THE 10-SECOND VERSION (AI SUMMARY)
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What happened: Starbucks COO Mike Grams says the company is refocusing its operations on human connection.
Why it matters: His rule for technology applies to every dealership: it should help people connect, not stand in for them.
What to do: Look at your tech stack and ask whether each tool frees your team to spend more time with customers.
Think about Carvana’s car vending machines. The technology creates the moment and handles the browsing, but there are people on hand to pick up where the machine leaves off. When it works, the experience flows smoothly from online, to tech-driven, to face to face.
That’s the balance Starbucks is chasing, too. We talked about it on today’s episode of the Automotive State of the Union.
The best technology clears the way for people to do what they do best.
Starbucks COO Mike Grams on Technology and Human Connection
In an interview with Restaurant Business Magazine, Grams laid out how Starbucks is putting human connection back at the center.
How is Starbucks balancing efficiency and connection?
“We don’t see operational execution and human connection as competing priorities. We see them as inseparable,” Grams said.
What role should technology play?
“Technology should unlock the experience, not be the experience.”
Who gets to make decisions?
Local leaders do. Coffeehouse leaders can now decide what food to order based on their own customers and communities.
What makes service stick?
“Customers appreciate speed and convenience, but they most remember how you made them feel.”
How do leaders fit in?
They’re expected to coach and develop their people, so every barista can see a future at Starbucks.
What Dealers Can Learn From Starbucks’ People-First Approach
You can’t fix a relationship with technology. But you can use technology to unlock one. That’s the thread running through so much of what we’ve covered lately, from Glenn Pasch’s research on AI and dealership staff to the cruise ship gold standards Andy Steinhauser shared with us.
For dealers, it’s a simple test. Every tool you add should give your team more time and more room to take care of people.
Customers will forget the software. They’ll remember how your team made them feel.
Hear the full conversation on today’s episode of the Automotive State of the Union.
