Page 89 - The Starbucks Experience

PRINCIPLE 2

Lynn continues, “I decided to read about their business
practices and even talked to a partner who was amazingly
passionate about social issues. All of this got me fired up, and
I started volunteering at a store selling only Fair Trade items.
Coincidently, my volunteer location is across the street from
a Starbucks store. So every week when I go to my volunteer
activity, I stop by Starbucks. I drink their tea because I like
what the company stands for.”
For Lynn and many other customers like her, the atten-
tion that Starbucks leadership gives to broad social issues
gives the company a great advantage over its competitors.
Most business leaders can strengthen the emotional connec-
tions between their company and their customers by listen-
ing to the community issues that are of greatest concern to
those customers. By exploring what customers value and
74 striving to have a positive effect in those areas of interest,
Starbucks leadership has struck a strong emotional chord
with the company’s rapidly growing and strongly loyal cus-
tomer base.

Everyone Matters—Uniqueness of Customers
and Employees
Many customers are attentive to the smallest details, and at
times business executives have to marvel at what catches the
consumer’s eye. Often customers are so discerning that no
amount of money spent on advertising and marketing will
make up for failed execution on the little things. Smoke, mir-
rors, and dazzle can fool some of the people some of the time,
but an Everything Matters approach to some of the most
mundane details wins customer loyalty and gets noticed in
the strangest ways.