Page 210 - The Starbucks Experience
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reader’s guide
1. Try to distill The Starbucks Experience into a single sen-
tence, and then discuss why that “experience” has led to
such great success. Afterward, distill your company’s
“experience” into a single sentence and discuss ways it
has led to your current level of success.
2. Apply the five key business principles of Starbucks to
your business. Of the five principles, which one does
your business most obviously embody and which one
does your business most need to embrace? For example,
does your business pay great attention to detail, follow-
ing the edict that Everything Matters, and yet do little to
Surprise and Delight your customers? Can you think of
other principles, ones that your company strives to
embody, that are not on the list?
3. Starbucks began with a question: “What if you took the
quality coffee bean tradition and merged it with the
charm and romance of the European coffeehouse?” Pose
some “what if” questions about your own business that
could lead to new products and services.
4. Much of the success of Starbucks derives from the sense
of commitment to the corporate philosophy felt by the
partners who work behind the counter. These partners
are directly involved with customers and are, therefore,
in a much better position to create loyalty and return
business than are the corporate leaders. How does the
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