Do I want to indulge and get whipped cream on my latte today? That alone is a hard call to make, so imagine the training world's surprise when Starbucks ordered itself up a brimming-full cup of training in February that closed all its stores for three-and-a-half hours. According to company spokesperson Stacey Krum, the event—which trained more than 135,000 baristas in approximately 7,100 Starbucks stores—was well worth it.
Customers notice the difference between a well-trained and ill-prepared staff, says Krum. "We felt this training was an investment in our baristas and in the Starbucks experience," she says of the event, intended to "Perfect the Art of Espresso." "This was about focusing on our core product, espresso, as well as the customer experience, something we think our customers will see and appreciate."
Krum describes the training as "a sensory exercise" designed to help baristas deliver high-quality espresso. One activity, for example, consisted of pulling an espresso shot and then evaluating the process and how the espresso turned out. Did it take too long or too short a time? Was the color of the drink right? Baristas also tasted incorrectly made espresso to illustrate the importance of checking their work. Added to these exercises were staff discussions at each store about how they would ensure customers benefited from the training. To show their commitment to delivering on the lessons of their training, employees signed a chalkboard in the store with Starbucks' customer promise written on it. The learning is paying off, says Krum, who notes that some customers have stopped by to express their approval. "We've received great feedback," she says, "Customers said they appreciated us taking the time to do the training, and they feel it has resulted in a better customer experience."
Employees also showed no signs of regretting the time taken out of their jobs for training. "Even baristas who have worked for us for years thought it was an important refresher for them," Krum notes. "They were impressed by the fact that we were taking the time to focus on something that is so important to them and to our customers."
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