Lessons from Starbucks (part 3)

"We built the Starbucks brand first with our people, not with consumers...Because we believed the best way to meet and exceed the expectations of customers was to hire and train great people, we invested in employees who were zealous about good coffee. Their passion and commitment made our retail partners our best ambassadors for the coffee and for the brand. Their knowledge and fervor created a buzz among consumers and inspired them to come back. That's the secret of the power of the Starbucks brand: the personal attachment our partners feel and the connection they make with our customers."

Howard Schultz, Pour Your Heart Into It (p. 245)

What I see here is that we have got to take care of our own people first. The customer/consumer is not king and does not come first! Our own people do. Because they are the ones who represent us. They are the ones who directly touch our customers. They are our first constituency. Treat them well!