Caffeine

Books about Starbucks interest me. They are an interesting company. Beloved by their patrons. Studied for their customer service style. Vilified for "Starbucking" a neighborhood. Starbucks is in the midst of a shake up and refocusing after being hit by the current economic slump.

They recently showed up in Alex Frankels book on front line service experiences. The Starbucks Experience by Michelli is a pop business book, which examines how Starbucks uses their five key principles in stores and in internal customer service. Michelli was given free range to talk with staff and manager. The book is full of examples of from staff and customers. The book is a quick read and offers a number of ideas that I would like to try.

It's not about the coffee by former Starbucks executive, Howard Behar, is his story about his experiences at Starbucks. Behar was with the company from the beginning. This book also focuses on the five key principles, but explains why the principles are so important to him.