Page 28 - The Starbucks Experience

Introduction

itively affect the lives of those they serve, and in so doing
build the brand.
When staff members understand how their efforts spark
the business and uplift and change lives, they are more likely
to exert the creative and passionate energy that gets noticed
by customers. Seth Godin, the author of Purple Cow: Trans-
form Your Business by Being Remarkable, describes the dif-
ference he observed between Starbucks staff and the staff
from a similar retail establishment. As Seth was heading
toward a Starbucks store, he overheard two young people
from a nearby fast-food restaurant complaining in detail
about their jobs. By contrast, upon entering Starbucks, Seth
“noticed, tucked deep in the corner, apparently not for cus-
tomer inspection, a bulletin board. It was jammed with pic-
tures of the staff. The staff on a picnic, at an amusement park,
kidding around . . . if it’s possible to make an herbal tea with 13
enthusiasm, they were doing it. If it’s possible to make a $4
transaction feel joyful, they accomplished it.”
Seth relates how soundly and authentically the partners in
that Starbucks had “made the store their own.” As he puts
it, the staff chose to find enjoyment in their jobs. “It was help-
ing not just Starbucks, but them, too. All I had to do was
glance out the window to see the difference. I think there’s a
huge lesson here. Not just for marketers who sell interactions
. . . but for employees, as well.” That huge lesson is the Star-
bucks Experience—a commitment to the shared good of all
employees and customers. It happens by creating systems to
hold leadership and staff accountable for that commitment,
sharing the reward of hard work, and encouraging prof-
itability. By projecting a vision of the optimal customer expe-
rience and helping partners consistently realize that vision,
Starbucks leaders watch their people grow the business, and
watch their profits grow as well.