Reflection Papers

Request for a reflection paper that explain what you did at a Starbucks coffee shop for intern. Each paper is expected to be at least 1 single spaced page. I had written 4 reflection paper already and post below as example. You are to reflect on your internship and what you are learning, experiencing, witnessing, etc. The emphasis should be on your development of a positive service oriented attitude, problem solving and decisionmaking skills. These reflections can come from experiences/observations with guests, coworkers, or management. Think about your development as a future hospitality professional and how that is enhanced by these interactions. These papers should also highlight the different areas you are experiencing – e.g.: front desk, bellman, concierge,… Each paper has a deadline (check the Course Outline & Deadlines below). Do NOT use up 2 inches at the top for your name, the class, etc. Your name and the name of your company or organization are fine across top line of the paper. Typos, incorrect words, sloppy grammar reflect poorly on you and will definitely be reflected in your grade for the paper (you can lose a whole letter grade this way) – so proofread out loud. These papers should be worthy of giving to your supervisor. Provide specific details in your examples.

Example of previous reflection papers that I wrote and teacher’s comments and grade.

1st reflection- 6 / 7 – 85.71 %

My internship is at Starbucks, and my position is an advance store training leader. Starbucks has been rated as “People’s Most Respected” entity for years, and Starbucks has expended its brand over more than fifty countries. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to work in such company, as well I’ve been attracted by its corporation culture, so I was very excited with my internship with Starbucks.

Since it’s my first experience with Starbucks, I have to be trained for three weeks to learn how to work with POS system, how to make coffee and blenders, how to communicate with customers and how to train baristas. All these sound easy, but I’ve found out that one should be careful because Starbucks has very serious procedures to follow. For instance, Starbucks will send you a picture of pastry show case, and you have to put each pastry in its own place of the show case as exactly like the pastry in the picture, instead of just putting them wherever you like. Moreover, everyday when I open the store, I will mark how many pastries was take out from the box in the fridge the night before displaying to thaw. At the end of the day, I would mark how many are wasted. By recording the data, I can find out a sequence and that will lead the whole team to know about how many pastries would usually be selling in a specific date.

That is to say, Starbucks takes “standards” very seriously. I think that’s what made it so successful in the area. If I haven’t worked in Starbucks, I’ve never know what “standards” means and how important it is especially in a large entity. For every single cup of coffee, Starbucks has very tight procedure. Baristas need to follow the procedures exactly in order to make a coffee or blender that conforms Starbucks’ standard. Such as the seconds to make expresso. I have to set up the coffee machine to 18 to 23 to make one single expresso shot. If there’s one second exceeds that range, the coffee has to be discard ruthlessly. Because of Starbucks strict rules of “standards”, every single barista can make the same high quality coffee no matter which city and which country the Starbucks is in. To my view, that’s why Starbucks has attracted so many fans all over the country. Customers step in a Starbucks because they know they will be served with the coffee that will certainly meet their expectations. I’ve also grown a perception that stuff’s altitude towards “standards” is essential to the success of a service industry.

I know that many service companies hold the belief that “customer is the god”, and I also believe that. But only after I worked in Starbucks, I started to comprehend what that quote really means. As a professional customer support, in order to provide the best customer service, one should think before customer speaks. When you sell a pastry to a customer, a good barista should ask if the customer want it heated first, instead of waiting for the customer to bring their own request. Moreover, Starbucks has been very strict with its baristas, but Starbucks has been very kind to customers.

Starbucks requires its baristas never say “no” to a customer. In the meantime, Starbucks intends to develop “customer’s experience”, which means Starbucks not only serves coffee, but also sells a cultural environment. Thus, Starbucks created the idea of “third space”. It’s a place between work and home, where customers should all feel very comfortable. From my perspectives, this is a great business concept. This concept can be used to grow loyal customers.

However, Starbucks also believe that “barista’s first”. I know it sounds a little controversy to what I’ve mentioned before. It’s not, but the two exist side by side. Only when stuff communicate and work friendly with each other, they can create a customer friendly environment. I work as a AST leader, but I still have to the same work as baristas, such as making coffee, wiping floor, and even cleaning toilet. This actually inspires my baristas to perform their work better. More importantly, through this, I can create a peaceful and relaxing working environment as well as customer environment. There’s no shout and no serious criticize, but only help and laugh. And the friendly working environment makes our customers feel happy too. So I could say it is because of the satisfied baristas, Starbucks has so many satisfied customers.

1st Submission Feedback

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Sounds like you are learning a lot.  Of course, you know I like that you are actually doing the work and that you see the impact it has on your staff.

As I mentioned in class on Tuesday, proofreading is important.  Your writing is challenging at times and has a lot of trouble with prepositions (in, to,…) and singular and plural correctness.  The Writing Center on campus can help you if you do your papers early and show them.  Proofreading alone though would catch stuff instead of staff (you did this twice) and altitude instead of attitude.  If your staff worked this way how would you respond to them?

You have some really encouraging insights but seem to lack focus and to some extent taking things seriously – like looking at your phone during class instead of paying attention.  You need to do the work.  If you do you have the potential to grow into a good manager and owner.  It comes down to attitude – as you said about the staff at Starbucks.  With the right attitude and effort you can achieve anything you want.  Your thoughts in this paper are good and will serve you well.  I look forward to reading about how things go when you are open and new concerns develop with staff and customers.

2nd Reflections Paper- 6 / 7 – 85.71 %

The store had been open for a week already. My internship at Starbucks was a privilege that made me learn a lot things. This week, I had learned major aspects of storekeeping and I was placed at the shop where everything was being dealt without any delays. At the store, I was majorly deals with the espresso bar and blenders, this made me learn about how the coffee is supposed to be handled and their receipts. I also learned to check all material and ingredients should always be fully restock, so that when it is busy, we are prepared and ready to make drinks.

At the start of my internship, I went for several trainings on how to handle the customers at the shop, the rules, and ethics that were laid down to operate the shop as a store training leader. I also learned on how to relate with the coworkers and even the entire management. The training exposed me so much because after I had gone through the training on how even to mark the things of products at the store, how they are supposed to e arranged in order, the quantity that is supposed to be used and how to prepare for the reports on how things have been used, I was much exposed.

The training that I took in the Starbucks as store training leader exposed me and shaped the perspective of my attitudes towards the customers, the workers, and even the management. That is where I learnt that the customers are always right because they are supposed to be attended with a lot of kindness no matter what the mistake they might done. Customers always stand to be right and therefore my attitudes towards this got changed on how to deal with people especially the customers because what I realized that it needs someone to think even on behalf of the customer, for example, the customer may be in need for something but you supposed to ask the customer his or her needs not waiting for the customer actually to express himself or herself long. This made to learn that there is need to know how to handle the customers and at star bucks, this was practical because it was majorly customer experience training. Another example from my experience is to never say “No” to customers. A customer had order drink that we had never made before, it is not good to refuse them. I had asked the customer for the receipt if he can find it and we will try to make the perfect drink for the customers.

During my internship at Starbucks, it was a good ground to learn on how to solve the problems, from the shop I was able to learn and exercise on how to solve the problems that were occurring within the shop, among the workers, between the workers and the customers. This established a ground for me to know how to handle problems that are related to the customers and even among the workers. Problem-solving skills is one of the leadership aspects that is also embraced at the star bucks which helps because without the skills to solve the problems that actually arises then it might be difficult to handle people and even situations that require the skills to solve problems. As store training leader, the position requires one to have proper problem-solving skills because you need to be knowledgeable on how to ensure that things are used properly and in case of the mistake how are you supposed to handle the situation without creating other problems.

At Starbucks, I received good skills also on how to make decisions, especially when it comes to controversial decisions, dilemma situations that need proper and sober minds to handle the situations. For example, at Starbucks, I learned on how to make decisions for instance when the customer is not satisfied with the service what kind of decisions are you supposed to make so as to ensure that the customer is satisfied next time. In many case, I will first listen to the customer’s situation so that the customer knows that I had acknowledge the problem. Then, I will take action like remake them the drink. Finally, thank them, and explain what I had done. These actions are to ensure the customer’s experience and show them we really care.

2nd Submission Feedback

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Your writing is often challenging and you seem to repeat the same thing over several sentences.  You also used past tense a lot when talking about your internship – though I thought this went until March.  Are you still at the internship or is it over?  Did you mean your training is over now that the store is open? Customer service is hard and managing employees and how they perform customer service is hard.  I'd love to hear about specific examples of what you encounter with customers, employees, and or managers to see how you are handling these things.  This can really help you in your future to fully understand the guest, know what it really takes to run a successful operation, and the issues that employees have and how to deal with them.  Although there are plenty of people looking for work, you need to understand what it takes to train employees and monitor their performance and help them grow into great baristas and customer service agents.  These basics will be in your hotel as well.

3rd Reflections Paper

In the third reflection of my internship at Starbucks, I came to learn on how to serve the customers at the shop. Starbucks being a very big entity, I was able to relate with so many customers and to make sure that they are properly served according to their demand. This actually have made me to know that customers are supposed to be listen and their demands should be satisfied. For example, a customer once asked me for sleeve for the hot coffee cup, and I just pointed out and then grab him one after he complained. The customer was not satisfied with the service. To become better next time, when customer request something, I will show my effort of helping him right away and finish everything for the customer. This is where I come to learn that the customers are always right and their complains should not be ignored but should be a dressed with good care and go beyond their expectations. Being trained as the advance store leader, serving the customers was one important role that I learned.

While in store, I would often work on the role of a customer support. My main job is to brew new coffee and dispose the old coffee at every cycle. Usually while brewing 2 different coffees, it would take 15mins to do each cycle. Brewing and dispose coffee only takes 4mins, so in-between the time, I would make sure the cleanliness of the store, restock items, and the happiness of every costumers. Cleanliness includes making sure table, chair, floor, window and restroom are clean. Restock is also very important. This includes all material in the back are ready and stock, so the process of making coffees can continue without pause. Item include making whipped cream, teas, and syrups beforehand, so they never run out. Also making sure the availability of merchandise products is restocked and shown outside so customers are able to purchase. Interacting and serving customers, it helped me to shape my attitude on how to relate with the customers because I was able to ensure that all customers were served and their complaints met whether they are right or wrong. This made me be humble and learn the that customers are not supposed to be argued with as much as they might be sometimes wrong and even arrogant but I earned to be patient and serve them satisfactorily.

Serving customers also needs someone to be quick decision maker because when you're not at a position of making decision as quickly as possible, then you will end up colliding with the customers. And that was the one key thing that I came to learn during my internship at Starbucks: when serving the customers that one needs to be able to learn how to solve the problems. I came to learn the key aspect of solving the problem among the workers and even the customers. I majorly did this by trying to solve and reflect the problem, ask for help when I am confused, and never say no to problems.

3rd Submission Feedback

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Good customer service by you also serves to show the staff what is considered correct service.  Always asking how well you can serve – like get and sleeve for the cup and putting it on rather then just pointing out where they are. With practice the service will come more naturally and easier.  Glad you are learning what front line staff have to put up with on a daily basis – will make you a better manager.  You also see how important it is to be well prepared/stocked so that the focus can be on the customer and finding stuff you need.

Again, proofread.

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