Page 80 - The Starbucks Experience

Everything Matters

purchase a card with $50 for our friend. Because she was
joking with others and did not pay attention to our request,
she added only $15 on the card without confirming it with
us. . . . Twenty minutes later we gave the card to our friend
and told him that there was $50 on it. You can imagine how
embarrassed we were when our friend finally told us that
there was only $15 on the card. Therefore, we went back to
the store to reload the $35 on the card for my friend. It
wasted our time to take care of it, and we were upset.”
Managers are then asked to reflect on the customer’s expe-
rience, with questions such as

• Name three behaviors that detracted from legendary
service.

• What Green Apron Book behaviors could have made
this situation a positive experience for the customer? 65
• How would you coach the partner in this situation?

Rather than responding to hypothetical customer experi-
ences, managers are given the opportunity to anticipate situ-
ations that their staff will encounter, based on positive and
negative real-world customer transactions. The training also
reinforces for management the corporate priorities outlined in
the Five Ways of Being. In addition, this approach helps lead-
ers teach their partners by encouraging them to coach their
teams to greater competence in delivering legendary service.
Similarly, Starbucks partners, at the barista level, have
access to something called Conversations and Connections,
a tool used to facilitate discussion and regular storytelling
about behaviors, actions, and language consistent with the
Five Ways of Being. Conversations and Connections is pro-
vided so that in-store partners can read, analyze, and discuss