The Starbucks Experience: 5 Principles for Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary

“Readers will discover a rich mix of ideas and techniques that will help them apply the Starbucks vision, creativity, and leadership to their own careers, workplaces, and companies.
Michelli shares fascinating information…” – Library Journal

“The company’s practices are undeniably innovative and inspiring…” – Publishers Weekly

Fresh-brewed, piping-hot leadership strategies
that have made Starbucks a robust company worldwide

The Starbucks name is synonymous with coffee. Forty millions customers visit each week and the most loyal customer visits their Starbucks store 18 times per month. The Starbucks employee turnover rate is 250 percent lower than the industry average. From a single store to five new stores opening EVERY DAY (one every 5 hours) 365 days per year – Starbucks must be doing something right.

The Starbucks Experience shows readers how employee motivation, excellent customer service and satisfaction, and community involvement build a great company. Joseph Michelli, Ph.D. has been given unique access to Starbucks, offering readers an in-depth look at a company that has re-written the conventional rules of management. Whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a part-time entry-level worker, a middle manager, or the owner of a small business, Starbucks’ five core business principles can be applied to your career, workplace, and company:

• MAKE IT YOUR OWN Starbucks partners (employees) think about customer service in a way that allows each of them to connect with their customers on a personal level. According to Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz, “We are not in the coffee business serving people; we are in the people business serving coffee.”

• EVERYTHING MATTERS Paying attention to absolutely every detail gives Starbucks a competitive advantage because it builds intense loyalty among patrons. “Managers have to constantly put themselves in the shoes of their customers, seeing everything from the other side of the counter,” according to Michelli.

• SURPRISE AND DELIGHT At Starbucks, it is critical to deliver consistent product and service to delight customers. But on top of consistent quality, Starbucks partners look for ways to surprise and engage consumers in a process of discovery. In an example of the importance of surprise, Starbucks gave out free cups of “Calm” tea on April 15 in anticipation that their customers would be frazzled by the tax deadline.

• EMBRACE RESISTANCE Starbucks receives many forms of resistance from communities, international organizations, and at times, customers. Both at the leadership and front line levels, Starbucks has benefited from criticism and utilized it to become stronger and better able to meet the needs of those who share their input.

• LEAVE YOUR MARK People want to do business with and work for companies that are socially conscientious. In addition to their corporate philanthropy and grant-giving, Starbucks encourages its employees to be involved in their communities; matching cash contributions in support of their partners’ efforts. Furthermore, Starbucks leadership makes business decisions in accord with their social values.

Few companies have rallied their employees to participate in a corporate vision that creates a worldwide story of business success. The Starbucks Experience offers a rich mix of ideas for individuals that want to learn how to apply the secrets behind Starbucks phenomenal vision, creativity, and leadership. It’s the perfect business model for anyone with a taste for success.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joseph A. Michelli, Ph.D., founder of the consulting company Lessons for Success, is an internationally sought-after speaker who has dedicated his career to studying successful businesses – large and small. He hosts an award-winning daily radio show in Colorado. Michelli is the co-author of When Fish Fly: Lessons for Creating a Vital and Energized Workplace.


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