The familiar sound of grinding coffee beans, the overwhelming scent of cinnamon and distant chatter between friendly faces fill the quaint Starbucks coffee shop. This crisp autumn morning is now complete as I sip on my piping hot holiday drink. As I settle down with my homework sprawled across the table, I could not help but reflect on something that happened just minutes ago. As I was ordering my drink, the Starbucks barista, much to my surprise, unexpectedly said: “Sorry for the long and inconvenient wait, here, your drink is on us. Have a wonderful Saturday!”.

Those two simple sentences got me thinking. Wow, what an incredible and refreshing culture Starbucks has developed. Starbucks’ vision is to completely engage and create a personal connection with their customers. They want to create an uplifting atmosphere and be genuine in their conversations and actions.Today, I experienced their values and beliefs through the organization’s observable artifacts. By offering the free drink, Starbucks demonstrates that their company cares about their customers and are devoted to creating a sense of belonging in this “haven”. With such an evident and respectable organization culture, Starbucks is able to engage in a positive culture.

Although creating such an inviting and captivating environment can be difficult and time consuming, Starbucks has proved that investing in a positive culture will ultimately benefit the company through customer loyalty and satisfaction. Starbucks’ mission statement “to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time” is truly enhanced through their strong culture.

Check out Starbucks’ awesome mission statement here: http://www.starbucks.ca/about-us/company-information/mission-statement

Also take a look at this blog I referred to: http://tortora.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/starbucks-mission-statement/