Roughly two years ago or so I spoke with Starbucks VP, Anne Saunders, their Biz Dev wonderkind who put the hotspot deal together with T-Mobile after Mobilestar went under. During the interview I asked her about power outlets, saying “as you know WiFi draws down a battery faster than a normal PC.”
Saunders replied saying in so many words that Starbucks would be adding extra power outlets in stores that became hotspots. Liar !
Over the past two years I’ve held many a conversation with Starbucks store employees and not one has said that any extra outlets were ever added when the hotspots went in, and what’s worse some upgraded locations are so laptop unfriendly, meaning there aren’t enough power outlets to start with that going to one is almost a guarantee of a battery rundown.
Take the location at 19th and J in Sacramento, CA. There is one outlet in a location that is not really a seating location, which according to one employee, really makes it hard for the students who like to meet and hang out after classes.
Starbucks may have the best hotspot operation going of any USA retail chain, but that consistency comes from T-Mobile. Sadly, when it comes to being honest with the press, they’re rather cold. So, while I know they will try and spin this with excuses, the bottom line is that all locations are not created equal.