Now that I have found “my drink” at Starbucks (which is a total California thing to have and say), I really like the experience. When you walk in the lights are a little lower, and it feels like life slows down a bit. Like you are stepping into a “visual” cup of coffee. But the service is fast, friendly, and just serious enough about your coffee that you appreciate their professionalism.
Everything has a place, but in a way that doesn’t make you feel like you are in grandma’s house.
But this morning that little environment was off. A mother and her child were in line, and they were completely irreverent of the Starbucks experience. The child knocking all the cold drinks in the front section over, the mother couldn’t decided what she wanted, the kid insisted on ordering his drink, and then they mother asked, “How to I make coffee with my coffee maker”.
Maybe because I have been reading so many marketing and messaging books, especially Seth Godin, is why this seemed so offensive to my senses. I felt like this lady was tearing down the curtain, the tender veil of the excellent Starbucks experience.
Final point here is that it takes a lot of thought, planning and effort to pull of a great experience for people. The cool part was that the Starbucks employees responded well and took the conversation with the woman genuinely, which even raised their “coffee expertness” in the eyes of the frustrated customers - but they did it on the side so the rest of us could move on. It showed the Starbucks experience is more than just an act, that it is a strong “story” as Seth would put it.
