Why I Love Starbucks.

It's the typical hype cycle.

• A new product or service is introduced.
• It grows exponentially to take over an industry.
• Everyone loves it.
• Accordingly, they all can't stop talking about it.
• It goes viral and the media picks up on it.
• It gets bigger.
• Then people find that it will not solve ALL their problems.
• They begin to talk it down because it's 'in' to talk it down.
• The media picks up on it again, whips around 180° and begins to tear it down.
• Then at some point, it all levels/evens out.

Starbucks is at this point now — they rode the hype roller coaster over the past number of years. But I still love them. Why?

They fit perfectly into my business model. I run a 21st century business:

1. I have a home office where I coach.
2. I have a professional office in Stamford where I meet clients, hold workshops, and coach.
3. I'm regularly on the road to travel, meet new people, network, and bump into friends and colleagues.

Starbucks is perfect for #3. I have a special place to stop off and hook into my email and network (free wi-fi). Their products are consistent from store to store, so I always get my Venti Zen Green Tea (with only one teabag) for $2.07 (a deal). Their staff is always polite, engaging, and sometimes even fun to interact with. I meet clients in-person to go over their strategy for 2011 instead of dragging them down to my office. And I write my daily blog (as I am doing right now).

What does this mean to you? Well . . . Starbucks is a business entity that I love. In 2011, how can you position your business to make your clients LOVE you? Think about it:

• Do you deliver a consistent customer experience where you make your client feel comfortable? Do you develop a 'safe space' where they can grow, relax, expand, and grow their business or career?
• Do you provide a flexibility to allow them to personalize their experience?
• Do you offer various locations (physical and virtual) to allow them to use your products and services?
• Do you try new ideas, new products, new services?
• Do you have a loyalty/membership program to reward and retain your best customers?
• Do you have an upsell area to get your clients to buy more stuff?
• Do you partner with related industries to grow your business?

You might not like Starbucks and that's fine. That's not what this post is about (it's how I love Starbucks). But you can't argue that they have a compelling model that scared market leaders like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts to mimic a lot of their offerings.

This year, what ideas can you steal from Starbucks and make them your own?

Do You Deliver Good Or Bad Customer Service?

Two things happened to me during the time between Christmas and New Year's Eve that clearly defined what I call Good & Bad Customer Service. I bought a really cool Arc'teryx Winter Jacket for my wife. I was so excited I found the perfect color (she loves Arc'teryx - she has a few of their tops). The service at our local store was helpful and got me in and out ASAP. It's a high-end establishment, most of their prices are top dollar (even the sale items), but I like going there because they always have the best clothing.

Unfortunately, on Christmas morning, when my wife tried on the jacket, it was a bit too big. So we brought it back within a few days of purchase with the receipt. Guess what happened? The clerk immediately said, "We cannot give you a refund because it was a sale item. See the small (size: 5-point) print on the bottom of your receipt?" No I didn't and it wasn't elaborated during the initial sale.

To make matters worse, my wife and I went through the store looking for a suitable replacement, but it was virtually empty due to the holidays. I wanted my money back - I had the receipt, I had the merchandise in perfect condition, and virtually everything in the store was on sale at that time.

So what the store was really saying to me was, "NO! Bad Customer! You must play by our rules!" So I put on my best Rich Gee smile and politely asked for the manager. After 5-10 minutes of terse negotiation and haggling, he finally gave in and refunded my money.

The Result: I will never purchase anything from that store again.

New Year's Eve was a different story. Every year, I take my family out for a hike during the day (even in bad weather) and then we go home, shower, and dress up for a night at a local, but highly rated Indian restaurant (our favorite food). Now you probably know most (if not all) restaurants jack-up their prices for New Year's Eve or have 'special party menus' which are the same items for much higher prices.

Not this restaurant. In fact, they had the same pricing they always do, but in addition, they offered free dessert for my whole family — no charge — wishing us a very happy new year. So what the store was really saying to me was, "YES! We love you! We appreciate your business!" Now, how much did those desserts really cost the restaurant? To be honest, with all the food and beverages, I spent almost $200 for our meal (and we had leftovers for the next two days!).

The message I'm trying to illustrate and convey is this:

When you interact with your clients and customers, is there any time during the relationship where you say, "NO"?

And more importantly, do you find yourself setting up opportunities to say, "YES"?

It's sometimes the difference between a very happy and satisfied customer and no customer.

What do you do in your business to deliver delightful customer service?

P.S. Arc'teryx is still a great product, we will just purchase it at a different store.

How To Deliver Unbelievable Customer Service.

I wear Allen Edmonds shoes. They are quite expensive (most run around the $300/pair) — but they are really well made. Also, they are the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. Why? They're handmade in Wisconsin and they don't use nails — they hand-sew every shoe (check this video out). I've had my pair of wing-tips for the past 15 years.

I had the opportunity to send them back to the factory for their re-crafting service (I wore a hole in each shoe — too many workshops!).

Unfortunately — I ran into a problem when I received my shoes back in the mail. They were a little small (but they did look beautiful - almost brand new). So small that I could barely fit my foot into the shoe. I contacted Beth at customer service and she had me resend the shoes back to her to inspect (for free). Guess what happened?

When she received them, we spoke, and she instantly saw that the re-crafting process did indeed make the shoe smaller.

Surprise #1: She then looked in the shoe for my size to send me a Brand New Pair. No argument. No "well, these are 15 years old."

Surprise #2: She then saw the style I had (Chester) is no longer made. So Beth said, "Pick out any pair from the catalog up to $325 (which covers 98% of the shoes they produce)".

You're probably wondering:

• What shoes will I forever purchase for business? Allen Edmonds.
• What company will I forever speak about with unbridled enthusiasm? Allen Edmonds.
• What company am I now writing about to all of my readers? Allen Edmonds. With videos and links to their sites.

My question to you — what can you do when bad things happen to your customers? How can you give them an Allen Edmonds experience? Where are you falling short? Really . . . how much will it really cost you? And what dividends will ultimately pay off?

Do You Give Unbelievable Customer Service?

As many of you probably know, I took my family to Walt Disney World over the past two weeks. We had a BALL! In the middle of all the excitement and relaxation, my business mind was constantly going. I am very observant when it comes to viewing high level operational, organizational and customer service processes. And candidly, I saw a bunch of them:

• When we returned to our room (we stayed on-site) we found the room attended to by our maid, but the TV was left on. How strange! Then we turn to one of the beds and find my son's stuffed character Stitch sitting upright on the bed with the TV remote in his hand. It blew us away and we doubled her tip at the end of our trip.
• Our son had a broken arm (not bad, but it is in a cast) - and during our entire stay, whenever we had an interaction with a Disney cast member (that's what they call them, not employees) they would inquire with my son and then go out of their way to make the situation that much more special. They would give him stickers, or a better table, or faster service.
• The grounds were immaculate. No trash, nothing. They were even replacing old bushes with new grass around the resort walkway. In 100 degree heat. They were also repainting the main convention building even though for the life of me tell where it actually needed painting. It looked fine to me.
• Finally, at the resort's pool, the lifeguards were not only plentiful (9-10 on duty at any one time and this was not a big pool), but when some were on, the others jumped into the pool and got the guests to have a tug of war or a marco polo contest. They were even challenging the guests to volleyball!

Now that is customer service and attention to your clients needs.

What do you do currently that goes above and beyond your current customer service?