Page 39 - The Starbucks Experience

PRINCIPLE 1

Acknowledging Uniqueness
When someone actually notices us, as Joy notices her cus-
tomers, it’s almost shocking, particularly if we haven’t visited
that business in a while. In today’s frantic world, most of us
expect to just blend in with the crowd. Unfortunately, as
much as each of us may want to stand out, we often fear that
we are just another member of the herd.
Starbucks leadership understands that customers long to
have their uniqueness recognized. Therefore, these leaders
impart the importance of treating people in a way that leaves
everyone feeling unique and special—whether they are
customers, clients, or staff members. Paul Ark in Bangkok
provides a perfect example of how a Starbucks partner
made him feel truly important. A self-proclaimed “sucker”
®
for Frappuccino blended beverage with raspberry syrup,
24 Paul hadn’t been to the Chidlom Starbucks in almost two
months, but as he was standing behind two other customers
in line to order, one of the baristas looked over and said,
®
“Grande Vanilla Crème Frappuccino with raspberry syrup,
right?”
Paul was shocked, but the experience made a deep impres-
sion on him. As he notes, “Most companies chant ‘customer
service’ like some mantra, as if printing it enough times in
their corporate glossies means they are actually paying more
than lip service to the concept. But here is a Joe Schmo line
worker at Starbucks defining what customer service means
in real terms to real customers: building a one-on-one rap-
port in order to remember a customer’s needs and preferences
and creating a smooth and efficient in-store experience.”
Successful business leaders emphasize, train, and encour-
age a respect for the discretion and uniqueness of their staff.
At Starbucks, that discretion comes in the form of giving