Page 126 - The Starbucks Experience

Embrace Resistance

service and that the product would taste like you expected it
to taste.
“These days, off the top of my head, I can give you two
addresses of Starbucks close to my home in which you have
at least a 50/50 chance of being unpleasantly surprised by the
product or service. It’s also telling that both of these locations
are ‘licensed’ stores located within another retailer [empha-
sis added].”
David, who is considered a customer service expert in
the banking industry, sums up his frustration by noting the
following:
“One lesson I think we can all learn from this is that no
brand is unassailable. I’ve heard scores of banks in the past
mention Starbucks as an inspiration for well-branded, cus-
tomer-pleasing stores. But even a phenomenon like Starbucks,
with a large and devoted customer base, can develop cracks 111
in its armor when its service levels lose consistency. And it’s
usually not a single, dramatic event that weakens a brand.
Most often, it’s a gradual erosion that can be explained away
as a temporary issue or maybe ‘growing pains.’ Too often,
the ‘exception’ of slightly lesser quality in time becomes the
norm. The facilities look the same, but the customers’ expe-
riences slip [emphasis added].”
At a great many companies, such negative publicity might
be dismissed as the opinion of an angry journalist or argued
against by leaders who are unwilling to participate in open,
candid self-exploration. Other corporate leaders might try
to counteract the bad press by distracting customers with
promotions or other gimmicks.
Starbucks management, on the other hand, has built a
company on a willingness to actively listen to criticism.
Therefore, complaints are addressed head on, as evidenced