The Role of Barista and Customer Interpersonal Communication in Building Good Relationships Through Starbucks Reserve

Abstract

Starbucks in Indonesia has always been underestimated by other local coffee enthusiast and now Starbucks Indonesia have opened a new type of store called Starbucks Reserve, where selected high-quality beans are brewed perfectly with standardization and Starbucks Reserve also provides a bar so that an intimate conversation occurs between customers and the baristas of Starbucks Reserve. The research focuses on the interpersonal communication of the baristas in Starbucks Reserve Plus Plaza Indonesia. The store has provided extensive interpersonal communication that leads to customers coming back to the store. The purpose of the study is to analyze the role of interpersonal communication for the baristas and customer that includes the usage of Dyadic Communication as the main theory and focuses on figuring the barriers and solution in building a good relationship. The research method used for this research is qualitative. The findings of the research concluded that Starbucks Reserve Plaza Indonesia applied all the characteristics of dyadic communication in their daily basis on communicating with a customer and returning back customers or making a customer into a regular is an outcome of a good relationship and barriers are found in doing so, time and psychological factor is the main cause of the barrier.