World's Most Expensive Coffee Machine: What the Starbucks Coupon Bug Reveals About Brand Trust

A coupon bug on the Starbucks mini-program and app jumped to the top of trending searches before the system moved into maintenance. Customer service called it a system malfunction and said issued coupons could still be redeemed. The timing was sensitive: a foreign-object complaint had surfaced the day before, and Luckin's Coconut Cloud Latte co-branding sold 660,000 cups on day one.

The foreign-object case involved a silicone piece described as a small handle that fell off the steam wand switch of a Black Eagle coffee machine in a Reserve store. The store manager's response and a "deaf and mute partner" explanation drew criticism and undercut the disability-friendly employment image the chain had built, while its 24 Solar Terms drinks saw a lukewarm market response.

A sudden coupon bug on Starbucks' mini-program and app quickly shot to the top of trending searches, after which the system entered a maintenance state. Official customer service said it was a system malfunction and that coupons already issued could still be redeemed normally. However, the timing of the incident was sensitive, and many netizens speculated about the motive behind it—either to divert public attention from the foreign-object incident the day before, or to respond to the sales heat of Luckin and Coconut Palm's co-branded Coconut Cloud Latte, which sold 660,000 cups on its first day. In the foreign-object incident, the store manager's way of responding and the "deaf and mute partner" explanation sparked controversy, casting a shadow over the disability-friendly employment image Starbucks had long cultivated. At the same time, Starbucks' 24 Solar Terms series drinks received a lukewarm market response. How exactly should the brand rebuild consumer trust? This article sorts out the timeline of events and various opinions for you.

This wave of coupon loopholes did not last long before coming to an abrupt halt. Many netizens who reacted a bit too slowly lamented that they had missed the last train, and Starbucks' mini-program and app subsequently shifted into maintenance mode. Starbucks official customer service explained this as a system malfunction and said that as long as coupons already credited to accounts could be redeemed, they could still be used normally.

Facing this sudden bug and "Starbucks" abruptly landing at the top of trending searches, netizens roughly offered two guesses: first, a store manager's explanation and handling of a foreign object found in coffee the previous day had already triggered public backlash, and this bug might have been intended to distract public attention; second, this might have been a marketing move, because Luckin Coffee happened to launch its co-branded Coconut Cloud Latte with Coconut Palm on the same day, and Starbucks may have been unable to sit still.

Just yesterday, news about a foreign object found in Starbucks coffee sparked heated discussion. According to the netizen's description, they drank a silicone foreign object in a Starbucks beverage. Later, Starbucks staff confirmed that the object was a small handle that had fallen off the steam wand switch of a Black Eagle coffee machine in a Reserve store. The manager of the store involved explained that the person who made the drink was a deaf and mute partner, who could not hear sounds and therefore did not notice the part falling into the cup. What made netizens even more dissatisfied was that after receiving the complaint, the store manager did not sincerely apologize, but instead immediately asked the customer to return the fallen part.

No matter how you look at it, this matter is hard to accept. On the one hand, the steam wand switch is used extremely frequently, so it makes little sense that a part had been falling off for a long time without anyone noticing. On the other hand, regardless of the cause of the accident, why specifically emphasize that the drink was made by a deaf and mute partner, instead of frankly admitting that the partner had made an operational error?

Long before various countries had even formed supporting policies for enterprises to employ people with disabilities, Starbucks had already taken the initiative to provide jobs for people with disabilities. In the 2001 film I Am Sam, the intellectually disabled protagonist worked at a Starbucks coffee shop. This shows that Starbucks had already conveyed a gesture of corporate social responsibility to the outside world around 2001.

This should have been a move that added to the brand image, but because of one employee's wording, consumer favorability slid again. Although an individual's words and actions cannot represent the entire brand, this incident indirectly reflects the company's deficiencies in employee training, as well as the fact that when facing the issue of employment for people with disabilities, employees and the company's stance were not truly aligned.

On the other side, this abrupt and somewhat baffling coupon bug happened to land on the second day after Luckin released a new product, inevitably making netizens suspect whether Starbucks was really anxious. Yesterday, Luckin Coffee officially launched its co-branded Coconut Cloud Latte with Coconut Palm. Around this new product, Luckin built hype in advance, issued coupons, and organized group-buy lotteries and a series of other actions. On its first day on the market, it triggered a flood of posts from netizens and sold 660,000 cups. With a co-branding tie-up between an established domestic brand and bargain-hunting-style pricing, the heat of Coconut Cloud Latte was in no way inferior to that when Raw Coconut Latte first appeared, and Luckin accordingly announced a goal of sales exceeding 100 million cups.

By contrast, Starbucks had also previously launched a 24 Solar Terms series of drinks, but both sales and discussion were far below Luckin's new product. Perhaps it was because the pricing was on the high side, or perhaps the new series was too fresh and artsy, lacking a flashpoint that could resonate and spur purchases.

So some netizens speculated that today's coupon bug might have been intentional on Starbucks' part. Quietly giving consumers a chance for a windfall, and using netizens' shock and complaints about the bug to achieve promotional effects, while also shifting the direction of the conversation.

However, whatever the reason, what Starbucks must now face is not merely the problem of customer loss, but a series of crises bred from long-term shelving of basic problems. To win back consumers' trust and attention, it should not rely on sudden trending searches for eyeballs, but on sincerely solving problems. As one netizen said:

This precisely echoes Starbucks' own brand values: for everything, we must do our utmost, be the best we can be, and dare to take responsibility.

Image source: Weibo, internet

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