What I Learned From Starbucks This Past Month
#blogpost - I've been watching Starbucks' business model from inside the cafe this past month and it has really taught me a lot about growing and scaling a business, corporate culture and customer experience. I'm sharing my thoughts about it all here. The past month, my internet has been flaky. Struggling to connect and at peak traffic times, my T-Mobile hotspot and wireless service don't cut it at all. I live on the outskirts of Northeast Houston. While the coverage map shows magenta, the bars on my phone tell a different story. It doesn't help that I live across the street from the high school, across the highway from a major shopping center and at the intersection of two very busy highways. You probably have the full picture now. So off to Starbucks I skedaddle. Some days it's 2 hours. Some days it's 8+. So much they know my name, know my order and have told me I'm one of their favorites. ☺️ Now, this ADHD brain loves the flow there. It actually helps me to hyperfocus in but as my thoughts are processing or I'm waiting for chat to process our thinking, I am watching. I love people watching. So Starbies is really great for me. There's a new store opening in that shopping center I mentioned across from my house. Context you'll want. There's one North of me at another major farm to market road. 8 minutes from my house. The one I go to is 10 minutes South of my house. In the shopping center, there's a store inside a Kroger and a Target but no standalone. So that is what is about to be opened along the westbound feeder road on this major highway this week! EEK!! Three new people have been training at my store for the new store. Plus, two of my favorite baristas have excitedly told me they are moving to the new store. I say congratulations but my face probably isn't saying that. They will be missed. Getting to the point... there were two being trained on the same machine by two different trainers on the same shift. So I got curious and asked the key holder /shift manager. This is actually how they staff new stores. That's why Starbucks feels seamless. Why walking into one feels similar to walking into another. New members are trained at an established store and new stores are opened with a mix of seasoned and new staff. Then she said something else fascinating. There's a shift marketplace where you can pick up a shift at any location. 🤯 And if you need to give away a shift... marketplace.