no point really

As most anyone that knows me can figure out, I love Starbucks. I love their coffee, food, and the fact that they have a drive-thru to make it even more convenient for me. And of course, there is something that can make Starbucks even better; when its FREE!

As a few people close to me know, I garnered a Starbucks Gold Card sometime before Thanksgiving of 2008. If you’re not familiar with the Gold Card, it allows the purchaser a discount for every purchase as well as some additional benefits (like your first beverage is free and random free items throughout the year) for a nominal $25 annual membership fee. This amazing card really pays for itself in a short time if you frequent Starbucks as often as I do, which is at least once a day (during the week). [Side note: Starbucks has made it very easy to get a beverage anytime my heart desires by placing their stores along my path (pretty much at every exit on the freeway and inside the library at the University).] Another nice thing about the Gold Card is its ability to act as a Gift Card as well; this means you can use it for your discounts and then pay with it all in one card.

So, I said all of that to lead to the actual story of FREE Starbucks. I always use my Gold Card (for the discount) and used to have a little bit of money stored on it (transferred Gift Cards I’d received to the Gold Card) that I would use to pay. Usually, I go to the same drive-thru Starbucks on my way to work and order the same thing every morning: grande brewed coffee with an inch of steamed breve, no foam and a sausage Piadini. Generally, due to the time frame I go, I end up getting the same barista that takes my order and processes my payment. Lucky for me!

For the last month or so, my Gold Card hasn’t had any money on it. So, I hand them my credit card and Gold Card at the same time. They swipe the Gold Card to get the discount and then use the credit card to pay. The last three times I’ve gone to this Starbucks, the same lady has accidentally tried to use my Gold Card to pay as well as for the discount. This usually isn’t a big deal. The system would deny the card and say there are no funds available on the card and they would then use the credit card I handed them. But, for some reason, (she says I make her nervous) she ends up feeling bad that she made the mistake, hands me my order, returns my Gold Card and credit card, then tells me the mistake she made and that I got it for free. Today I laughed and asked if she was sure (I didn’t want her to get in trouble). She said no problem that she’d just void the order.

So, this must be the reason that I love Starbucks so much. It smells good, tastes nice, and every so often its FREE!

Posted by Nathaniel Keifer