Starbucks sells more than coffee. Starbucks sells pseudo-relationshps. People who work at Starbucks are chosen for their people skills and interesting qualities. Customers get to know the associates and over time form bonds that encourage the customer's to come back again and again. Most baristas have a fan base.
In this relationship-hungry society, this works and works well. I saw this in action when having a few meals with my barista relative in the city she works in. No matter where she went, Starbuck customers stop at her table to “catch up” to say hello, to check in and introduce the wife or husband to her, to ask her when she will be on next and so on. Not just one time each meal. It was a constant.
Starbucks baristas get asked home for Christmas dinner with families, and occasionally to the beach with a needy mother. They do not go, and some are puzzled at the fervor of their customers.
Most of the baristas would not phrase it this way, but they are actors. They offer a illusion of friendship in a friendship-hungry world.
“Starbucks sells pseudo-relationshps” sure sounds like a CULT to me.
I’ve heard that Starbucks is a very good company to work for. I tried getting a job in HR/payroll in one of their regional offices a few years ago when I was out of work. While they didn’t ask me to come in for an interview, I was very impressed that they actually responded to my application, thanking me for my interest and saying that while they had already filled the position and didn’t have any openings to fit my resume, to check back and apply again for future openings and that’s a heck of a lot more than most companies will do.
Starbucks sells more than coffee. Starbucks sells pseudo-relationshps. People who work at Starbucks are chosen for their people skills and interesting qualities. Customers get to know the associates and over time form bonds that encourage the customer's to come back again and again. Most baristas have a fan base.
Most of the baristas would not phrase it this way, but they are actors. They offer a illusion of friendship in a friendship-hungry world.
A few years ago I was standing on line at Starbucks around the corner from my house, behind an elderly couple; the woman couldn’t see too well and her husband used a cane and wasn’t all too steady on his feet and they were obliviously very confused by the Starbuck drink menu. The barista who waited on them was a young gal and sort of “Goth” looking; jet black hair, heavy eyeliner, a nose and eyebrow piecing and a few visible tats. And I was thinking to myself, “This isn’t going to go well”.
But very much to my surprise it was not at all that way.
The young, “goth”, pierced, tatted barista gal very politely asked the elderly couple what if they were ready to order and seeing how confused they were said, “You know, that menu is really confusing to a lot of people, even to me and I work here. We have coffee and tea and flavored tea and flavored coffees, lattes, both hot and iced and frozen, what sort of drink are you looking for?” The elderly woman said, “We just want a cup of coffee”. The barista smiled and said “Great. How do you make your coffee at home? Do you like it strong, medium or mild?” The woman answered “medium” and the barista told her “Our coffee tends to be rather strong, how about you try a little first to see if you like it” and she poured a little in a cup to which the woman said, “Ooff, that’s too strong.” to which the gal said, “If you don’t mind waiting a bit, I can brew you something a bit milder like I make for my grammy when she comes here.” Then she said, “We have funny names for our sizes but we won’t worry about that. Do you want a small cup or a medium or large cup?” “Small” said the woman. “And you sir?” she said to the man and he said “medium,” “Do you like cream or sugar in your coffee?” “I like a little milk and sugar and my husband takes his black”, said the woman. The gal rang them up, took their money and then came out from behind the counter and walked them over to an empty table. I had by now already gotten my drink but decided to hang around to see what happened next.
I don’t know exactly what she did but she brewed some coffee especially for them and then came out from behind the counter and brought it to them at their table. Afterward I went over the to the barista gal and told her “I saw what you did, and I just want to say thank you.” She smiled and winked said, “Ain’t no big thing”. I used to go to that Starbucks every Friday morning on my way to work a on Sunday mornings for a time and that gal got to know me. If she was working, I’d come up to the counter and she’d ask, “The usual?” and I’d say “yes” and I’d get my triple tall skinny caramel macchiato just the way I like it.
I guess I became one of her fans. It might have well been an illusion of “friendship” but I tend to consider it good customer service.