Page 98 - The Starbucks Experience

Surprise and Delight

today’s consumers are far more discerning and far harder
to please. To complicate matters further, customers have
developed a seemingly insatiable desire for the unique and
amazing. Thanks to technologies and innovations that
seemed impossible only a few short years ago, we have come
to live in an age of “I gotta have it now, and it better
be great.”
Today, most of us expect a Cracker Jack –like prize in just
®
about everything we buy, from televisions (high definition),
to tiny phones that double as cameras, to talking cars that
tell us when to make the next right turn. Most consumers
have such a high threshold for what constitutes a cutting-edge
product that they thumb their noses at almost anything that
doesn’t “blow them away.” We all seem to be waiting for the
new wrinkle, the twist, the unexpected magical prize at the
bottom of some sticky box. 83
Although it’s a bit counterintuitive, leaders understand that
even satisfied customers are looking for their purchases to
offer more pleasure, joy, or play. People want more zing, but
not necessarily a full-blown production. Starbucks leadership
shows how any business can accomplish this mix of the
expected and the unexpected. In the process, it demonstrates
that you can and must remain true to the spirit and values of
your company.

When a Business “Gets It”
Customers naturally expect businesses to respond to their
needs when they are making routine requests during normal
business hours. However, when a business defies the tradi-
tional, when it “colors outside the lines,” customers often
receive exceptional experiences. It is this type of nontradi-