Grande Vinilla Latte Please!

Wherever I am in the country I know I can walk into a Starbucks and feel at home. I order the same tall vanilla latte and am surrounded by Starbucks’ familiar green and white logo. After I place my order and the employees work together in the same systematic way and my drink slides across the counter--just right every time.

The warmth of my late is always there when I need it most, but I have never put much though into its background. The other day I was standing in line waiting to place my order when I started thinking about the magic of Starbucks. I know that Starbucks started out as a simple coffee shop in Seattle Washington and became a worldwide sensation, but I wanted to know more.

I decided to contact a friend who has worked as a Starbucks manager for the last four years. He explained Starbucks’ data system that has allows each coffee shop to work in the familiar manner that we all know. “Our data allows us to staff accordingly for each workday. For example, if it’s a holiday I will look at the amount of staff we used the year before, and can staff accordingly to the statistics from the year before” Jon explained. As for drinks they also supply accordingly to their weekly sales data. “Our data makes or lives a lot simpler, we know what to expect and are never through off course for the most part. We know what our customers like and know which drinks sell the fastest at what seasons of the year.”

The reason Starbucks has become so successful is because they don’t just have one type of coffee—they cater to everyone’s need. I know I have heard some of the longest, most bazaar coffee orders while standing in line at Starbucks, but that’s what the customer wants—a personalized coffee. Starbuck’s data has allowed them to understand their customers every need. Maybe every business would be so successful if they gave their customers a verity of choices that suited everyone.