Starbucks' culture

I love working for Starbucks, even though I hate the pay. There's one thing that makes working in Starbucks a very pleasant one and that is how they do not contradict the culture they are trying to cultivate. In a few companies, salespeople are told to collaborate only to have the company rate their promotions chances based on their sales, which literally tears them apart. Such kind of contradiction is not one I can find in SB.

SB is about putting partners above customers, and just saying yes to all customer needs as much as we can. We are probably talking about service to customers more than profit.

The first part is easily exemplified by this example. What would you think a wine company would do if the promoter breaks a bottle of wine? Would he be forced to pay? Would he be black listed? Just the other day, I was handling food and due to my carelessness, I dropped a tray of muffins. There were a total of 9 in there with a total cost of $27 to be. I wasted company funds of that amount. I was definitely regretful and it was done in front of my fellow partners and managers. They probably knew that it wasn't on purpose and they did not make a fuss of it nor ask me to pay for it though the wastage was all due to my one person's carelessness. To me, they understood how by making me feel degraded, I would have less performance and be unable to deliver the Starbucks experience.

At POS areas, where cash comes in and out, shortages are not a uncommon things. I still remember from a friend that at NTUC, if the cashier cashes in the wrong sum, she would pay the shortfall. Not at SB. Once I had a shortfall of $4, due to some slight confusion and they accepted it, and never did once bring it up to me. Imagine if they would argue penny for penny and I would have worked almost and hour free labour. You would think I will never do POS ever again.

SB emphasis is on providing legendary customer service. Just today, a single customer argued that both her drink would be a grande size and we were rather confused since the order was called out differently. When I asked to see her receipt, I noticed that she was wrong and that a grande size would cost her more. I immediately asked to change her drink for her to her requested size and I made her happy and she smiled before leaving even though I could argue that she place the wrong order. Was I punished for giving the wrong drink? Did I have to pay for the wrong drink? No. SB puts its responsibility on its partners and being empowered, we can do good to fulfil SB's aims.

I wouldn't have noticed this if not from a news about $1 coffees in selected stores in Seattle. Note that in all other SB's there would not be this promotion, and definitely not in Singapore. What hit me was that if a customer insist on that cup, we would "just say yes" and give that cup free to the customer. That really brought me thinking and I realised how the whole culture of SB is suitable for itself and doesn't back stab its self. I feel fortunate working in SB.

Beans

Beans: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad

the title of the book is beans. nothing more unsual, just the word beans.

but what is so good about the book? what has it made me understand, from reading that book?

beans is about this company known as el expresso, which business had suffered a blow, and gone into dips.

it is a book about how, with it's 4 rules to rekindle the fire for the business you once own.

the four p's are the rules.

Personal:
how into you are about what you are doing? how many of your customers know you by name? how many of the customers do you know by name, and a part unique about their lifes?

Passion:
how excited are you about what you are doing now? do you wake up yearning to go into work? how able are you to spread your passion to your employees and customers?

People:
who are the people working for you? do you trust them enough? who are those you mingle with? who are your customers? are they the right kind?

Product:
have you sacrificed quality in return for profit? are your product that of highest quality?

it also showed me a perspective about business, one that i might not have considered.

a bad product cannot be salvaged by however godly a service, a however good product in the same merit will be ruined by a bad service. the key is to find the balance that lies within.

additionally, what i learned and felt awed was how this guy jack, was able to put so much effort to make his business fun, and how much was he able to empower his employees; that kind of trust is indeed appalling.

this is indeed the kind of work condition i want.

jack had a friend named jim, who ran a nightclub. he never trusted his employees, often back to check on them before they closed for the day.

his employees felt untrusted and performed as he expected and this only added to his belief about them unmotivated.

he never liked his job. meanwhile, jack had a dinner with him once, and they shared their business stories, jim was rather appalled by how and what kind of trust jack had told him about. he couldn't believe it, still thinking about what his employees would do without him. but he too hated his kind of life and muttered about trying it out as they parted.

now, jack wasn't perfect, he had his share, he wasn't even sure if he was totally right, he just knew, that outsiders look calmly inwards, insiders are too in it to see it in the right perspective.

the last phrase had put it totally right.

http://www.amazon.com/Beans-Principles-Running-Business-Times/dp/0787967645/ref=sr_1_1/103-8032430-9829456?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179322288&sr=8-1

books I've read:

Self-help

1. Think and grow rich
2. Rich dad poor dad
3. Cashflow quadrant
4. Beans: Four Principles for Running a Business in Good Times or Bad
5. Thomas Edison
6. Screw it, Let's do it by Richard Branson
7. Parable of the piplines
8. The seven habits of highly effective people
9. Emyth mastery
10. Emyth Revisited
11. The prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
12. Master your mind, design your destiny
13. Retire young retire rich
14. Sales dogs
15. Secrets to closing the sale
16. See you at the top
17. awaken the giant within
18. Speak from the heart: be yourself and get results
19. Why employees don't do what they're supposed to do and what to do about it by ferdinard f.fournies
20. The eighth habit
21. How to win friends and influence people
22. Rules of EQ
23. Rules of network marketing
24. Rules of Office politics
25. Sexual intelligence
26. Do's and taboos of public speaking
27. Handbook for businessmen
28. How millionaires stay rich forever
29. The secrets of self-made millionaires
30. Blue Ocean Strategy
    

Autobiography

1. Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew
2. The cash register rings non -stop
3. The Starbucks experience
4. The 10 rules of Sam Walton
5. 
   

Investment

1. One up on wall street by Peter Lynch
2. School of Warrant
3. The intelligent Investor
4. 
   

Body Language

1. Easy peasey By Allan Pease
2. Body Language By Allan Pease
3. Your total image by Phillipa Davis
4. The Definitive Book of Body Language
   

There's too many that I've read but I just can't remember.