Page 160 - The Starbucks Experience

Embrace Resistance

mally do. The partner said that he could do everything but
steam the syrup with the milk. He knew that doing that could
clog up the steamer. Rather than telling the customer that it
couldn’t be done, he let her know that we would look into it
for the future. In the meantime, I called someone in charge
of maintenance on our machine, and he advised that it would
not be a problem. We looked for an option, rather than say-
ing no, and we found one.”
Holly notes that her team frequently thinks in terms of
alternatives: “For whatever reason, sometimes people bring
their own milk to add to their drink. Our baristas let them
know that because of health concerns, we can’t steam their
milk in our steamer. But the partners always offer a sugges-
tion that will work, such as putting the espresso in one of our
cups and then having them add their milk so that it can be
shaken as an iced beverage.” Here, finding a solution means 145
simply explaining store policies and mixing in an innovation
or two.
Business today is complex. While many things may appear
black and white, growing a business or leading a team often
requires a willingness to think in shades of gray. In fact, pro-
gressive business leaders ask themselves and encourage their
employees to ask not “yes or no,” but “how.” They set
stretch goals and encourage themselves and their colleagues
to achieve more than they thought was possible.
Taking it one step further, Starbucks leadership helps part-
ners look for nonverbal cues to customer resistance, even if
the customers haven’t shared their dissatisfaction directly
with the partner. According to district manager Lisa Lena-
han, “There’s an art to knowing if your customers are dis-
pleased. You can read their body language, and you should
be able to take care of concerns before you are even asked.