Are you being served? – Part II
In the past, I have written about how the little guy can be competitive with the 800 lb. gorilla. As small businesses, we have the ability to be flexible, responsive, customers connect with decision makers, etc . . .
If you were to simply follow that line of thought, we’d all be successful and corporate America wouldn’t exist.
I have something to confess, so please be gentle. . . .
I go to Starbuck’s every morning . . . there I said . . . Yes - I support the corporate behemoth . . .
Let me explain - I moved into my neighborhood about six years ago. Starbuck’s hadn’t arrived, as of yet. So, I would grab the dog and head to the local coffee shop. It was the routine. This probably went unchanged for about four years or so, and then came Starbuck’s. Ok, I admit it, I may have stopped in if it somehow worked into my travels, but for the most part I remained faithful.
My coffee shop was the place where everyone knew you name. Every morning, I chatted with a few regulars, the dog got a biscuit and the manager (who had a penchant for Journey) and I (my prom song was “Open Arms” circa 1981) always exchanged our daily pleasantries.
About six months ago, my life was thrown in turmoil. The manager took a new job and I was left to fend for myself. The old manager always worked the morning shift, the new manger preferred afternoons. So, my new coffee barista was a late teens/early twenty something perpetually hung over and typically running on an about two hours sleep.
The first to go was the morning pleasantries. The next to go was the morning selection, there used to be a variety of offerings, but the new barista only felt compelled to make a really, strong dark roast and decaf. And finally, there was the wait - every morning this new person was usually engrossed in a phone conversation about last night's adventures - and really - my order was an inconvenience (who in the world do you call at 6 am?).
It wasn’t long to I was seeking out the Seattle Elixir. “I’ll have a Grande breakfast blend with room for cream . . .”
Here’s the deal - no matter Starbuck’s I walk into, there is always someone at the counter ringing customers and a barrister preparing drinks. It doesn’t matter how long the line is, I know I out the door in less than ten minutes. When I order my Grande breakfast blend, it tastes the same, whether I am out home, on the road, or traveling abroad (OK, I did order it in Shanghai and it wasn’t same, but I think that was the cream). So Shanghai aside, I get consistency in both product and service whenever or wherever I step into a Starbuck’s store.
This is why we go to corporate merchants. Local businesses do well when there is a face to them – be it an owner or a dedicated employee. But as we grow, the oft lacked processes diminish the customer experience. You open your second location, you can't be in two places at once - do your employees treat the customers with the same care that you did? Do your clients experience the same level of consistency every time they visit, or is it dependent upon whose working that shift?
If they don't, you've got some work to do!
If you were to simply follow that line of thought, we’d all be successful and corporate America wouldn’t exist.
I have something to confess, so please be gentle. . . .
I go to Starbuck’s every morning . . . there I said . . . Yes - I support the corporate behemoth . . .
Let me explain - I moved into my neighborhood about six years ago. Starbuck’s hadn’t arrived, as of yet. So, I would grab the dog and head to the local coffee shop. It was the routine. This probably went unchanged for about four years or so, and then came Starbuck’s. Ok, I admit it, I may have stopped in if it somehow worked into my travels, but for the most part I remained faithful.
My coffee shop was the place where everyone knew you name. Every morning, I chatted with a few regulars, the dog got a biscuit and the manager (who had a penchant for Journey) and I (my prom song was “Open Arms” circa 1981) always exchanged our daily pleasantries.
About six months ago, my life was thrown in turmoil. The manager took a new job and I was left to fend for myself. The old manager always worked the morning shift, the new manger preferred afternoons. So, my new coffee barista was a late teens/early twenty something perpetually hung over and typically running on an about two hours sleep.
The first to go was the morning pleasantries. The next to go was the morning selection, there used to be a variety of offerings, but the new barista only felt compelled to make a really, strong dark roast and decaf. And finally, there was the wait - every morning this new person was usually engrossed in a phone conversation about last night's adventures - and really - my order was an inconvenience (who in the world do you call at 6 am?).
It wasn’t long to I was seeking out the Seattle Elixir. “I’ll have a Grande breakfast blend with room for cream . . .”
Here’s the deal - no matter Starbuck’s I walk into, there is always someone at the counter ringing customers and a barrister preparing drinks. It doesn’t matter how long the line is, I know I out the door in less than ten minutes. When I order my Grande breakfast blend, it tastes the same, whether I am out home, on the road, or traveling abroad (OK, I did order it in Shanghai and it wasn’t same, but I think that was the cream). So Shanghai aside, I get consistency in both product and service whenever or wherever I step into a Starbuck’s store.
This is why we go to corporate merchants. Local businesses do well when there is a face to them – be it an owner or a dedicated employee. But as we grow, the oft lacked processes diminish the customer experience. You open your second location, you can't be in two places at once - do your employees treat the customers with the same care that you did? Do your clients experience the same level of consistency every time they visit, or is it dependent upon whose working that shift?
If they don't, you've got some work to do!
posted by Mike Doherty at
4:53 PM
1 Comments:
I agree that uniformity offers some level of convinience but one must know that with uniformity, there is no variety.
This is one of the reasons why www.2Locals.com was born, wherever you go, there is high chance that you will see Starbucks and if the rate of its growth keeps increasing, there will be only 1 coffee shop throughout US.
that's my 2cents.
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