Starbucks vs. members of its loyalty program
Yesterday’s announcement about changes in Starbucks’ loyalty program hasn’t sat well with all the participants, who seem to outnumber the tally of Americans who own a television.
The rub seems to be the premium reward level, known in Starbucks-ese as gold status. Under the current program, customers earn that elite classification by visiting a Starbucks 30 times. Under the changes that take place in April, when stars will be awarded in accordance with dollars spent rather than store visits, they’ll have to spend at least $150.
To get any of the giveaways that are awarded gold-status customers, new entrants into the group will have to snag another 125 stars—the equivalent of at least $63 in purchases.
The battle is currently waging in social media, without a spillover to the units. That could change when heavy users are confronted with the program adjustments in April.
Meanwhile, some observers are betting that Dunkin’ Donuts could mount a title challenge to exploit the dissatisfaction of Starbucks fans.