Page 26 - The Starbucks Experience

Introduction

Paul Williams of Idea Sandbox, a former Starbucks part-
ner and currently a consultant who works with Starbucks,
puts it this way: “Starbucks is a human company. That’s the
difference there. The mission statement and the intentions—
they’re not just on paper. They truly are meant to be the way
things get done. The biggest story at Starbucks is that it’s as
much about people as it is about coffee.”
The respect that leadership offers the employees is also
often reflected in the way in which employees respect and
create an experience for one another. John Moore, the
founder of Brand Autopsy Marketing Practice and a former
partner with Starbucks, notes, “What I truly found special
about the store experience was that it was basically a family.
What leadership offered to us, we offered to one another.”
Leaders who treat their staff with respect encourage their
employees to do the same for their coworkers. 11

Creating the Starbucks Experience
for Customers
Starbucks management takes pride in the company being “the
leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee in the
world,” but also recognizes that people flock to the com-
pany’s stores for the total Starbucks Experience. In essence,
people come into a comfortable setting where they are val-
ued on a personal level, and where a meaningful connection
is made. Everything the company does is intended to give the
customer a positive, perhaps uplifting, experience while pur-
chasing a quality beverage or food item.
To achieve this, the ambience of the store must be inviting;
the store must be a place where a person will feel comfort-
able hanging out alone or with friends. This setting, often