What’s Your Starbucks Idea?

Not content with the old-school suggestion box, Starbucks has created My Starbucks Idea, a community site that's all about sharing your thoughts about Starbucks. Sign up, log in and post your thoughts – or vote on other people's suggestions.

Topics include Our Partners (Employees), Merchandise & Music and the ever-popular Other Drinks. The site has been conveniently front-loaded with "customer suggestions" of ideas that Starbucks has already implemented, such as:

"Offer customers a free drink, after purchasing a set number of drinks. Similar to a punch card system or by tracking it thru their Starbucks Card." [dozens of versions of this one]

"I would say to try and make them healthier. Lowering calories etc without changing the taste. Like the switch to 2% milk."

"Since you have introduced the automated expresso machines in Japan the quality of your coffee has gone down. I had frequented the Starbucks at "AT Queen's square" for about 5 years. Since you put the new expresso machine in there I cannot trust that I will get a good cup of Cappucino from Starbucks anymore."

And then there are brainstorms like this one:

"The idea is in depth, however, it may be separated into two distinct segments:
The first is about creating a virtual world for customers and partners to share, learn, collaborate, and interact. I call it "Starbucks Chate." Users can share their artwork (maybe contests where users vote), literature, converse with each other, find new friends, view meeting times of groups... the possibilities are endless. This service could possibly be geared towards adults (18/21+) because there is a niche where adults have no real Facebook or MySpace, as those services are geared towards the younger crowd.

The second portion of the idea involves implementing some touch-screen tables in specific Starbucks locations. A partnership with Microsoft's Surface could be groundbreaking because that technology is amazing and user friendly. Imagine having a customer card that you swipe on the table - then imagine having instant access to newspapers, music, and magazines all on this interactive table. Or imagine learning more about the history or Starbucks or information about specific coffee beans. Again, the possibilities are endless. "

The site is a little clumsy – the front page's title is "mainLayout," there's a broken Flash object atop every post, and little niceties like logging in don't work too smoothly – but I suspect it'll be used primarily by people sitting at Starbucks with a laptop and a peeve. Its aim of getting free press for the corporation is working, at least.

As of this writing, the suggestion "more coffee smells" has 820 "points" – that's 82 votes. I admit it: I was number 82.