Sip on This: How Starbucks is Refocusing Its Customer Experience

As someone who lives for creating amazing customer experiences, I perked up when I read an open letter from new Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol. His message highlights just how dedicated 星巴克 is to being truly customer-centric—from the quality of the coffee to the heart behind its service.?

Dubbed a “star CEO ” by Fortune, Niccol was tapped to helm the global coffee company after it burned through three CEOs in just two years (Niccol will be the fourth) amid steadily slumping sales and sinking customer experiences. Starbucks is hoping its new leader — who has earned a reputation as a turnaround artist after stints at Taco Bell and Chipotle —?can turn things around for the Seattle-based chain.

Last Tuesday, in his first public act as CEO, Niccol outlined his plan for reenergizing stores. To my delight, his vision for the company aligns perfectly with my SUPER Model framework: Start with your Story, Understand Your Customer’s Story, Personalize, Exceed Expectations, and Repeat.

Let’s uncover how Niccol plans to implement each pillar of the SUPER Model and bring Starbucks back to its roots. I promise you will learn a latte. ;)?

S | Start with your story

Starbucks was built on a love for coffee and community. Niccol reminds us of Starbucks’ unique heritage—from owning a coffee farm in Costa Rica to running special roasteries across the world. Their dedication to high-quality, handcrafted coffee is evident; Starbucks hires agronomists who share best practices with local farmers, they design the best equipment for their stores, and they provide each barista with top training programs.?

However, Niccol says that the brand needs to do a better job of embodying its uniqueness. He writes, “It’s time for us to tell our story again — reminding people of our unmatched coffee expertise, our role in communities, and the special experience that only Starbucks can provide. We won’t let others define who we are.”

BREW ON THIS:

Do your employees and customers know your company’s origin story? How are you aligning your actions with your core values? If they don’t know the full story, it’s impossible for them to find their purpose within it.

U | Understand your customer’s story

The new CEO acknowledges the pain points of Starbucks customers: “It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic. These moments are opportunities for us to do better.”

Furthermore, Niccol shows a deep commitment to understanding not just the customers, but also the employees, partners, and suppliers. In his first 100 days, he plans to spend significant time in Starbucks stores and support centers to better inform his plans for improvement: “I know I have much to learn from these outstanding teams and I look forward to getting on the road and spending time with them,” he writes.

BREW ON THIS:

How well do you know your customers’ needs? How have their roles and demands shifted in the past 12 months, and what is your leadership team doing to accommodate? The best leaders spend time on the frontlines to interact with both customers and employees.?

P | Personalize

A key focus for Starbucks moving forward is empowering its baristas to make exceptional coffee with personal care. Niccol details both the high-tech (an improved mobile ordering system) and high-touch strategies (greeting every customer) that will help the brand reinforce its identity of connection and joy.?

He writes, “We’ll make sure our baristas have the tools and time to craft great drinks every time, delivered personally to each customer.” Personally — not hurriedly thrown on a counter for a customer to find.

BREW ON THIS:

If your employees are constantly rushing to just get things done, they likely aren’t going to have the time for personalized interactions with customers. Are you giving your team the tools they need to ensure every customer feels seen and valued? Remember: some of the most important elements of what you’re selling aren’t what you’re selling at all.

E | Exceed expectations

Niccol’s focus on making each Starbucks location a place where customers can connect, relax, and enjoy great coffee is an excellent example of exceeding expectations, not just with product quality, but also with the overall experience. Starbucks hopes to enhance the coffeehouse experience with “comfortable seating, thoughtful design, and a clear distinction between ‘to-go’ and ‘for-here’ service.”?

This used to be a core strength of Starbucks, but — as Niccol writes — they have moved away from the focus, especially as mobile app and drive-through orders have exploded. They lost one superpower in the quest to develop another. Niccol recognizes they can do both, but they must be more intentional about each.

BREW ON THIS:

How do you want your customers to feel when they do business with you? What are you doing to create that experience? If you have multiple distinct channels of business (e.g. online and store orders, or to-go and in-person orders), how are you maximizing each without sacrificing the experience of the others?

R | Repeat

Niccol understands that to reinforce the brand’s identity, they need to ensure a consistently amazing experience. He implores his staff: “Get the morning right, every morning: People start their day with us, and we need to meet their expectations.”?

This commitment to consistency means that every interaction, from the first sip to the last, needs to reflect the high standards Starbucks is known for.

BREW ON THIS:

Customer experience is a daily grind. All it takes is one bad experience for your customers to think, “Maybe I’ll try another option next time.” Make sure every interaction is predictably great to keep your brand’s reputation stronger than your morning coffee. ?

What was your favorite part about Niccol’s message??

Whether you’re a coffee giant, a solopreneur, or somewhere in between, the SUPER Model is a winning framework for improving your customer experience and creating enthusiastic advocates.?

Interested in learning how your brand can be more SUPER? Check out my Six Weeks To Superfans Masterclass for a comprehensive training program that transforms every employee on your team into your Acting Chief of Experience.

It’s been TEN years since I filmed my episode of Shark Tank!

On the latest episode of the Creating Superfans podcast, I'm detailing my entire experience on the show, including what really happened after our pitch (I've never shared this info publicly before!).

And because this is a customer experience podcast, I'm commemorating the anniversary with ten lessons I learned from this journey that any entrepreneur or leader can apply to their business.?

Listen to the episode here or search for Creating Superfans wherever you get podcasts!

This week on the SUPER AMAZING Show: ?Shep Hyken and I reveal the five words that should appear at the beginning of EVERY job description, regardless of the role or industry. Find out what they are in episode 38:

“Each cup is more than a drink; it’s a handcrafted moment, made with care.” - Brian Niccol