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An Unexpected Delight

angela
Adventurer C

Yesterday morning, I pulled up to the drive-thru at Starbucks and rolled down the window to order my usual Grande, skinny vanilla latte with one Sweet n Low and powdered cinnamon mixed in. When the barista handed me my drink, it had a green plastic stick with a logo on top in the sip hole.

“What’s this?” I asked the barista.

“It’s a splash stick so your drink doesn’t spurt out while you drive,” she answered.

I was floored. It was like Starbucks was reading my mind! How did they know I have to haphazardly drive with one hand on the steering wheel and the other covering the hole on the cup to prevent the foam from splashing out all over my console every time I hit a bump?

That little stick made my whole morning. I was in such a great mood when I arrived at work that people were probably wondering what I had mixed in with my coffee. I showed off my splash stick like a proud parent showing a photo of their kid.

Later that same day, I came across this article on USA Today’s web site that explained where the idea for that perfect little piece of plastic came from. Turns out, Starbucks has a web site devoted to capturing Customer comments and ideas, www.mystarbucksidea.com.
 
That stick is what I refer to as an “unexpected delight.” I certainly didn’t expect for the splash stick to turn up in my coffee cup that morning but it made a positive impression on me when it did.

You see, it’s not the plastic that made my day, it’s what that plastic represented. Instead of cursing every time I hit a bump – coffee flying all over the car – trying to drive while mopping it up in rush hour traffic and cursing yet again as I burn my tongue drinking it down to prevent another spill, I enjoyed a leisurely drive in, singing to the radio and sipping my cooled down coffee. Simple yet impactful.

At Southwest, I think our Employees do a great job of serving up those unexpected delights on a daily basis. Whether it’s just a friendly smile, a funny joke, or free soft drinks and snacks in-flight, we want every Customer to walk away with the same feeling I got from that stick.  At Southwest, we understand the little things add up to memorable moments and we promise to continue to look for ways to delight you unexpectedly every time you fly with us.

 

 


 

11 Comments
cday
Frequent Flyer C
I was given one the other day too! It really does make a huge difference! Great post Angela!
Not applicable
What???.... I can hardly wait to go to Starbucks tomorrow for my usual Friday morning coffee, now with the new splash stick!!! I love www.mystarbucksidea.com and have voted in the past. Now I'm just waiting to be the one who comes up with the next great idea. Thanks for making MY morning with your fun post, Angela!
blusk
Aviator C
On behalf of all the Metroplex's motoroists, thanks to Starbucks for making your driving (and our roadways) marginally safer. Blog Boy
RON_NISSENBAUM
Explorer C
I GOT THE SAME TREAT. JUST FLEW ROUNDTRIP FROM CHICAGO, AND I HAVE A CUSTOMER FRIENDLY IDEA IF LUV CAN DO IT IN A POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY. INSTEAD OF 3 ACROSS ON SIDES OF THE AISLE- ABOUT 4 ROWS COULD BE HELD OPEN FOR 7 DAY ADVANCE PURCHASE- THAT ARE 2 ACROSS ON EITHER SIDE. THESE COULD BE CALLED "BIG SEATS". PEOPLE OVER 250 LBS. THEY WOULD BE CHARGED AT 1/2 THE REVENUE OF THE 3 SEAT VALUE. SO IF EACH SEAT WERE $200 X 3 ACROSS = $600, THEN THE 2 ACROSS "BIG SEATS" WOULD BE $ 300 EACH. THAT WAY LARGE PEOPLE COULD HAVE A MORE COMFORTABLE SEAT, AND NOT SQUEEZE OUT THE SMALLER PASSENGERS. AFTER THE 7 DAY ADVANCE THOSE "BIG SEATS" WOULD BE OPEN TO ALL SIZE PEOPLE WHO WANT A SLIGHTLY LARGER SEAT AND ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR IT. WIN, WIN. NO MORE SILENT "I HOPE THAT GUY/GAL IS NOT SITTING NEXT TO ME". RON
Melissa1
Explorer C
Aw, I love it! Nice to hear some news of innovation and kindness all in one. =D
Sales_Cooke
Explorer C
Interesting thoughts. One lesson not demonstrated as learned in your blog was that instead of being prepared or equipped to delight the customer as Southwest employees often do, Starbucks has gone one step further--they are interacting with the customer to find out how to make the experience progressively better. For more on my thoughts as it relates to your blog go to http://www.salescooke.com. The fact that Starbucks is actively interacting with the customer is the real "wow" factor here.
Matthew6
Explorer C
Angela, As the program manager for MyStarbucksIdea, it was great to hear our little change made your morning better. Reading that from a representative of a company I admire made my morning! Matthew Guiste MyStarbucksIdea.com
kikodelgado
Explorer A
every morning i head to starbucks to get my latte... that stick made my day.... i wanted to buy another drink so i could show off that stick!!!!! USS BLOG BOY
Not applicable
So, I guess this begs the question, "When will we see a 'www.mysouthwestidea.com'"?
pushback
Explorer C
Yes, I would luv to have a prominent link for a "mysouthwestidea". I would first suggest a way to adjust the often unusable reading lights that shine on the next seat....
Anonymous4241
Explorer C
...and kudos to Southwest for attempting to ease the economy crunch for flyers. Free beverages--for as long as possible, anyway--allow a customer to feel like they're rewarded for buying flights, not punished with sky-high fees dealt to a captive audience. Airlines that pinch customers for change appear insecure; it makes me wonder where other cutbacks are being made...