Right! I'm not making that up by the way. My drink? Grande Vanilla American with Xtra room. Simple, to the point, and I don't have to take a breath while ordering. The drink in the title? Ordered at a local Starbucks by a crazy, one and one quarter full deck player customer. I had to ask the barista to write it down for me because there was no way I'd remember all those adjectives.
I've been reading a book about Starbucks of late called The Starbucks Experience. The book is written as a "business" book to explain why Starbucks, as a company, is so successful. The book states that Starbuck's success is primarily on the way the treat their "partners" (employees). The executives live the vision, and the partners see that and live the vision too. What a concept! Say what you will about Starbucks, but their business practices with their partners is quite revolutionary. Made me go out to their website to see if they have any project management openings. What? The partners get ONE FREE pound of coffee a week!
Here are some interesting facts about the company. You can likely find a Starbucks within 5 miles of your home (that's assuming you are living in an city/town - the small town livers need not apply). If you had invested $10,000 in Starbucks in 1992, your investment would be worth approximately $650,000 today! Starbucks stock rose 5,000%! AND, today Starbucks opens five new stores a day! I know most of you are like, 'Dah', but really think about that. 5 stores a day! Think about the impact that has on the company, the communities, the world, and more importantly me. I mean, that means no matter where I travel, I can find a Starbucks.
In Seattle, there seems to be a almost dislike for Starbucks by some. It's a huge company who has taken over the streets of Seattle. We have several small coffee shops that offer some great coffee and a great atmosphere. I don't think there's anything wrong with those shops either. In fact, I find myself on a regular basis sitting at one, but it offers me a different experience. When I go to one of those coffee shops I'm never really sure what my coffee is going to be like. Starbucks, to me, is consistent. I can almost guarantee that if I go into any store and order my Grande Vanilla Americano with Xtra room, I'll get the same thing I got yesterday at a different store.
"My" Starbucks, not only knows my drink when I step to the counter, they know I have a registered Starbucks card, they know I am walking in the 3-day and ask how it's going, they know that on Fridays I may be tempted to buy a Top Pot donut, and they know that there's at least a 50% chance I'll be back in the afternoon. And almost on a regular basis, I get an extra shot in the morning (which is 4 shots in my Americano - which PMDude LOVES when that happens because that makes me - well more fun.)
Yesterday was a beautiful day here. A day in which I almost died. Okay, maybe not, but it sure felt that way. I taught myself a very valuable lesson yesterday. It's one of those things you "know" but for some reason you don't appreciate until you're in a learning situation and you are forced to get it. Yah, that was me yesterday.
BigBro, Blue and I took off for a 16 mile walk yesterday at 6:30AM. As we left the apartment it was already almost 60 degrees. It was going to be a hot one. In about 7 miles I hadn't even drank 24 oz of water. In heat. I felt like crap. I couldn't even fathom walking another step. Thankfully, on the horizon was a Starbucks (Yay). I sat and drank a 20 oz water, bought another bottle (I dropped my bottle of water in the toilet - don't ask), filled it with zip fiz, changed the socks and rested for about 20 minutes. I felt better. But as we walked on, again, I barely drank. It was so hot, small breeze only every now and then, that I should have been chugging water. I was clearly dehydrated. At a certain point, I bid farewell to BigBro and Blue - I zigged to the right and they went on to finish the walk. I managed to find my way home. Stopping twice to rest in less than a half mile from my apartment. I was dying. I was panting when walking on flat ground. I had no water with me since I had chugged the rest of my 24 oz bottle I had filled up at Starbucks 6 miles back. I was proving a point to myself and I gotta tell ya, there must be a better way.
I got home, somehow, chugged two more 20oz of water sat on the floor and panted and slowly cooled down. Between the sun and lack of water, I was sure that I would die right there and ten on my cat fur covered carpet. Lesson Learned: MUST. DRINK. WATER. I quite frankly felt like a loser to some extent because my own stupidity got in the way of me training, but I've learned and will do what I need to in order for this to NOT happen again. Blue and BigBro ended up going 17 total and I ended with 15 total (give or take).
Today it's another beautiful day, cooler, but beautiful. Today is another Photo Safari with the PhotoGods. We're heading to the Bellevue Botanical Gardens for flower shots...Yay! My favorite! Oh, but have to stop at Starbucks on my way though, so I'd better get going.
3 comments:
Is this the John Moore book?
Though it's fun to bash them, it cannot be denied that SBUX generated awareness of and market for the customized coffee category (including, as you say, the consistency factor). In other words, if it weren't for Starbucks creating the "standard" for a $4 cup of coffee, Cafe Sarcastic probably wouldn't be doing so well. [This was a concept that my parents, who had owned a coffee shop in the LA area, grudgingly accepted.]
As John notes in his BrandAutopsy blog, Starbucks got very distracted from what they're good at. Consistency and customer experienced suffered as they tried to add new markets (like: music, coffee cups, $1000 espresso machines).
The Starbucks near me is a training facility, and as such, has a high turnover. Since they went to the new machines, the coffee has been much more consistent... just in time for summer 8D They also, finally, took out most of the other crap they sell and it's much more pleasant to actually *sit* in*.
As probably the only non-coffee drinker in all of Washington (I was once deported for this, but sneaked back in), I'm curious how much you "invest" each day at Starbucks?
The Botanical Gardens are great - perhaps we'll see you there!
Yay for lessons learned ahead of time.
I always end up getting behind someone like that at Starbucks and get really intimated and get out of line. I feel like an imposter.
If I DO make it to the counter, caramel macchiato. Looooove the last couple sips. Mmmm... puurrre suuuugaaarrrrr.
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