#SocialMedia Lessons from My Visit to @StarbucksMY
Just about 3 days ago I had an appointment with a potential client at a Starbucks outlet in town. Being one that frequents Starbucks quite often especially for discussions, I walked into this particular outlet without any expectations – already with a drink in mind.
I opened the door, stepped into the outlet and the baristas on duty turned and welcomed me. Nothing special here, most Starbucks outlets do that. It’s also a common sight in many cafes around the area.
I continued walking to the counter into the queue and something caught my attention. The barista introduced herself to the customer in front of me, got the customer’s name and began conversing with the customer by name. She eventually wrote the customer’s name on the cup and have been addressing the customer by name ever since.
I was impressed. Even after I got my drink I stood to observe just a little longer and all the baristas were doing the same – something totally different from the other outlets I’ve been to.
What’s the deal over here?
I can’t help but to think that businesses and individuals can learn a great deal from the situation above in their social media endeavors.
Here are 4 lessons I’ve learnt from this visit:
#1: A Warm Welcome – Welcomes are no longer a ‘good to have’ today. It is now a ‘must have’. Customers have grown to expect a welcome as it also makes them feel important and recognized.
#2: Personalization – This is the tricky part. On social media platforms such as Twitter, many are seen to be using automated tools to do the welcoming (auto DMs, anyone?). The least you can do is to take a few minutes to look at your new followers’ Twitter profile or blog and to address them by name. I usually try my best to give my new followers a shout out on Twitter to create an opportunity to get to know them better.
#3: Be Genuine – “Be yourself. People can sense when something is forced” @BrandonPDuncan. Take genuine interest in your followers by getting to know them first. There are plenty of ways to do this – read their blog, check out their Facebook page or their tweets. You can never pretend to know them.
#4: Consistency – The last thing you would want to be is to be inconsistent. Whether as a brand or an individual, consistency is key to build your presence and a lasting perception. I would say that you shouldn’t start off anything if you doubt you can stick with it. It may do you more harm than good.
To be completely honest, I think I would have been impressed and shocked at the same time. The personal touches like this are almost gone in today’s society. It’s pretty sad.
I have seen other posts that describe similar situations: @pushingsocial once told a tale of a man being able to order his ‘usual’ in a diner… @closetwriter once described that she was sending ‘thank you’ cards to her clients all day… we’ve lost a few touches over time. People still appreciate these things.
That’s a great list, Jan. (And I appreciate the quote!) Keep up the great work!
This only shows that personalization is still highly valued in our community today! In fact, I think that social media tools may have watered it down as businesses may think that it’s a replacement. It’s very sad to see businesses moving away from that ‘touch’ indeed.
Thanks for dropping by, Brandon! It is definitely good to see you in here and thank you for the kind words. The quote is great! I think it is very relevant with the article. Thanks for sharing it with me :)
I was reminded of your post while I was out at one of my local haunts this evening.
Usually the service is incredibly, they’re friendly, they’re warm, they’re approachable, they go the extra mile, if they make a mistake, they don’t just fix the mistake, they fix the experience.
Tonight they were training new guy “Alexander the Great” his name said. I was chatting with him at the counter (It seemed like his first night, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt that he was nervous)
But the whole time I was chatting, I was thinking “come on, take it a step further, I’m not just a customer, I’m a human, stop serving me and just engage”
I make a point to answer every blog comment. To try and engage with every twitter follower, to say “g’day” to every facebook connection, and treat them as humans, not just a list.
Great post Jan!
Hi Kiera, it’s great to see that there still are businesses out there that takes the effort to engage with their customers. I like what you mentioned – to fix the experience. I think that’s definitely THE way to make things ‘right’ with the customer and in most cases, that determines whether you’ve converted a customer into a recurring one. (i think it sparked a new topic to write about in my head! :))
Perhaps he was nervous, just like how most people are on social networks for the first time. They’re trying their very best to not make mistakes and I agree with you – sometimes the customers want something beyond a mere ‘perfect’ service. Engagement is usually key in making an experience memorable.
That’s a great thing you’re doing, Kiera. I too try my very fast to engage with every Twitter follower as much as possible to keep myself ‘human’. I personally believe a random ‘hello’ can go a long way, especially at times when I’m a little too engrossed in sharing and retweeting content.
Thanks for the kind words and for dropping by, Kiera. It’s a very pleasant surprise and I’m glad :)
now thats one of the reason why Starbucks pop’s up on my mind first before any other. Business needs personal touch to consumers nowadays.
Starbucks is indeed doing it right and we definitely need more of these around. Personalization works wonders and in most situations it does not cost extra. Thanks for sharing your experience, Shannon :)