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Email ThisEveryone knows that Starbucks shutdown the other day for 3 hours to train it’s employees.
Let me say this again, everyone knows that Starbucks shutdown the other day for 3 hours to train it’s employees.
I don’t drink coffee. I have no use for Starbucks. And yet even though I rarely watch the news, I heard at least 4 times in the past 3 days that Starbucks was closed. They may just have pulled off the best publicity stunt yet.
Cost of Advertising - $0
Lost business - worth it
Nationwide publicity - PRICELESS
Let me rephrase myself again, nationwide publicity illustrating your desire to provide good customer service and develop your employees. PRICELESS.
It’s just not the same if they say they’re shutting down for 3 hours to clean. Their reason just gives you a warm fuzzy feeling.
I wonder if they fired some advertising people and promoted HR? 
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Its only priceless if the employees learned something in those three hours that lasts longer than the training session.
“rebooting the business” only works if it fixes the problem.
Eric - While of course making an actual change is important, I think this goes beyond the training goal. Starbucks found a way to get free positive press. Their announcement was probably more effective than a commercial or traditional advertisement. That is why they have succeeded in my eyes.
Starbucks brand needs some work and part of the three hours was to get the barrista’s back to basics, a good thing.
I think you are correct, Rachel, the additional publicity helped — although the decision to actually close because the management is not happy with how coffee is being served to customers is significant.
Time will tell if it starts to help. But the event ended up being a good thing for publicity about the brand.
I slightly disagree! as it may have been a reverse psychology mind trick move on everyone, it still may have not been completely free. Perhaps an equal exchange with the added bonus of positive press. but still how many starbucks are there, 3 hours each, during which many, myself included, get are joe. they lost business. i went to Peets that day.
Denn - There are costs to everything. I bet you went back to the Starbucks the next day didn’t you? Some people might be swayed into going elsewhere in the future, but we are creatures of routine. Most Starbucks goers returned the next day.