Starbucks’ New CEO Says His Plan To Win Back Customers Involves 200,000 Sharpies. It Just Might Work. – CoffeeTalk

Starbucks’ new CEO, Brian Niccol, has made significant changes to the company in just two months. He has eliminated discount offers, pared down the menu, and eliminated the additional charge for non-dairy milk. The company is also bringing back the self-serve area for adding cream and sugar to coffee, which went away during the pandemic.

One of the most notable changes is the company’s intention to bring back a “human touch” by writing customer names on their coffee cup. Originally, the idea was to honor everyone who walked through the door as an individual. During the pandemic, Starbucks mostly shifted away from writing on cups, instead putting a sticky label with the customer’s name and order. Now, Niccol has said his top priority is “getting back to Starbucks,” which means getting back to the things customers genuinely love about Starbucks and positioning the company as a premium brand.

One of the other things Starbucks is bringing back is the Sharpies, which are markers used by baristas to put that additional human touch on every coffee experience. This will give them the opportunity to put that additional human touch on every coffee experience. Niccol has said that the company needs “close to 200,000 Sharpies we’ve got to track down.”

While there may be potential problems with this approach, it is essential for Starbucks to re-establish itself as a premium brand. A premium brand is not just about the product, but about the entire experience. Starbucks is bringing back Sharpies because it aims to elevate the experience in its coffee shops and make customers feel known.

Creating a delightful experience for customers requires a thoughtful and intentional effort, thinking through every step of the experience and putting systems in place to repeat that experience for millions of customers a day. Everyone from the CEO to the barista at the counter must be committed to providing that experience for every customer, every time.

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