Starbucks is sending out coupons for a free tall Frappuccino! How about a free tall vanilla cream Frappuccino with orange mango puree instead of strawberries puree? It’s like an orange cream. Or how about a whole milk Chai version? This is another Frappuccino and coupons blog post. I owe a number of people apologies: When I first received the Gold card coupon I read it too hastily and thought it said, “Buy one get one free” (I don’t know how I did that!) so those of you following me on twitter who saw that series of tweets, my bad!
One of the reasons I write this blog entry is that some very loyal Starbucks enthusiasts on twitter have told me that they didn’t get this free Frappuccino coupon. I have never figured out a rhyme or reason to how Starbucks distributes coupons because we’ve seen this before where Starbucks sends different coupons to different people. There is something to be said for the idea of all Gold card holders receiving the exact same promotional coupons. Though I have no idea the number of Gold card members at this time. In a previous blog post centered around the Oatmeal discount promotional card, I mentioned previous My Starbucks Rewards coupons, but unfortunately didn’t provide any images of the coupons mentioned. I remember that one of the things that was talked about during that promotion was that not everyone received the same coupons.
Don’t forget that the Starbucks Frappuccino has its own twitter profile: You can follow them here – Frappuccino.
Also, thank you to Molly at Seattle Custom Framing who helped me out with the pictures of the images that go with this blog post.
I am now opening up the conversation to anything you want to say about the new Frappuccino, coupons, My Starbucks Rewards, or just about anything else you can think of!
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*sniffles* I haven’t gotten this coupon – My co-workers and I sometimes receive very different coupons, yet we all have registered cards, had ‘black’ gold cards, and go at least once a day to Starbucks.
I wonder if it’s intentional? If it isn’t I wonder what the problem is with their rollout.
One co-worker has called in the past complaining that he didn’t get one that I got, and in the mail the next week, boom! all the ones he had been missing.
So all in all I wonder why the coupons aren’t emailed / available online (you have 1 free Frap waiting for you, print this coupon) or something else that doesn’t rely on the mail.
Did you ever get your free frappuccino coupon Melody?
*hands AmazonV some Kleenex* Maybe your free coupon got lost in the mail. I’m sorry you didn’t get it! I think there is something wrong with whatever system they’re using to mail coupons. Here it is June, and they still owe me like 15 coupons and the birthday coupon (my bday was 5-17) has never arrived. One idea might be to have an online distribution of coupons with an opt-out option for people who sign up for My Starbucks Rewards who do not have easy access to a computer and printer! Have no fear AmazonV! You couldn’t have been forgotten – More likely your mailman is livin’ it up at your local Starbucks!
It sure is strange how SB decides to send out coupons. I have not received a coupon for the frap. I really think they need to give coupons as a special reward to gold members and up these coupons so people with gold cards can feel valued. Their system is haywire.
I too got this frapp. coupon yesterday, along with one of my due sweet 15 ones. I had to nearly get a magnifying glass to read the minute print about : it’s for a TALL, and the exp. date. This has been a much better yr for me as far as receinving the gold rewards goes…. you might remember, in the first real gold yr.,I was getting almost zero, (with all things in place in my registration) I did get the b.day drink and some VIA when it was promoted here in Chicago back in March ’09…but nothing else until finally, when YOU MELODY, spoke directly to Jeff (mod) in a thread and said: send (her) some coupons. I finally got 4 free drink coupons……but that was it, that yr.
I don’t understand what determines who gets what but I assume it’s some mistake and they miss people. ???
to Steve: Melody says in the very beginning of this thread about receiving this free frapp. coupon….. do you see it? That waa the beginning basis of this whole thread.
oh, I’m sure you know this Melody but they say (Sbux) you will get your b.day coupon within 2 wks of your b.day, before or after….so…..I’m hoping they do acknowledge you within that time. (altho, it would seem the BEST way to ackowledge one’s b.day would be by that date or before…..)
Yes Denise I did go back and saw that Melody did realize it was for a free frappuccino. When I tweeted that I got mine on May 20th she said hers was buy one get one free. I’m salubriously glad that ahe got that straightened out.
If what Starbucks is true about the 2 weeks, Melody should get her birthday drink coupon on the 31st but I agree with you that they should mail it so it gets to the receipient on their birthday or a day or two before.
i’ve only ever received the birthday coupon (way late, if i recall), and the sweet 15s. everything else i’ve gotten has been seattle-wide and not a gold coupon. *sigh*
Would appreciate to get such coupons too by Starbucks in Germany…:(
They could do a lot more for loyal customers…
Well, i went and logged into the rewards site, i think I’ve gotten 1/2 my sweet 15’s, i got a free oatmeal, and something else i can’t recall, and that’s been it. From now on i am blogging every coupon so i can keep track!
Thanks for the blog post Melody! I was another one of those gold card holders that tweeted my sadness over not receiving this coupon! 🙁
I emailed Starbucks via the ‘contact us’ part of the Starbucks website. Does anyone know if that is still a reliable way to contact them and get a response? I haven’t gotten one as of yet, so I was wondering if I should call instead maybe.
To go off the track a bit, I think SB needs to review how they respond to their contact us link and really review the customer service angle. I also know calling does not get you the results you might want. One way perhaps you might get a direct response is to email someone directly at SB (using their own email address).
Gee Hayley I am sort of shocked why you didn’t get your free frappuccino coupon unless it either got lost in the mail or someone saw it was for a free frappuccino and decided to take advantage of it. I don’t know about e-mailing Starbucks mainly because they probably get a bodacious amount of e-mails and think it might be better to call and talk to a real live person after getting out of phone mail hell. It may not get the results you want like Purple said but at least you talked to a real live human being.
And I think Purple is right that Starbucks needs to revoew their customer service.
Only 1 mistake. I’m getting better but I wish Melody would talk to the programmer and find out why this type when typing a comment is so small and hard to proofread
I think you are all missing the obvious….and that is Starbucks knows which cardholders need to start eating Oatmeal (and don’t need a Frapp!)
I just wonder what sort of information Starbucks has pulled from those 5 million Facebook users that “LIKED” their page?
to Hayley: I’ve had little luck when using that e-mail site for ‘contact us’. I would either e-mail a mod. directly, and ask for help (an msi mod) and/or call. That’s been my experience.
Aww Karl!! I am 5’2 and about 102 lbs…I think I am ok to have the frapp! 🙂 Haha I am not the victim in Melody’s April Fools blog post…but now I feel like it, since now it seems I wasn’t good enough to receive a coupon *sniff*
Denise- I think you are right! I do not see anything in my email yet so I guess I will track down an MSI mod…I have Cecile’s email, but I want to try to reach out to the right person.
I received my free Frappuccino coupon. I assume it was a perk of being at the Gold rewards level. (Incidentally, I had a Mocha Light extra-coffee Frappuccino, and I was mighty impressed by the flavor and consistency.) So far, I’ve never had a problem receiving my freebie coupons (birthday, 15 stars, etc.) although sometimes they’re a little slow to arrive in the mail.
I got mine. In fairness, I give my coupons away though I suddendly realized I should probably save them for the off chance I go out of town 😛
Just finished reading this blog and everyone’s comments. I’m wondering if this might be some sort of targeted ad campaign where these coupons are sent to people that don’t normally purchase frappuccino’s? I have an older couple that comes in 4 or 5 times a week and they never purchase anything but their 2 caramel frappuccino’s. Now that I’m thinking about this, they did come in a couple weeks ago with a coupon for buy one get one free panini’s. Starbucks may send these coupons out to entice people to try something they might not have tried before,
Just a thought…..
I just got this in the mail today- and I HATE Frappuccinos (I hate cold drinks in general). I’ll definitely be passing this along to my sister in law, who loves fraps.
The last coupon I got was either the $1 off a panini (I never used it) or the BOGO of the dark cherry something or other (passed that one along to a friend). And even before that, it was the oatmeal coupon, which I think I sent to you Melody? I feel like those coupons are such a waste of trees 🙁
Maybe Wongster is right? I received coupons for oatmeal (I love proper oatmeal – tried the Starbucks version once and hated it), the BOGO panini (something else I never purchase), and now the free tall frap (nope, don’t drink those). I vaguely recall a dark cherry mocha coupon, but since I can’t drink anything that sugar-intensive it probably went straight into the recycling bin.
Yesterday’s mail included my 7th star-based free drink postcard! Looking at my rewards history, it’s funny how so many of the multiple-star days correlate with the semester’s paper/project due dates…
Katherine, IT IS a waste of trees! Once we count our till down for a partner the coupon gets torn in half and either recycled, or thrown away. For being such a socially responsible company, I would love to see coupons like this tied directly to our registered card, with an email stating that we’ve earned it. Then at purchase just have it automatically deducted at the register. It’s already done with free refills, so it’s not like it would take an entirely new technology overhaul to get it done. hmmm maybe an MSI idea!
But on the other hand, my brother travels extensively, and I always toss him my coupons that I receive. 🙂
@Wongster – MSI is such a repetitive place. A million people have posted that snail mail paper coupons are not in keeping with the modern green era we live in! There are sometimes arguments on MSI over this. Just my two cents, but I think there should be a way to have the coupons attached to the card, or an email option, with perhaps an “opt out” setting for those people who really have no way to print a coupon or really still want a paper snail mail coupon. I know that right now Starbucks owes me a bare minimum of 15 free drink coupons plus I never received my birthday coupon at all for my birthday on May 17th! If there were an opt out option, it would work for people like you who pass on the coupons to your brother! Lucky brother! 🙂
I don’t know about the targeting for this one…I usually drink on average 3 frappuccinos a year and that is living in the desert of Tucson! I prefer hot coffee / hot drinks. Though it does make sense for them to target individuals with offers to help them broaden their normal order or try new things
@essentialascend – why do you give them away? even the 15th drink coupons?
@Hayley – It almost feels like there is no rhyme or reason to these special promotional coupons. A while back there was a panani “buy one get one free” coupon which I definitely NEVER received in the mail, and yet I almost never buy the pananis at Starbucks. I saw the coupon only because @smoovebcoffee showed me his. I always sort of thought that this rewards should either/or have some relationship to (i) money being spent at Starbucks (ii) enticing people to try new things but I don’t know if there is really a pattern. If the rewards were based on sheer dollars spent at Starbucks, I’d never get missed on any of them and I should be rolling in rewards. Even if I spend little and it were really about enticing me to try new things, I should’ve gotten the panani coupon, which didn’t happen. I’m totally confused by the rewards! I’m starting to talk in circles.
Melody thanks for your comment on MSI re free refills and your SB card. The comments just go to show including the issue of who gets a coupon and which coupon that SB needs to refine their customer service approach and also clearly define what rewards go with what card if any and also as it has been said been said numerous times two things- offer special rewards to gold card members, create another level and give the free drink coupon by way of the register or online instead of a paper coupon or as you have said opt out if you choose to not get the paper. I understand some people cannot print out coupons. Is SB listening?
@Wongster- I pass along my coupons too, so I guess that’s the only perk to having physical coupons in hand (also great to pass along in the drive thru for the car behind you!). But I hate that I make an effort to bring in my reusable mug to save a cup, yet they’re sending out all these paper coupons. Seems counter-productive.
I have yet to get a free drink coupon, which mildly ticks me off. I usually just grab a grande bold of whatever they have- I use free drink coupons as a treat to get a latte. Is that horrible of me or what?
@Hayley I havent received a Frappy coupon, and never received an Oatmeal coupon…. Who knows, maybe everyone gets them and there are a lot of postal employees using them?
I remember back in the day getting random $5 or $10 credits on my Starbucks Card….does anyone else remember that?
My brother passes me free drink coupons from time to time….I have to be sure to use them at a store where I don’t know everyone however… It is kind of embarrassing when a barista points out that you’re not the person on the postcard!
Karl,
It has been quite some time since I received credits on my card. Yes, I do, remember when they did it and it sure was a nice reward. I guess the economy and all else has changed that. It sure would be a nice reward if they did that again.
It is highly complex!
business analysis manager, Starbucks Card and Loyalty
0000KVU
Description
Job Summary and Mission
This job contributes to Starbucks success by supporting the Starbucks Card and Loyalty/Rewards Businesses on their strategic planning and operational decision-making, by performing or overseeing highly complex financial analysis and business modeling, as well forecasting and reporting. Models and acts in accordance with Starbucks guiding principles.
Summary of Key Responsibilities
Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:
•Conducts ad hoc analyses to support critical business decisions. Leads analyses of net present value (NPV), return on investment (ROI) and profit loss (P&L). Conducts research, creates financial models, and defines appropriate financial measures. Quantifies opportunities and risk and recommends alternatives. Provides strategic and tactical recommendations to senior management.
•Creates and implements processes and tools used in financial controls. Develops and distributes all required business unit or department reporting. Establishes report content, format, frequency and distribution schedules, and convenes review meetings. Ensures integrity and managerial usefulness of operational and sub-system reports. May develop and implement training programs in cost/price and financial analysis and auditing. May participate in or lead cost and price discussions with external or internal parties.
•Provides coaching, direction and leadership to team members in order to achieve business results.
•Reviews new business proposals, identifies issues, risk and opportunities. Executes financial due diligence and explains ramifications of findings and recommendations for project progress.
•Works with cross-functional teams to set targets, develop plans, conduct analyses, measure results and improve processes. Consults with senior management to present data, propose solutions and identify opportunities for improvement.
Qualifications
Summary of Experience
•Progressive experience in financial analysis, modeling, budgeting and business planning (7 years)
•Applicable industry experience (5 years)
•Contributing to and leading cross-functional teams (5 years)
•Making recommendations to decision makers (5 years)
•Project management (3 years)
Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
•Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships
•Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing
•Ability to present information to senior leaders
•Ability to lead others
•Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills
•Business analysis skills, with the ability to see implications and provide consultative solutions and recommendations
•Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and manage projects
•Ability to apply knowledge of multidisciplinary business principles and practices to achieve successful outcomes in cross-functional projects and activities
•Ability to quickly identify the information needed to evaluate new business situations and to collect and organize appropriate quantitative and qualitative information
Job Planning & Analysis
Primary LocationUS-WA-Seattle
Schedule Full-time
Regarding loading these coupons onto our registered cards instead of mailing out postcards… I saw a post on MSI from one of the official Starbucks people in response to one of the many suggestions to do this. Apparently the problem is that licensed stores aren’t hooked up to the same POS system (or some such thing), so you wouldn’t be able to redeem your free drink at a licensed store. Having a physical coupon allows you to redeem at any location, corporate or licensed. This is great if you live or travel through places not demographically suited to a Starbucks corporate store.
No word on if they’re making any progress on (or effort to) resolving this.
I wasn’t a fan of the Starbucks Reward program at the outset because it seemed overly complicated whereas the Gold Card was straight forward. It’s growing on me.
The new frappuccino on the other hand is a treat I love so much Lois has limited me to one per week. Don’t tell her I stopped for another one on the way home from Metropolis.
I had a customer ask me this past week for a frappuccino that was different and off the menu. I of course suggested the orange cream. My fellow barista looked and me and said “Why didn’t you ever tell me that one?” lol quite a few of us drink them now. SOOO yummy.
Melody-I find it so odd that you haven’t received your birthday coupon, and here I am in the frozen north with mine a couple weeks ahead of time. So random.
It’s true about the POS system…I think not being able to redeem the coupons would frustrate people a good deal.
Of course, if they were put on the card we would no longer have to “argue” with customers that the receipt “fill out this survey” free drink is for a tall (it says it in black and white at the very top!!! I had this happen today “But I’VE used it for a VENTI”. Yea no.) and only for one drink (yes , this really happened this week as well…)
I am still waiting on the Gold Card that I earned and I have not received any coupons other than a bday one last year :/ I want to get a coupon more I think for just SEEING one than to actually get a drink/discount…which is pretty funny to me, but after hearing so many people talk about getting THEIR coupons…I want to get some too! Hmmm maybe its a grand Starbucks ploy to keep me wanting more! LOL
You know, I just realized I never got my birthday drink card either. I got my new gold card around the time of my birthday and I guess I just thought that was my birthday drink, but it’s not (it’s hanging on my fridge- I just checked it). And I won’t gripe about it taking 4 months to get my gold card either….
Speaking of coupons, I just got one via email! It’s a link to a printable grocery coupon for $1.25 off a pint of Starbucks ice cream. They’ve got three new not-coffee flavors – Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, Strawberries & Cream Frappuccino, and Signature Hot Chocolate.
I decided to use my free frap coupon on a tall solo mocha light. Not bad, although maybe next time I’ll try extra coffee instead of adding a shot.
Hay folks just wanted to chime in and say that I used my free frappuccino coupon this morning and to my surprise the barista asked if I wanted a grande so being the honest dude I am I said “I thought it is only for a tall”so she said “you can have any size you want” so then I said “well in that case make it a venti”. Oh also when I first gave her my coupon she asked me how many I wanted and when I left I thought to myself I should have asked for two so I could put one in my fridge for later.
I just got a coupon for SB ice cream and I really cannot understand why software had to be installed to get the coupon. Why does SB make it so cumbersome to get the coupon. They say it is a reward but then you have to spend a few mins to download the software. Why can’t the coupon be an attachment to an email? Good customer service????
@Purple1 – I’m glad you mentioned that. When I see those coupons come from Starbucks I just know that I can’t use them. End of story. I don’t have a printer at home. I’ve tried numerous times to print from work, but the way my office system is set up, I have no ability to download software to my computer. And I’m not going to go to the IT guy and say, “hey I want to print coupons …”. It’s not worth my time to try and figure out if I could do this at a Kinko’s. Definitely not worth my time to save a buck. I’ve just learned to ignore those offers realizing they don’t apply to me. I wonder if Starbucks counts on people like me never being able to use them!
There were coupons in Sunday’s paper for $1.50/pint. Not sure if they were regional, though.
Because Starbucks Ice Cream is a licensed product, I am sure Unilever is the one making it burdensome to collect the discount.
If you Google “Starbucks Ice Cream Coupon”, it will lead you to a 75 cent discount coupon, but in exchange you have to give away your name, address, etc. for future marketing purposes.
Last week I saw Starbucks Ice Cream being discounted down to the price of whatever the Ben and Jerry’s pricing was…but Breyer’s (also produced by Unilever) had 1.5 Liter cartons for the same price…
What really is flying off the shelves in my locale is the Häagen-Dazs single serve cups for $1. I see skinny girls buying 8 to 10 at a time…I live in an area with a lot of real (and wannabe) actresses, so perhaps that is there treat for the day.
I just put my comments re the ice cream coupon in the wrong section. Sorry about that. Karl- I forgot that the ice cream is a licensed product. Sort of goes back to the issue of corporate SB stores vs. licensed stores and what rewards licensed stores will accept and what cards they will accept. Sort of think there needs to be some rethinking of these issues.
@purple1 and @Katherine – There is an MSI idea about this whole issue of a printer software being required to print a coupon:
http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/ideaView?id=08750000000GuhNAAS
^ Of course it’s getting pounced on from down votes (I assume the same people over and over again pounce on these threads making it appear more unpopular than it really is)
@Katherine – I wish I had bought a Sunday paper. Oh well. I’m not going to worry about it. Last summer, when they re-launched Starbucks ice cream, there WAS a gold card coupon mailed to me for a free pint. Now that was very generous and very nice. I guess one cannot expect that generosity twice.
mel, i can print out coupons for you if you ever need me to. my printer rocks. (and is possibly evil)
i was going to mention, i’ve gotten all my sweet 15s so far, and my birthday coupon (late, as i said earlier), but i have NEVER gotten any of these special coupons. ever. so, i don’t think my postal operator is stealing them. and if she were, i assume she knows i’d hunt her down.
so who knows.
also, licensed stores are *always* a special case as far as coupons are concerned. they usually utilize the pos system of the store they are in (safeway, albertson’s, etc). so the home store has to be able to execute the starbucks coupon codes somehow, which means those programmers have to play around with coding they’re not always familiar with. which, as you can imagine, leads to glitches like woah.
i think they could program from card-enabled coupons, but it may be such a daunting project that those stores are not willing to take it on.
i would think though that starbucks could annotate the offer in such a way somewhere online (website, emails, whatever) that the user would be aware that that offer could only be used in full starbucks stores, and not licensed kiosks.
just my thoughts.
I got mine i got mine, oh my now what to use it on….
This is a tweet I just received when I inquired about the different promos for Starbucks Rewards. This Frappuccino coupon was the last one I had heard of:
Hi, promotions are sent weekly to different audiences. Hang tight – we’ll get you again!
I wonder if the ‘audiences’ are made up regionally or how that works?
@Hayley – That’s interesting. Just yesterday in the mail I got a really interesting coupon for 15% off one single purchase of merchandise- A MyStarbucksRewards coupon. I am considering writing a blog post on it, but I really wonder who received this 15% of coupon. Which “audience” ? LOL
I got that 15% off coupon too. Guess everyone did.
@Steve – That was helpful to know. That suggests that the new 15% coupon went out to everyone probably. Thank you for the quick reply.