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Starbucks can't handle demand for free Wi-Fi

Starbucks began offering coffee drinkers a way to get free Wi-Fi access at its shops on Tuesday, but some customers had a hard time cashing in.

That's because some people were unable to access Starbucks' Card Rewards Web site in order to sign up for the program, which offers two hours of free Wi-Fi access per day to participants.

Some visitors to the site were greeted with a pop-up window stating: "Due to overwhelming interest in Card Rewards we are currently experiencing difficulty accessing Starbucks Card accounts. We are working to fix the problem and ask that you please try again later."

Starbucks announced the new program on Tuesday. People were encouraged to visit the Card Rewards Web page to either buy a new rewards card for $5 or to register an existing gift card to be part of the program. Users who sign up before July 14 will get a free drink, and everyone who signs up can use two hours of AT&T Wi-Fi access in Starbucks shops free every day.

In order to get the two free hours every day, Card Rewards program users must buy something with the card at least once a month.

A Starbucks spokesman said that the problems were on Starbucks' end, not AT&T's. "Customers overwhelmed the site when joining Starbucks Card Rewards," said Doug Cavarocchi, a Starbucks spokesman, in an e-mail. The problem started in the morning and was solved by midday on the West Coast.

The problem affected visitors in the U.S. and Canada trying to sign on to Starbucks.com with a user name and password, he said, although other users trying to sign up for the program also saw the error message.

The program follows Starbucks' announcement in February that it would begin using AT&T as the provider of in-store Wi-Fi service. For now, T-Mobile continues to operate Wi-Fi networks in some of the stores. Starbucks said that it plans to roll out A&T Wi-Fi in all of its U.S. stores by the end of this year.

The program also follows the launch of the My Starbucks Idea Web site, where anyone can post suggestions for improvements Starbucks might make and vote on other ideas. A week after the launch of the site, which was built on a hosted offering from Salesforce.com, the number one suggestion was to offer free drinks, and number two was to offer free Wi-Fi.


So who here goes to Starbucks?

Typical.

(I don't go to Starbucks)

Typical FourBucks customer...thinks that healthcare and ANYTHING to do with the internet should be free...

"what happened to you, man? i mean like, you used to be cool..."

Originally Posted By GiggleSmith: .... So who here goes to Starbucks?

Ummmm....errrrrr..... [hiding the big coffee cup I got with a gift card]

I can get a signal from their router, from next door at Taco Del Mar!

There are plenty of places to get on the 'net for free:
-most Jack in the Boxes
-my local A&W
-the public library system here
-Famous Dave's BBQ

Wow what a concept, give something away for free and then be surprised when too many people say, "OK, I'll take some."

Originally Posted By pale_pony: Typical FourBucks customer...thinks that healthcare and ANYTHING to do with the internet should be free...while not batting an eye spending $4 on a $1 worth of burnt coffee

+1 and an addition

Internet is free @ Caribou, not sure why it's such a monumental task for Starbucks.

Panera sucks too.....WiFi that is .Food is awsome!!

Originally Posted By PaDanby: Wow what a concept, give something away for free and then be surprised when too many people say, "OK, I'll take some."

Underestimating demand is almost as costly in these situations as overestimating it.

I may or may not have it on good authority that Another_Dude goes there.

Oh noes, even the Starbucks ran out of internet...guess we'll have to head out to Californee. (South Park joke)

Originally Posted By Procyon: Typical. (I don't go to Starbucks)

isolated incident

I go to Starbucks. But not for internets.

I don't get why people like sitting in public surfing the internet.

Originally Posted By Maccrage: I go to Starbucks. But not for internets.

the womenz! i picked up a few chicks there, much higher class than the ones i get at walmart

Originally Posted By texas_mustang_01: I don't get why people like sitting in public surfing the internet.

You have to do it when you're hopped up on coffee and doing homework.

Originally Posted By texas_mustang_01: I don't get why people like sitting in public surfing the internet.

I do it for work as Im too cheap to buy one of the cell phone network cards and I have to check my email every couple of hours.

Originally Posted By texas_mustang_01: I don't get why people like sitting in public surfing the internet.

Not all of us use it just for porn - I don't care if somebody sees me reading a wikipedia article in public

Starbucks is still WAY behind the times on this...

2 hours... Big fucking deal... Bra-vo...



Most places that offer wifi (Krystal, A&W, McD's, etc) do so as a courtesy for customers and a way to attract business (esp fast-food places... People surfing the web in restaurants do tend to buy snacks)....

In general, they do it for FREE...

Starbucks has been one of the few that charges...

The reason they are having 'trouble' is because they are trying to meter it rather than just do what the competition does & let folks surf free...

As a consequence, folks looking for free surfing will do so elsewhere... And will buy their snacks elsewhere too...

Originally Posted By Dave_A: Starbucks is still WAY behind the times on this... 2 hours... Big fucking deal... Bra-vo... Most places that offer wifi (Krystal, A&W, McD's, etc) do so as a courtesy for customers and a way to attract business (esp fast-food places... People surfing the web in restaurants do tend to buy snacks).... In general, they do it for FREE... Starbucks has been one of the few that charges... The reason they are having 'trouble' is because they are trying to meter it rather than just do what the competition does & let folks surf free... As a consequence, folks looking for free surfing will do so elsewhere... And will buy their snacks elsewhere too...

I don't think you understand the hold that starbucks has over people.

I mean, where else can liberals sit and complain about gas prices...while they're sipping a $4 cup of coffee.

These are good places to download music?

That is sad. If its that fuckin busy, close the damn computer and talk to other people.

Who wants to spend 2 hours a day in a coffee shop? The one here is filled with dirty, smelly hippies.

Originally Posted By armoredsaint: Originally Posted By Maccrage: I go to Starbucks. But not for internets. the womenz! i picked up a few chicks there, much higher class than the ones i get at walmart

You like them hippy chicks eh?

Originally Posted By ben72227: Originally Posted By Dave_A: Starbucks is still WAY behind the times on this... 2 hours... Big fucking deal... Bra-vo... Most places that offer wifi (Krystal, A&W, McD's, etc) do so as a courtesy for customers and a way to attract business (esp fast-food places... People surfing the web in restaurants do tend to buy snacks).... In general, they do it for FREE... Starbucks has been one of the few that charges... The reason they are having 'trouble' is because they are trying to meter it rather than just do what the competition does & let folks surf free... As a consequence, folks looking for free surfing will do so elsewhere... And will buy their snacks elsewhere too... I don't think you understand the hold that starbucks has over people. I mean, where else can liberals sit and complain about gas prices...while they're sipping a $4 cup of coffee.

For many places, maybe most, Starbucks is the only game in town. I drink plain, black coffee which is about $1.50 at Starbucks. My only other options are a granny place that closes right about the time I get off of work or a place that charges more than Starbucks for Community Coffee - that shit you get for free at the bank.

Starbucks is not great, but it's decent. And living in Hee-Haw it's the only thing I've got.

I hate Starbucks anyway.


Burned coffee every time.

+1

Soon a gallon of gas will cost more than a gallon of coffee at Starbucks. I wouldn't go to Caribou either after I found out the corporation is owned by a bnuch of Muslims.

Originally Posted By Dave_A: Starbucks is still WAY behind the times on this... 2 hours... Big fucking deal... Bra-vo... Most places that offer wifi (Krystal, A&W, McD's, etc) do so as a courtesy for customers and a way to attract business (esp fast-food places... People surfing the web in restaurants do tend to buy snacks).... In general, they do it for FREE... Starbucks has been one of the few that charges... The reason they are having 'trouble' is because they are trying to meter it rather than just do what the competition does & let folks surf free... As a consequence, folks looking for free surfing will do so elsewhere... And will buy their snacks elsewhere too...

Around here McDs makes you pay for internet. The only restaurant around here that actually has free Wi-fi is Panera, and the censors on it block everything.