Starbucks is a very popular destination for coffee and coffee mixtures. But recently there have been some complaints. An interview with Greg Tutunjian shows that he has to wait minutes for a dark roast coffee with a shot of espresso. The workers will prioritize drive-through or mobile-app orders. When the Starbucks mobile app tells Mr. Tutunjian that a bag of his favorite coffee beans is in stock when it is not. 

“I will go to four or five Starbucks in my local area and have the same experience. I check the app right before I go inside and it says it’s there, but when I arrive, the people working there say, ‘Oh, we don’t use or look at the app,’” Said Mr. Tutunjian. “I will walk you empty handed.”

The problems of this loyal customer are now in the hands of the Starbucks chief executive Brian Niccol. Niccol took over as chief executive on September 9 and quickly figured out was was wrong with this company. “Our problems are fixable — most of what we need to do is within our control,” Niccol told his investors, “some things will take some time.” he noted. 

“The traditional Starbucks experience is being greeted by name, having a friendly conversation with the barista and given a drink that tastes good,” said Ari Bray. “When there is a 15-minute wait and nobody can talk to you because they’re so slammed, that’s not a good experience for anyone.”

Mr. Niccol mentioned a few steps that Starbucks will take to bring back consumers. When the holiday menu was introduced, they announced that they will not charge for extra nondairy milk. Starbucks also mentioned that they will not increase prices for the 2025 fiscal year. 

Starbucks is setting a goal of getting customers their orders in four minutes or less, Mr. Niccol said. Brewed coffee will now be delivered to customers at the register. Customers can customize their coffee themselves at the condiment stations that the company will be reinstalling. Starbucks is hoping to improve wait times, create a better customer experience, and a more comfortable environment. 

Cites – 

https://www.nytimes.com

https://parade.com