Page 54 - The Starbucks Experience

Make It Your Own

store in Seattle, reported that the staff members noticed they
were having problems processing customer orders after the
Pike Place Market store was renovated.
Rick suggested that when the store was redesigned, “it cre-
ated a change in the flow, and there were so many people in
this store that you couldn’t hear when the register partners
called the drink orders to the bar. Between the register part-
ner’s mouth and the barista’s ear at the bar were two espresso
grinders that were constantly humming and whirring. So the
partners got together and developed a system where they
could get the cups already marked at the registers and then
advance them to the bar.”
By being open to innovation, the team came up with a very
successful system that not only allowed better customer serv-
ice, but also made the workplace more fun for the partners.
Rick explains, “Rather than walking about 25 or 26 feet 39
down to the end of a counter, partners decided to throw the
cups with the customer’s name and drink noted on them from
the register to the espresso bar.”
This simple change not only evoked a spirit of fun,
increased the speed of service, and created an engaging visual,
but also tied in nicely with the antics of a neighboring busi-
ness, the Pike Place Fish Market, which was famed for its
employees throwing fish from the fish display to the register.

Involvement in the Business
Starbucks management makes a point of listening and
responding to the ideas and suggestions of partners. The
result of this interest is that partners frequently take respon-
sibility for suggesting and championing new product ideas
based on the input they get from customers. By involving