Dearest Handsome Howard,
I sure you hope you are a forgiving man, because boy oh boy, is this letter late! Please forgive a gal for getting distracted with life's little this and that. Life can be so realistic at times that I can get wrapped up into my own story and forget the big picture. In my big picture, coffee is a key factor so somehow I lost my way.
Howard, will you please forgive me?
Yes?
No?
I will take your silence as accepting of my apology and will move on. Thank you.
I don't know if you remember me, but we used to work together, back in the day....back when we knew the difference between a restritto and short shot. You sometimes came into the University Village location and would surprise us with a smile! That was always a good day! And during the holidays you and your E-team showed up and scooped beans with us and we built gift-packs.
Remember those days?
In those days I could taste the difference between shots that were pulled at 18 seconds and 27 seconds. That's how we came up with the timing for the length of shots...
Good times. Great coffee!
So Howard, I've been hanging out in your little establishments here in South Florida for a couple of months now and let me tell you people are talking about you! There is a "buzz" about you in my little Pompano Beach location. This sandwich thing is really stirring the pot! Good work! Keep it up!
Firstly, let me appreciate Keri for doing such an outstanding job at my neighborhood location. She is a strong young leader who is driven and dedicated. I hope she finds yoga soon so she doesn't burn out like so many women do in the workplace. Please take a moment to recognize her for contribution and vision. You may want to give her a week's vacation in a spa as a token of your appreciation and a large cash bonus. Or you may just want to public recognize her...ask her how she likes to be recognized. Everyone is different.
Me?
I like cash.
Lots of it!
In plain envelopes!
But that is just me.
The associates here in Pompano Beach have been working very hard with a short staff. This is a common theme in all retail environments. Walk into any Target, Old Navy or any retailer and they will tell you they are hiring. Why? Because of the low paying environment but the lure of benefits keep people willing to work in an unkind environment.
Howard, please stop the cycle of penalizing your associates for being ill and unable to cover their own shifts. We all know they work tirelessly. Please take a moment to recognize them because without them working the registers and pulling the shots, none of this would be happening.
Here's some of what I'm hearing....
Starbucks has lost its vision
Associates are unhappy
Team Members need a new vision
So here's an idea Howard: Why not close your tiny stores, like that one in Ft. Lauderdale that is close to the Whole Foods, and focus on larger stores like the one in Pompano Beach and on Broward Blvd in FTL to develop the community relationships that Starbucks used to have with small businesses and retailers.
Let's return to the community and build space within the shops where people can visit or start conversations easily with others, if that is what they desire. If there was more square footage dedicated to the community, well....imagine what would happen.
What if you built a starbucks with a community room where AA could hold non-smoking meetings? Because think about it Howard, who really drinks your beverage? All those people who are trying to not eat ice cream sandwiches and drink Jagermeister for breakfast...that's who!
I have an offer for you Howard....why don't you and I meet for coffee and discuss some vision for your little company. I've got a pulse on the coconut line and what your customers are saying too. You may like to hear what the word on the street is....
In closing, I hope you are well and that your family are fine. I remember how all the ladies had (and probably still do) crushes on you...you're such a fine looking man. I always believed that a man could be good looking and business smart too...it's just hard to find them.
Be well. Feel free to write back, or you can email me at my link.
Lots of love,
Linda
2 comments:
Howard Schultz hears you and feels your pain: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2003586922_starbucks24.html
I don't think that link worked. Here is a cut-and-paste letter Howard wrote to his employees:
SCHULTZ MEMO
February 4, 2008
What I Know to be True
Dear partners,
As I sit down to write this note (6:30 a.m. Sunday morning) I am enjoying a spectacular cup of Sumatra, brewed my favorite way -- in a French press. It has been three weeks since I returned to my role as ceo of the company I love. We have made much progress as we begin to transform and innovate and there is much more to come. But this is not a sprint -- it is a marathon -- it always has been. I assure you that when all is said and done, we will, as we always have, succeed at our highest potential. We will not be deterred from our course -- we are and will be a great, enduring company, known for inspiring and nurturing the human spirit.
During this time, I have heard from so many of you; in fact, I have received more than 2,000 emails. I can feel your passion and commitment to the company, to our customers and to one another. I also thank you for all your ideas and suggestions ... keep them coming. No one knows our business and our customers better than you. I have visited with you in many of your stores, as well as stopping by to see what our competitors are doing as well.
It's been just a few days since my last communications to you, but I wanted to share with you what I know to be true:
# Since 1971, we have been ethically sourcing and roasting the highest quality Arabica coffee in the world, and today there is not a coffee company on earth providing higher quality coffee to their customers than we are. Period!
# We are in the people business and always have been. What does that mean? It means you make the difference. You are the Starbucks brand. We succeed in the marketplace and distinguish ourselves by each and every partner embracing the values, guiding principles and culture of our company and bringing it to life one customer at a time.
Our stores have become the Third Place in our communities -- a destination where human connections happen tens of thousands of times a day. We are not in the coffee business serving people. We are in the people business serving coffee. You are the best people serving the best coffee and I am proud to be your partner. There is no other place I would rather be than with you right here, right now!
# We have a renewed clarity of purpose and we are laser-focused on the customer experience. We have returned to our core to reaffirm our coffee authority and we will have some fun doing it. We are not going to embrace the status quo. Instead, we will be curious, bold and innovative in our actions and, in doing so, we will exceed the expectation of our customers.
# There will be cynics and critics along the way, all of whom will have an opinion and a point of view. This is not about them or our competitors, although we must humbly respect the changing landscape and the many choices facing every consumer. We will be steadfast in our approach and in our commitment to the Starbucks Experience -- what we know to be true. However, this is about us and our customers. We are in control of our destiny. Trust the coffee and trust one another.
# I will lead us back to the place where we belong, but I need your help and support every step of the way. My expectations of you are high, but higher of myself.
# I want to hear from you. I want to hear about your ideas, your wins, your concerns, and how we can collectively continue to improve. Please feel free to reach out to me. I have been flooded with emails, but believe me, I am reading and responding to all of them.
As I said, I am proud to be your partner. I know this to be true.
Onward...Howard
P.S. Everything that we do, from this point on (from the most simple and basic), matters. Master the fundamentals. Experience Starbucks.
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