Former Starbucks president: we are not a service coffee company but a coffee service company!

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Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks International, shared career challenges, secrets of success and some suggestions at the NAMA Coffee, Tea and Water Exhibition in New Orleans, USA today.

Howard Behar, who is looking for a job, joined Starbucks in 1989, when there were only a few dozen small coffee chains in the northwest. Twenty-one years later, Behar retired, and Starbucks has become a first-class retailer, roaster and owner of first-class refined coffee, expanding at a rate that Fortune, Forbes and other world-class business magazines love to talk about. It can be said that Behar has made indelible contributions to the development of Starbucks.

According to Euromonitor, nearly $30 billion was spent on Starbucks coffee shops and Starbucks retail products in 2018, more than the second and third largest brands combined.

Bahar thought he was just a supporting role in an ordinary company, but then the career changed his life. He has written two books about his role at Starbucks and continues to talk openly about his career nearly a decade after retiring.

"Coffee is not God."

Behar talked about his achievements during his time at Starbucks, including his role as president of Starbucks Coffee North America and the first president of Starbucks International. He also pushed the introduction of skim milk into the Starbucks menu, quietly launched it after several local managers came up with the concept of Frappuccino, and pushed Starbucks stores to expand to accommodate more customers.

For many years, Behar has always put service staff and customers first. He believes that Starbucks "is not engaged in the coffee business for customers, we are engaged in the service business of providing coffee to customers", which is reflected incisively and vividly in "Starbucks, everything has nothing to do with coffee". He even hung it on a sign behind the Starbucks table.

During his tenure, Behar and his old friend Howard Schultz, former chief executive of Starbucks, pondered a lot of questions, such as how to prioritize the business, interact with consumers and listen to employees. Although coffee is important, Bejar has always insisted that the most important thing is to focus on people.

"that's what the company thinks. Coffee is God. But coffee is not God, the customer is God. It depends on how others tell us what they need. As long as this idea is in line with the business environment and serves your customers, you will be willing to try it. "

Build trust in the industry

Bahar warns listeners that the growth of companies like Starbucks won't happen overnight because it's the result of a good infrastructure.

"if you have a set of values, then these should be the values you have always adhered to in good times and bad times. If your first guiding principle is to treat each other with respect and dignity, then don't change even if things get worse. "

While Starbucks is known for its unique success model, it has its moments of failure-in 2008, during the recession, Starbucks closed 600 troubled stores to cope with the usual profit pressures faced by listed companies.

Behar also said that after mass layoffs, it took the company a long time to win the trust of customers and employees, and advised the audience: "if you think you are invincible, then you are not such a person." Success is not exclusive to us, but borrowed. "

"leadership is about standing up. You must be willing to bet on your work every day. If you don't, you shouldn't get the job. "

A global shift

According to Euromonitor, the global coffee industry is expected to spend between $180 billion and $200 billion in 2018, with coffee shops alone spending $60.5 billion.

According to analysts at Datassential, 48 per cent of people drink brewed coffee every day, while sales of instant coffee (RTD) reached $20.7 billion in 2018.

Behar talked about his growing experience in the coffee industry and the difficulty of internationalizing the brand. Some people once said that Starbucks will never be able to adapt to markets outside the United States, but now Starbucks already operates in 76 countries.

"when you go international, don't try to reinvent the wheel before you reach your destination. Take what you know and tell what works and what doesn't. "

He believes that the widespread use of mobile food ordering is good for Starbucks, and he believes that Starbucks founder Schultz is an early successful adopter of the technology. But he also admits that the technology does not apply to all companies. He believes that open communication and good listening are key in every company's core area.

"if you want to develop your own business, listen to what happens to your people. Live a purposeful life and do what enriches your soul, "he said.

"I am 75 years old, and I am optimistic about making a five-year plan for myself."

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