Page 243 - The Apple Experience

should unfold via the taste and presentation of our products as well as the
sights, sounds, and smells that surround our customers. The aroma of freshly

ground coffee. Interior hues, textures, the shapes and materials of furniture

and fixtures as well as their origins. The art on the walls. The music. The

rhythm of the coffee bar and how our partners move and speak behind the

counter—and what they speak about.” Schultz went as far as closing every

Starbucks for several hours to retrain every barista and to recapture the art of

making coffee.
According to Schultz, the baristas—the customer facing employees who

are largely responsible for creating the Starbucks experience—had lost their

passion because they were not learning the Starbucks story or being reminded

of its mission. They were being handed three-ring binders with rules,

techniques, and information, and they were told to read it. For too many

employees—Starbucks calls them “partners”—Starbucks had become a job.

And as you know by now, once your employees think of their roles as
nothing but a job, the passion and commitment to excellence will start to

wane.

After Schultz’s return to Starbucks, one of the first people he called for

advice was Steve Jobs. Both leaders returned to the helm of the companies

they started when the future looked bleak. They both succeeded in

revitalizing their brands and transforming entire product categories. Jobs

reminded Schultz to get the details of the experience just right. By doing so,

Schultz was able to reinvigorate the experience and return Starbucks to his

original vision of a third place between work and home, an oasis where
people could feel uplifted, comforted, and connected.