Customer : Other Involvement Ideas

Our Best Idea Was Asking You for Yours

sbx_bean — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:13:00 GMT

With your help we’ve launched over 277 ideas just in the last 5 years. Recently your ideas have helped turn customers into friends, encouraged barista recognition, and even helped put an end to confusion at the counter. Thank you for making My Starbucks Idea such a huge success.

Idea Launched: A Better Way to Appreciate Your Barista!

sbx_bean — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:16:00 GMT

Ever have one of those mornings when everything isn’t quite going right? Then you bump into someone who shares a friendly smile, and suddenly your day is much brighter than it started.

Many of you have told us your barista is the one who makes your day great, and you’d like a way to let him or her know that. One of your top all-time ideas suggested comment cards you could send to the baristas. And just so you know, our baristas tell us getting recognition from you makes their day too.

With this in mind, we’re working with Red Stamp, a popular correspondence mobile iOS app and website. Red Stamp sends greeting cards to your friends and family by the postal service or through email, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

The Starbucks™ Collection in the Red Stamp app has six different barista recognition cards that you can customize with a personal message. After you select your delivery method, the app helps you find the right store address. Hit “send” and off your greeting goes to your favorite barista. Download the app and give it a try. Thanks for the idea and we look forward to hearing your feedback.

Create Jobs for USA One-Year Anniversary

Gina W — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Over the last year, I’ve had the opportunity to work on the Create Jobs for USA initiative for Starbucks. I’m so proud to be a part of a great team of people – partners, customers, and like-minded companies – who have helped raise both money and awareness of the jobs crisis in America. Create Jobs for USA was created so that we could all DO something to help the people across this country affected by unemployment, and I’m happy to say – WE DID! We’ve raised over $15 million in just one year which has helped to create or sustain more than 5,000 jobs. These are 5,000 jobs for our family, friends, neighbors and fellow Americans across the country, and working together we’ve made a positive impact on their lives.

In honor of the Anniversary of the Create jobs for USA program, I’d like to share a letter that Howard Schultz, Starbucks chief executive officer, wrote to our supporters – including you, our customers – who have been actively supporting Create Jobs for USA or otherwise actively involved in making your communities better this year. Thank you for everything you do!

Gina Woods

Dear Fellow Leaders,

Today marks one year since we launched the Create Jobs for USA initiative along with Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), and I am proud and humbled to share its progress, and thank the many committed supporters who have taken an active role in helping to address the jobs crisis.

Create Jobs for USA was born from a deep-seated belief among those of us at Starbucks never to accept the status quo, and a sincere desire to address our nation’s unacceptable unemployment rates. Because of the collective effort of Starbucks partners (our employees), our customers and of like-minded businesses, that original vision has grown into an innovative program that is benefiting thousands of Americans.

To date, Create Jobs for USA has reached $15 million in donations. Through the fantastic work of OFN, this money has been distributed to community lenders serving nearly all 50 states, and these lenders are leveraging that equity to support approximately $105 million in small and community business financing which will help to create or sustain approximately 5,000 jobs across the country.

This achievement is, in large part, a testament to the generosity of our customers, and to honor their support the Schultz Family Foundation has recently donated $1 million to Create Jobs for USA. More than 800,000 Indivisible wristbands have already been distributed to customers and concerned citizens around the country who support this initiative. And with this donation, on Election Day, November 6, Starbucks U.S. company-operated stores will offer wristbands to those visiting our stores.

The success of Create Jobs for USA also would not be possible without the generous support from Banana Republic, Citi, Google Offers and MasterCard. These companies share Starbucks belief that when businesses use their resources and scale for good, they can make a positive difference in the communities they serve. It is this philosophy that continues to inspire Starbucks to consider how other business decisions we make can reap benefits for and beyond our partners, customers and shareholders.

On that note, I am pleased to announce the next phase planned for Create Jobs for USA, The Indivisible Fund. This Fund, which OFN plans to offer, will give Starbucks and like-minded corporations another, sustainable way to support Create Jobs for USA. Corporations can invest in The Indivisible Fund, which will finance community lenders across the country so that they can make new loans to community businesses committed to creating and retaining jobs. This adds an important new dimension to Create Jobs for USA. These loans will be repaid to the corporations, giving these companies the opportunity to invest in the economic future of the country by putting their funds to work supporting business growth and innovation. Starbucks has signed on as a founding, $5 million investor in The Indivisible Fund. We invite other like-minded companies to join us in supporting The Indivisible Fund by providing their own loans to the Fund, and look forward to the great work that we can continue to do together.

It’s exciting to share these results of what we’ve been able to accomplish together in the last year. But it’s important to remember that behind every statistic are real people—men, women and families that many of us will never meet, but whose lives are benefiting and can benefit from the decisions we make every day as individuals and as companies. The perpetuation of the American Dream exists because of the initiative, sacrifice, talent and hard work of all American citizens, on behalf of themselves as well as one another.

In closing, as proud as I am of our work together, I urge all of us to continue to take the problems our country faces very seriously. Unemployment remains stubbornly high, and is only one of many complex challenges facing our country. Create Jobs for USA is by no means a definitive solution, but it serves as a reminder that, whoever wins the election next week, progress is possible when we come together—indivisible.

With gratitude and respect,

Howard Schultz

Bring Pumpkin Spice Latte to Your City First!

Marco D — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 16:01:00 GMT

The Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) Challenge is back for its second year, which means one winning city in the United States and one in Canada will get Pumpkin Spice Latte before any other city!

Chicago and Calgary were our winners last year. Will another city rise to the occasion and take the PSL Challenge crown?

The playing field is level, so every city has its own chance to win regardless of size. Be sure to play the new Daily Challenges and Creations at least once per day to earn more points for your city!

Ready to show your PSL love? Play now in the United States and in Canada.

Details:
Game ends: August 24 at 9:00 am Pacific Time
Winner announced: August 24
PSL available in winning cities: August 25
PSL available everywhere: September 4

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Made in the USA for Jobs in the USA

Gina W — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 11:00:00 GMT

One of your top ideas is for us to add more products made in the U.S. to our merchandise lineup. Well, just in time for our nation’s birthday, I’m excited to announce the launch of our new Indivisible collection, an assortment of new products all made in the U.S., and all supporting the Opportunity Finance Network for the Create Jobs for USA Fund.

My favorite item is the Indivisible Blend™ coffee. Blended, roasted and packaged in the U.S., Indivisible Blend™ is a Starbucks® Blonde Roast coffee made from washed Ethiopia and Kenya beans. Purchase it by the pound or through July 8 Brewed Indivisible Blend™ will be a featured coffee. Starbucks will donate $5 to the Create Jobs for USA Fund for every pound of Indivisible Blend™ coffee sold, and $.05 for every cup of Indivisible brewed coffee purchased in our stores – and that will add up fast!

There’s also a mug made in East Liverpool, Ohio by artisans at the American Mug & Stein factory ($2 donation); a reusable tumbler comprised of 35 percent recycled material and made in Chicago ($2 donation); and an inspiring book to add to your summer reading list: We Can All Do Better by Bill Bradley ($5 donation by Perseus Books).

100 percent of donations to the Fund are distributed to Commuity Development Financial Institutions across the country so that they can make loans to community businesses in underserved neighborhoods.

I’m also thrilled to share that Citi Community Development and the Citi Foundation are making a $1 million contribution to the Create Jobs for USA Fund, bringing the amount of money raised to $11.5 million and has helped create and retain an estimated 3,800 jobs across the U.S. They’re also inviting their customers to get involved by redeeming Citi “Thank You®” points to make donations to the initiative. If you have a Citi Thank You Rewards eligible credit card or bank account you can donate your points beginning June 15 and help community businesses across America. More information is available at createjobsforUSA.citi.com.

So, celebrate this Fourth of July with a small treat for yourself, and show your support for the U.S.!

Inspired by your ideas:

More Products Made in the USA
posted by moonfish124

The Power of an Hour

Rodney H — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:00:00 GMT

Each of us knows how to make the best of an hour, particularly when every minute counts. An hour might be all it takes to get the laundry done, to squeeze in a workout, to cram for a test or a presentation or to generally lead us closer to achieving our own personal goals.

But that brief unit of time can also make a world of difference in the life of another person or in the health of a community. For Starbucks second annual Global Month of Service, we challenge you to harness the power of the hour to help your community thrive.

We’re allotted 24 of them every day. To make a difference, it can take as little as an hour. Read on for five ways volunteers will be supporting their communities this month in just an hour.

1. On April 25 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, ten volunteers are gathering at Crossroads Mall for an hour to assemble care packages to send to our troops overseas.

2. On March 31 in Olympia, Washington, a group of 300 REI-hosted volunteers will spend an hour picking up litter and fixing up trails at Priest Point Park.

3. In Chagrin Falls, Ohio on April 19, volunteers will spend an hour collecting food for the Chagrin Falls Park Community Center that will be distributed to families in need in Geauga County.

4. On April 19 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, 120 volunteers will work with the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association for one hour to clean up downtown Nanaimo.

5. Starting at 6pm on April 28 in Yuma, Arizona, volunteers will each walk for an hour for a 24 hour-long relay to raise money for cancer research.

Be prepared – if you haven’t volunteered before, your first hour might inspire you to see the impact that a few additional hours can make. Visit the Starbucks Community Service website to find volunteer opportunities in your area. To date, we’ve collectively donated more than 100,000 hours to communities around the world. With your help, it won’t be long before we reach our goal of contributing one million hours per year by 2015. Now that’s time well-spent.

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Imagine the Possibilities

Cecilia Carter — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Imagine the possibilities. Imagine a place that is bustling and vibrant. There are no abandoned buildings. Homes line the streets with windows so clear that you can see for miles. There is no blight. People are smiling and happy and commerce is flourishing. Imagine that what had once been the inner-city is now a safe, vibrant thriving community.

I know it is hard to imagine these things with the level of economic uncertainty facing our local communities. Imagine being one of millions of people living under these conditions without a positive outlook. Now just imagine growing up under these conditions.

In under-invested urban communities, systemic issues such as consistent quality education, access to jobs and other opportunities for revitalization are further exacerbated by the financial crisis.

That is why Starbucks is taking an innovative approach in helping address these concerns by sharing the success of our stores in two neighborhoods.

One store in the Crenshaw neighborhood of Los Angeles and one in the Harlem community of New York City will be pilot stores for this new approach. A portion of each store’s profits will be reinvested into the neighborhood through two local non-profits, the L.A. Urban League and the Abyssinian Development Corporation. We are collaborating with these amazing organizations, which are leading holistic and sustainable change in their respective communities by helping to improve economic development, education and access to social services. This marks a new way of doing business and supporting our non-profits by sharing the success of these stores within their immediate neighborhoods.

These stores are a new way to support our communities by engaging the very people that will benefit from the program’s success. The more involved the residents become in owning their “community stores” the more they will frequent the store and make it part of their social fabric. The connections this can create mean more than sharing profits. It also means restoring a sense of pride and the ability to once again, imagine the possibilities.