What should brands write about coffee on delivery packaging?

A customer in Beijing ordered Starbucks delivery and found two handwritten messages on the outer bag, including lines about not judging others and about tolerance and kindness. She said the words felt like an accusation. Starbucks customer service and the store acknowledged the writing came from staff and apologized.

The incident, reported on February 25, drew discussion about the boundaries of brand communication and whether copy with dual interpretations can backfire during sensitive periods. She confirmed the bag was hers by checking the order and phone digits, and the handwriting resembled the pens stores use on cups. Coffee description words on packaging now carry real reputational risk.

Recently, a netizen shared on social media her experience of ordering Starbucks delivery in Beijing, saying that after receiving the order she found two handwritten "chicken soup for the soul" messages on the outer packaging bag, including "Don't judge others, for you never know what someone else is going through" and "Only tolerance, kindness, and magnanimity are worthy of your excellence." The netizen said she felt uncomfortable upon seeing these words and perceived a tone of accusation. She then contacted the store involved and was told that the messages were meant as positive blessings, not attacks. As the incident continued to escalate, Starbucks customer service and the store involved both responded, acknowledging that the words were written by staff and expressing apologies. The incident also triggered public discussion about the boundaries of communication between brands and customers, especially during a sensitive period of public opinion, and whether similar "dual-interpretation" copy might backfire.

On February 25, a netizen posted on social media that she had ordered drinks from a Starbucks store in Beijing through a delivery platform and found two lines written on the packaging bag upon receipt: "Don't judge others, for you never know what someone else is going through" and "Only tolerance, kindness, and magnanimity are worthy of your excellence." The netizen said bluntly that she felt very uncomfortable after seeing this content, as if she was being blamed.

According to the netizen's description, she maintained a polite tone throughout the ordering process, answered the delivery person's call promptly after placing the order on the app, and asked him to leave the order in the delivery locker. At first she thought the writing on the bag was a mistake in the delivery process, but after carefully checking the order information and the last digits of her phone number, she confirmed it was her order.

The netizen also reasoned that these words were unlikely to have been added later by the delivery person, because judging from the stroke thickness and handwriting style, they closely resembled the pen Starbucks stores use to write on cups. So she called the store where she placed the order to ask about the situation, and the store involved responded: such words are written on delivery bags, they are positive content, and the original intention was to send blessings, not to attack.

The netizen later added that when Starbucks handled the matter, the store involved, the delivery platform, and Starbucks headquarters all regarded the words as a blessing and also expressed apologies. The three parties communicated back and forth for about one to two hours, and the final solution offered was to redeliver the netizen's order. This time the bag delivered was clean, but no refund was given.

Employees at the store involved also saw the post, said they would make rectifications, and hoped the netizen would delete the article. But the netizen who posted did not delete it, and also said she did not understand: why could Starbucks alter packaging without notifying the customer, and why did the store deliver it directly without reviewing the copy.

After the incident escalated, other media called the store involved, and the staff member who answered said: the company is still handling the matter, they were all temporarily transferred to help, the personnel at the store involved have gone to the company to cooperate with the investigation, and all related employees will be dealt with afterward. Starbucks customer service also responded: we are very sorry that the customer had a bad experience; the original intention of the words was to send blessings to customers and to build more connections with them.

This is equivalent to Starbucks admitting that these "chicken soup" messages did indeed come from them. But as to whether these words count as "blessings," the netizen who posted and other netizens were not convinced. Although everyone understands words differently, and the original meaning of this sentence may indeed have been positive, considering that Starbucks has previously had incidents that drew public attention, sending customers this kind of "chicken soup" that can be interpreted in two ways while public opinion has not yet calmed down will undoubtedly increase the pressure of public opinion.

Image source: Weibo, Xiaohongshu, internet

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The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.