LESSONS FROM STARBUCKS

Can Assisted Living Learn From Starbucks?

I hate to admit this, but I'm a fan of Starbucks, their coffee, locations, ambiance and most of all the quality and consistency of the store team members. There are many options for coffee and Internet usage, but something or things keep me a fan.

The team members always make me feel welcome, the product is consistent even during high traffic times.

While sitting in a Starbucks today I wondered what lessons the Senior Housing industry could learn so I did the popular thing and googled topics related to their hiring, training and philosophy.

Here are some interesting bits of information I found in an article written by:

Arthur A. Thompson, The University of Alabama John E.Gamble, University of South Alabama

Every partner/Batista hired for a retail job in a Starbucks store receives at least 24 hours training in the first two to four weeks. The training includes classes on coffee history, drink preparation, coffee knowledge (four hours), customer service (four hours), and retail skills, plus a four-hour workshop called "Brewing the Perfect Cup." 

Batista's are trained in using the cash register, weighing beans, opening the bag properly, capturing the beans without spilling them on the floor, holding the bag in a way that keeps air from being trapped inside, and affixing labels on the package exactly one-half inch over the Starbucks logo.

Beverage preparation occupies even more training time, involving such activities as grinding the beans, steaming milk, learning to pull perfect (18- to 23-second) shots of espresso, memorizing the recipes of all the different drinks, practicing making the different drinks, and learning how to make drinks to customer specifications.

There are sessions on how to clean the milk wand on the espresso machine, explain the Italian drink names to customers, sell an $875 home espresso machine, make eye contact with customers, and take personal responsibility for the cleanliness of the coffee bins.

Everyone is drilled in the Star Skills, three guidelines for on-the-job interpersonal relations: (1) maintain and enhance self-esteem, (2) listen and acknowledge, and (3) ask for help. And there are rules to be memorized: milk must be steamed to at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit but never more than 170 degrees; every espresso shot not pulled within 23 seconds must be tossed; customers who order one pound of beans must be given exactly that—not .995 pounds or 1.1 pounds; never let coffee sit in the pot more than 20 minutes; always compensate dissatisfied customers with a Starbucks coupon that entitles them to a free drink.

Management trainees attended classes for 8 to 12 weeks. Their training is much deeper, covering not only the information imparted to Batista's but also the details of store operations, practices and procedures as set forth in the company's operating manual, information systems, and the basics of managing people. Starbucks' trainers were all store managers and district managers with on-site experience. One of their major objectives is to ingrain the company's values, principles, and culture and to impart their knowledge about coffee and their passion about Starbucks.

Each time Starbucks opens stores in a new market, it undertakes a major recruiting effort. Eight to 10 weeks before opening, the company places ads to hire Batista's and begin their training. It sends a Star team of experienced managers and Batista's from existing stores to the area to lead the store-opening effort and to conduct one-on-one training following the company's formal classes and basic orientation sessions at the Starbucks Coffee School in San Francisco.

I am always impressed by the Starbucks ambiance. 

Starbucks management looks upon each store as a billboard for the company and as a contributor to building the company's brand and image. Each detail is scrutinized to enhance the mood and ambiance of the store, to make sure everything signals "best of class" and that it reflects the personality of the community and the neighborhood.

The thesis is "Everything matters." The company goes to great lengths to make sure the store fixtures, the merchandise displays, the colors, the artwork, the banners, the music, and the aromas all blend to create a consistent, inviting, stimulating environment that evokes the romance of coffee, that signals the company's passion for coffee, and that rewards customers with ceremony, stories, and surprise.

To try to keep the coffee aromas in the stores pure, Starbucks banned smoking and asked employees to refrain from wearing perfumes or colognes.

Colorful banners and posters are used to keep the look of Starbucks stores fresh and in keeping with seasons and holidays. Company designers come up with artwork for commuter mugs and T-shirts in different cities that keep with each city's personality (peach-shaped coffee mugs for Atlanta, pictures of Paul Revere for Boston and the Statue of Liberty for New York).

To make sure that Starbucks' stores measure up to standards, the company uses "mystery shoppers" who pose as customers and rate each location on a number of criteria.

My take on Starbucks is  "Everything Does Matter".  I hope to meet with a Starbucks representative that will share the details of their employee selection process. 

Just finished my free refill so its time to pack the Mac and hit the road. 

Hope you had a safe and enjoyable 4th.

Rick D Watkins

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