Starbucks Performance Gap

The survey questions mostly consisted of multiple choice questions, two open-ended questions, allowing written responses, and one qualitative response question. These questions were chosen to establish consumers differences and comparative perspective of Starbuck’s competitors, their daily usage of the social media platforms, the coffee shops visited frequently, and their opinions on consumers who frequent Starbucks. The survey contains one matrix/rating scale question ( Appendix I, Question 5) based on how important qualities are when choosing a coffee shop. Lastly, there were two demographic questions. The demographic questions are for a general understanding on consumers behavior based on age group and gender. For an overview of the survey, see appendix I.

Starbucks has developed a brand image that has revolutionized coffee drinking experience. It has created an ambiance that is designed to attract customers and keep them coming back to Starbucks stores. It offers wide varieties of services such as comfortable seating areas with unique music and free wireless Internet for their customers while sipping their favorite coffee. This distinctiveness sets Starbucks apart from most of its competitors and has allowed the company to successfully grow and profit while charging premium prices for their products.

Starbucks was bought out by current CEO Howard Schultz in 1987. Since then, Andrew Harrer (2012) reports the company has grown to operate over “17,244 stores worldwide” (para. 1). Fortune (n.d.) reports in its yearly 100 Best Companies to Work for that Starbucks employs “some 95,000 employees”. From only a handful of stores in 1987 to a billion dollar franchise today, the success of Starbucks is due in great deal to their corporate culture, specifically how employees, or as Starbucks calls them, partners are treated. Joseph Michelli (2007) echoes this sentiment, “A great cup of coffee is only part of the Starbucks success equation” (p. 767).

THE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR OF FOOD RETAILER TRADER JOE’S IS UNIQUE IN MANY WAYS. FROM OWNER, JOE COULOMBE, TO A STORE CLERK, THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME VISION IN MIND- TO SET THEMSELVES APART FROM THE REST. NOT FALLING INTO STEREOTYPICAL FOOD CHAINS, TRADER JOE’S DOES BUSINESS THEIR WAY. THIS MAKES THEM PERFECT AT BEING THEM. FROM INTERVIEW QUESTIONS TO JOB DESIGN, THEY ARE NOT YOUR STANDARD FOOD MARKET. THE SOCIAL CAPITAL IN WHICH MANAGEMENT IS CHOSEN, TO THE STORE’S ATMOSPHERE AND POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES ARE HAVE A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS. ADDED WITH IMPECCABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR OF

Additionally with its growth strategy Starbucks seemed to have lost the ability to communicate its values to its customers. Note that Starbucks research team discovered that between 2000 and 2001 there was an increase in customers who felt that Starbucks primarily cared about making money and building more stores. This is an indication that the company lost sight of the components making up its value proposition. Customer service was a major component of Starbucks value proposition but according to the research team by 2002 it discovered that Starbucks was not meeting expectations in terms of customer satisfaction. In fact the data collected by the research team indicated that 10% of customers would like to see improvements in service especially speed of service and 19% would like to have friendlier more attentive staff.

It was believed that there was a service gap between Starbucks scores on key attributes and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, according to a poll, the speed of service delivery was the biggest concerns of customers. Overall, customers are pleased with the cleanliness, atmosphere, and product quality. However, the main problem was that waiting time was steadily increasing. I believe this one of the factors that caused the decline in satisfaction.

ticket size) X (4.4 customer life years)] $921.78. Calculating sales amount for the highly satisfied customer using the same method shows an amount of [(7.2 visits/mo) X (12 months) X ($4.42 avg. ticket size) X (8.3 customer life years)] $3,169.67. The sales figure for the highly satisfied customer is nearly three and a half times as much as the satisfied customer. This is why it is very important for Starbucks to figure out how to provide more customer satisfaction. The company needs to do research to find out if quality of service has actually declined. There is always the societal perception that a large mega brand is incapable of delivering customer intimacy. This perception is not necessarily a foregone conclusion. It’s just a matter of Starbucks collecting accurate information regarding both quality and quantity of its customer service. The company needs to take a look at itself and determine if its customer service strategy had changed from 1992 to 2002. This is an era indicative of the massive growth. Starbucks needs to answer the question, “Did we lose our focus on customer service quality by concentrating too much on opening more stores?”.

Starbucks advertises two essential mission statements. First and foremost, it strives to “establish [ourselves] as the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world while maintaining our uncompromising principles while [we] grow(s).” (Starbucks) Reflective of its mission, Starbucks bases its strategic campaign and communications on six indispensable philosophies; structuring a pleasant work environment in which employees are treated with “respect and dignity,” incorporating diversity in all business aspects, purchasing, roasting and delivering fresh coffee, retaining satisfied customers, giving back to the community and environment, and developing

Starbucks faces a difficult and controversial management challenge. The company’s most recent market research has revealed unexpected findings implicating that Starbuck is not always meeting customer’s expectations in the area of customer satisfaction. The purpose of this memo is to analyze and provide recommendation on whether or not the company should go forth with a $40 million investment in additional labor in the stores. This $40 million investment is necessary in order to bring service time down to a three-minute interval and ultimately increase customer satisfaction. A marketing strategy and corresponding recommendation will be provided for your approval.

Starbucks has discovered that they are not always meeting their customers’ expectations in the area of customer satisfaction. Starbucks has to come up with an action plan to address this issue, considering its significant correlation and impact to sales and profitability.

Customers flee when a brand forsakes the values it has always championed. Starbucks should not lose sight of their brand heritage, which is the key to building customer relationships for the future (Cebrzynski, 2007). Since consumers do not have the same emotional bond with Starbucks that they once did, we suggest Starbucks uses alternative three, building member ship club. State the plan of action

Starbucks – one of the fastest growing companies in the US and in the world - had built its position on the market by connect with its customers, and create “third place” beside home and work, where people could relax and enjoy others or themselves. It was the motto of Starbucks’ owner Howard Schultz and mostly thanks to his philosophy; company has became the biggest coffee drink retailer in the world. However, within the new customer satisfaction report, there is shown some concerns, that company has lost the connection with customers and it must been taken some steps to help Starbucks to go back on the right path regarding customer satisfaction.

According to the researches already done, since Starbucks was built up at the beginning of 1970s, it has been recognized as the customers’ third home, other than their own houses and workplaces. Those bright and clean tables and comfortable chairs, together with the aroma of coffee from brewing the coffee beans, also the convenience that the customers can freely charge their laptops and music players, give the “Starbucks experience” it used to have. However, with the increasing number of the branches, quantities of automatic coffee machines are taking the place of the ones done by hand, also the counters that supply drive-through in order to meet the need of the customers who are driving, began to sell food, drinks, even CD, which forced the “Starbucks experience” to disappear gradually.

This case assignment discusses the history of Starbuck’s accomplishments as they entered the American coffee culture heritage. In 1983, The chairman and CEO Howard Schultz traveled to Italy and had a dream to carry the Italy coffeehouse ritual back to the United States. Schultz was focused on creating an environment meeting company that makes good coffee but also be a social experiment. Starbucks today opened more than 19,000 stores functioning in 62 countries. Starbucks has numerous rewards that globalization has offered and they have significantly benefited from it, while in the coffee industry. Starbucks has a wide-range in marketing strategies to benefit the customers. During the different obstacles that Starbucks has encountered, they must stay reliable in quality and uphold to adjust to different customer values.

Marketing is a very crucial factor for any businesses. In any sector of business, marketing is must be needed. The way of promoting the business among the customers through the value of creating & exchanging in the organization is called the marketing in hospitality. Here, The National Trust is the organization of UK. It extends its business through marketing in hospitality.