An Ode to Starbucks. Again.

If you know me at all, you know I really, really, really love Starbucks.

Like, I really love everything about Starbucks. A good friend said recently they were surprised I like Starbucks so much since I “don’t really do big corporations.” BUT PEOPLE! I truly believe Starbucks is so much more than that, and this is exactly why I respect and love this company so much.

I have learned many, many business lessons from being a loyal customer of Starbucks and from observing the way the company does its thing for so many years. And I am constantly impressed and constantly learning from this company. I shared my latest lesson ( / reminder) on Instagram this week and thought it was fitting to reshare here.

Things Starbucks has taught me #6284729:

Yesterday afternoon, after two days of craving a certain $4.28 hot chocolate from Starbucks, I loaded the babies up & marched (really we drove in my new mom car & really we just needed to get the f out of the house) to Starbucks where I finally got that dang hot chocolate. Within three sips of that salted caramel deliciousness I was literally smiling from joy. It was so dang good. And then I realized for the umpteenth time all that Starbucks teaches me & reminds me about running a good business. Yesterday’s lesson:

If everything we’re doing within our businesses doesn’t help make our customers or our clients smile or feel known or feel valued then that needs to be looked at ASAP. Every interaction, every process, every note, every order packed up & shipped out, all of it should make your customer feel joyful about spending their hard earned dollars with you.

If you continuously do this ^, your customer will keep on comin back, time and time again. No matter if they have to bundle up & load their four month old twins in the car to get to you. No matter if they have to wait four to five days for their order to arrive after they’ve been spoiled by the freakiness of Amazon prime. No matter if you aren’t in their neighborhood. Make it worth it to them.

And 3, is it really overpriced if it brings you joy? Or makes your life easier? Or alleviates the pressure or the load you’re carrying around all by yourself? Or frees up your precious & limited time? All things to ponder. And you know I’m going to go ahead & say no.

Whatever your Starbucks is, whatever you go out of your way in both time and finances and logicalality (I don’t know, just go with that made up word for now, okay? #mombrain is real, it turns out), figure out what it is about that business & how you can replicate those warm fuzzy feelings in your own biz as we head into 2019. I know we’ve all got some room for improvement here, so let’s do it to it. 👊🏼

And Starbucks, I love you.