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AT&T Now Providing Wifi Access at Starbucks

eastcoastsurfer said:
Not starbucks, but I use a local coffee shop as my 'office' on days I don't want to work from home. It's quiet, free internet, and coffee on tap :) In fact there are a few other people I see in there regularly who do the same thing.

You're right about Starbucks though. No way I could spend more than 5 minutes in that place. I don't like the culture, the people who work there bug me and the 'let me see how many words I can have in my coffee order' people bug me too.
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You know what bugs me, people who think that starbucks has a culture and that ordering a drink you like that happens to be longer than 'black' is something looked down upon. It's too bad everyone can't be as cool as you dude.
 
Still charging customers for wireless...

I am glad the Chicago area has some free wireless cafes available, with better coffees and teas too.

Argo Tea

Cheers.
 
Eduardo1971 said:
So, you also refuse to pay for other utilities?:rolleyes:
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I don't expect an extra charge for the lights and heat in Starbucks, so, no, I don't pay for those utilities either. It is bundled into the price of their other services and products.

Eddie O
 
eastcoastsurfer said:
The article is interesting, but I think it discounts that a lot of the coffee shop business has been driven by people doing more than coming in and grabbing coffee and leaving. In the morning I'm sure there is a lot of churn, but what about all day long business? I think it's likely most coffee shops wifi will move towards the buy a cup get 2 hours of wifi scenario. Which is one that I think works for both the business owner and consumer.
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Definitely! I totally agree with that... not only in logic, but in ethic. Whenever I go into a coffee shop for their wifi, I always buy a cup of coffee first (obviously), but I also make sure to buy another cup or a snack or something every, say, hour or so. I think it basically comes down to common courtesy, something that a lot of people don't have, unfortunately. I think it's sad that people feel as though they're "entitled" to walk into any establishment, leech off their wifi, and not buy a thing. That's not what a shop is for, coffee or otherwise.
 
edoates said:
I don't expect an extra charge for the lights and heat in Starbucks, so, no, I don't pay for those utilities either. It is bundled into the price of their other services and products.

Eddie O
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I'd tend to agree with you. The local coffee shop (just steps from where I live) offers free Wi Fi. One of many reasons I think people frequent the shop.
 
bigmc6000 said:
I wish paid access was dead but as long as there are airports using T-Mobile it will live on. Talk about a monopoly. I'd bet if the starbucks in the airport offered free wi-fi people would just sit there drinking coffee and eating their food the entire time they had to wait. Actually, that's a brilliant idea!! I know starbucks employee's probably don't read this site but you need to take that to your manager or something - those airport starbucks would make a TON of money.
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As if they don't already??? ;)

More often then not airports grant contracts on wifi for entire terminals or the whole airport so it might be tough for Starbucks to offer this.
 
edoates said:
I don't expect an extra charge for the lights and heat in Starbucks, so, no, I don't pay for those utilities either. It is bundled into the price of their other services and products.

Eddie O
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Yeah true but wireless internet in theory keeps you there longer taking up a chair that another paying customer would use. I do get it.
 
i do not like the idea of paying actual money for wifi out in public (i will use slow EDGE service before i ever pay for wifi), but i do like the idea of businesses giving you wifi if you buy their products.

now they just need a "buy 6 get one free" thing like Subway used to do...
 
tothelimit said:
ohh...
I'm pretty certain they are not free for iPhone users. The Barnes & Noble near my house is an AT&T hotspot and I can't access it for free from my iPhone - it prompts for a username/pw or asks me to purchase time.
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I see. Good to know. Guess I'm lucky* that I get AT&T DSL!

* Lucky in that a Starbucks is nearby and will be giving me free WiFi in future. NOT lucky that it's a Starbucks. I'd go to just about any other coffee shop or hotspot first! :eek:

cornercuttin said:
i do not like the idea of paying actual money for wifi out in public (i will use slow EDGE service before i ever pay for wifi), but i do like the idea of businesses giving you wifi if you buy their products.

now they just need a "buy 6 get one free" thing like Subway used to do...
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My LOCAL coffee "chain" (sadly farther for me than Starbucks) gives you 2 hours free WiFi... then you must buy something--anything--to get a code that gives you another 2 hours. Repeat as needed. Quite generous.
 
eastcoastsurfer said:
...No way I could spend more than 5 minutes in that place. I don't like the culture, the people who work there bug me and the 'let me see how many words I can have in my coffee order' people bug me too.
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Interesting.

At the Starbucks I go to 1/2 the employees also work at the Apple store.

They know my order - I never even have to ask - they have it ready for me, plain old black coffee, when I walk in the door (they know my car). If I wanted to I could literally not say a word and get my coffee. That and the employees are some of the nicest people I have ever met - I guess it depends on your attitude and the individual Starbucks store.
 
tothelimit said:
Yeah - I just reread that number ... 7000 stores is pretty crazy.

I'm a tea drinker though. :rolleyes:
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Starbucks actually started out as a tea shop - down around Pike Place Market in Seattle IIRC.

I really like their actual coffee - it's obviously a matter of taste, though. Plus the beans have taken a back seat to the espresso drink trade. But I used to think it was really cool... back when you'd walk in and there'd be these huge plexiglass stacks full of dozens of different whole-bean coffees, and they'd scoop them out "to order" when you made a purchase. Back then the espresso stand was a tiny spot in the back of the store... :p
 
What may be interesting is how this folds in to the complimentary rumor of a Starbucks ordering application, as prototyped here-

http://www.genoco.com/link/interactive_quickOrder.html

The combination of the wifi and the application would generate business for the Starbucks card and serve as a model for other such partnerships.
 
slffl said:
You know what bugs me, people who think that starbucks has a culture and that ordering a drink you like that happens to be longer than 'black' is something looked down upon. It's too bad everyone can't be as cool as you dude.
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Do you know anyone who works there? They absolutely do have a culture of people who sell and buy $4 cups of coffee. And yes, I know people who work there and used to work there and every conversation ends up being Starbucks this and Starbucks that. It's a coffee shop!

As far as coffee is concerned, what's wrong with the basic types? Coffee, espressos (cappicinios/lattes)? Is a 2 pump, low fat, chai mochiato carmel latte even coffee anymore? lol
 
joemama said:
Do people really hang out at Starbucks that long to peruse the Internet?

Get your coffee and go, people. If I'm "hanging" at a coffee shop, it's because I'm there with someone, and I'm socializing with them. Not putt-sing around the web.

Am I missing something here?
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Well, I work at home, and sometimes I head out to a coffee shop for a change of scenery. Having Internet access is key, because I still need to be available via IM and email.

But I never go to Starbucks to work. I head to local independent shops that offer free wi-fi access to customers. And you know what? I always drop an extra buck or two into the tip jar because of that. Just to say thanks for being generous with information and electricity. And I'll probably buy more drinks and goodies too. Most of the other people in the shops I go to do the same. Free wi-fi just makes good business sense, it keeps customers in the shop (which makes it look inviting and successful) and draws new customers in. But really, Starbucks doesn't need more customers, so it can get away with charging for wi-fi.
 
FreeState said:
Interesting.

At the Starbucks I go to 1/2 the employees also work at the Apple store.

They know my order - I never even have to ask - they have it ready for me when I walk in the door (they know my car). If I wanted to I could literally not say a word and get my coffee. That and the employees are some of the nicest people I have ever met - I guess it depends on your attitude and the individual Starbucks store.
Click to expand...

2 brands which inspire a religious following, so that's no surprise. And I agree that the people are nice. I know this girl who *used* to work at Starbucks and was offered a great deal on a house a couple years ago. She wouldn't buy it because it wasn't close enough to a Starbucks. At first I thought that was a one off situation, but I've since met other people who work there and they are more religious about it than a lot of the fundamentalist church people I know.
 
joefinan said:
Starbucks have 7000 stores in the US??????

Is coffee really that fantastic?!
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I dunno, but it seems like Starbucks is a franchise that encourages stores to compete amongst themselves for sales. I have seen a street corner with 2 starbucks kitty-corner from each other. You could see both sets of customers at once.
 
I know this is a step in the right direction for Starbucks, however, it is still not enough. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we've got free wifi in every coffee shop you stop into, no strings attached. No hourly fees, no subscriptions, just ask for the password at the counter and you're online. Until Starbucks quits beating around the bush and just offers free wifi with no conditions, they're not going to see that great of an improvement in customer flow.
 
What's to stop me from sharing my AT&T login info with all my friends who go to starbucks so they can have free Wifi while they're getting coffee? I mean, a whole family is likely using the DSL internet services at home, so they should all be entitled to Wifi as well, right? Is there some sort of max Starbucks connections per AT&T account?
 
slffl said:
You know what bugs me, people who think that starbucks has a culture and that ordering a drink you like that happens to be longer than 'black' is something looked down upon. It's too bad everyone can't be as cool as you dude.
Click to expand...

Must agree with you...

Me personally I'll take a grande iced carmel macciato, non fat, stirred. oh 17 ice cubes too please. It does have a culture feel to it and i'm not sure how you couldn't like it. Its inviting and friendly.

People always love to bash the top companies. What could you not like about the people there? The fact that their friendly? Must be from new york :D

Anyway, I actually wrote them a couple weeks ago letting them know how rediculus it is that they expect us to pay an additional $20 a month for tmobile wifi. My phone bill is enough. You got your custom itunes at starbucks geared towards the iPhone, yet they use tmobile? Just doesn't make sense to me. Glad to hear they are changing it and it should be free, starbucks makes money off songs purchased there anyways.
 
I think WiFi access wold be great in virtually any place you may spend more than an hour in as long as you buy something from the establishment. I know that was mentioned earlier. As an iPhone guy anywhere there's access to free WiFi means there's a chance I'll buy something or at least check and view my email at faster rate. Buying a gift card for a frequent-flyer like me is a no-brainer now that access is involved. I just can't see being in a 'Bucks for over 2 hrs - just give me my double shot of espresso and fast email access and I'm out. Maybe I'll grab a new release from iTunes for the day's soundtrack...

I agree with Shap, Starbucks makes plenty on the coffee and the iTunes scenario already.
 
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