

[fatclue_98]

Here's a thought. All us WP users stop using Starbucks. Then when they see their profits tumble, they'll surely have a rethink about making a WP app. I can't see a flaw in that plan.

If you consider a 3% drop in profits a tumble. WP users are in no position to strong-arm any company by threatening a boycott. Remember the axiom regarding bees and honey as opposed to vinegar.

 

[Laura Knotek]

This has nothing to do with the market share of Windows Phones. It has to do with the fact that a vast majority of Windows Phone users have the low end budget phones. That's what Microsoft sells the most of, by a LONG shot. Therefore, Starbucks looks at it and say, "If they don't want to pay good money for a proper phone (being an iPhone, as they are typically among the most expensive), then they won't pay too much for their coffee either."

Let's face it. Starbucks makes a fortune on buying coffee and selling it at a profit that would make your head spin.

I go down the street to a local convenience store that has better coffee than Starbucks, and I only pay $0.88 per cup. They make it fresh every time, with coffee being brewed every 30 minutes or more often than that even. If you have to wait for it to brew fresh and their guarantee, then you get it free. It's better than Starbucks, and I absolutely love their Southern Pecan brew. People talk about how great Starbucks coffee is, but as a coffee lover who knows all the beans about coffee (pun intended heavily there), I believe it's a placebo effect of getting the "hip" coffee. Yeah, a lot of places don't know how to brew coffee properly, but for any place that knows how to do it right, it's not that hard to brew better coffee than Starbucks. I do it at home several times per day.

I never have liked the political stances taken by Starbucks. They tell their customers if they don't like it, to take their business elsewhere. The propaganda machine is more important to Starbucks than the profit. They have said so to the press more than once. I applaud anyone that will grind their own beans at home, brew their own coffee, and stay away from Starbucks. It's what I do except on my once weekly trip for my $0.88 coffee.

If you still think Starbucks is the best coffee, well, we'll just agree to disagree.

I agree that there's better coffee than Starbucks, but there really aren't any other places here where one can meet friends and have coffee together. I go to Starbucks more for the social aspect. It's not that different from why people go to bars instead of buying liquor from a liquor store, or eating in a restaurant instead of getting takeout.

Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk

 

[rhapdog]

If you consider a 3% drop in profits a tumble. WP users are in no position to strong-arm any company by threatening a boycott. Remember the axiom regarding bees and honey as opposed to vinegar.

I do believe it was sarcasm.

I agree that there's better coffee than Starbucks, but there really aren't any other places here where one can meet friends and have coffee together. I go to Starbucks more for the social aspect. It's not that different from why people go to bars instead of buying liquor from a liquor store, or eating in a restaurant instead of getting takeout.

Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk

Yeah, true. I'd rather people meet at coffee shops than bars. But seriously, no other place to meet friends and have coffee together? I know about a dozen people that meet at McDonald's every Thursday morning for coffee and chit chat for a couple of hours. I know of over 50 that go to Chick-fil-a multiple times per week to meet people for coffee. Both places have great Wi-Fi as well, so people can get coffee and do their thing on their smart phone, tablet, or laptop.

I live in a town of just under 21,000 people. There are nearly a dozen specialty coffee shops that cater to the same kind of crowd that Starbucks does. I walked into Hi-point coffee, and there must have been 20 or more MacBooks open and running. There are also numerous other establishments for meeting up that don't require bars. There is only one Starbucks here.

As far as meeting up with people, I'd just rather meet up with my wife, and spend time with her. Coffee for two at home sounds perfect for me.

 

[celticmagick]

I sent Starbucks an email the other day asking if they were going to make a US version of their WP app - Mexico has an official app. They basically laughed and said no.

I was using their app on my BB10 device. Oh well.

I can make better coffee at home and for much less. I'll keep my WP and put money back in my pocket. No more Starbucks for me.

 

[Witness]

Starbucks coffee is terrible. They were pretty good about 10yrs ago, but now McDonald's make a better cup of plain coffee than they do. Since you found local alternatives - good. Support the little guys. Most of them care more about the coffee anyways. I will only drink Starbucks when I'm on the road and I can't find something like Peet's. The whole excuse about the cost of making and maintaining an app is BS too - look at Buckstar. That's like one guy who spent a couple days building it.

If anyone wants a Starbucks app just to pay for their coffee, simply take a screenshot of the barcode from another (supported device). That's all you really need to pay anyways.