Empower em: Starbucks

Here's a good example of giving tools to the front line.  I dropped by the local Starbucks in Aurora to grab a latte.  I ordered a decaf and got it straight away.  Hmm. This decaf is for the birds.

I walk back up and say, ya know, decaf isn't really very good, my fault, I should stick to the real thing.  Person says, so sorry sir and goes immediately into making a new one. I say, twice, really not your fault, never had decaf, ain't doing that again. Yucking it right up.

In addition to my new drink, she hands me a coupon for free one.

Umm, it wasn't your fault, I ordered wrong thing. No worries, sir, we want people to have a great experience.

Now, you can write up a zillion smart remarks about coffee margins, Starbucks being yet another giant Wal-Mart/Microsoft like evil corporation, but they empowered this (very) young lady to make sure the customers have a great experience.

I asked one of the managers what the policy was regarding the coupons. Are they worried about abuse? Tracking?  Nope. No policy, just common sense and a target of keeping the customer happy. She didn't think abuse would be ever be bad enough to warrant policies or other overhead.

And the bonus question: Did she, as the manager, think giving me a coupon was the right thing to do given the store didn't do anything wrong and the customer was perfectly happy.

The best answer possible: Wasn't her call, it was the call of the employee/team member.

Perfect.

What tools do your employees have? Is it their call?

>R<

Comments

[mark evans]

rick,
you've become the place in the blogosphere to find the best - and worst - customer service organizations. if only there could be more starbucks, and fewer travelocities!

mark