Page 103 - The Starbucks Experience

PRINCIPLE 3

Create Your Own Experience

• When was the last time you were pleasantly surprised by
a business?

• What memories do you have of unexpected extras that
you’ve encountered as a customer or as a staff member?
Were those surprises preplanned or spontaneous?

• What can you do to positively surprise a coworker,
a customer, or some other unsuspecting recipient?
• Whom can you partner with to deliver surprises?

• What naturally occurring opportunities are ripe for
creating surprise experiences?

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There is no cookie-cutter approach to surprising customers
(or colleagues, for that matter). It is not one size fits all. It
doesn’t have to be only about playful acts like ice cream
socials. Genuine and meaningful gestures are all it takes. The
most authentic surprises are often tied in with the company’s
regular products or services. For example, Starbucks gave out
free books of poetry written by authors from the countries
where coffee comes from: Indonesia and countries in Africa
and Latin America.
Celebrating artists from these countries gave the company
a unique way to share information on where various coffees
were grown, while at the same time heightening the cus-
tomers’ experience in the stores. Appreciation came from
people like Nadyne, a teacher, who captured the essence of a
great surprise when she said, “This poetry touched me. I have
shared it with friends. What’s more, I have told many people