Today I found out how the Franchise coffee chain Starbucks actually comes to their wealth.
From the start I’ve been exited about this whole new coffee shop principle, and I agree that their marketing is truly…well…catchy, with that own iTunes-Store to look up music playing in the shops (not to mention the cosy atmosphere in some of their shops, couches providing a feeling of home), their perfectly decorated cakes with icing and tasty-sounding names like “Double choc chocolate Muffin” and “Caramel Brownie” (it’s funny how you can double up the sales volume by doubling up the ingedients in the product’s name). Their tumblers don’t spill any coffee into your rucksack and their mugs are so beautifully designed that you wanna gaze at it for some time instead of drinking out of it (which entails one hour of disappearance of the used mug in your dishwasher, which kinda shakes your universe). A few things at Starbucks make me become addicted, which obviously shows their success in binding customers.
The thing is, I don’t like the coffee. The reason for entering a coffee shop is wanting to buy some. I admit I visit Starbucks only due to their lovely items and the style of the interior, that is. Since my first cup there (always decaf, and Starbucks was simply the first to offer it) I was trying to find a reason to come back for the sake of coffee, but there was no. The coffee at the Einstein’s just tastes way better than theirs.
Adding on is the thing that happened today. My sister gave me two vouchers for Starbucks for Christmas, and since I was frozen to the tips from my photo tour along the river Rhine I decided to warm myself up a little. The voucher was ten Euros and I had to pay around 7, but the waitress didn’t give me my change. Upon my request she told me that vouchers were only to be used to their full extent, change was not supposed to be handed out. I gave a furious little laugh and asked if I was able to buy something else with it then. I wasn’t!! The waitress was nice, so I didn’t stir from the spot and waited until the queue had lightened a little, and then she said she would look for other vouchers to write my change on. Meanwhile another waiter (who was goodlooking, which I consider another tacticts of Starbucks) explained to me that you had to cash the voucher at once so it was one purchase and not two or three. Which logic is that??
Anyways, the nice waitress handed over the found voucher for one tall-sized beverage and apologized once again. I was out.
On the voucher she gave me is written: “Eine Barablösung des Gutscheins ist nicht möglich.” Yeah, even if, she would be obliged to replace it with one with the left credit, wouldn’t she? Is this even legal? I will ask the local consumer advice centre if it’s a case of deceit. I remember having heard that writing this sentence on a voucher does make it legal, but I’m rather sure that keeping the change at all isn’t. I will let you know about this. I’m glad I don’t have to visit this place again. Or, well, maybe to buy a tumbler. Sooner or later I’ll need one, the one I own spills the whole time…
Attached you’ll find some beautiful pictures of today’s tour. The other dozen is on my analogue camera and will be exposed by next week. I have to change now for I’m invited to my father’s birthday and my brother will fetch me in about twenty minutes. It’s gonna be a fun night I guess, for his birthday is tomorrow.
Playlist of Happiness and Feelgood is as followed:
Sarah Bareilles – Little Voice EP (full)
Plain White T’s – 1 2 3 4
The Killers – Human
The Wombats – Moving to New York
Klaxons – Golden Skans
Kilians – When will I ever get home
Rooney – When did your heart go missing
Alphabeat – Fascination
The Kooks – Ooh la
Maximo Park – Books from boxes
Amy Macdonald – This is the life
Kate Nash – Foundations
Mando Diao – Dance with somebody
Coldplay – Warning sign
The Killers – Mr Brightside (Jaques Lu Cont’s Thin White Duke Mix)
Metric – Help I’m alive
Magnet – Where happiness lives
Luxuslärm – 1000 Kilometer bis zum Meer
The Millioners – Up to you und I will stay
Athlete – Best not to think about it
Diefenbach – Streetlights
January 10th, 2009 
22:00