Dunkin Donuts is now known as much for its hot coffee selections as its namesake breakfast goodies. The company, however, has emailed a not-so-hot request to the five million active users of its Dunkin app, asking customers to open the app several minutes before arriving at the store.
Dunkin Donuts was once known pretty much exclusively for the sugary raised dough treats after which the chain is named. Those readers who are old enough will remember the terminally tired and irritable Dunkin baker character who, in the famous commercials for the store, can never get his needed shut-eye because it's always "time to make the donuts."
These days, Dunkin stands more for its coffee than anything else. The chain's aggressive expansion has challenged Starbucks in the high stakes coffee wars, and the firm, which ditched the donut-making character years ago, instead starts each morning by sponsoring various morning TV weather reports redubbed as "Coffecasts." Dunkin has also aggressively promoted the use of its Dunkin Donuts app, perhaps too successfully, because it appears overusage of the app has now led to performance issues.
To combat the problems, the "Dunkin Donuts Team" has just sent an email to the five million active users of its app, suggesting they open it on their mobile phone several minutes prior to entering a store. The email reads as follows:
"As the Dunkin' app has become more popular, we've run into some small performance issues. Sorry about that! We want every Dunkin' experience to be fast, easy and convenient, so we're working around the clock to improve the app and keep you running at full speed.
In the meantime, try this tip for a better Dunkin' run: get a head start by opening up your app a few minutes before you get to Dunkin'.
Above all, we apologize for any inconvenience we've caused. We will keep you updated as improvements are implemented."
Scott Hudler, VP-Global Consumer Engagement for the company, blames performance issues with the app on "strong growth" of Dunkin's mobile platforms, which are now approaching two million transactions per week. The company also plans to test an in-advance mobile order and pay system similar to the one Starbucks recently rolled out in September.
The company needs to get its current mobile applications up to snuff first, though, and while we applaud Dunkin for at least acknowledging the issue, it seems they could risk alienating customers by asking them to add another task to their already-rushed morning to-do lists. The app is supposed to make life easier, after all, so, until the issues are resolved, how about offering loyal Dunkin' app users a free cup of coffee weekly to offset the inconvenience of adding an additional step to their daily program?
