It's too bad I can't swing by there and buy something b/c of that. Thanks for sharing the story though.

I think that Starbuck's is re-inventing their business on some basic levels - customer service being one of them.

The fact that you didn't even have to awkwardly say, "Can I have another one, please?" is all the difference. Even if they were willing to make you a new one - the fact you didn't even have to ask is incredible.

Quaid, you're right. It really struck me as "innovative" for them to have done that, but I figured I might have only thought so b/c I'm so used to bad service everywhere and maybe service like this is customary elsewhere.

For the record, though, I wouldn't have asked for another one. It wasn't their fault she dropped it; it was Grace's for being 4 and mine for trusting her with it before we got to the car. :-)
(Oh, and in case anybody's now wondering, I wasn't upset with her for dropping it. She's 4. It happens. :-)

That reminds me of the FOUR FREE COFFEES day I had in Albuquerque.

We started the morning in a Target picking up water and paper towels. I got my beloved Grande Triple Nonfat Latte...and dropped it in the paper towel aisle. My buddy went to go get me another one while I paid for our stuff- the Starbucks ladies gave it to her for free. That's one.

I went to another Starbucks in the afternoon to get a coffee before we hit the zoo. They had to brew it fresh...and forgot about me. I finally caught the girl's eye and smiled - she freaked about forgetting me, didn't charge me for the coffee and gave me a certificate for a free "anything I wanted" for a future visit. That was 2 and 3. Then on the cardboard sleeve there was a sticker entitling me to yet another free cup of coffee. #4!

Man. That was a GOOD day!

Starbucks had me at hello.