It’s been some time now since I’ve shared a Starbucks experience with you, but after reading this post over at Experience Planner, I feel the need to put in my two cents.
I’ll start off with a conversation I overheard when I first walked into Starbucks today. The supervisor was reading a feedback form to one of the employees. He mentioned something about the drink not being satisfactory and trash outside by the drive-thru. 
The first words that came to mind as I’m listening to this conversation is “passion” and “ownership”. Those are the things that seem to be missing.
Is Starbucks growing too fast that they’ve lost focus in finding employees who actually want to provide legendary customer service? Cost-cutting is not going to solve anything. Finding employees who have passion and take pride and ownership in their duties is the answer…and I mean every single employee needs to be on board. It’s the only way…
Nonetheless, I’ll conclude here by saying that I still have great experiences at Starbucks. I just hope that they can keep the momentum and continue to make it an exciting place to hang out.
Great post, Maria. And thanks for the link love.
I agree with your sentiment. Starbucks, a powerful brand, has grown too big, too fast. And you're right, cost-cutting is not going to get them back on the path to growth and success.
You summed it up perfectly: stay passionate, Starbucks. And stay focused.
Cheers,
Scott
Posted by: Scott Weisbrod | February 27, 2007 8:53 PM | Permalink to Comment