Orin Smith, President, Starbuck
What was the accusation?
On September 11, 2001 (a.k.a. 9/11), a Starbucks store near the World Trade Center in New York City charged rescue workers $130 for three cases of bottled water. Midwood Ambulance Service, the rescue workers’ employer, contacted Starbucks headquarters about the incident and received a personal apology from Orin Smith, then president of Starbucks. In addition to a formal apology, the company also issued a reimbursement check for the water along with “conciliatory gestures” such as free coffee and gifts.
Key Apologia Strategies:
Mortification, Corrective Action
Video
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Transcript
“It’s [the incident] totally inconsistent with the kind of behavior we would have expected from our people, so it has been very upsetting to learn of this.” (Statement made during interview with The Associated Press.)
Sources
Starbucks apologizes for water flap. (2001, September 26). Fox News. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/story/2001/09/26/starbucks-apologizes-for-water-flap.html