<p>I have read with interest the varied opinions on the ice water challenge and felt like this story might get some interesting discussion going without the addition of a very worthy cause.</p>
<p>So this guy hears about the chain of “pay it forwards” at yet the latest Starbucks cafe and decides he has had enough. Got in his car and specifically drove to this Starbucks to end the chain. He got his coffee and the barista told him it was paid for by the previous customer. Then the barista asked him if he would like to pay for the next customer in line at which he answered " no" and stopped the chain. He figured the minute he was asked to pay for the next guy it did not count as an altruistic act of his own. </p>
<p>So is this just a great marketing ploy by Starbucks? Is this just people having fun and being part of something? Is this about this guy getting his own press? </p>
<p>If I was in line I would feel pressured to buy the next guys drink. I would probably reluctantly do this and feel coerced but be too embarrassed to say “no”.How does this work anyway? Am I overpaying? Underpaying? </p>
<p>If people know someone is paying for them do they not order some $8 drink that they want because they would feel bad. Do some order an $8 drink because they are not paying for their own.</p>
<p>Too much angst for me in buying a cup of coffee. It leaves me with a bad taste about Starbucks.</p>
<p>I think this is the stupidest thing, personally.</p>
<p>I mean, everyone is already there to get coffee. How is this such a great thing people are doing for each other? It’s the same as buying the bar a round of drinks. It’s not paying it forward.</p>
<p>Nothing wrong with it, except that Sbux is expensive. I don’t drink the expensive drinks, just coffee. I mean I could and have done this thing, but I won’t spend ten dollars for someone else’s morning coffee. I’m good with spending on my own.</p>
<p>I’m with OP, feel like they are doing this for the press. Yes, I would feel pressured if I was asked that question and would be annoyed. How is it an act of kindness or goodwill when you are prompted by the barista? And what do you do, hang around the register until you find out how much the guy behind you needs to pay for his coffee? Then all the “thank-you’s” and awkward conversation ensues when all you want is a cup of coffee. I am not a fan of Starbucks anyway - don’t like their coffee all that much, think they have awful food selections (with the exception of the cheese/fruit combo) and hate the hype and crowds. Only go there when I am with my children who like most teenagers seem to love the place.</p>
<p>I think this sort of thing can be a very nice gesture but it works best at a drive through window or a toll booth.</p>
<p>I don’t understand how this works. Say the guy in front of me paid for my grande Americano. Now the person behind me has a venti caramel macchiato with an extra shot of this or that, and a banana nut muffin. Why should I pay $9 instead of $3? Who would go along with that? Or does paying for your coffee mean your bill has had the price of a plain, small cup of coffee reduced off it? Why is this supposed to be “feel good”? I’m missing something here.</p>
<p>I <em>do</em> like when spontaneous acts of kindness make the news. Helps balance out all the spontaneous acts of violence that dominate the airwaves. It doesn’t feel “spontaneous” though if the barista is asking if you want to pay for the next guy though. </p>
<p>I’ve honestly only been to a Starbucks once in my life (I don’t drink coffee) so I don’t understand how this would even work. How do you know how much the next guy is going to cost? <em>shrug</em> </p>
<p>I think it’s just a nice thing to do…random act of kindness.</p>
<p>A couple of years ago, I was driving from my hometown to my undergrad an 8-hour drive away. I had to cross a bridge to get there. The fare was cheap, maybe $4 if I’m remembering right. When I arrived at the booth the woman working explained that the man in front of me had already paid my fare. It was such a “wow! What a nice thing to do!” moment. I knew I’d never see the man again, and that he didn’t expect any recognition. I feel like that’s such a rare thing. The next time I went across the bridge I made sure to pay my fare and the next person’s.</p>
<p>It’s just something that brightens someone’s day. I agree that I don’t know if it’s news-worthy, but it’s pretty cool when strangers do nice things for each other without any expectation of reciprocity.</p>
<p>As far as barristas giving free drinks–it happens sometimes. In grad school, my best friend’s boyfriend was a barista, so needless to say we spent a lot of time at that particular Starbucks doing homework and just hanging out. We got to know pretty much all the night shift baristas, and did sometimes get discounted or free drinks as a result. If you’re a regular and you know the baristas well, it does happen. They get a certain number of free drinks a day…“partner” drinks. Basically they’re just giving you one of theirs. They also get a partner discount every time they buy a drink, so if they give you a discount they’re just sharing theirs.</p>
<p>I think this is one of those “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” situations. Who cares why they did it? It’s a nice thing.</p>
<p>I usually spent $5-7 at Starbucks, which I feel is pretty average if you get anything besides black coffee. I’d do it if I was asked, or even if I was told the person in front of me paid for mine. </p>
<p>I love random acts of kindness. But this wasn’t one of them. There was no gift horse to examine. It was no different from if a bunch of people went to SB and ordered something, then all the orders were put in a hat and everyone drew one out and paid that one instead of their own.</p>
<p>I think the guy going there was a deliberate comment on that kind of “canned” pretend good-deed, which, let’s face it, became a money-making gimmick for SB as other people went there deliberately to take part in the “event”.</p>
<p>And I believe he tipped the barista 100 dollars. There’s a random act of kindness. :)</p>
<p>^Everyone still had to be willing to participate. Unless Starbucks paid for the initial person’s drink, I don’t see how it’s a gimmick on their part. It’s not like corporate is sitting there thinking, “Let’s tell this schmuck that the person in front of them paid for their coffee so they’ll start a ten-hour chain and generate ALL THE BUSINESS.”</p>
<p>It’s a gimmick on their part because they came up with the silly scheme in the first place to generate publicity with the hope that it would drum up more business from people who want to get in on the fun and probably hope they get the better end of a check toss up. I don’t see any good will, though. Maybe, pretend good will but only just barely. Mostly, it’s a game.</p>
<p>^^^
But how is it a random act of kindness? Someone paid for your coffee and you paid for someone else’s. If yours was one of those expensive double expresso mocha cappuccino froth things and the guy behind you orders a black coffee…………….</p>
<p>And the barrister has asked you to participate so any “randomness” is taken out of the equation. This is a gimmick because the real goal is publicity for SB’s. And it has worked! </p>
<p>What i don’t understand is why people are so upset about this. Even if it is a marketing ploy, so what? This is the first time a US corporation has sought, and received, feel-good press? Hardly.</p>
<p>There are many things going on in the world which deserve our outrage. This is not one of those things. IMO</p>
<p>My issue is the explicit request that you pay for the next person. If I start the chain and offer to pay for the person behind me, that’s an act of kindness. And if that person, on learning of my action, spontaneously says “Wow, that’s great! I’ll pick up the cost for the person behind me,” then that is also. But once the barista asks someone to pay, that’s adding an additional element that to my mind alters the transaction into a presumed obligation. </p>
<p>It’s similar to going through a double set of doors. If you hold the first door for me, I’m likely to hold the second door open for you, and we’ll have a little laugh at the crazy way we humans lubricate the social system. But if you hold the first door for me, and then ask me to hold the second door, it’s not funny any more.</p>
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