Restaurant Business Magazine published an interview with Mike Grams, Starbucks chief operating officer, about what it takes to be the world’s greatest customer service company and how empowering partners (employees) and refocusing on human connection is restoring “the Starbucks vibe.” Here is an excerpt:   

Starbucks has talked about becoming the world’s greatest customer service company. What does that ambition mean to you? 

Mike Grams (MG): We don’t see operational execution and human connection as competing priorities. We see them as inseparable. It’s an entire operating ecosystem, from our support centers to the coffeehouse, designed around helping partners deliver a great customer experience. Every decision should start with a simple question: Will this help our coffeehouses deliver a better experience for customers and partners? 

At a time when many companies are focused on technology and efficiency, why is Starbucks doubling down on human connection? 

MG: Starbucks has to be something people look forward to – a local relationship, a daily ritual and a sense of connection built through consistent experiences, time after time. Technology should unlock the experience, not be the experience. We want customers to feel our service, and human connection has to remain at the center of it. 

Many restaurant brands are talking more about hospitality and guest experience. What makes the Starbucks approach different? 

MG: The goal isn’t to standardize human interaction. The goal is to remove the barriers that get in the way of it. Green Apron Service isn’t a script. It’s a framework that creates consistency while allowing for authenticity. If we’re successful, customers won’t talk about our operating model. They’ll simply say, “Starbucks feels like Starbucks again.” 

What were some of the biggest operational changes Starbucks needed to make to put the customer back at the center? 

MG: True hospitality isn’t created by one standard. It’s all the elements working together: training, staffing, the key moments that shape each customer’s visit, the third place and the support around our coffeehouses. That focus has helped us build momentum. We’ve made progress, but we have not arrived. 

How do you make this kind of customer service consistent across every coffeehouse? 

MG: Customers appreciate speed and convenience, but they most remember how you made them feel. Our job is to create the environment where partners can make that connection authentically. That starts with highly visible leadership. Great coaching is about helping partners deliver their best today while developing them toward their aspirations. Every barista should be able to see a future at Starbucks, and every leader has a responsibility to help build the next generation of leaders from within. 

How are you giving coffeehouse leaders more ownership of the customer and partner experience? 

MG: Our coffeehouse leaders know their customers, partners and communities best. When we empower them, support them and trust them to lead, great things happen. Food ordering is one example. Coffeehouse leaders can make ordering decisions based on what they know about their business and customers, helping them keep the products their customers want available.  

When customers walk into a Starbucks a year from now, what do you hope feels different? 

MG: It’s a natural, authentic experience that you can see, hear and feel. It’s the temperature of the coffeehouse, the music, the comfort of the seating and the sounds of a coffeehouse coming to life. The details matter. That’s the Starbucks vibe. It’s much more than hospitality. It’s an experience.