Page 104 - The Starbucks Experience

Surprise and Delight

I know about it. You see, I came for the coffee. I will stay
because the company offered me something I never really
expected to find as a customer. They offered me thoughtful-
ness and joy.”
Surprises are also a great way to introduce a new product
or service in a way that requires little effort or money. A
prime example comes from customer Moira Stevenson: “It
was a Sunday afternoon ritual. My best friend and I would
meet at our neighborhood Starbucks and talk about our lat-
est dramas. This Sunday was no different—it was what hap-
pened as we finished our lattes that made it special. As we
got up from our table, a Starbucks employee was walking
around the room with a tray of little cups filled with an iced
beverage. A new Frappuccino blended beverage had just
®
been introduced for the summer, and free samples were being
distributed in order to celebrate. 89
“We gladly accepted our samples and, upon looking
around the room, realized that our favorite Starbucks had
been transformed into a mini-cocktail party. Instantly the café
was not only filled with the regulars, but also buzzed with
conversation and a common bond—the drink. It was nice
that we all stopped what we were doing and socialized with
one another.” Here, the introduction of a new product actu-
ally became an event that encouraged customers to try some-
thing new in a nonintimidating way.
Customers can experience pleasure from something as sim-
ple as an unexpected exchange of information. Duane, a
fairly new customer to Starbucks, makes the point: “I was at
a music-listening bar at a local Starbucks. I had never seen
one before. A barista took the time to show me how I could
listen to all this music for free. I got to hear whole songs from
artists I’d never run into. I totally lost track of time. I was in