“It’s Not About the Coffee”: A Starbucks President’s Recipe for Delighting Customers with CX
Join us for an insightful conversation with Howard Behar, a pivotal figure in Starbucks’ legendary growth. As the President of Starbucks North America and the founding President of Starbucks International for 21 years, Howard participated in the company’s expansion from just 28 stores to over 15,000. He also served on the Starbucks board of directors for 12 years before retiring. He’s also authored two books on leadership titled “It’s not about the Coffee” and “The Magic Cup,” book titles that encapsulate his core philosophy. In this episode, Howard tackles a fundamental challenge faced by rapidly growing businesses: How do you scale operations from a small number of locations to a global empire while preserving the deeply personal customer experience that made you successful? Howard argues that the answer lies not just in the product, but in a relentless focus on people – both employees and customers – understanding that Starbucks was always “in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people”. Listen in as Howard shares firsthand how this philosophy drove extraordinary growth and answers critical questions, including: •How did the philosophy “we’re in the people business serving coffee, not the coffee business serving people” shape Starbucks’ approach to customer experience? •How did Starbucks manage its rapid expansion from 28 stores to over 15,000 while maintaining a consistent, personal customer experience? •How did leadership make decisions about investing in initiatives and supporting teams, particularly when facing the challenge of proving the ROI of customer experience? Discover actionable insights on servant leadership, empowering employees, the power of listening, and taking calculated risks to build a truly people-centric organization that delights customers and achieves remarkable growth. Don’t miss this eye-opening conversation with Greg Kihlstrom! Listen and subscribe to the Delighted Customers podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or find us on your favorite podcast platform Meet Howard Howard Behar’s extensive career spans over 50 years in consumer-oriented businesses. He served at Starbucks Coffee for 21 years, retiring after participating in the company’s growth from 28 stores to over 15,000 across five continents. He held pivotal leadership roles as President of Starbucks North America and the founding President of Starbucks International. Howard also served on the Starbucks board of directors for 12 years before retiring. He is the author of two books on leadership. Books by Howard Behar:
- It’s not about the Coffee
- The Magic Cup
Show Notes and References: Howard Behar has agreed to share his personal mission statement document for inclusion in the show notes. Connect with Howard Behar (Generously Provided by Howard): – Cell Phone: 206-972-7776 (Call or Text – he will get back to you) – Email: hb@howardbehar.com
