Can Starbucks hear me?

Hello,

This is a little different post from what I usually post here, but it could still be very interesting as a case study in the power of experiental marketing. The ideal outcome of this experiment is mentioned at the end of this post.

I'm using a passage of Max Lendermans book "Experience the Message".
I just sent an email to Starbucks:
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Hello,

I'd love to quote a passage in a book I recently read. The reason for this? You'll find it after the passage.

"Take Starbucks again as an example, this time as both a brand and an experience. As Lewis Carbone writes in Clued In, "if you are considering how you feel about Starbucks, you are thinking about the Starbucks brand. If you think about how you yourself feel as a result of a visit to a Starbucks, you are relating to the experience....What customers value is the experience. And that's what they associate with the brand (brand association)" (excerpt from the book "Experience the Message" by Max Lenderman).

When I went to Starbucks in downtown Montreal (#72118), I had walked by a few other coffee stores. Since I am a regular to Startbucks, I always keep a charged Starbucks "gift card" in my wallet so that I don't need any change. After walking past the Second Cups of Montreal, a few other chains and the local small coffee stores I finally found a Starbucks in the Chapters store. The store was still closed so I waited patiently for 10 minutes to get "my Starbucks". After I finally got my coffee I wanted to use my gift card to pay for the coffee. This specific store (#72118) does not have the system set up to take gift cards. I was not really disappointed, I simply paid using some change, but it definitely wrecked the perception of this specific store for me.

With this email I simply want to point out to you, that you rely on the experience that your customer has at Starbucks. I went out of my way to get to the store, waited patiently to receive a coffee just to have "my experience" and perception of Starbucks wrecked by a cashiers system. Is that worth your highest asset?

Best Regards, Hans
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I was not able to find the email address of the marketing departement, but lets see what kind of response I will get.

The only real response I'd like to get from them is, to find out that they are installing a new cashiers system in that specific store.

This experiment could be taken further if they don't install a new cash by spreading this post in the marketing community, seeing that Starbucks gets used as a role model very often.

But for now, lets see what happens. If this works out, this will definitely be a lesson in marketing. But already at this point I would like to point out that the experience that your customer has definitely matters and I would love to see more business that are offering environmentally responsible products be aware of the experiential marketing. One very positive example would be Whole Foods. Excellent products with an excellent experience. As a matter of fact, I have a friends that visit the store as a highlight of the day.

I will keep you informed.

PS: "Can Starbucks hear me?"