Like most people, I’m deeply loyal to few brands.

I love coffee. And I love Starbucks. I used to enjoy the hipsterish experience of hanging in their coffeeshops with my laptop, staring intently at the monitor while I sipped my cappuccino. But now I find that experience somewhat inauthentic. I buy Starbucks at the supermarket, but I haven’t set foot in a store in years.

I also love technology that I can actually make work. So I also love things Apple. I’ve been a fan since the iPod—the notorious gateway drug that subsequently led me to the iPhone, MacBook, iPad and Apple TV+, all of which I use every day. But Apple messes up sometimes, and a relatively recent product departs from the Steve Jobs “insanely great” mantra. So I’ll double-check my enthusiasm when the next Apple miracle appears.

So, why the skepticism about those two enormous brands? For me, it’s about a brand keeping its word to its customers. I think a brand promise is a big thing.

I stopped visiting Starbucks for a simple (if somewhat curmudgeonly) reason. To me, the “quick-serve” pricing of their products is contrary to their brand promise of affordable value. Their larger sizes appear to be better values, but in fact, you’re getting a little more product while Starbucks is making much more profit.

And Apple? Not long ago I subscribed to Apple TV+, which gives me high-quality streaming and some nice conveniences. Saying, “Siri, I want to watch The Office” is certainly better than searching five streaming services. But to talk to Siri, first you have to find the remote, which is so small and thin it can hide anywhere—plus the small size and light weight make it a challenge to hold and use. It’s a sexy-looking little piece of equipment, but the engineers and designers at Apple appear to have thought appearance was more important than function.

For me, Starbucks pricing is inconsistent with making the world a better place one cup at a time. And though I look to Apple for “The Big Idea,” with the remote control the “Good Idea” might actually have been better.

Am I just being snarky, or is there a branding lesson here? I think the latter. There are much more dramatic stories about brands failing to keep their word, and the two above aren’t earth-shaking. But customers sense it when their experience is inconsistent with what a business says about itself. In my case, a couple of disconnects have changed my opinions of two brands. Make sure your company keeps its word to customers.