Page 108 - The Starbucks Experience

Surprise and Delight

the event. It was not some publicity stunt announced with
glitzy ads. The free coffee simply fell into the hands of unex-
pecting commuters. Who would have thought that any busi-
ness would seek to surprise people as they went about their
everyday routines?
While the train station coffee giveaway was not primarily
intended for publicity, Starbucks has used surprise as part of
its advertising campaigns. In a couple of instances, rather
than simply buying billboard space, Starbucks placed regu-
lar-size magnetic coffee cups on the tops of cabs. To the
unsuspecting observer, it looked as if a cup had been left there
accidentally. Cab drivers were also involved in the surprise.
They were to give Starbucks gift cards to individuals who
advised the driver that the cup was there. This novel idea cre-
ated an interactive relationship between the advertisement
(namely, the magnetic cup) and the Good Samaritans who 93
noticed it and took the time to be helpful.
Starbucks leadership not only directs surprises at cus-
tomers and potential customers, but extends them to part-
ners as well. In 2004, for example, Starbucks partners (who
met basic criteria, such as having worked 500 hours during
the year) were treated to an unexpected $250 holiday bonus.
Jim, a barista in Washington, D.C., reacts: “I have never
worked for a company in the food or service industry that
gave all the lowest-level employees a bonus of this much
money. Realize that this bonus was not for the store man-
agers and above; rather, it was for the baristas and shift
supervisors. These are the folks who work hard every day
making lattes for people.”
When leaders care enough to surprise their staff, employee
morale soars, and important modeling takes place. Not only
do employees engage themselves more passionately in their