Customers at Our Core

Nothing is more important than the relationships we build with our customers and each other. Did you know that 1 of every 2 customers tell us
they choose Starbucks because of you and your team and the way you make them feel special? We may only have a moment to make that
impression, so let’s ensure baristas create a best moment for every customer.
It is up to you to ensure that they:

RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE

Customers at Our Core
Know: Feel: Do:

• Serving our customers is the most • They matter and their role is • Model Our Customer Service
important thing we all do every day. important. Commitment with every customer.
• The connections baristas make with • They are inspired and empowered to • Create best moments with each
customers are what makes Starbucks create best moments. customer, every time.
special and are the #1 reason why • They are proud to be part of a team • Personalise the experience, connect
customers return. that is committed to serving our with empathy and actively listen.
• Our Customer Service Commitment and customers. • Work together to better serve
expectations. customers.

Tip

Baristas create best moments for every customer, every time. That means every barista on the team provides a great customer experience for
every customer. We recognise each other and celebrate successes as a team. The Green Apron cards are the perfect tool to help with
recognition.

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Introducing Playbook/Deployment
One of your most important tasks is deploying (assigning roles to) partners. You will ensure the right baristas are in the right place, at the
right time, doing the right work, so customers have a great Starbucks Experience.

Your Store Manager’s Role

RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE

Deploying Partners
Your store manager builds schedules and also creates Plays/Deployment Plans (when assigned as shift
leader) for each shift based on anticipated business needs and the number of baristas needed to
complete the work. They will share with you:
• The plan: Special events or tasks planned for your shift.
• The Plays/Deployment Plans: The number of baristas and their roles for your shift.
• The transaction and sales goals: Numbers you need to know for a successful shift.
All this information is normally captured in the Shift Planner (or your equivalent).

Your Role
During your shift, you will make sure everything necessary is done to keep things running smoothly:
• Deploy (assign roles to) baristas: Based on the plan for the store, you assign roles to baristas, you will tell them their roles, customer service
expectations for that role and the routines and tasks they are responsible for.
• Monitor the shift: Monitor barista and customer cues to know when to encourage baristas, when to provide recognition, when to provide
feedback and when to adjust (flex) the Play/Deployment Plan.

When you assign baristas their role, clear communication is key so

Tip
the team can create the Starbucks Experience for our customers!
You tell them: Always tell your store manager how the shift went so they can
identify any potential trends and work with the team to create a
• The role or roles they are assigned to.
culture of continuous improvement.
• The routines they will use.
• Other work they are responsible for.
• When breaks are scheduled.
• How you will support them.
• How they will create moments of connection.
• To make every moment right for our customers.
• The store’s specific or daily goals.
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 Who to Deploy Where?

Deploy (assign) baristas to the best possible role to provide the Starbucks Experience to
customers. Always:
• Put baristas in positions they will be successful at during peak. For example, you would
not put a new barista on Bar during peak, if they are not familiar with that role yet.

Deploying Partners
RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE
• Switch things up a bit after a customer rush! Baristas get tired of being in one position.
After a rush, reassign roles.
• Look for ways to help develop baristas in roles they are not as familiar with.
• Give baristas breaks on time. It helps them to provide great customer service.
• Make sure baristas work in routine to create a consistently great customer experience.
• Be positive and model Our Mission and Values. Encourage others to do the same.
Where to Deploy Yourself?
Choose a role that provides a view of the entire store, so you can observe, recognise and provide feedback to baristas. Some roles are better
than others, especially during peak:
• Peak: At higher staffing levels, you may be Customer Support or Support.
• Non-peak: At lower staffing levels, the best position for you may be Customer Support, then Support, Bar and finally POS depending on
your store and the number of available baristas (i.e. in a 2-partner Play/Deployment Plan, Customer Support will inevitably slide to perform
tasks at the Bar, for example). The POS role is the least desirable for a Play Caller/Shift Leader, as it does not enable observation of the
entire store and quick decision making.
Breaks
In the Shift Planner (or your equivalent), your manager indicates when baristas are scheduled for
meal and rest breaks based on local regulations.

It is extremely important for baristas to get their breaks on time so they can provide the best
customer experience. Use the Shift Planner (or your equivalent) when you are assigning breaks.

Tip
Do not forget to take your breaks too!

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 A Successful Play/Deployment Plan

A successful Play/Deployment Plan means your customers receive their orders quickly and accurately with warm, friendly service. It also means
customers leave happier than when they arrived.
And remember, during your shift, you will assess customer experiences and make adjustments to assigned roles, as needed.

Deploying Partners
RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE
How can you tell if a Play/Deployment Plan was successful?
Playbook/Deployment Principles can help! Use the principles to decide how to position baristas during your shift to meet customer demand.

Maintain
Clarify Roles Work in Routine Stay Balanced Reduce Motion
Customer Focus

When you see a successful Play/Deployment Plan, recognise those who made it successful.
If a Play/Deployment Plan is not going as planned, consider why and take action. This usually means you need to provide feedback to a barista or
flex the Play/Deployment Plan.

Flexing Plays/Deployment Plans

Plays/Deployment Plans are intended to make the work easy to understand so baristas can provide great customer experiences and meet the
needs of our customers. However, sometimes a situation may call for a change to the Play/Deployment Plan . When there is a problem meeting
customer needs during your shift, the Play/Deployment Plan either needs to be flexed, a problem needs to be fixed, or you need to provide
feedback to baristas.
Flexing the Play/Deployment Plan is part of problem solving. It means temporarily changing deployment to better serve customers. How do you
know to flex the Play/Deployment Plan ? Take a look at the decision tree on the next card.

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 Plan Your Day
While waiting for the safe to open, use your tools and resources to plan your shift. Use the partner roster (partner schedule) for the week to see
who is working and review the Shift Planner (or equivalent) to check for goals for the day or for any other important information.

Check for Completion

Opening a Store
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There is a lot to get done before opening the store to customers. Use the Duty Roster Notebook (or your equivalent) and the Shift Planner (or
your equivalent) to ensure all tasks are completed and to delegate tasks during your shift.

Reflection: What are the benefits if you plan your day and check for task completion in every shift?

Access the Safe

You are in charge of preparing the tills for the day. Count all funds in the tills. If a local
requirement, when the safe opens, count all the funds. Then, record the numbers in the
Daily Records Book (or your equivalent).

Assign Tills
When the funds are verified and the tills are prepared, put them in the proper location and
tell the opening partners which tills they will use that day. Be prepared to provide feedback
to baristas regarding cash handling on your shift. Always report all cash handling standard
violations to your store manager.

Starbucks security and secure working environment guidelines

Starbucks recommends that no bank deposits are complete by partners on foot, but that a courier company is engaged to pick up any banking.
If you must deposit by foot:

• Never transport a deposit after dark

• The deposit must be taken inside to be processed
• Use the after-hours deposit box only when the bank is closed
• Side trips or personal errands may not be made during the deposit trip
• Do not take the deposit home or leave it in a car to be deposited the next day

Shift supervisors, assistant store managers and store managers are the only partners permitted to make deposit trips or handovers. Baristas and
partners under the age of 18, regardless of job title, are not permitted to make deposit trips or handovers.
© 2020 Starbucks Coffee Company. All rights reserved.
We are Open
To ensure we create the Starbucks Experience, open the doors on time.
[Markets to insert 10-minute rule if legal and applicable] When the store
opens and partners are clear about their roles, start your inventory tasks.

Opening a Store
RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE
Refer to the Inventory Learning Card for information on inventory tasks
that take place during the opening shift.

The Deposit

As an opener, you will typically complete the deposit, usually later in your
shift. Depending on your market, you may combine and verify the funds
from the day before, and either take the deposit to the bank, or have it
ready for the courier service.

Always complete the deposit at a time that does not interrupt the
customer experience.

Activity
• Connect with your store manager on how to complete a deposit and
banking in your market. Write your notes in your Learning Journal
• Shadow your store manager when they are opening the store
• Make a list of the tasks that need to be completed
• Review the Starbucks security and secure working environment guidelines

Communicate!

Communication is important! Whether you open or close, give the next shift supervisor updates on
everything needed to run a successful shift.
• Communicate if you are low on any products, so the next shift can try to avoid running out.
• Ensure completed tasks are documented so the next shift supervisor knows which cleanliness
and inventory tasks are complete.
• If a requirement for your shift, complete safe count using the cash management procedures in
your market.
• Make change for tills and drop tips where applicable.
• Share where you are at with sales goals.
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 Before Close

Customers always come first

You have different tasks and responsibilities when closing the store. Just as with opening the store, the priority is always taking time to connect
with customers and making them feel special. It is important to always prioritise customers over closing responsibilities.

Closing a Store
RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE
Prepare to Close
As you start your closing shift, you will take over from the previous shift supervisor. The top
priority is always the customer, but there is also a list of tasks that need to be completed.
The customer should always feel like the store is still open and never feel impacted by
closing activities.

Leave the store clean and organised so the opening partners can provide the Starbucks
Experience to customers.

Work Together

You cannot do every task yourself. As you close the store, delegate tasks to other partners.
However, only you can complete cash management tasks and inventory counts (where
applicable).

Tip
To save time, you can close down all but two tills, but it has to be at least 30 minutes before
closing. Your store manager will share with you how to close down tills and, after the store is
closed, how to count the safe, based on your market requirements. When cashing out the
registers, ensure that counting of funds takes place in an area that is not visible to people outside
the store

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Closing Time
When it is time to get the store ready for the next day, you need to ensure that the right
products are in the right place, at the right time, to be prepared for the morning. Refer to
your store resources for the inventory tasks you and the other closers will complete. You will
learn more about inventory in the Inventory and Sales module.

RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE

Closing a Store
Other closing tasks can include:

• Get food ready for the next day (if applicable). Mark out and/or donate food that is about
to expire (as applicable).
• Complete cleaning tasks. Refer to the Maintaining a Safe and Clean Store module for
specifics.
• Counts.
• Complete cash management tasks as applicable.

Lock the Doors

Always lock the store doors before getting started on your cash related tasks. Do not lock the door before the posted closing time.

© 2020 Starbucks Coffee Company. All rights reserved.

 After Doors are Locked

Closing Tills

After locking the doors, you assume cash responsibilities. Ask the barista you are closing with to close down their till. You complete till drops

Closing a Store
RUNNING SHIFTS WITH CUSTOMERS AT OUR CORE
for each POS. If applicable, ensure that tips are dropped in the safe, so no money is visible overnight. You will also ensure change for each till,
so it is ready for the morning shift.

100% Completion

In the Maintaining a Safe and Clean Store module, you will learn how to use the Duty Roster
Notebook (or your equivalent), Shift Planner (or your equivalent) and Daily Records Book (or
your equivalent) to check that everything was completed and how to record all necessary
information such as breaks, sales goals, etc. You will also learn how to communicate needs/
priorities for the opening shift supervisor via the Shift Planner (or your equivalent). Even when
everything is marked complete, do a final walk through to check that nothing was missed.

Leave the Store

When everything is finished, make sure all partners clock out. Then, set
the store alarm (if applicable) and exit with at least two partners. Lock the
door behind you and enjoy the rest of your day.
Now that you have learned about the opening and closing tasks and had
the chance to observe your store manager, it is your turn to run an
opening and closing shift.

Do not be nervous. Your store manager will be there to answer questions

and provide you with tips along the way.

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