{"id":5327,"date":"2026-08-15T14:16:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T14:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=5327"},"modified":"2026-08-15T14:16:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T14:16:30","slug":"starbucks-ceo-says-the-coffee-chain-wont-lose-its-cash-strapped-consumers-because-its-on-its-way-to-being-a-world-class-customer-service-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=5327","title":{"rendered":"Starbucks CEO says the coffee chain won\u2019t lose its cash-strapped consumers because it\u2019s on its way to being a \u2018world-class customer service\u2019 company"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>Niccol said during the Fast Company Innovation Festival last year he does not believe a rocky economic landscape will offset Starbucks\u2019 gains because of his company\u2019s \u201ccommitment to craft and quality\u201d and \u201cgreat customer experience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=5325\">AI is creating a new wave of philanthropists. The system they\u2019re walking into is broken<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Starbucks CEO is nearing the two-year mark of his tenure helming the coffee giant and the anniversary of his \u201cBack to Starbucks\u201d plan meant to return the company to its roots as a cozy \u201cthird space\u201d where customers can leisurely sip their beverages.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>At the core of Niccol\u2019s vision is not just rebuilding a desire among customers to linger in stores longer, but to build connections with baristas through a series of personal touches like hand-written notes scribbled on coffee cups. His vision also includes leaning on automation behind the counter and a pared-down menu to give baristas more face time with patrons.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen I ask people, name me a great customer service company, I usually get a blank stare,\u201d Niccol said at the time. \u201cThat tells me, right off the bat, there\u2019s a huge opportunity to be the defining customer-service company.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is tremendous value in being a world-class, customer-service company combined with great craft, great quality food,\u201d he added. \u201cWhen you look at putting those two things together for the price that we will have to charge for it, I think it will turn out to be invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nearly two years into the \u201cBack to Starbucks\u201d experiment, the company has seen signs of success. Starbucks reported in July a 7.9% increase in global comparable sales year-over-year and a 3.5% year-over-year increase in the average ticket, indicating customers don\u2019t mind spending a little more. Net revenues of $9.3 billion decreased 1%, but exceeded expectations. The company\u2019s stock is up nearly 24% year-to-date.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cTaken together, our brand flywheel is working,\u201d Niccol told investors last month. \u201cWe\u2019re creating experiences people are excited about, turning engagement into rituals and deepening customer connection that fuels long-term growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The coffee chain has continued to lean into customer service. In April, Starbucks announced a performance-based bonus for baristas, offering up to $1,200 annually, or $300 per quarter, for employees that exceed sale and customer service targets. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=5323\">\u2018If your tariff was 0%, there\u2019s no need to commit fraud\u2019: The White House is sounding off on a $112 billion tariff-dodging scheme it made worse<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>But Niccol has long since had confidence in his plan, saying one year into the effort the turnaround was \u201cahead of schedule.\u201d He cited internal data last year indicating customers were taking note of improved speed, hospitality, and order accuracy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Part of Niccol\u2019s efforts were also to transform stores from hubs to quickly pick up online orders to cozy spaces where customers could linger. Niccol noted last year he\u2019s based many of Starbucks\u2019 changes on observations he\u2019s made while visiting locations.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cI walked into a store. Outlets were covered or outlets weren\u2019t working, there weren\u2019t enough seats,\u201d Niccol told <em>Fast Company<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He said he also noticed some stores had prioritized waiting areas for mobile ordering, pushing the company to reconsider how to sync timing of online orders and pick-up times to ensure customers don\u2019t pile up in waiting areas, cutting into floor space where customers could otherwise sit. The company is adding hundreds of thousands of chairs and seating back into locations, according to the CEO.<\/p>\n<p>Niccol told investors the company completed more than 1,000 \u201cuplifts\u201d across its North American stories, reaching its goal for fiscal 2026 ahead of schedule. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe continue to improve the third place experience with coffeehouse uplifts, adding back warmth, texture, and great seats at a fraction of the cost of earlier remodels,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/crosscountrymovingteams.com\/?p=5321\">The \u2018manosphere\u2019 is actually a multibillion-dollar industry that sells courses and supplements to insecure Gen Z men, report finds<\/a><\/p>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>A version of this story was published on Fortune.com on Sept. 17, 2025<\/em>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Starbucks is winning customers back after investing $500 million in workers and stores<\/li>\n<li>\u2018A little touch of luxury, it goes a long way\u2019: Starbucks CEO sees the turn in the turnaround as human touch sings<\/li>\n<li>Starbucks battles the \u2018polyamorous\u2019 era of coffee as customers experiment: \u2018they\u2019re seeing what\u2019s out there\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brian Niccol said Starbucks\u2019 quality and customer service is worth the cost of a $6 or $7 latte.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-starbucks"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - 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