Would you buy a suspended coffee?

[focusedhypno 10]

So you pay for two coffees...only have one in the philanthropic hope that the other one will be freely given to someone in need.......mmmm......do the coffee retailers view it in the same light....or do they just think hey we are getting paid twice for one coffee...as they pocket the amount you have lovingly donated.

 

For goodness sake....Starbuck can't even do the right thing and pay tax on it's profits...does anyone honestly think that your donated coffee would actually reach a person you bought it for??

 

The pessimism on this forum is sometimes a little disheartening I must be honest.

I had a pessimistic phase. It lasted 13 years and seriously contributed to my depression and I worked really hard to try and improve my outlook on life.

I'm not singling you out Julado, there are other naysayers on here too but perhaps you could all reserve judgement until it has at least been tried. Or maybe come up with reasons WHY you think it would fail and suggest some ways to avoid that or work around it.

 

It has been bloody freezing recently and I was reluctant to be out in it for more than 10 minutes today. I couldn't imagine living on the streets in weather like this and wanted to try and do a little something that might make a bit of a difference.

 

I know you mentioned Starbucks but as I said earlier, I seriously doubt the Starbucks and Costas of Sheffield would give a monkeys which is why I focused on the independent coffee shops. They generally provide a much better brew, invest a LOT more back into the city anyway, and are much more likely to be honest enough to support a scheme and not rob a cuppa from a homeless person!

[SevenRivers 10]

No. They'd probably prefer a suspended bottle of vodka at the off licence.

[focusedhypno 10]

Maybe not, but the idea is a good one. You've got to ask yourself; what makes someone qualify for a free coffee??

 

I think you would get a lot of 'needy looking' people who could afford a coffee, taking advantage of the opportunity.

 

Plus, you would get a lot of 'wrong uns' hanging around the shop.

 

Can't see this one taking off to be honest.

 

Mr Bloom's idea of a donation card sounds pretty workable. Low cost, easy to implement, the benefit goes directly to the person you want to donate to. If owners are worried about "wrong sorts" perhaps it could be limited to take away only?

Lets find some solutions people rather than picking holes and ******* on bonfires!

[Bonzo77 13]

Mr Bloom's idea of a donation card sounds pretty workable. Low cost, easy to implement, the benefit goes directly to the person you want to donate to. If owners are worried about "wrong sorts" perhaps it could be limited to take away only?

Lets find some solutions people rather than picking holes and ******* on bonfires!

 

Best way to find solutions is by picking holes.

 

Yes, Mr Bloom's idea could work. Although, I think it would work better if you could take the free coffee voucher with you and give it to someone yourself. That would keep them from hanging about around the shops. Plus, you would get the same people continually going in for the free drinks if you had to collect them from the shop.

[truman 10]

Best way to find solutions is by picking holes.

 

Yes, Mr Bloom's idea could work. Although, I think it would work better if you could take the free coffee voucher with you and give it to someone yourself. That would keep them from hanging about around the shops. Plus, you would get the same people continually going in for the free drinks if you had to collect them from the shop.

 

The problem with that is once these vouchers get out into the wild what's to stop people making copies and getting drinks that aren't paid for?

[fozzybear210 10]

How about, instead of the card in a cup idea, when you buy your suspended coffee, you get given a card that entitles the holder to a prepaid coffee. Then if you see someone "in need" of this voucher, hand it over and then it will save any embarrassment of getting turned away when they try to acquire said hot drink.

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2013 at 12:21 ----------

 

Best way to find solutions is by picking holes.

 

Yes, Mr Bloom's idea could work. Although, I think it would work better if you could take the free coffee voucher with you and give it to someone yourself. That would keep them from hanging about around the shops. Plus, you would get the same people continually going in for the free drinks if you had to collect them from the shop.

 

Sorry, didn't see that, beat me to it lol.

 

---------- Post added 28-03-2013 at 12:22 ----------

 

The problem with that is once these vouchers get out into the wild what's to stop people making copies and getting drinks that aren't paid for?

 

They could alleviate this by issuing scratch type cards that can only be used once.

[skinz 10]

Mr Bloom's idea of a donation card sounds pretty workable. Low cost, easy to implement, the benefit goes directly to the person you want to donate to. If owners are worried about "wrong sorts" perhaps it could be limited to take away only?

Lets find some solutions people rather than picking holes and ******* on bonfires!

 

I don't think anyone as of yet has ****** on any bonfires. Questions have been asked. As one poster has already mentioned it's a matter of faith in your fellow man..that alone gets stretched every day. this isn't tossing 3p in the hat..Coffee doesn't come at 3p..more like 2 quid, that alone is enough to push faith boundaries to its limit..

 

If your paying the coffee shop 5p for the "needy" cup then I'm more inclined to hop on board as that's probably more likely the over all cost of a crap cuppa...the rest is just funding the coffee outlet..which I've already done with my own purchased cup of coffee.

 

I've no problem with the concept..quite the opposite really, but substantially profiting from others misfortune somehow doesn't cut the mustard.

[focusedhypno 10]

They could alleviate this by issuing scratch type cards that can only be used once.

 

I like the scratch card idea! Would make it more tricky to get a printer willing to go for giving us those for free to then be handed out at the coffee shops.

 

The idea about giving the card directly to the person in need was exactly what I was thinking...I just forgot to mention it!

 

I like that solutions are coming out of this discussion!

[truman 10]

They could alleviate this by issuing scratch type cards that can only be used once.

 

The costs for the company are now starting to add up...it makes it less attractive for them now...I suppose it needs to be a method that costs the company very little,or nothing,to encourage them to join such a scheme..

[focusedhypno 10]

I have set up a Facebook group for the "suspended coffee" idea. To begin with the plan is to iron out the kinks in the plan and find a workable solution. Next step is proving to the local independent coffee shops that enough people think its a good idea. After that we need a friendly local printer who will make the coffee cards! Any offers?? Anyone on good terms with Sheffield coffee shop owners and willing to plant the idea in their heads?

[Bonzo77 13]

The problem with that is once these vouchers get out into the wild what's to stop people making copies and getting drinks that aren't paid for?

 

What's stopping people doing that now??? How hard would it be to get a loyalty card faked? Or even get a real loyalty card & make a fake stamp to fill it in??

[truman 10]

What's stopping people doing that now??? How hard would it be to get a loyalty card faked? Or even get a real loyalty card & make a fake stamp to fill it in??

 

Nothing..

Not very..

 

You said

 

Best way to find solutions is by picking holes.

 

.

 

So I did...no offence meant..