If you’re like most consumers today, you’ve been to a Starbucks before for a cup of coffee or some other refreshing beverage. It doesn’t even have to be the Seattle coffee company that has been serving customers since 1971; it could be any local coffee shop…or local restaurant… or pub. Here’s the question though:
“How well do you remember your most recent experience?”
If you’re just going thru the drive through for your morning cup of coffee because it’s conveniently on the way to your place of employment or near your house or school, do you even notice the people behind the process? Most people won’t argue that your standard cup of coffee is a commodity. You can go to this Starbucks today and that Starbucks tomorrow and your order – no matter how personalized it may be – can be made by any barista behind the counter. My “venti iced coffee with 7 pumps of caramel and Half & Half” is a rather benign order compared to many I have heard and it never really throws off the person taking the order. Do you remember who made your cup today?
Just like a Big Mac is a Big Mac no matter which McDonald’s you order it from, my preferred coffee drink is nothing unique that any other coffee purveyor could create – at Starbucks or any other storefront that has the word “Coffee” on their shingle. Which is why it’s so funny that when it’s made by my favorite barista Jess K., it just seems to taste better.
Admit it, chocolate chip cookies can be made by anyone who follows the instructions on the bag of the Nestle Tollhouse Morsels bag but they always seemed to taste better when Mom (or grandma) made them, didn’t they? Sometimes that one bartender knows just how to pour your tequila and triple sec just right into the salted rim of your margarita glass. Any time you get service that you believe was personalized just for you, it’s better.
There is something about Jess that makes her stand out from the other green-aproned servers that work at the Starbucks on Henderson Road near my house. She just always has the best attitude. She can be working the register, blending drinks on the line, taking care of guests at the drive-thru window or cleaning up tables in the dining room and you’ll see her (or hear her) happily chatting with customers. She is always smiling and looking for ways to make others smile too. Many people joke that they can’t smile or interact with people until they have had their first cup of coffee in the morning but Jess never lets that stop her from engaging with anyone. Her laid back yet enthusiastic approach is always a bright start to the day.
I also have Jess to blame for my latest drink of choice (the venti iced coffee I mentioned earlier). She’s the one who suggested it to me when I told her I was tired of my usual “venti white mocha, no whip.”
Trust me, I’m not saying that Jess is the only positive employee in America who loves what she does and who she does it for. In the coffee world alone, there are other awesome baristas serving the general public. Heck, there’s Jamie and Caleb down at the Lane Ave store who take care of mom’s daily Starbucks addiction and I know my good buddy Tom takes amazing care of his guests with a welcome smile at Starbucks store #10591 in Wellington, Florida. My friend Sara is always bragging about her local Starbucks in north Columbus. You might even have that “go to” person who helps you each day at your local coffee shop.
There are a little more than 12,000 Starbucks in the United States alone. Add to that the number of other locations where you could get a cup of coffee and you realize how awesome it could be when one person’s service stands out. There are also a little more than 1.1 million members of the National Association of Realtors. Add to that the number of real estate licensees and you realize how awesome it could be when one person’s service stands out.
Are you looking to be just another employee serving up a generic cup of coffee or facilitating a standard real estate transaction for a nameless, faceless member of the general public or will you be more like Jess and deliver service worth talking about? Even if the coffee isn’t served hot, it’ll warm you up when you get it.