Page 161 - The Starbucks Experience

PRINCIPLE 4

Don’t wait until customers come to you and say they’re really
upset—if they’re tapping their foot or crossing their arms,
you should already know that something is not quite right.
“Sometimes we encourage customers to try something
new,” says Lisa. “If we’re paying attention, we will look over
and notice if they seem to be enjoying the new item. If the cus-
tomer seems dissatisfied, we’ll offer to trade out the new food
or beverage for what the customer usually orders. Partners feel
very comfortable doing that, especially if they know they’re
making a person’s day. It’s a small gesture, but it can really
turn somebody around. When you have an experience like that
in the store, when somebody takes the time to notice that you
weren’t enjoying something and they take care of it before you
have a chance to complain, it is an amazing experience.”
Few businesses actually react constructively to obvious
146 resistance, let alone encourage their people to look for sub-
tle and less obvious signs of tension. But for a company to be
truly successful, workers at all levels must become attuned
not only to what their customers are saying, but equally to
what they aren’t.
People take note when a company receives and responds to
feedback constructively. Customer Leslie Alter observed an
interaction between another customer and a barista: “The
other day, a woman came into Starbucks. Her baby was with
her. When she came out of the rest room, she seemed upset
and told one of the baristas, ‘You really ought to have a chang-
ing table in there. I’m sure there are a lot of women who come
in here with their children.’ The barista responded, ‘That’s a
great idea; thank you for sharing that with me. I will mention
your suggestion to our manager so he can take action on it.’
The lady definitely seemed satisfied with the response. The
way the barista calmed her down was very effective.”