Twelve Days of Christmas (#11)
Number Eleven on my list may come as a bit of a shocker to some folks...it's Starbucks.

Hear me out, here—I don't just like Starbucks for the coffee (though they do make a killer cafe mocha), I like them because they have standards which they hold in high regard and to which they keep faithful. They make this clear in a few different ways. First, their barista training is pretty rigorous, and they are excited about certifying new baristas. I've borne witness to this excitment twice: each time, the manager announced to the patrons that he'd just certified a new barista, and he got a round of applause. I admit that this seemed weird at the time, but the more often it happens, it makes me think, "hey look! someone who knows how to do his/her job!"

Second, someone from "corporate" is invariably stopping by the store and chatting up the management. When something—from procedure to display—isn't right, it is quietly and efficiently put in order. One of the corporate people discussed her pledge of a certain amount of money for every store in Florida which can produce the perfect cappuccino. This perfectionism extends to drink names as well. In one of her comedy routines, Janeanne Garafallo had this bit about how she could never crack their drink naming system, but I think that this system forms part of the pristine beauty of Starbucks. This naming convention is so incredibly handy, especially its adaptability to alterations, that it almost ruins you for other coffee shops.

Third, the waitstaff doesn't mess around with customer service. Been waiting too long for your beverage? We're sorry—here's a coupon for a free drink on your next visit. Did I make the wrong drink? Here's a coupon for a free drink, and does anyone want a free vanilla Frappachino? Hells yeah, someone wants a free vanilla Frappachino! Good on you, Starbucks, for not letting a perfectly good drink go to waste.

And my final kudos to Starbucks goes to its own freaky sense of itself. They sell mugs, glasses, stuffed animals, and other items. Awhile back, I noticed the new large Starbucks mug decorated to look like...an actual paper Starbucks cup. With all the check boxes and the company logo and everything. It kind of blew my mind a little. That is, until I saw the Starbucks cup ornaments they're selling this Christmas. Man! And I thought I was already a brand whore. Suffice it to say, I have no need for these particular products—I'm fine with my beverage, thanks.

Anyway, while some people will invariably hate every corporation and while I'm sure that Starbucks has its weak points, I can't help but love the fact that they seem to enjoy what they're doing, and they seem to honestly care about quality in a world in which fewer and fewer people do. Huzzah, my barista friends!