Monday, April 27, 2009

Social Media and Coffee ...by Jason Coffee

Coffee Cup News: A blog on a blog....blogging (thanks Jason) :) Read and listen to what Jason has to say or just go there :)

Biggby Bob, the CEO and co-founder of Biggby Coffee, visits each of his stores and buys his customers drinks for 2 hours! They call it, “Where is Bob?” Which brings me back to childhood and to me is slightly reminiscent of “Where’s Waldo?” Anyway, He announces which stores he will be at on his blog and then shows up at the assigned day and time. This is cool, period. I want to see more and more businesses moving in this direction with Social Media and I think, no I KNOW we will. This type of thing creates such a dynamic connectedness to your customers and employees and just plain out makes it fun to be apart of your neighborhood coffee shop. Though this is a HUGE step in the right direction no matter what kind of business you own, I absolutely can’t wait to see someone/a business utilize Social Media to it’s full extent. I think a business like Biggby Coffee that is already swiftly moving in that direction would be a perfect candidate.


Sunday, April 26, 2009

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Radio Interview with Me :)

Happy Earth Day :)

Reuse....bring or buy a mug to fill :)



XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


French Roast -- Fair Trade & Organic
Rwanda -- Fair Trade
Costa Rica -- Organic

Monday, April 20, 2009

Mike Ilitch, Tiger Stadiium and the Big Three Auto Makers

A good story sent to me by email...

Detroit Three find hope in centerfield

When the Tigers open their season this week, fans will look to centerfield at Comerica Park and see the greenery, the flagpoles and the giant fountain. And, as usual, every time there’s a Detroit home run, those fountains will erupt.
That spot, in the stadium business, is what they call prime real estate. Companies pay big money to have their logo smack dab in the middle, so that every time fans gaze out there, the brand is what they see.
For the last few years, General Motors has spon sored that fountain, and paid a substantial fee to do so. This season, with all that has hap pened in the auto business, GM’s folks called the Tigers and said, regretfully, they could no longer afford it. Giv en the layoffs, the bailouts, the threat of bankruptcy, well, owning centerfield was too great a luxury.
GM had to step aside.
Which is when Mike Ilitch, the Tigers’ owner, stepped in.
There were other bidders.
Other offers. Who wouldn’t want that real estate? A deal of three years worth between $1.5 million and $2 million was on the table.
Ilitch said no thanks.
He was going to give it away.
Or maybe “give it back” is a better way of putting it.
Chalk up an outfield assist
“It just seems strange to have the car companies in trouble,” he told me this past week. “The Big Three, where would this city be without them? I mean, my father came from the old country and got a job at Ford’s. It put food on our table.
“It’s scary to think that any of those carmakers could go away.”
So Ilitch told his people to thank the potential paying customers, but to say that the centerfield fountain this year was spoken for. It would be the feature site for General Motors, Ford and Chrysler..
For free.
No charge.
Not one penny.
“It’s just a small opportuni ty to respond to what’s hap pening,” Ilitch said, embar rassed by the attention.
There’s nothing small about it.
Every business has been affected by the collapsing economy; baseball teams are no exception. Walking away from a couple million dollars is not considered a wise fi nancial move. Who turns away paying customers?
In this case, Ilitch did.
Because sometimes it’s about the where and the who, not just the how much.
A message from the ballclub
“I thought for a few weeks before deciding,” Ilitch ad mitted. “I didn’t want to of fend anybody. I didn’t want to put off the foreign carmakers. And I didn’t want people to think we couldn’t sell the fountain. As a businessman, you do worry about those things.
“But I finally said, ‘The heck with it.’ I want to do something to help.”
So starting with the home opener this Friday afternoon, the Chrysler, General Motors and Ford logos will be on an equal plane above the foun tain. And beneath those logos will be a few new words: “The Detroit Tigers sup port our automakers.”
It may be as close to a social statement as center field has ever made.
Visitors in Detroit for this weekend’s Final Four may think our small, thriving downtown looks a lot like other cities’ downtowns. But there is something different beneath the surface.
Here, we construct in the face of adversity. We build on hope. Pure investors will tell you a city with rampant un employment, enormous bud get shortfalls, a troubled school system and a laughable city council is not a place to put your money. We do it anyhow.
We do it because we love our past and we believe in our future. We do it because the alternative would be to close shop altogether. We do it because last week there were stories about the gleaming new Yankee Stadium, which cost $1.5 billion and has seats as high as $2,625 a game — and here is Ilitch giving away his fountain for free.
Detroit may be the new home of the bumpy ride, but as the Three Musketeers once discovered, it’s a little smoother when you grab hands with others.. Think about that the next time a home run sends that fountain shooting up to those logos.
Sometimes it really is all for one and one for all.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Frazz :) just fer fun, ya'know?

Click it to see the whole thing, K? Frazz

Friday, April 17, 2009

Thursday, April 16, 2009

I love BIGGBY! :-)

This young man made my day...watch and see why!
:)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Tweet Up @ BIGGBY COFFEE Madison Heights!

Energy ...Excitement ...Enthusiasm

My day job :)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Biggby co-founder to give LCC commencement address

Midday update Just go there :)
Staff report • April 14, 2009 • From LSJ.com

Biggby Coffee CEO and co-founder Bob Fish will give the commencement address at Lansing Community College’s May 1 graduation ceremony.


LCC selected Fish because of his significant entrepreneurial success, his innovative spirit and his charismatic and inspiring personality, the college said in a news release.


Fish founded the East Lansing-based company in 1995 with his partner, Mary Roszel, and opened the first cafe on Grand River in East Lansing. The company sold its first franchise is 1999, and now has more than 100 cafes in nine states.


LCC’s commencement will take place at 7 p.m. at Breslin Student Event Center in East Lansing.

Same-o Snamo

Snamo tells it like it is!

ya'gotta check it out :)

corrections: over a hundred and trivia does works in stores :)

I was reminded for the thousandth time why I love BIGGBY

A note from a customer of the Novi store...and the next SPOT BOB location :) The world is good...sometimes it just needs a chance, ya'know?

My name is Kxxx, and a while ago, I had a bad day while visiting my local Biggby Coffee shop, and I unfairly decided to vent by complaining about my local Biggby shop. After I left Biggby coffee that day, and after I took some deep cleansing breaths (as my Yoga instructor always advises to do when stressed), I realized that I was unfair to my Biggby shop. I complained about the shades in the shop, and complained about a Biggby employee, Jesse.

You read my distressed e-mail, and quickly responded by saying that you would talk to the owner of the Novi Biggby shop, and that since Biggby cares deeply about the service it provides, you would notify the Novi Biggby shop about its customer service. I returned to my local Biggby shop days later when I was much calmer, and realized that I was really angry when I wrote that e-mail to you. I was unfair to my Biggby shop and to the Biggby team there. I noticed that Jesse greets many customers by name and with warm familiarity, and that the Biggby team members at the Novi shop always welcome customers with a smile and a greeting. The owner, Mike Waltersdorf, even quietly noted to me that he had shades measured for the shop, and that he was expecting the shades to be installed very soon. I hung my head and said, "I was really stressed when I wrote that e-mail." He kindly asked, "Is it school related?" I replied, "Yes," and he said, "It's okay; I've been there, so I definitely understand." And once again, I was reminded for the thousandth time why I love Biggby and how lucky I am to have Biggby in my neighborhood.

I see that the Biggby CEO is visiting the Novi location on April 16th. When he visits, I hope he knows that he should be really proud of this Novi shop because the team there is contentious and responsive to customer's needs.

I realize that in return for great service and a high reliability score, customers have to be fair and really show their appreciation for Biggby. I was unfair in the past; I vented my own troubles and projected my own insecurities on Jesse. I'm sorry for being a poor customer.

Thank you, Biggby!

BIGGBY COFFEE introduces new size :)

What you do when your doctor says you can only have one cup of coffee a day :)

Movie Studio locates in Allen Park 1 mile from BIGGBY COFFEE...Go Downriver!

Got this TWEET from Unity Studios

" @BiggbyBob Biggby AP being 1 mile away has weighed heavily on our location decision! LOL. How does BIGGBY on the lot sound? Hmmm? "
Click Here 4 Movie Story

Monday, April 13, 2009

This just in ....from the rest of the WORLD! BIGGBY COFFEE

Here is that story....on Friday I was talking to a customer while steaming milk and he was RAVING about how consistent we are. The customer said EVERY TIME for his last 5 or 6 visits he has gotten into an argument with the SAME employee at Starbucks about her using the wrong milk. He said sometimes they use skim or 2% but they are never consistent even when he requests a specific kind! He continued to tell me how great my staff is here at 223 and how they always get his order 100% correct. I was very excited to hear such great feedback and thought you would love it too!

-Sara

Thanks Toledo, yer awesome!

Do-u-hava story?

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Spot Bob - Grand Rapids BIGGBY - B-Fun :)

What's different about BIGGBY?

We already know their drinks, know their names, and know how their lives are going... you got it!

The BIGGBY way :)

A video of BIGGBY BOB by hRANILOVICH





Click for the Video...it's FLIP

A 'pay it forward' story...and BIGGBY COFFEE

Click to see the 'pay it forward' story

It's awesome!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Chris Chelios' 'Jones Soda' Jersey -- Get it!

Bloomfield Hills, Mich., March 31, 2009 – BIGGBY COFFEE of Bloomfield Hills located at 1952 Telegraph Road will hold a giveaway beginning April 1st. The Grand Prize is an autographed hockey jersey. To enter the giveaway, simply stop in at the store (one entry per person, per day). The winner will be drawn at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 25th. There will also be special Limited Edition 4 packs of Jones Soda given away to lucky winners, so don’t miss out! No purchase necessary, just show up and enter once per day for your chance to win.

The Bloomfield Hills location is owned by Michigan natives and siblings Joe and Rose Glendinning. Their shop offers free wireless internet access, a warming fireplace, plentiful seating, and a convenient drive-thru for those in a hurry!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

SPOT BOB (Toledo) Spectacular!

Big B Bob!!!!

Toledo LOVES you!!! Thanks for your recent visit to the Big B at Cricket West - not to mention the free drink!
My dog "Zoe" enjoys walking up to the shop (almost) every morning for her blueberry muffin or doughnut!
Keep up the FUN!! Of Big B's and we LOVE the staff at this location! PLEASE, PLEASE don't ever go away!

Big B's is the BEST!

Diane & Zoe :)

Cricket West - Strange Name/Great Place