"What will happen in the new program if I spend an uneven amount? Do I get credit for the change?+
Yes, your change counts towards partial Stars. We’ll keep track of all your partial Stars and apply them to your total Stars.
For example, if you spend $6.20 (i.e., not including tax, tips, alcohol or other exceptions), you will earn 12.40 Stars.
The .40 is not always visible (we like to keep things simple), but you can always view your Stars and purchase history at starbucks.com/rewards or in the mobile app."
Most of the time, if you hit them in the morning, the cashier would just punch the whole card when you bought one...
It's terrifying the amount of money you can save when you get in the habit of making your own coffee though. It's not quite on the level of movie popcorn, but it's up there.
- The espresso machine. The $150 one you get off Amazon just isn't the same as the La Marzocco that they use at a good coffee shop. Count on spending a minimum of $2,000 for a machine, or as much as $5-6,000 for a commercial-quality machine that will last for years of use. The quality of the grind is one of the most important aspects of good espresso, so figure another $500-1000 on a high-quality grinder, and another hundred or so for accessories and such. Yes, there are cheaper devices but there are reasons that the good stuff cost so much: high-quality all-metal construction, consistent and accurate pressure and temperature, serviceability, etc.
- Learning to be a barista. Operating and maintaining the equipment, pouring technique, knowledge of coffee beans--these are all skills that I lack. I don't know where to learn them, either. I have a busy job and I don't have time to apprentice at a coffee shop. I wish there was some kind of class that I could take over a weekend where I could learn to be as good as the guys and girls working at my local shop.
Still, even with all of the hurdles, it's worth it. I'm spending $35/week--that's almost $1,900 a year--on espresso drinks. I could pay for a nice Faema or La Marzocco in only a few years of drinking at home.
EDIT: I spoke too soon. Look at this: https://a.zozi.com/#/express/seattlebaristaacademywa/product...
I have had this setup for about 5 years now. I drink more coffee than ever, spend much less for it and it's at the point where I would much rather drink my coffee than go out to a cafe.
But yeah, I would love a La Marzocco. When and if my faithful Silvia kicks the bucket I am going to definitely head that route.
You should try it! There is something just so satisfying about making yourself an awesome cappuccino and it's great for guests.
But now with this new change it seems like they're catering to the customers that already shell out the money for the $5.00+ drinks (frappuccinos, lattes, etc) in their larger size forms. It's like they're just giving the middle finger to the people who only come for regular coffee and teas.
On top of that, they're making it even more complicated to understand. Like how exactly do they think managing hundreds of stars and calculating stars earned based on the amount of money paid is better in terms of simplicity for the ordinary customer vs. the current (soon to be old) system where 1 purchase = 1 star, 12 stars = free food/drink. It's overly complicating an already simple system. Surely there had to be another way to fix the issue of people wanting their orders split up into individual orders to get more stars while still giving more value (in stars) to larger orders.
> It's like they're just giving the middle finger to the people who only come for regular coffee and teas.
Cater to your more profitable customers. Business 101.
> It's overly complicating an already simple system.
The previous system could be gamed. A revenue-based system can't be. Airlines learned this a while back.
> Surely there had to be another way to fix the issue of people wanting their orders split up into individual orders to get more stars while still giving more value (in stars) to larger orders.
This is that way.
Taking the absolute worst-case scenario: You spend only $1.75 every weekday morning on a plain coffee. This website says you now get a free drink every 36 visits instead of every 12 visits. Assuming you have 240 visits (48 weeks/year), that comes to $408/year instead of $385/year, or a difference of $23. That's only about 5% more. Over time, you'd save much, much more just making your own coffee or even buying a machine for the office.
If you're buying a $3.65 latte everyday (apparently these are much cheaper nationally than in Manhattan), this rewards program change takes it from $832/year to $813/year, or about a 2% change.
Guess it was too good to last; I'm going to stop using the reward system and just drink coffee from the office.
Under the old program, even that it was kinda dumb, I liked getting the stars and the reward, and it somehow made me feel like a member a my club. This changes seems to bust that.
I also haven't actually been in very much since I got a Zojirushi mug for Christmas - these days I make a pot in the morning, fill up an older mug (for immediate drinking) and the Zojirushi mug for 2-4 hours later (when it'll still be quite hot), and I'm done with it for the day.
