It took a much-discussed hit and continuing stock tumble for Starbucks to finally turn to "us" customers and staff for ideas on how to get back in their good graces. Sign up at my Starbucks Idea and offer your suggestion. It pops up on the site immediately. Then peruse others' ideas to comment or vote on them. Find one of the 13 categories that most interest you. From the response there's clearly aMore... pent-up interest in sharing tips. I disagree with mashable's opinion however and even with savvy John Moore's view that Starbucks shouldn't have opened "the customer suggestion box floodgate."
Perhaps your tip will rise to the popular ideas list or even the top all-time list and be labeled "Under Review," indicating that the turnaround team at Starbucks may put it into practice. Then you see it labeled "Coming Soon." Too bad they aren't rewarding the top 100 contributors. A $500 gift card seems about right. Say the first 50 winners of the "People's Choice" (our vote) get the $500 gift card and the first 50 contributors of suggestions that are implemented get the $500 gift card. Double winners get a $1,000 certificate, of course.
Consumer-serving companies don't have to be getting flack to adapt their version of this social media template (first launched by Dell as IdeaStorm). Those riding the wave of loyalty could too. Also, if you serve clients or customers consider crafting your version to get bright ideas from customers - and attract new ones and media coverage as you cultivate an ever more loyal constituency.
Act soon and be the first in your kind of business to do so. SmartPartner with a reputable, non-competing business that your kind of customer also uses. Then you get a double benefit. The winners at your site get gift coupons from your partner and vice versa. Thus you gain a warmed-up introduction to each others' customers as you tout those gift coupon prizes on your sites. Plus you add another wrinkle to the story for the local (and your industry) media to cover.
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