Last Monday, the US stock market was hit hard as a worldwide selling spree caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to plummet 600 points.
According to the Washington Post, the Dow dropped 1,000 points in six minutes, the biggest single day drop in history.
In the midst of this financial meltdown, it looks like Starbucks founder Howard Schultz is trying to remain positive. The CEO sent a memo to all of the company's 190,000 employees telling them to be a little nicer to customers who may be feeling a little down following the news.
The letter, sent via email to Starbucks partners reads:
"Today's financial market volatility, combined with great political uncertainty both at home and abroad, will undoubtedly have an effect on consumer confidence and perhaps even our customers' attitudes and behavior. Our customers are likely to experience an increased level of anxiety and concern. Please recognize this and - as you always have - remember that our success is not an entitlement, but something we need to earn, every day. Let's be very sensitive to the pressures our customers may be feeling, and do everything we can to individually and collectively exceed their expectations."
Schultz also tries to push aside any fears about the company and the state of the market. In the memo he said that the company's growth plans for the future will not be impacted by the turmoil in the markets and that Starbucks will solider on through the crisis.
Schultz and Starbucks are known for their sometimes radical apporach to customer service. Earlier this year, the coffee giant drew flak from all corners of the web when they unveiled their '#RaceTogether' campaign, a project aimed at spurring discussion on racial relations in America. Baristas were instructed to write the hashtag on customers' coffee cups. However the whole project was quickly scrapped when it was criticized for being out of place.
