I’ve spent a few days thinking about another blogger’s article entitled “Why Starbucks Lost a Customer,” written by Jamison Combs. The crime in that article is not the content but the unforgiving title which quickly creates a spirited knee-jerk reaction in many. Many people are not able to see past the harsh endpoint (a customer who states they are not coming back), and look at the meaningful discussion of what is the “Starbucks Experience,” and even more importantly, the implicit discussion of what should be the yard stick to know that we are getting it right. One single customer lost from the sixty million a week never sounds like a big deal.
I’m sure that I could stop going to Starbucks, (and my readers too) and there would be no financial consequence to Starbucks. My monthly Starbucks budget makes no difference to a billion dollar corporation. Therein lies the unfortunate blog title of “Why Starbucks Lost a Customer”
The core discussion of what is the spirit of the Starbucks experience, and who is personally accountable is the difficult conversation that should be looked at. Additionally, conversations about what is happening with the Starbucks experience inside the stores will occasionally make partners feel defensive, and those defensive feelings occasionally thwart the meaningful conversations that must be had.
Allow me to back up and recap some of the salient points of the Jamison Combs article: Mr. Combs is a Starbucks customer in South Carolina. (My apologies if I have incorrectly guessed that Jamison Combs is a “he.”) He went to a Starbucks and discovered that his local baristas were no longer handwriting drink orders and names on cups. This store in South Carolina now used a label maker. He believed that the personal touch of his Starbucks had gone missing, and called his local store a “glorified McDonalds.” Ultimately, Mr. Combs met with the store’s district manager and learned that Starbucks had not changed their policy as a whole, but rather his store had adopted a label maker. He writes, “Guess my passion for the company is a bit high.”
Whether Mr. Combs is really lost as a customer, I will never know. What I know is that we need customers with such passion for the company: They can help make it a better business if we’re really willing to think about big picture issues.
And now some commentary: Over one year ago I wrote an article called, “Deconstructing the Starbucks Experience into Three Pieces.” In short, I described that the Starbucks experience was the sum total of (1) the quality of the drink plus (2) the theater and romance plus (3) the felt-sense connection between barista and customer. The gravamen of Mr. Comb’s blog post really is the loss of the theater and romance of the Starbucks experience and some of the opportunity of the felt-sense connection.
Many people think, “Who cares? If we install label printers in every store, things will go faster.” Not every single customer is motivated by a faster drink. The Starbucks Experience is the sum of all its pieces. If you remove a piece, one by one, you remove the experience. The challenge is that many people cannot see any reason not to change one small little thing, but all those small little things add up. The Starbucks Experience IS the sum of its parts. It is something akin to this: Starbucks Experience = clean store + smiling baristas + baristas genuinely interested in connecting with customers + a speed of service that is neither too slow nor too hasty that something is missed + a handwritten order on a cup + a handcrafted beverage + a passion for coffee + knowledgeable partners + ethical sourcing + community involvement … plus much more. As Howard Schultz is famous for saying, “Retail is in the details.”
Rather than focusing on just the label maker, the larger question is the opportunity to ask: “What is the yard stick that every single Starbucks measures themselves up against?” Does Starbucks hope to be a little better than the McDonald’s down the road? In my humble opinion, if each and every Starbucks believes that the yard stick is the level of care and theater and romance and drink perfection to be found at 1912 Pike Place, then they have their eyes set upon the gold standard.
The heart of the Starbucks Experience must be preserved. I am not actually stating whether there should or should not be handwritten drink cups. That’s not the relevant conversation. The relevant conversation is ‘Does this affect the experience?’ and ‘how, when, and why can label makers be introduced or should they be introduced at all into the stores?’ Looking back to the thoughts on the yardstick we measure ourselves by, ‘how would you feel if you walked into 1912 Pike Place and the partner slapped a drink label on the cup?’
I am still not suggesting whether there should or should not be label makers at Starbucks. From what I have been told about my local area of Starbucks (downtown Seattle), the policy is that no label makers are used on drink cups in cafe stores. Label makers are permitted to be used at the drive through. My gut intuition is that this is probably the right answer for this issue of label makers: Drive thrus, yes. Cafes, no.
Handwritten cup orders are a very meaningful thing for lots of customers beside Mr. Combs. By the way, I know that once in a while I am absolutely charmed by what I will find written on my cup. A barista in Austin, TX made my day, with “Welcome to Austin” on my cup when I visited her store. Handwritten cups has come up as an issue at MyStarbucksIdea.com on many occasions:
And lastly, who is accountable for the Starbucks Experience? The Experience always happens at the level of one customer at a time. I’ll quote Howard Schultz, who in this segment was talking about his return as the corporation’s CEO in 2008:
I think what I was trying to do was to get everyone to understand that it’s not about Howard Schultz; it’s not about thousands of stores. It’s about one store, one extraordinary cup of coffee, and a comprehensive commitment by everyone who wears a green apron – the most important people in our company – to do everything we can to exceed the expecations of our customers.
****
I think rather than think about this in terms of whether Mr. Combs did or did not leave Starbucks as a customer, we should thank him for opening up the door to important conversations about what is happening in the stores. Reasonable minds may differ on whether there should be label makers in a Starbucks. The quality of the Starbucks Experience, however, should be the same whether you are in South Carolina, or happen to live in downtown Seattle.
The End.
87 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Socialize
Kate, within a week, our store got a new manager, 4 new baristas and 2 shifts transferred in, and everything started turning around. It was amazing how much having enough people (and having a manager who cared) made a difference in our ability to do our jobs well. One of my customers told me today that she can really see the difference in all of us.
But, I definitely feel your pain. I hope you guys get through it really soon!
The conversation here is amazingly interesting. I don’t think I can add much more. I do think that sharpie and cup can be analogized to a tool in a toolbox. A partner has at their fingertips (and in their smiles) many ways to make a customer’s day. While maybe many times the cup and the sharpie don’t hold much significance – May not even get noticed by the customer? But having the chance to use it puts one more tool in the hands of the barista to make a customer smile. Granted, if all your store has to cause smiles is a sharpie pen, there is a problem. But just like everything in the toolbox – From even the CSR coupon if it really needs to come out, it can play a role in the Starbucks Experience.
Gee…. I wish I could have jumped into this subject earlier on. It sure looks like a lot of folks have had a lot to add. Like Denise, the labels are somewhat moot to me. Since it is late, I didn’t read all the comments. I would like to throw my 2¢ in from my perspective. I feel a large disconnection lately between customers and partners. I feel like more and more people are being hired that couldn’t care less about coffee. I am experiencing so many baristas that don’t even like coffee. They don’t even want to be bothered with any concern pertaining to coffee. For most, it’s just a job. That’s fine if you feel that way, but it sucks for customers.
I have voiced my displeasure here and at msi over my disgust with Italian, French and even Espresso Roast week after week. It was my understanding that was coming to an end. It hasn’t. Some local stores haven’t let up on the Italian and French Roast. Lately I have decided to frequent a Clover Store so I can get what I want. BTW – They have been selling French and Italian Roast as their daily drip. I have avoided “My Usual Store for weeks. My last conversation with that Manager fell flat. I think the Manager is a nice person, but I’m starting to feel like they just don’t understand what the “Experience” means to long standing customers. I actual told the manager that, “You just don’t get it from my perspective as a customer!” I really believe this to be true. I also ran into the local DM at another store. The DM seemed clueless that it has been mostly Italian and French Roast for months. I was like, “What?? – Really??” How could DM not have noticed?
Personally – I feel things have gone downhill fast since the arrival of VIA. I don’t dislike it, but feel that it has become more important than drip coffee and even the customer. Something is really broke at Starbucks lately. If it weren’t for the arrival of the local Clovers, I would have all but given up by now. I remember a couple years back, stores closed for a few hours and partners at every store had a pow wow of sorts. I think they need to close these stores and do something again. They need to figure out how to reconnect with their customers and their concerns. There is also a part of me that believes the Drive Thru concept didn’t really help matters.
I guess I could go on and on, but why bother? I feel a need to eulogize the the Starbucks Experience. I’m starting to believe it is dead.
ps: @Denise – Have you thought about building an Ark? This weather isn’t funny anymore!
@Chgo – You know it makes me heart broken to read that. I don’t think the Starbucks experience is totally broken. I think there are spots where stores really need a lot of work and a lot of help, but I believe there are tons of great stores in Seattle, and that there are great stores all over.
Maybe the real problem is that new partners like therootinator aren’t given the right tools and encouragement – He’s got it naturally. There ARE partners everywhere giving it there all. Everytime @CamSpi comments on this blog I jump for joy – I KNOW he’s so passionate and he understand every word your saying, understands coffee, and is there to brighten customers’ days. There are CamSpis everywhere; there are Michelle’s everywhere; there are so many passionate partners right here, and everywhere. you and I just don’t know them all.
@Chgo – I’m so bummed for you. My store is on Yukon right now, and it’s delightful.
I know it doesn’t help where you are, but my current SM has made it clear to all of us that becoming passionate about coffee is important, if we aren’t already. You don’t have to love coffee to get a job at Starbucks, but you do have to be willing to learn about it and become passionate. No one who serves coffee should ever say that they don’t drink it.
I so agree with the statements that partners should have passion and pass it along to the customer whether they drink coffee or not. I see new partners come into my local SB that are either not trained properly or do think of it as just a job. I also am amazed that unless you tell a partner your name and begin the interaction there are partners that just do not care. It is almost as if there is a wall between the counter and the seating area. I know and appreciate that a store can get very busy so it is difficult to chat with customers, but for those of us that are regulars sometimes it is sad to see the partners more interested in chatting with each other and catching up on gossip. I also agree I would spend more to have that customer experience rather than just be a person on line getting my drink. I suppose we are all saying that SB has to go back to what the customer experience means to them and to their overall hope that they will continue to get repeat business from regulars rather than having people leave because of poor communications and poor customer service. I too liked that the SM stood up to the DM.
@Chgo!!! where have you been??? This is one of the best threads!!! After reading what you wrote, I feel even MORE assured that what I am feeling in Sbux isn’t just me, by any means. I agree with all you wrote.
There are great, caring baristas all over but when you happen to get a few TOGETHER who are….not so much…then = what I’m feeling; disappointment, loss, uncomfort.
I see Sbux making some of its old mistakes all over again..that, in part, lead to 2007-8. TOO much VIA, which I like (some of it) but keep it more international than here, if that’s what it’s (partly)about anyway. way too much VIA emphasis. and the drive-thrus etc. Now I’m just being repetitve.
and yes @Chgo: not so fun, this weather anymore. I said it back in Feb. and I meant it: I’ll take a good blizzard anyday!
when they are too busy watching over (which I want) the new baristas, then the very few “experienced” ones who may be left are too busy to be their normal selves. I have always contended that Sbux puts people on bar wayyyy before they’re ready, often. That’s not new. It’s just that right now there (here) was just a big turn-over and.,bla bla bla.
ps: I see the same with the Italian roast. still.
I agree there has been an interesting level of turnover of partners and although this happens with every company, you wonder why there seems to be a rash of turnover now. What is happening with communications between SM, DM and upper level execs?
@Mel – I feel that it takes 2 to make the Experience worthwhile. I’m willing to give at my end, but most partners just seem to care less and less. That manager I spoke of, would bend over backwards for me, but I’m not sure if it’s because the manager wants to, or just wants to shut me up. After discovering this manager has only worked for the Company 4 years, that kind of explains things. How would this manager know what the “Experience” truly is, coming late into the game in the ninth inning, w/ 2 strikes and 1 out to go? The manager is good at managing the store, but I believe nobody working that store has a clue to what the Experience even is. On the other hand, I would like to get to know the Partners at the Park Ridge store you visited Mel, but that store is so busy, there is little time to get a connection going on both sides of the counter. Lately – I just take my coffee and go.
@kitenarie – My bad…. The Clover Store did start selling Yukon yesterday (Tuesday).
@denise – I’m always around. I prefer to just listen to what everybody has to say here. It’s not like msi here. I have less and less to say over there. It’s just the same old thing over at msi. As much as I love Starbucks, I am still not as seasoned as some of the rest of you. Usually I could learn something here. When your getting educated on things you don’t know, it’s best to keep quiet and just listen. I am off all week. The one thing I look forward to every morning while off, is eventually making my way into Park Ridge with my wife and daughter for the Clover. Don’t put the paddle boat and oars away just yet….. ; )
I apologize for not having read the previous comments yet, but here is my perspective…
My first store in UT had labelers for both main and drive. Honestly, I didn’t even learn how to mark cups until I transferred to a store in CA that didn’t have machines at all, for which I’m actually grateful! I finally got in touch with that aspect of the SBUX experience, and I love marking cups now. As the Facebook group, “You might be a Starbucks barista if…” says: “…you carry a Sharpie with you at all times.” Marking cups is an art and a science, and we baristas sometimes love to debate about its finer points. (BTW, working at that second store also taught me how to keep the flow going when the sticker machine stops working, which is definitely a valuable skill.)
As for the store that’s now my home: when we opened in November 2008, our manager was given the option to have sticker machines for both main and drive. He chose to forego the one in main, because it detracts from the experience, and I’m glad he did.
@chgo- our store is exactly like yours is! we have multiple people working there who dont even like coffee. sorry, but that should be the base of this job! it’s what helps you create passion for it. don’t get me wrong, they’re still awesome workers, but it just doesn’t make so much sense.
I just have a question for ya’ll. If you have partners who aren’t using and presenting their WCCS skills, and some of these people are shifts, what would you do to approach this? I’ve been trying to think of ways for a hile now and anything I think of will simply step on peoples toes or seem preachy.
I think the passion needs to be not just for coffee since not everyone that comes into a SB drinks coffee. I think the partner should have the total SB passion for everything SB and pass it on to the customer.
@Mel – Without me being a boast, you’re right. In all honesty I have NOT been trained. I was given a quick rundown of beverage basics by my training coach (who never made me feel like it was imperative to know this information. He breaks recipe constantly) and then I was given cue cards for the Three Block training system. I was never asked to prove I can make a latte, nor was I ever handed a press off coffee and told to dry it. I cannot thank my local roastery and barista collective enough, because the past year of interaction with them is why I know anything about coffee as a crop.
Mel is right, I’m lucky that I had it before I started. If I didn’t, there’s no doubt that I’d have a cell phone out at the condiment bar and not care about the quality of microfoam in your latte. It would happen because nobody (save for two badass partners) in my store has trained me not to do it. The Starbucks Experience isn’t shattered, but it’s certainly torn to a degree. It’s not an easy fix, but it’s not a hard one either. Training is essential. It makes or breaks the employee.
I’ve been given a few beverage ingredient cards and some block cards from the training manual. I found The Partner Cafe’ and the Coffee/Tea Resource Manual, etc. by myself because I knew it was vital. This is the best discussion I’ve ever been a part of. Thank you Mel.
I tend to think that all the partners who have taken their precious time to join these conversations are ones who must be really committed to making the Starbucks Experience work. Otherwise, why take your time to be here? So it makes me sad to hear Denise, Purple, and Chgo, but I DON’T believe that the Starbucks Experience is broken. I think it is sick in some stores, but it’s not broken.
I also know that it is human nature to lapse into ‘nostalgia’ moments as if everything really was better in the past, and that there is no way the reality of today can compare. Memories are great, but sometimes it’s not healthy to have this thought that somehow NOW is suddenly not up to par with yesterday.
Retail has always had a very high turnover. That’s the nature of retail. At least that is what I experienced the limited number of times that I have had retail jobs.
We’re not going to make tomorrow at Starbucks better by crying over the 1990s which are gone. And I don’t think every partner has to love coffee, but it would help if there was an emphasis on elevated coffee passion … at a minimum for Clover stores. I think what I’ve gotten out of this thread is that 1) We have to stay positive if things are going to look up. A crowd of eeyors isn’t going to make for a very good Starbucks experience 2) there needs to be more training from the moment a partner is hired about the 5 Ways of Being and the expectations of what the Starbucks Experience is and 3) more coffee knowledge and passion.
The funny thing is that I KNOW there really are many great stores and partners who are giving it their all, and if we only focus on the negative here, we may bring down the partners who are trying so hard!! They may be reading this too!
I want to share a true Starbucks experience for me today – I was scheduled to meet a partner at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea. She was going to meet me after her shift ended. Before I left the house to meet her, I got a phone call and I heard some news I didn’t want to hear. I am not going to share that personal story here. I was feeling gloomy, and by the phone call, ended up running late. I got to my meeting at 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea quite late, and the person I was supposed to meet was already gone. And I was still feeling some gloominess from the phone call. The partner at the register greeted me with a friendly smile, and I immediately asked if so and so was still there. No she’s not. I know my face visibly showed that I was a bit down. I ordered a danish and an iced coffee. The partner – who didn’t know me at all – said, ‘let me make your day. Your drink is on me today!’ She was, as it turns out, a borrowed partner from Mercer Island (from the ‘smaller store’ whatever that means). She didn’t even know my name. Now that’s very sweet. I was super impressed. I think this happens everywhere, but we don’t hear it, and we too often hear the negative stories which may make it seem like that is all that is happening. Some stores need urgent help – Thank god therootinator’s store has him, and that Kitenarie’s store has her, and Jenni your store sounds great too! Thank you thank you to all the partners here who are giving it your all.
Maybe I should close this thread soon. We might have gotten as far as we can in this conversation.
just to be clear: I’m not even hoping for the days like the ’90’s…but I do expect soem level of 1) connection the minute I walk up to the register, if not before 2) my COSTLY drink made absolutely correctly and if not, that’s ok, but do it again, very willingly and HOPEFULLY, the same person doesn’t make it wrong repeatedly 3) hopefully something that makes this store, this experience, this time…comfortable. If all that is in order, I think the whole thing builds from there. If I didn;t LOVE and preach STARBUCKs, then I wouldn’t even be in this conversation. Like Chgo said: I feel I am giving all I am capable of at any given time , I am present….and I know that generally, I’m pretty much a kind and generous person. I happen to be fairly knowledgeable re:Sbux due to my age and yrs spent there.
I do have high expectations, but not unreasonable I don’t think.
what would be good is if someone from corp Sbux read all these comments. (sadly, they may be over at MSI, reading about 5siren logos made into bike racks…..or something!) and MSI is really what brought most us together in the frist place!
I haven’t read all of the comments so I am only really weighing in on a well written post Melody. I have never really cared for my name being written on a cup, but I do prefer the hand marking of cups over labels. For me though, a label vs. hand writing is not going to make me stop going to Starbucks (although apparently a crazy busy summer will because I haven’t been to a Starbucks since July 7th!)
That said, the use of labels (especially outside of a drive through) could be seen as a step away from the Starbucks Experience. In and of itself, it’s not enough, but in the aggregate, with all of the other things (like VIA pushes, leaner practices, etc.) the Experience could be hurt.
I wonder if a lot of the change in service levels people are seeing has to do with the newer generation that has recently entered the workforce? I know that there are many responsible, engaged and lovely young people, but I also know that there are many entitled and lazy ones too. Sometimes I wonder where all the gems (responsible, engaged and lovely) are.
I conducted a barista certification today with one of my new partners. To begin the certification we had a coffee tasting. She asked me what I’d like to taste and I told her that it was her certification – it was up to her. I continued on with what I was doing until she came and got me. I got to wondering what was taking her so long to prepare when she finally called me out. She’d prepared a press of Italian roast and paried it with our new double chocolate brownie AND a roasted tomato and mozzerella panini. She had the tray done up prettily with the bag of coffee sitting there on display which she said she liked to do because (I’ll be honest, I don’t remember the exact reason why – I’m paraphrasing) it contributed to the ambiance. She’d also taken our little chalk board sign and written down the ‘menu’ for our tasting. She then led me through the tasting exactly the way she’d been taught through her training. Not only was it an amazing tasting, one of the partners who I usually have to ‘convince’ to join into tastings came over voluntarily to participate as well. (also – she pointed out to me that the panini I’ve been avoiding because it contains pesto does NOT have pine nuts in the pesto and is therefore safe for me to eat)
This same partner (who is only about a month in now) came to me the other day to tell me that she’d just helped a lady with whole bean and talked her into buying three different kinds of coffee. As I congratulated her and started to ask – she said “and YES! One of the pounds was Iced Coffee!” I realize that not everyone is going to be this engaged, but I’m loving the enthusiasm.
My newest partner has really taken her coffee tastings seriously too. She has some very interesting observations when she does her tastings. The partner I hired just before the one in the previous story took to tastings immediately. He was able to pick out a lot of subtle stuff even on his first tasting. My first tasting on my first day with my DM? “Umm….it tastes like coffee?”
I really, really think the new training plan helps to foster this in people. Of course, it’s up to the SM to make sure that the training plan is being executed properly, so…there’s that.
Also – to whomever said that because their SM had only been with Starbucks for 4 years and therefore couldn’t possible understand the experience? I think that’s an unfair statement. I haven’t even worked for Starbucks for 2 years and while I may not have it ALL figured out, I like to think I’ve got a pretty good handle on it. Though, I have a lot of retail experience behind me in a company which had very similar values.
@DeniseR – MSI has so much entertainment value. I’m often shocked by the way people think. One thing I notice over and over again is that almost no customers see the scale that Starbucks operates at. So when they make a suggestion – everything from please sell my recipes to free white mocha sauce — they have a hard time multiplying what the suggestion would look like across millions and millions of customers each and every week.
Maybe I just live in a Seattle bubble. Honestly, the Starbucks Experience is pretty functional in my area 10. I’ve seen some weak partners, and some weaker stores but all in all, it’s okay.
@Michelle – I am kind of impressed at the partner who sold 3 pounds of coffee! That’s a lot of coffee to go through. Starbucks needs to keep you forever. And by the way, I’ve seen some pretty good managers who have been with Starbucks only a short time.
@CD – I agree. Add labels = take away one more possible way for a connection. It doesn’t mean connection will end, but in the aggregate these things are meaningful.
As I think about it, I would LOVE to know what ended up happening with the store in South Carolina???? Are they still using a label maker even now? I wonder if anyone from that region has seen these discussions. Guess I will never know.
@ michelle- that story is inspiring. it gives me hope! I think you’re right about the generation though. It takes a lot to make some of these kids really care. I just don’t know how you couldn’t be passionate about a company that defines a passionate company. Read Onward, and you’ll never be able to be down on the job again. It hurts me to see people not be into the job. I try to do coffee tastings in my store every shift i work, and i try to get others involved. Lately we’ve been getting more involved in the community. a couple partners and i have started looking into what it would take to start a community cycling team with starbucks bike jerseys from the coffee gear store. Bettering the staff and store is something i look forward to doing every shift, i guess maybe that’s why I don’t get how people can’t!
also- this post is absolutely amazing. it’s helped me have a lot more hope! : ) thanks guys!
Kate – by the way, you posed a question earlier about how to inspire partners to uphold the customer service pillars. If you want to email me, I’d love to talk to you about it! Maybe we can bounce some ideas around and come up with good tactics for both of us? (shellybean_@hotmail.com) Onward was great, and have you read Pour Your Heart Into It too?
Thanks, Melody! The only thing that I’m glad I found MSI for is that it led me here.
Truthfully, my formal Starbucks training was incredibly lame, because I had come from a Barnes and Noble cafe, and my former manager couldn’t figure out the computer (really, I realize more and more with each passing thing how poor of a fit she was for a manager, as nice as she was), so I read a few of the former training manuals, and then I just started doing things. To this day, there are still things that I find out for the first time, and I’ve been with Starbucks since May 2010.
I was terribly fortunate that I have been a barista since I was 16 – I started at a very local ice cream parlor, and the owner was very serious about who was allowed to make coffee. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the appreciation for what it is that I do everyday that I do now, or how hard it is to do right. I always take the time to work with new people on the bar, because I remember how hard it was learning, and how much of it really is trial by fire at Starbucks.
I really do love it.
@Kate – I didn’t mean for my comment to come across as putting down the messages on cups as a way for people to make a connection. It’s clear that in stores and countries where it’s used it does make a difference. I just meant that because we’ve never used them here, and it’s never been a part of the Experience in the UK it’s a little harder for me to see why people would need it… I hope that makes my comment make a bit more sense?
On the topic of how to approach people who don’t seem to into their job… It’s one I still struggle with too, and one that we’ve kind of taken a harsh stance on over here… we’re no longer making the excuses for people who aren’t passionate about this job. It’s kind of refreshing but a little sad that for some people it’s gotten to this stage. It sounds like you have a few really great partners on your side though, and community events are always amazing for bonding a team together in doing something good. If you’re making the effort every shift then things will change.
I know this is totally cheesy but when reading Onward I marked pages that had particularly inspiring passages for me… and if I have a tough day I seriously crack it open for a few minutes. It works like a shot of passion for me, haha.
We had some issues with making sure partners were asking ”how are you?” while on the register… some had been there a long time and just gotten into bad habits. But when we had two new partners come in a few weeks ago we made clear the focus on interaction from the very start… the results have been amazing. Im not sure what your role is but maybe ask your manager if you can become a Learning Coach for new partners? That way you can try and get them on the passionate side before bad habits kick in.
Sorry again if I made it seem like I belittling your store and the other stores that use cup markings for connection.
Dave – connecting is a personal thing. It makes complete sense that people from different cultures would connect in different ways. What works in Kate’s store may not work in your store or my store. Connecting is about the people after all.
Personally I’ve noticed recently that the best way to connect with people is through sampling. My store is very busy and we use that as an excuse and we don’t sample nearly as often as we should. But, the interactions you can have with people as you give them free stuff? They are amazing!
These comments continue to be so interesting and should be valuable to SB as someone mentioned. I know Melody you wanted to move on to other blog pieces, but each comment brings up another thought. My local store has done very few samples of late and not totally sure why. I agree samples can bring dialogue with a customer plus a learning experience. I don’t know if it is the weather now or what,but it seems of late that the partners are just not connecting. I also am beginning to believe the connection a SM has with their staff filters down to the total experience. Curious- how much time should a SM have on the floor vs. doing paperwork in the office?
The connection the SM has with their staff absolutely filters down. As for office time vs floor time it kind of depends on what’s going on and also how busy your store is. I try to split my time up rather than doing it all in one day because I find that’s more productive for me, though I know it tends to be Starbucks standard to have a full day on Monday as office time.
Last week I felt like I was hardly on the floor at all. I trained someone Monday, had an Ops day with my boss on Tuesday, was at a meeting on Wednesday, and then had Thursday and Friday off. So in reality I didn’t really spend a lot of time connecting with customers until Saturday and Sunday. But, unfortunately it’s just the way things happen sometimes.
Sampling is a great way to connect, we have a huge push on this going on in the UK right now and it really seems to be paying off.
A managers behaviour totally affects the store, but i think the amount of time on the floor isn’t too important, its what happens when they are there that counts. Like Michelle said sometimes managers may end up spending most of a week in the office, and some weeks it can just be one day out of five.
I feel really sad when i read people like Kates stories… and there is no shortage of those kind of stories out there, but thats why I love websites like this and Twitter. It helps partners, myself included, see the other passionate people out there, which is infectious. Anyway, I’m about to start my shift and writing this on my phone is hurting my eyes, haha.
You all have helped so much in me seeing how passionate this company is! It’s very inspiring.
I’m sure it’s just a phase at my store. At least I hope it is. I hope the shifts and i can do a better job of influencing our partners to get more excited about coffee and the company!
@dave- we don’t offer for-here cups very often because we have so few. i guess right now, they’re trying to get newly designed ones out to stores, so until those are shipped out, we’re out of luck. (super sad because cappuccinos are only good that way!)
once again, thank you guys!
: )
Kate – get your manager to order them! They’re available!
@Kate – That’s really meaningful to hear that you’ve gotten encouragement /passion from others on this site. I don’t ever mind a healthy criticism of Starbucks. But what I want to do is create positive energy out of it and ways to make things better, and not dwell in the negativity. I am glad at least some of that goal here appears to be working.
Melody, I’ve “met” so many awesome Starbucks passionate partners and customers from your site. It’s amazing, and it was especially good for me when I was feeling like my store would just never get better. It was nice to know there were good, passionate and enthusiastic people out there, because it did give me hope.
Wow, there is such great conversation on this thread that I didn’t even know how I could comment and add something new…so I just read and enjoyed the conversation! But I had to give compliments where due! 🙂
I do like the personal touch of cup writing as well and have been the recipient of a smiley face and a cute comment occasionally too. It does show passion and engagement but I think even more important is the beverage quality /attention and consistency that make the experience, along with a friendly smile.
The store I work in is in a newer development where I live, about 5 or 6 years old. we’ve used cup labelers since the store has opened, about 5 years ago. Recently our new district manager, much to my dismay, has changed that so we no longer use a labler for cafe, only drive through. honestly in my opinion it takes away from the customer experience given the layout of my store, we now have to walk away from and turn our backs to the customers (especially those w/ multiple drink orders) in order to walk the cups over to the bar area which is not w/in reaching distance from the front register. everything just seemed so much faster and more streamlined w/ the labeler. being on bar and on register was much less stressful; transactions were faster and we didn’t have to walk away from the customers, and drinks were made more quickly. We still had great regulars and relationships w/ our customers, I don’t think a sticker changes that. It is up to the barista to provide great customer service, whether or not there is a sticker adhered to the customer’s cup. I have never had a complaint by a customer about a sticker on their cup, however since the shift to marking cups I’ve had several complaints about walking away from customers in order to mark cups and walk them to the bar. I realize this isn’t the case in every store, but ours was designed to be a labeler store, and the setup is not conducive to marking.
@Jordan — as a customer who sits and regularly observes the DM in my favorite Starbucks (as well as DMs as I travel about) you have prompted me to once again to get on my rant that what is most wrong with Starbucks is that most of the DMs are incompetent, It is their way or the highway (I have seen them fire, in public view, partners and managers on the spot for challenging the DMs dictates). They do not have any idea how to help a store. They only know the rules. Not how to implement them!
Hi DadCooks. I am on my phone and in a Starbucks so this might be full of typos. I know what you mean about the role of the DM. Ive seen DMs who act like their role is that of an inspection officer, when really theyre motivators, teachers and leaders. It is amazing how to get a great Starbucks experience on a consistent basis every role from the bottom needs to have passionate people, but the dm makes such a huge diffetence.
Figures, where else would “Starbucks” Melody be on a nice afternoon.
Yes, the DM can make a huge difference, too bad not always in a positive way.
Since Starbucks seems to consider everything not in a million plus metro area to be remote, the DMs I have run into out here in the “boonies” seem totally out of touch and unqualified (most have never worked in an espresso cafe and have no appreciation for the art).
I have said for a long time; my favorite Starbucks is my favorite not because it is a Starbucks but because of the Partners. Sure there has been turnover over the years, but there is a culture that the Partners absorb that creates consistency. This is a fragile culture and can be easily destroyed. There were actually 3 Starbucks that I considered “my favorites”, but short sighted Partner transfers instigated by a DM not only ruined 2 stores but did not help the 5 others they were moved to–most of those fabulous Partners left for greener pastures.
I now return control of your blog to you. 😉
Dad Cooks so totally agree about the DM. I was not there when it happened a few years ago but I understand the DM came and fired the SM on the floor.