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Post by Jessica Aucoin on Mar 14, 2014 11:37:03 GMT -6
I understand how this idea of having a company language works but I’m not really sure how efficient it is. Honestly, I avoid Starbucks or when I have to go there, I always order the same thing. I feel like it’s really confusing to learn the language and it is true that I don’t want to be looked poorly upon because I don’t know how to correctly order. However, I really don’t want to waste my time going to their website or using a pamphlet to remember something for a place I hardly ever go. I think it’s good for frequent customers, which Starbucks is trying to focus on, but is not good for drawing in new customers.
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Post by asanchez on Mar 16, 2014 13:51:55 GMT -6
This video was interesting because it's a different take on interaction with customers. I like the idea of being able to teach customers by correcting them as they order their drinks. I never knew this was the reason they called out their drinks, but it certainly makes sense now.
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Post by xingboma on Mar 16, 2014 14:36:46 GMT -6
Correcting customers in public is like telling them they are stupid. I'm a well trained customers by starbucks, when I go in there to order my drink with friends who are familiar with the internal vocabulary, I'd teach them how to order, which makes me feel proud. I'm simply amazed by the influence of starbucks on me and every other Starbucks lovers. If you train your customers, customers will pay back with brand loyalty.
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Post by stephaniesmith on Mar 16, 2014 22:20:20 GMT -6
I've never noticed any particularly outstanding customer service at Starbucks. I actually think they are very standardized and not very friendly. And I don't necessarily think they have "trained" their customers. The reason customers know what to order is because it is on the menu. People continue to use different languages when ordering coffee. I worked at a non-Starbucks coffee shop and people ordered by how it was written on the menu. I know this because the only people who walked up and asked for a venti Frappucino (a Starbucks drink) were people who didn't even look up to see what we offered. Of course I always polite when I said "we don't make frappucinos. They don't have coffee in them, so you can get it across the street at Starbucks"... idiot. Just kidding! Sort of..
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Post by patrickschwaner on Mar 17, 2014 18:06:36 GMT -6
Okay well Starbucks is lame and now I'm really creeped out by how they attempted to "train" their customers. I'm even more creeped out by the fact that they actually succeeded in "training" a huge chunk of America. In fact the sizes of their drinks like venti and grande have become a common part of our vocabulary.
However creepy this, I agree with what she was saying here. I've worked in the service industry for several years, and customers really need to be guided, taught, and told what they want. Managers who do not recognize this are much more likely to encounter problems down the line.
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Post by arenee1370 on Mar 18, 2014 23:10:25 GMT -6
The idea of "training" your customer is slightly weird to me. I still do not know the correct way to order things from Starbucks and I have purchased from there several times. So it may have been a good idea when first opening but I think as of now it is one of those obsolete ideas for Starbucks. I guess for a newer business it could be helpful.
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Post by dnewson on Mar 23, 2014 20:06:43 GMT -6
Interesting video and I now understand why Starbucks corrects your order when it is repeated, to correct you on the sly for future reference. I have actually experienced this once when ordering a coffee, and it definitely did not make me feel great. I actually felt belittled, like I did not belong in the "Coffee Club". I don't totally agree with this process, it appears to me that you are making customers conform to your process and if you don't they will let you know it indirectly.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2014 10:49:39 GMT -6
How Starbucks Trains Customers to Behave
Starbucks customers are very much trained on how to order beverages. If you approach a barista and ask her for a small drink, she will immediately correct you and say a tall drink. The corrections to drinks, however, is only understood by those that frequently visit. Overall, Starbucks has created an atmosphere where everyone can understand each other without much question.
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Post by melanconcaitlin on Mar 25, 2014 12:42:24 GMT -6
This video relates to my place of employment 100% of the time. I work in an environment similar to that of Starbucks, in that they appeal to a higher social class of people. Starbuck customers could be compared to gas station coffee enthusiasts in terms of different ends of the social class spectrum. Starbucks, similar to my place of employment, has created an atmosphere in which customers almost feel obligated to act in a specific manner. People who don't want to hold themselves to this specific mannerism, tend to not shop there anymore. This is how I believe Starbucks "trains" their customers to act accordingly.
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Post by darnette on Mar 25, 2014 13:35:18 GMT -6
SHe believes training training customers is beneficial to Starbucks, but I do not agree with that. Wanting the customers to know a companies language is ideal. But do you want those new customers to feel so uncomfortable by correcting in front of others? I believe that older customers are comfortable with that idea but newer potential customers may not be comfortable with that.
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Post by Rosie on Mar 26, 2014 18:55:32 GMT -6
I love that at the very beginning of the video, one of the speakers said that sometimes customers are right, and sometimes they are wrong. As a waitress, i've been taught that the customer is always right. There have been many circumstances where i've had to bite my tongue and deal with customers who thought they were correct, but they were not. It is a very difficult to smile and be nice to someone who is being rude or disrespectful, but it is a necessity in business to learn that trait. No one should ever let anyone treat them disrespectfully, but there are ways to deal with situations in a polite but stern way.
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Post by godwesso on Apr 1, 2014 1:12:48 GMT -6
I agree with most of the video in that customers need to be controlled to some degree, they are neither right nor wrong at times. To me the video is just emphasizing the strategy of manipulation of customer base to favor a company. Which is commonly known as marketing, i think. Training customers is basically marketing a new product,service or idea to them and getting them to use it as intended by the company. If customers buy into it, then congratulations. If they don't then re-strategize and train their minds differently.
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Post by kati3 on Apr 3, 2014 19:11:09 GMT -6
As a customer I don't know how I feel about the concept of being made to "behave." Starbucks is definitely making it work for them. They have a language all of their own to make their ordering process faster and more efficient. It is a very smart idea for a company, but as a customer I don't like the word "behave" when its referring to me spending my money somewhere.
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Post by jessweaver on Apr 7, 2014 22:26:30 GMT -6
This is an absolute genius idea. I am guilty of going to Starbucks and ordering a small mocha light with skim milk. I am then told that if it is light then it is with skim milk and so my order is repeated back to me in Starbucks lingo and then yelled out for the people who are actually making the drinks to hear. Human beings do not like to be corrected in public, some of us find it humiliating, others just find it annoying. Training your customers is something I do not think a lot of companies think about. Back to the Starbucks example, their customers feel somewhat of a special connection to them because they can speak the same language. This also creates a loyalty factor. If companies could train their employees then maybe they could increase customer loyalty and satisfaction.
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Post by jjohnson on Apr 8, 2014 17:47:48 GMT -6
Wow! I never knew this was the thinking behind Starbucks and their language. I have been to Starbucks maybe a total of three times, so this isn’t a big issue for me, and if it was, I would just use the drive-thru line. I really like this idea; it’s efficient and adds a very unique aspect to ordering a drink. In our society, Starbucks cups are like an accessory or fashion statement, so if someone see’s you with it, they will know you speak fluent “Starbucksese”. The cup is almost like a trophy for mastering the art of ordering at Starbucks. I would definitely try something like this, if it improved efficiency and was effective in the overall experience of my company/business/organization.
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