Clarity supports Peet’s Coffee and Tea with a software migration
The Client
Founded in 1966 and still based in the San Francisco Bay area, Peet’s Coffee & Tea has made “the uncompromised cup” of its signature coffees and tea for connoisseurs. “Obsessive commitment” and “fierce dedication” aren’t just slogans for Peet’s. Their devout customers feel just as strongly as Peet’s own employees about experiencing Peet’s freshly-roasted blends and in-store brewed drinks. Fifty years after opening its first corner shop, Peet’s has about 200 stores across the country, and its distinctive products are available in gourmet grocery stores coast-to-coast.
The Challenge
Peet’s lovers aren’t casual enthusiasts. They’re proudly called “Peetniks,” and the company pleases them with products available via subscription at 1.888.PEETNIK. It’s a significant percentage of Peet’s business, so keeping their service as good as the coffee and tea was a challenge Peet’s had to meet, particularly during the holiday season when customers made popular business and personal gifts of Peet’s products. Peet’s in-house software wasn’t adequate for its service requirements, so the company needed to upgrade. With that change, they needed training for long-time and seasonal Peet’s employees.
Solution: What Clarity Did
Clarity’s consultant was a Bay Area resident with diverse educational credentials in psychology, biology and biochemistry, and 15-plus years as a learning and development manager for leading companies in finance, energy, medicine and consumer products. In addition to her experience in instructional design, eLearning and instructor-led training, she brought to this assignment a quality that Peet’s specifically requested: a sense of humor.
On a five-month engagement, the consultant mixed on-site and off-site work to design training that addressed both long-time and seasonal employees. Working with in-house and outside subject matter experts, she assessed the needs involved in making a seamless transition between the obsolete computer system and the new one, and then designed instructor-led training, an instructor guide, a then-and-now comparison guide between the old and new systems, and a job aid guide for her learners. Four days of intensive classroom work delivered the content, and knowing her high-energy audience, the consultant built in a large measure of entertainment with Hunger Games characters, superhero role-plays and exercises, and team tasks. She also trained the trainers to deliver the material.
Results: The Outcomes
The Clarity consultant’s training was given to seasonal hires and full-timers over a two week period during the busy gifting season. Peet’s feedback was more than enthusiastic—”I am happy to express my glowing satisfaction,” the client said. “[Clarity’s consultant] was great to work with. Her flexibility on this project was tremendous. I would welcome an opportunity to work with her again!”
Clarity enabled the client to:
- Maintain superior customer service
- Migrate to a new training platform for both its full-time and seasonal employees