Ensuring Customer Satisfaction

The majority of my blog posts focus on the corporate side of Starbucks; CSR initiatives, green building, mandate overview, new products, etc. But for this post, I want to highlight the high level of customer service that Starbucks offers in every store. To Starbucks, “a cup should never be half empty” and it’s the partners that epitomize this belief every time they serve a customer. Clearly, customer satisfaction is a top priority for all partners.

I was in a Starbucks this past July 4^th weekend, ordering my favourite drink – an Americano misto. The barista making the drink just started working for Starbucks and was having a difficult time making the drink. She fumbled with the cup, over-foamed the milk and poured the coffee over the milk. Simply put, she got it all wrong. Yet, before I had the chance to tell her it was wrong, she quickly dumped it out and started over. She apologized frantically and was clearly frazzled. I told her: “no big deal! Just relax and take your time.” At that point, she proceeded to properly make the drink and apologize another 5 times. Again, I explained to her that it was okay and not to worry. She insisted that she wouldn’t let this happen again and passed me a “Recovery Card.” I thanked her and sat down with my perfect misto.

It was this interaction with the new barista that inspired this post. We are all human and mistakes are understandable. Yet, this barista was so focused on making my drink memorable that she forgot that I wasn’t grading or judging her. And for the record, the drink she made was incredible – perfect foam to milk to water to espresso ratio. Even though I waited almost 10 minutes for my drink, it was perfect and the barista wouldn’t rest until I was satisfied. Thank you Ms. New Barista.

Her attention to customer satisfaction shows just how important customer service is at Starbucks. How many times do you go into a retail coffee or food shop and are unhappy with the order, only to have the server shrug their shoulders and say: “Sorry, but it is what it is.”? Far too often in my opinion. But at Starbucks, it’s different; the partners stop at nothing until you’re satisfied with your order and the service. To date, I’m yet to find another restaurant or coffee shop that shares this same attention to customer satisfaction.

So why is Starbucks so good at ensuring a high level of customer satisfaction? Well, it’s because most Starbucks’ are corporately owned and operated, which means that the store can afford to make you drink after drink until your satisfaction is guaranteed. Making you another drink or giving you a “Recovery Card” for a free drink next time, doesn’t really impact the store’s bottom line and most importantly, the manager’s income. In a typical retail store structure, the employee or manager may be hesitant to offer you a new drink or product because that means lost revenue. Giving out more product than what’s paid for means that the owner loses the sale and ultimately, negatively impacts their bottom line. At Starbucks, it’s a different story.

Starbucks’ corporate structure allows managers and partners to make you a new drink and/or give you a free one on your next visit. This ensures that all customers are satisfied with their order and the service. It’s a simple value that Starbucks believes in - a happy customer today means a repeat customer tomorrow and the next day… and so on. Other retail operations don’t recognize this simple reality and believe that: an unhappy customer is still a customer. These retail stores are often short-sighted and overlook the fact that customers have long-term memories and probably won’t be back if they are unsatisfied with the services and/or products. Obviously, I’m generalizing here. Not all retail stores overlook customer satisfaction but if you look at how Starbucks deals with customer satisfaction, you’ll see that their service is second-to-none.

The Recovery Card

If your wait for a drink is too long or your drink was made incorrectly, you’ll most likely receive a free drink coupon for your next visit. These coupons are referred to as “Recovery Cards” by partners. And that’s exactly what they are; recovery cards. They are meant to recover satisfaction and retain the customer’s loyalty. Essentially, the cards are saying “the drink wasn’t perfect today and Starbucks is sorry… the next one is on us.” The best thing about these cards/coupons is that they are a no-strings attached freebie for your next visit. You can receive any drink, in any size, at any time for free. It’s a perfect way for Starbucks to ensure customer satisfaction.

Starbucks is such a strong company because these ideals, which the company was founded upon, exist in every store. All partners are trained in making the customer happy and retaining business. This way of doing business has proved time and time again that a happy customer is a repeat customer and that a business can’t succeed without ensuring customer satisfaction.