Help a student with his paper: What's the draw to Starbucks?
A STARBUCKS GOSSIP reader writes: "I was hoping some one could help me understand the draw to Starbucks, and why over the years it has become a community in and of it self. Please e-mail me [or post your responses] with any comments about this. It will help me with a paper I am writing for my English class."
Wish I could help, I am a faithful visitor of this sitebecause, well I think it is funny. I am a major coffee drinker . I have tried Starbucks twice { you know, in case the first time I was just cranky or something} and, I don't get the appeal. I think it is like a "coffee cult" type of thing. It certainly wasn't the worst cup of coffee I ever had but I just didn't like it. They seem like a nice enviroments, the people I was served by in the two different locations were very nice {and I tipped well!} but I just don't get it.
Good Luck on the paper
Posted by: Dyn | October 05, 2004 at 09:40 AM
Can't help you with the community part. Although, I'm definitely not with "Dyn" on the question. To some Starbucks fans, I'd be a lamer. I go once a day, if that, and I drink tea instead of coffee. But over the weekend I chanced to go to two indy coffee shops and boy were THEY impressive. One, I asked for an iced chai latte and they whipped out the Oregon Chai concentrate. Wow. And all the tables were broken to some extent (drink some of your coffee before sitting down). But see, I've had better tea at the Pantry in LA, and all it was was orange pekoe from the restaurant supply. The other doesn't really have a good selection of tea drinks, just hot or iced American-style tea. But they do have free wireless internet for your laptop.
All I ask is that you have what I want and that it taste good. I don't care about broken tables or wireless internet.
So maybe I can help you with the community thing. Communities form when people show up, and these indies and their lacadaisical, low-rent, or even crappy aspects do not even give Starbucks a run for their money. Starbucks is where folks show up.
Posted by: Mike | October 05, 2004 at 10:20 AM
Starbucks is quite an entity. Great coffee at expensive although reasonable prices. If you have ever been to an independant coffee shop, it does not have the same atmosphere. Starbucks employees go through many different types of training and there are many different rules for dealing with helping customers. The independent shops and even other chains like Petes Coffee do not spend the same time dealing with training towards customers.
The other point is that Starbucks is an image. This image however is not projected by Starbucks, everyone else projects these images. Starbucks is the cool thing in school, at work, and everywhere else.
Posted by: Bob | October 05, 2004 at 01:07 PM
I think it is a matter of consistency. Like McDonald's. There are much better cheeseburgers in any given town, but you know that the cheeseburger you get in St.Louis will taste exactly the same as the cheeseburger you get in Boston.
Likewise, the cup of coffee (or latte, or frap. etc.) you get in Seattle will taste the same as the cup of coffee you get in Nashville. You know that the environment inside the store will be very simmilar, and this consistency brings people in.
Additionally there is an "in-the-know" aspect of it. Ordering a double tall half-caf vanilla latte with 2% milk can be intimidating at first, but after a while you can be an espresso pro. You can walk into any Starbucks in the country and order the same complicated drink. It will taste the same and be made the same anywhere. So you're a part of the club!
Posted by: Jonathan | October 06, 2004 at 07:40 AM
First, the coffee is so much better than most coffee used to be. Starbucks was there first with a consistent product.
Second, on the whole their employees are remarkable: very personable and attentive. And when they mess up -- and it's rare -- you may get a free coffee for it.
The stores are clean and attractive and airy, will carry favorite local free papers, and offer Wi-Fi.
De Bux is, in other words, almost cool. Very, very, very few corporations manage to project this kind of caring for the customer. It's *almost* like the old-style hometown cafe in an urban setting. Management is very, very smart.
Posted by: Tony | October 07, 2004 at 04:54 PM
First, the coffee is so much better than most coffee used to be. Starbucks was there first with a consistent product.
Second, on the whole their employees are remarkable: very personable and attentive. And when they mess up -- and it's rare -- you may get a free coffee for it.
The stores are clean and attractive and airy, will carry favorite local free papers, and offer Wi-Fi.
De Bux is, in other words, almost cool. Very, very, very few corporations manage to project this kind of caring for the customer. It's *almost* like the old-style hometown cafe in an urban setting. Management is very, very smart.
Posted by: Tony | October 07, 2004 at 04:55 PM
Well, as a former customer turned barista, maybe I can help a bit. I am currently employed with Starbucks, but I in no way legally represent the company.
A major focus of Starbucks employees is something called Legendary Service. Not just great, but legendary--at my store, alone, we have many, many regular customers that we know by name, and we're accumulating more every day. Starbucks is a large chain, and I know it's not the same at every store, but all of the baristas I work with are friendly and attentive. We are not a conveniently located store, so the fact that we have so many regulars is due to our service standards. We also do our best to reassure new customers that it's okay to try what we have, and that we'll do everything we can to fix their drink--or replace it--if they don't like it; although it sounds funny, delving into the coffee world (especially at between 3 and 5 dollars a cup!) can be a bit intimidating for some. A lot of other coffee shops I go into (and indeed, have worked for) are staffed with uninterested college students, so coming into Starbucks initially was a sigh of relief to me.
One of the reasons that Starbucks employees are often so pleasant and helpful is that Starbucks is a great company to work for. They take care of their employees with a great benefits package, by helping to create a family atmosphere, by supporting and uplifting individual partners who are working to make a difference in their communities (and sometimes, in foreign countries), by having an emergency fund in case partners need help. Starbucks treats all of its partners with respect, and that mindset trickles down from the most high-up execs to the thousands of baristas. I have worked in horrible places, and it's hard to do a good job at your job when you hate the company where you work. We're encouraged to have a good time while we're at work, and that makes a huge difference in the atmosphere we create for the customers.
Another major factor is product quality. Some people, as some of the aforementioned commentors, don't like our coffee--I get that it tastes "burned" a lot. Different palates are adjusted to different flavours, but most people can find something they like in our store, whether it has coffee or not. As for the coffee, I myself was never a drip coffee drinker until I was employed for Starbucks the second time. Now, I love it, but I'm spoiled on Starbucks coffees with their complex flavours, and so are many of our customers. Our Frappuccinos, unlike many indie shops that seem to have an indeterminate recipe for frozen drinks, are made to recipe every time, using a mix designed to give the perfect consistency. Our whipped cream is handmade from real whipping cream (none of that aerosol fake stuff).
Finally, there is that atmosphere that people have been talking about. Music in the background, pleasant colours, comfortable furniture, and the right amount of lighting all contribute to the atmosphere in a Starbucks cafe. The tables are usually clean, the carpet not littered with crumbs--excepting major eating incidents here and there, mostly involving children and pastries ;-). It's warm and inviting. One of the neighboring coffee shops in the mall where I work has its seating just kind of scattered around a kiosk in the mall, and frankly, I don't find it a very relaxing place to sit and drink coffee. Also, our stores are very generally open and airy--I know when I walk into a store and there's at least one, if not more, obstacles between me and the counter, I may turn around and walk right back out. I did that the other day at a sandwich shop.
I suppose if there is a common thread here, it would be attention. Attention to details, attention to customers, attention to quality, attention to atmosphere--Starbucks is highly organized and very meticulous, which is the reason behind its success as a company.
For more information, try Starbucks.com --there's a lot of detailed stuff there.
Posted by: BaristaSue | October 08, 2004 at 12:43 AM
Easy...
Coffee is a VERY addictive drug. I have heard its "addictive-ness" to cigarrettes or even cocaine. It happens to be one that isn't frowned upon, like alcohol or tobacco. And, it isn't illegal like cocaine or heroin.
So, Starbucks decided to make a company where they sell the high quality stuff. They invented the Frappuchino and other things to draw them in. They make the drinks to very high standards. If you go to a Starbucks in Los Angeles and you go to one in Maine, you are going to find the same exact drink made the exact same way. It is sort of like McDonalds -- a BigMac in Kentucky is foing to be just like the Big Mac you get in Las Vegas.
Posted by: david73 | October 08, 2004 at 12:50 AM
Am trying to find the origin of the name. Any possibliity that it was taken from Melville's character?
Posted by: doon | October 08, 2004 at 06:36 AM
Sounds to me like I have gone t othe wrong Starbucks...I went to one in Mercer Island WA and I asked for a regular coffee. They handed me a cup and pointed me to a self serve bar{ they smiled though and wished me a nice day}....the second time was in a bookstore Starbucks in Massachusetts. One girl, alone working the counter and she was pleasant enough but no way did she have the ability to give anyone legendary service, she was just tryin to stay afloat. If anyone can tell me of a "normal" Starbucks in Massachusetts I would be willing to try again....always lookin for a great cup o' joe...
Posted by: dyn | October 08, 2004 at 07:11 AM
can help u i think...will send u the report i made for my MBA project on starbucks
Posted by: DIVYA,INDIA | October 11, 2004 at 06:15 AM
doon - yes. starbucks is named after the melville character.
dyn - you must have only been to licensed stores. i'm pretty sure it would be against starbucks policy to have customers help themselves to coffee. it would be to easy for them to spill it on themselves and sue.
and the bookstore one was for sure i a licensed concept store. retail starbucks never have less than 2 partners on the floor.
Posted by: claire | October 11, 2004 at 12:36 PM
Starbucks as a culture is first and foremost American shortcutting: it's watered down, overpriced, nearly tasteless, and everthing is ultimately thrown out. But the greater tension inherent to Starbucks is that it is engineered specially for Americans who are insecure about what their own taste should be.
Nobody who has ever thought about it would ever ever drink coffee from a paper cup at all. Nobody who really likes coffee would put in the cupring of their Saturn and drives away, imagining that their driving is made more relaxing by this. Starbucks is for nobody but the person on the go who wants to feel secure about their purchase; it's not for the person who wants to enjoy coffee.
This is why they have so many goofy drinks. After a certain point, you know bathtub gin when you sniff it, so you have to flavor it elaborately to get it down. The flavored SBUX monstrosity is not really coffee at all--it's coffee disguised, its a mere caffeine delivery system, flavored like bad medicine to go down with less trouble than it might in its naked state.
The fact that people actually sit in SBUXes and sip camouflagued coffee from paper cups that sputter something about the rainforest (when of course a ceramic cup not only is far superior for drinking but also way more environmentally sound) still amazes me. Myself, I would rather drink Folgers from a ceramic cup than weapon's grade espresso from a paper cup, but maybe I'm just snooty. SBUX is a part in our culture, but not at all as a purveyor of coffee.
Posted by: joseph | October 12, 2004 at 12:35 PM
joseph--
starbucks offers ceramic mugs for cafe use and also offers 10 cent discounts when a customer brings in his or her own mug or even reuses a cup sleeve. starbucks also gives tumblers to all of the retail partners so they won't waste cups while having beverages at work.
starbucks does have many, many flavored drinks. these drinks bring in the money. but starbucks serves plain old non-flavored drip coffee, and quality espresso.
it really bothers me when people complain about 4 dollar coffee and the sweet nasty drinks at starbucks.
a large coffee is less than 2 dollars. no sweeteners, no blending, no whipped cream or drizzle. just coffee. nobody is forcing you to buy a "flavored monstrosity."
i work at a store with an old machine, and don't quite approve of the new automatic machines--though i understand the need for them in super busy stores. but i can attest for the quality of shots from the manual machine. i have been a barista for years, at those independent coffee shops everyone in this forum seems to worship. i was never--NEVER--even taught about the three parts of a good shot, or even that it should take only a certain amount of time to drip, or that after ten seconds the shot should be thrown out. all of these are quality controls i learned while working at starbucks. and while i actually hope to leave starbucks and open my own coffee shop someday, i am grateful for the education starbucks has given me.
so if you would rather drink folgers, than a doppio with 21 second shots with perfect crema from a nice little ceramic demi tasse, then go right ahead.
you're just talking to make noise.
and to add to this thread--starbucks isn't just what it is today. starbucks introduced gourmet coffee to mainstream american culture. which is saying a lot when you think about how popular it is now.
Posted by: barista c | October 12, 2004 at 06:31 PM
Coffee is NOT the point to Starbucks' success, although they do offer a good cup. Its about atmosphere. Its the place to meet people. A friend of mine who is a complete starbucks-holic keeps his own personal mug there and the employees know it and recognize him and fetch his mug (and stirring spoon!)from under the counter when he comes in! He meets his friends there and together they flirt with the waitresses and chat with other customers they know who happen to come in. This is about having a family away from home...much like the sitcome "Cheers".
Posted by: Joy | October 13, 2004 at 03:22 PM
I go to Starbucks because I can go in there and they treat me like a valued customer and friend.
I have a very stressful job, but regardless of what I face later in the day at work, I know that when I walk into Starbucks they will have my drink started before I get to the cash register.
They know my name and the notice when I haven't been in for a few days. We talk about our weekend plans and where we are going on vacation.
Great service, good coffee, a friendly smile and a little small talk frames my day in a positive way. It's well worth my $3.00.
Posted by: | October 15, 2004 at 11:10 AM
Read The Great Good Place and you will understand the societal need for Starbucks and like places.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1569246815/qid=1097874581/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/102-0181786-8088917
I don't buy the idea that it's because coffee is addictive (though it is). Starbucks offers so much more.
Posted by: Steve | October 15, 2004 at 02:10 PM
I would read their quarterly reports with a calculator.
But read between the lines.
Posted by: Webby | October 24, 2004 at 11:31 AM
Claire,
I would be interested in reading your research on Starbucks. Just wondering why they are so successful. Thank you.
Posted by: Heather | April 17, 2005 at 07:30 PM
What are the service standards that every employee must follow at Starbucks? I am not seeing consistency across the stores. Are there standards?
Posted by: Judy | April 26, 2005 at 05:22 PM
hey hey like im doing a 6 min speech on starbucks and need sum help. like ya so if u want i think my email address is like eastier@msn.com and like sum other links of my is www.myspace.com/ilovehimtons and www.xanga.com/thee__emily
plezz help me i need all the info i can have!!
<3 lots -emily-
Posted by: emily | February 21, 2006 at 01:11 PM
coffe is very addictive making the customers wanting to come back for more.
Posted by: sean | October 31, 2006 at 02:40 PM
Because people are gullible and easy to take money from for something that should cost half as much. SUX has succeeded in convincing people that if you overpay for asomething like coffee and can carrya round their logo on a cup, others will think better of you (though they know you are too stupid to rwealize that you got taken, again).
It's the same reason that Mercedes can sell so many of thiose crappy C230s. Wanna bet thate very one of those cheap posuer cars has an SUX cup in its cupholder?
Posted by: Counter Bean | November 01, 2006 at 12:06 PM
I am also doing a research paper on Starbucks for my English class...I believe the draw, atleast for me, is the atmosphere. Starbucks is much more than a drink.
Posted by: Stephanie | January 17, 2007 at 05:52 PM
Hi! I am now doing a thesis on semiotic communication. I chose Starbucks as my organization-in-focus. I've limited my study to the store atmospherics specifically colors, graphics, lighting, scent and music. I'm trying to find consumer perception regarding these factors. Can you help me, please? What are your thoughts and feelings about them (atmospherics mentioned). You could e-mail me at ghrayze_19@yahoo.com
And oh does anyone know how i can reach the designer of Starbucks so i could have more info regarding the store design?
Thanks so much.
Posted by: Grace | October 07, 2007 at 08:55 AM
We are willing to treat ourselves to a $4 latte because few of us can afford a Ferrari. It's our way of splurging without going broke.
Posted by: Emma | March 03, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Hi ,
I am writing dissertation about quality management in Starbucks.
Wonder if anyone would be so generous, to provide my with information about service standards. I am looking for information such us:
Quality standards- do you have a manual that you have to follow?
What are trainings opportunities for new and current employees?
How to you measure customers’ satisfaction? How often do you measure it?
If you are willing to help please e-mail me on adszcz@googlemail.com
Thank you,
Posted by: adriana | February 26, 2009 at 06:03 AM