Better than the Starbucks Experience?

Antonella Pavese wrote about her less than thrilling Starbucks experience:

Last week, I asked the guy behind the counter what type of decaf teas they had. Ooops… Wrong question! He looked at me with an incredulous look on his face and told me articulating every syl-la-ble: "We ha-ve lots of de-caf teas." Duh! I took a deep breath, smiled and said: "OK, I think you guys have a decaf green tea. I’ll get that." Again the same look, the type you would use for somebody that shows up at a Grad Gala dressed in a pajama. He shook his head, put something in a paper cup, and handed it to me . . .

Antonella goes on to share that this Starbucks associate also gave her the only green tea that she hates: ginger green tea. Had he only asked, he could have made her happy, and had a satisfied customer. Instead, she took the time to contrast her terrible Starbucks experience with 5 other positive places she'll frequent.

OUCH!
 

My thoughts:

This "experience" that we associate with Starbucks is becoming more and more corporate, and less and less homey. The 3rd place concept that Starbucks is striving for is dependent upon them finding (and retaining) employees who get it. If you're interested in helping this grand brand keep its shine (and offer a learning opportunity for an associate who may not even realize the damage he did), why not take a moment to pen a quick letter to the manager of the store to let her/him know you didn't get what you expected, detail what you expected, and leave it at that. It is kind that she didn't point out who or where, though you could really help this person learn from the experience.

As for the smaller shops mentioned, perhaps it is because they don't have the same brand recognition as a Starbucks, that we don't automatically give them the benefit of the doubt, so they almost HAVE to be better for us to keep going there.

What do you think?

Do you think the smaller shops NEED to be better to survive? Do you give big chains the benefit of the doubt? Would you give this associate's manager the feedback she/he desperately needs to take their store from good to great?

[Phil Gerbyshak feels that feedback is the greatest gift you can give him. Won't you leave a comment on this post to share your thoughts and feelings with him about this topic? Or pick another topic, and share your thoughts there. To steal a line from the old guys on the Bartles & Jaymes commercials, "Phil thanks you for your support."]

Technorati Tags: starbucks, customer service, bad service

Comments

[antonella]

Hi Phil,
great take on my post. I know, feedback is so important (and is one of the best things we can give others).

I didn't care enough about making that particular Starbucks a great place by providing my feedback.

And this is exactly the point I was trying to make. Some small businesses can build a warm and friendly relationship with their customers, and when they succeed we start to care enough that if our experience is not great, we make the effort to tell them. But other businesses don't, and we just don't care enough to try to make them better...

[Matt]

Ah, sorry to hear of that situation, however I have been going to Starbucks, for years and have had nothing but positive experiences with the organization. I think as with every franchise it depends on the one you deal with.

[Meikah Delid]

This is bad. I think Starbucks should see to it that each one of their stories give consistent good customer service. I know that some people love Starbucks. ;)

[Stacy Brice]

I'll admit before I start that this whole thing just landed badly for me.

I dunno, but it sure seems like there has to be something more going on here. Turn away from all Starbucks because of one barista and a cup of ginger green tea? If I followed that line of thinking, I'd have to walk away from the whole May department store chain because a silly little girl at Macy's didn't listen well, ordered the wrong teaspoons for me and inconvenienced me for six weeks!

Hey, maybe I'm just wired oddly. I think that if I'm not part of the customer care solution, I'm part of the customer care problem. Or, in Phil lingo, if I want to make it great, I have to have a hand in making it what I want it to be.

Not telling someone at an establishment that one wasn't happy, why, and giving him a chance to make things right, IMO, negates a person's right to go out and try to turn the world against said establishment (and let's not belabor the concept of "right," when we all know what I mean).

OTOH, if one gives feedback, and has the same experience again, by all means, that person would be spot on to stop spending money there. But everywhere?? Naaaa.

Where Starbucks is concerned I just think "one bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch, girl."

S

[Pete Prodoehl]

I associate Starbucks with everything that is evil in the world...

[Michael Wagner]

This was what we use to call at Saturn a "moment of truth" in which the brand is either advanced or destroyed.

Brands are fragile like relationships in that they only take a few seconds neglect or abusive behavior to put at risk. And unlike ongoing social relationships, you may never get a second chance to repair the damage.

Thanks Phil for adding your take on this.

[Tom Vander Well]

You're right, Phil. As Starbucks seeks to put a store on every corner, they will struggle to maintain the level of quality and service that has been a cornerstone of their business. And customers in their marketplace have PLENTY of options. It's not like Starbucks is the only place to get a cup o' joe. How long until they realize that they need to grow their quality at the same pace as their quantity?

[Lynn]

It's extremely annoying when people in restaurants, stores, and, indeed, coffee shops treat you like an idiot when you're asking for more information about their products.

[Jeff Brown]

I find this whole subject matter intriguing, but for a different reason. I read Antonella's post, and didn't get the feeling at all that she was going off just because of one experience with an employee, who was maybe either having a bad day, or just not the brightest bulp lighting the room.

She made it abundantly clear the whole Starbuck's 'experience' just wasn't making it for her. Fair enough.

As for me? I keep my SB's card well endowed, as I travel a lot and used them frequently. I break the mold though as I only order coffee 'with room', sometimes with a cookie.

My only complaint about them revolves around their airport stores. Do they have a policy of only hiring employees with IQs of 85 or less? If it wasn't so damn iritating it would be funny. I've had the idea for awhile now to make a video for uTube using a hidden camera.

It would make Antonella's experience seem Nordstrom-like. :-)

[Scott]

Because I know you care about this kind of stuff (that's why your blog is so helpful), I relate this story about what happened today as I tried to spend $1000 at Starbucks. A very simple transaction, so I thought.

Scenario: The Staff Holiday party is next week. I need 40 gift cards (Blue Snowflake design) loaded with $25.00 each by this Friday.

1. Drive to local Starbucks store. After attempting to ring-up several cards, Barista tells me that it works better if I call Corporate; they will get me what I need in two days. Hmmm.
2. Drive back to office.
3. Call Corporate. They tell me the only way I can get cards by Friday is to pay $10 for expedited freight. Oh, and they don't sell the Blue Snowflake design in bulk. If I want that design, I need to go back to the local store to purchase. Oh, and the local store can only ring up 10 cards at a time. Something about the registers "being weird" in the way they handle Gift Card data. Hmmm.
4. Drive back to local Starbucks store. Explain the situation. They say no problem and start to ring-up the cards again, in smaller batches. They tell me to take a seat. After ten minutes, they give back my credit card and tell me that the register will only let them ring up four cards per register, and that I can only purchase eight cards per day per store. Huh? Manager smiles and gives me a FREE DRINK coupon. Encourages me to call Corporate or drive to multiple stores to make purchases.
5. Drive back to office. Call Corporate. Order Taker acknowledges that it's pretty screwed up. Recommends buying the Blue Snowflake card on the Starbucks Consumer Website, but wait . . . he also notes that it only allows me to purchase 14 cards at a time, and that I would have to pay separate expedited shipping on each order (an extra $50 bucks total) to get them by Friday. Recommends I buy the Red Christmas Tree design. Hmmm.
6. I don't want the Red Christmas Tree design, but it seems to be the best of available options.
7. Order Taker gives me free freight ($10) to "make up" for all the hassle. Hmmm.

Wake Up Call to Starbucks: "I'm trying to spend LOTS of money with your company! It shouldn't be this difficult!!!!!"

Scott Anderson