On January 2nd, I published a blog post called A Starbucks Slip-Up.
The teaser for the post read:
In 2023, your Starbucks stars are going to be worth less. The company could have been much more transparent in communicating that...
Today, one week and one month later, Starbucks communicated the upcoming changes to their loyalty program the way they should have been communicated initially: by sending Starbucks Reward members a very clear email.
This situation offers two important lessons:
1. When it comes to companies doing the right thing, "better late than never" usually applies.
BUT...
2. You don't get full credit for doing something well only after NOT doing something well causes frustration, resentment, and outrage.
Plan accordingly.