STARBUCKS: DELIVERING CUSTOMER SERVICE
Overview
Twenty years after its founding as a small coffee shop in Seattle,Starbucks has become a cultural phenomenon with thousands of coffeehouses (referred to as “stores”) across North America and aroundthe world.
Marketing experts generally agree that Starbuck’s success wasrooted in a timely, well-integrated value proposition (VP) that wasaligned with the needs of the target market.
In Starbuck, the core product (a physical good): premium coffee,seen by Starbucks as “the highest-quality coffee in the world.Quality is maintained by careful selection and control of as muchof the supply chain as possible. Over time, additional menu itemshave been added to complement the array of coffee products offeredin the stores.
By the early Nineties, Starbucks’ early success had created aclassy upscale image, with a place with a European feel thatoffered the best coffee in the market. Its customers, who werewilling to pay premium prices for the coffee (bundled withcustomized service and a pleasing environment), tended to linger atthe stores, much as one might in a bar, sipping their drinks. As aresult, its positioning places it high above most alternativecoffee suppliers, with its brand associated not only with itscoffee houses but also with its packaged coffee beans and coffeeproducts sold through non-company-owned outlets (e.g. airlines,hotels).
Recent market research, however, shows that the firm’s service isnot meeting customer expectations. Speed of service (Text Book Page32 & 35) is a particular problem. Management is considering toimprove on the services provided.

Points to consider:
1. Why have Starbucks’ customer satisfaction scores declined?
2. Has the company’s service declined or is it simply measuringsatisfaction the wrong way?
3. Analyze and evaluate the current customer service process ofStarbuck.
4. What would it take to ensure that their customers are highlysatisfied?

Need Harvard Referencing Method and roughly around 800-1200words for these questions