915 Words
Despite complaints that $2.50 is an outrageous price to pay for a cup of coffee and despite the availability of cheaper coffee at places like Dunkin Donut and McDonald’s, individuals still storm to Starbucks and wait in long lines for a cup of coffee. What motivates people to storm into a place in droves and buy what they consider to be overprized coffee? Most of all it is just coffee. This evaluation paper seeks to explore Starbucks service and customer behavior and the reasons that draw individuals to Starbucks despite complaints and cries that it is overpriced. It further seeks to explore product marketing mechanism that makes it possible for Starbucks to attract high volumes of customers including customers that one would consider to be not that trendy.
I recently walked into a local Starbucks but despite the possibility of missing the an important class meeting, I braved the long line and waited until I got to the counter, I paid for my coffee waited again for my name to be called and nine to ten minutes later I had my coffee. In the line I realized that I was not the only person who was that patient to wait for their coffee or latte. No-one stormed off outside after frustration for waiting too long or for being late for their daily chores. It seemed like without Starbucks everybody in the shop’s life was not going to start for that particular morning. It made me think of this assignment. It made me want to observe and evaluate the product as well as the service and why it was possible for individuals to be that patient for a product that did not come cheap when it comes to the consideration of the relative price of coffee.
Whether it is a small drive by shop, Barnes and Noble bookshop or a regular Starbucks restaurant, I often find myself ordering coffee there even though I believe there are other places that sell coffee that is cheaper. I found this behavior not to be exclusive to me only. I have friends who complain about how much Starbucks takes from them especially when they what the latte to be tastier. After years and months of going to Starbucks, I discovered that it is not necessarily, the product that draws people to Starbucks but the brand and how it motivates customers to come again with little consideration of how much the customer pays. Starbucks is a trendy brand of coffee that argue that their coffee was responsibly farmed without the use of child or any force of oppressive labor, this appeal to the customers especially those concerned with the future of the planet and the environment.
The servers in the Starbucks conducted their work slowly but meticulously and paid attention to the details that came when customers made their orders. There were barely any complains at the speed in which the servers conducted their work. It seems like there was an understanding that the nature of the product and how it was made was worth the wait for everyone. Some of what the customers ordered was incomprehensible. It did not sound like they were ordering coffee. Amazingly the servers would take the order to the customer’s satisfaction. It seemed like all the orders came right, there were no returns or complains. This brought me to the realization that beside the coffee individuals paid for that ability to order specific and sometimes over the top coffee cups.
Starbucks allows customers a way of creating what they deem to be a distinct and individual form of coffee. This provides more satisfaction that ordering bland coffee at Mc Donald’s or Burger King. Seeing how the people conducted themselves it seemed apparent that it was not only the need for caffeine that motivated most of them to come to Starbucks but the extra customer service and the satisfaction of the brand name. An evaluation of Starbucks without the consideration of the taste would not be complete. It does have a strong distinct taste. The difference can be easily discerned if one compares it with home brewed or other coffee products.
Besides the service, the atmosphere and advertisement posters talks of a brand that is responsible to human welfare and the climate. They pride themselves as environmentally conscious as reflected by their products from cups and where the coffee beans come from. This gives customers an extra urge and pride in investing in a company that is environmentally conscious and whose beans are not produced by starving children thousands away from the particular Starbucks store. It is also fulfilling to know that one’s trenta macchiato was not made from the sweat of starving children.
In conclusion, Starbucks creates an atmosphere where a customer feels at home and satisfied. In terms of money, its product is not cheap compared to all other coffee bars and restaurants. It has managed to keep a loyal base of customers through its ability to portray itself as a responsible coffee selling franchise. Its message of environmental friendliness resonates with a lot of its customer base. Despite the high price, I still frequent Starbucks every morning for a cup of coffee and this is partly because of these reasons.
This evaluation was aimed at how Starbucks’ service affects customer loyalty. It seems like they do everything right to keep their customers. The base complain about price is overshadowed by the service offered and customer loyalty.
Audience: Starbucks Customers
