Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) pitches customers on the idea of personalized gift cards, but there are some restrictions. In its personalization policy, Starbucks tells its customers that "We accept most personalization requests, but we can't honor every one. Some requests may contain trademarks that we don't have the right to use. Others may contain material that we consider inappropriate (such as threatening remarks, derogatory terms, or overtly political commentary) or wouldn't want to see on Starbucks-branded products."In a column (subscription required) in today's Wall Street Journal, Cato Institute executive vice president David Boaz writes about a friend who had his gift card request rejected because he wanted the phrase laissez-faire -- an ideology that gained prominence in the 18th century and advocated minimal government interference with commerce -- printed on the card. Boaz writes that "at my suggestion, my friend went back to the Web site and asked that his card be issued with the phrase "People Not Profits." Bingo! Starbucks had no problem with that phrase, and the card arrived in a few days.I wondered just what the company's standards were. If "laissez-faire" is unacceptably political, how could the socialist slogan "people not profits" be acceptable?"
The explanation here is pretty clear: as part of its effort brand itself as a neighborhood coffee shop, Starbucks, whose logo is international sign language for overpriced and overrated coffee, wants to avoid being seen as a bastion of free markets and capitalism. The problem is that that is exactly what Starbucks is. This is the moral equivalent of Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) banning its customers from putting "Low prices at all costs" on their personalized gift cards.
This gift card-gate personifies everything that I hate about Starbucks. It's a multinational empire passing itself off as a neighborhood coffee shop. That's nothing short of identity theft.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-07-2008 @ 6:12PM
Brian said...
In the world full of corporate bad behavior Starbucks in general is one of the most ethical examples available (based on how they treat employees and the causes they support). Comparing them to Wal-Mart is accurate only in this particular instance, but in general they set a standard most US companies would do good to live up to.
4-07-2008 @ 10:36PM
K said...
If Starbuck's coffee is a bit overpriced that is fine with me. I know now that Starbuck's is taking care of their farmers and employees/partners and this is great. Not only are they making these farmers conditions livable they feed and eduacte them. You can get full health benefits for a child and yourself for a mere $48 a paycheck working 19.5hrs a week! This corporation is not perfect none of them are but why does every bash them all the time? The store I go to is always consisent and willing to listen if I am not happy with the product they fix it on the spot no questions. Plus it is the friendly store and group of people I have met anywhere. That goes for any store.
4-08-2008 @ 1:23PM
Chris said...
I just ordered one that said "Proud Member Of The National Rifle Association" on it.
We'll see if that one goes through...
4-08-2008 @ 4:37PM
tennismama said...
I gave up on Starbucks several months ago. At the store in my town, the regular coffee is terrible. It is way too strong. I get much better coffee (cheaper too) at McDonald's. Starbucks has that holier than thou attitude too.
4-08-2008 @ 7:36PM
Dobbs Fox said...
I don't see how Starbuck's coffee is "overrated." No one in cyberspace has anything good to say about it. And as for being overpriced, the local coffee shops that surround the Starbucks in my neighborhood price their drinks at about the same rates.
Starbucks is an easy target for too-cool-for-school hipsters who think nothing popular can possibly be any good. The thing is, as far as muti-billion dollar public corporations go, Starbucks' product and ways of doing business aren't all that bad.