Pumpkin Spice Latte season is finally here and this year your coffee will be served with an extra shot of friendly service. When you think of Starbucks, you probably think of coffee. But according to CEO Brian Niccol, the company’s secret ingredient isn’t the latte, it’s the service. His bold claim? Starbucks’ goal is to become the “world’s greatest customer service company.”
That might sound surprising for a coffee chain, but it’s a powerful lesson in marketing strategy. Coffee is a commodity – a product you can get almost anywhere – often cheaper and sometimes better. What you can’t get everywhere is the personalized experience Starbucks is now doubling down on.
The company has rolled out its “Green Apron Service Model,” which trains baristas to focus on connection: greeting customers by name, handing off drinks with personal touches, and creating small but memorable moments. This approach reframes Starbucks from just a coffee provider to a premium service brand. In other words, Starbucks isn’t only selling hand-crafted drinks, it’s selling an experience.
Competitors like Dutch Bros and Luckin Coffee are betting on speed and price. Starbucks, on the other hand, is betting customers will pay a premium for human interaction, comfort, and a sense of belonging. Niccol is even investing hundreds of millions into training, store redesigns, and extra staffing to make this strategy work.
Starbucks is trying to win not through cheaper prices or even fancier products, but by making you feel seen, remembered, and valued. For marketers, it’s a case study in how service strategy and customer experience can differentiate a brand even if the product itself may be ordinary.
Discussion Questions and Activities
- Why is Starbucks focusing on service in addition to its premium products?
- How does customer experience create value that justifies premium pricing?
- What risks might Starbucks face in standardizing barista behavior through scripts and training?
- How do competitors like Dutch Bros highlight different service strategies?
- Have students check out this short video from Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol on how the coffee chain’s “back to Starbucks” strategy is boosting loyalty and engagement. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMtOp_DpxlU/
- Customer Journey Mapping. Students map the Starbucks customer journey and highlight where service interactions add value. Additionally, students research and map Dutch Bros or Luckin Coffee’s service strategy and present how it differs from Starbucks’ premium approach.
- Poll Students. Conduct a poll asking students if they are light users, moderate, heavy or brand advocates of Starbucks. Are they heavy users and advocates fans of the brand due to its products or the customer experience?
- Role Play. Pairs of students act out a Starbucks barista-customer interaction, one using a scripted model and one using improvisation. Compare which feels more authentic.
Sources:
Aten, Jason (13 Sep 2025) With Only 5 Words, Starbucks’ CEO Revealed Its Secret Ingredient (And It’s Not Coffee), Inc. Haddon, Heather (19 Sep 2025) Has Your Starbucks Barista Been Acting Especially Friendly Lately? Here’s Why. Wall Street Journal.
