PR or Great Customer Experience?

Whether it’s simply great PR or an honest attempt to improve the customer experience, Starbucks’ decision to close over 7,000 company locations for 3 1/2 hours on Tuesday has the media and blog worlds buzzing, and it’s not from a jolt of java.

If you were hoping to swing through your local Starbucks to pick up your favorite beverage for your commute home yesterday, you were likely surprised, and perhaps frustrated, when reaching the drive-up window to see a “closed” sign in place of the smiling face of your usual barista. Beginning at 5:30 yesterday afternoon until 9:00 PM, Starbucks locations closed their doors to customers to retrain their baristas in espresso basics. Starbucks Chairman and Chief Executive Howard Schultz said the 135,000 baristas who got the refresher course pledged to uphold “the uncompromising standards and quality that have made Starbucks the world’s coffee leader.” Customers returning to Starbucks locations this morning were welcomed by a new promise: “Your drink should be perfect, every time. If not, let us know and we’ll make it right.”

Starbucks hasn’t disclosed how much revenue it lost during the shutdown, but analysts agree the financial impact will be negligible in comparison to costs the company will face with the closing of 100 underperforming US stores this year and severance packages they will pay out as a result of staff changes announced last week.

The training is the latest step in a plan by Schultz to return the company to its roots, improve the customer experience and address a nearly 40% decrease in its stock price in the past 52 weeks. Earlier this month Schultz announced free WI-FI would be available to customers in the spring. It’s unlikely we’ve seen the last of Shultz’s changes, so stay tuned as we watch this transformation unfold.

While the closings yesterday did not affect licensed shops in hotels, airports and the like, these locations, as well as international stores, will receive the same training in the coming months.