Page 63 - The Starbucks Experience

PRINCIPLE 2

Howard Schultz is fond of saying that “retail is detail.” In
reality—although this lacks the rhyming charm of Howard’s
quote—all business is detail. When details are overlooked or
missed, even the most patient of customers can be frustrated,
and costly errors can occur. Unfortunately, only a small per-
centage of unhappy customers bring their complaints directly
to management. They simply go elsewhere, spending their
hard-earned dollars at competitors’ stores and sharing their
grievances with scores of family members, friends, and
acquaintances.
Starbucks leaders understand that their successful ship can
go down if they fail to take care of both the “below-deck”
(unseen aspects) and “above-deck” (customer-facing) compo-
nents of the customer experience. As unfair as it may seem, in
the world of business Everything Matters. The moment you
48 think something doesn’t matter . . . be ready to start bailing.

Attention to Detail Occurs by Design,
Not by Default
Starbucks success, in part, is linked to the amazing ability of
partners to zero in on the minute details that matter greatly
to customers. In a nutshell, Starbucks leadership appreciates
diverse concerns such as the importance of the physical envi-
ronment, the quality of the product, the need to set priorities
for the workforce, the importance of the company’s reputa-
tion in the larger world, and even the playfulness of the cul-
ture. A great cup of coffee is only part of the Starbucks
success equation.
Jim Donald, Starbucks president and CEO, put it well
when he suggested, “We can’t let the coffee down. Day in and
day out, we have to consistently execute on the details.” That