Baristas told to... SLOW DOWN!
Have you seen this article from the WSJ about Satrbucks implementing a new set of rules that encourage baristas to slow down?
In a nutshell, Starbucks is trying to up the quality and consistency of drinks. But, the flip side is that volume will decrease.
Will this help re-position Starbucks? Or, just frustrate customers who have become accustomed to the assembly line method of drink preperation?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Thanks for sharing. This was a really funny article. My favorite line was probably the part about grinding the beans for each drink instead of all in the morning... to "return some of the theater". I thought it was so that the superauto would know how much coffee was in the brew module...
Theoretically, consistency and quality might improve marginally. Increased focus would take care of that. Clearly the wait time will tick up though.
Is this a good move for them? I suppose yes. Without consistency, all they have is marketing and speed.
Will this reposition them? No.
On balance I think its probably much ado about nothing... just like all of their big-deal initiatives. Remember when they closed up for an afternoon, to retrain and refocus? Big press release, lots of discussion, not much different today. "Hey, look at me!" Not a bad approach. Do something press-release worthy to help the newspapers publicize how hard you are working to get better.
Is it just me, or do they seem to be a bit confused about who they are these days? Are they competing with McDonalds or the quality independent? They roll out an artisan store concept, then turn around and release flavored instant. I'm confused. What's the message?
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Permalink Reply by David Lanning on
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Agreed.
Steaming milk and grinding to order are steps in the right direction.
But, it isn't nearly enough to bring a significant change to the end product in and of itself...
I was amazed at the fact that it was policy to brew enough coffee for the day in the morning!
Brady said:Thanks for sharing. This was a really funny article. My favorite line was probably the part about grinding the beans for each drink instead of all in the morning... to "return some of the theater". I thought it was so that the superauto would know how much coffee was in the brew module...
Theoretically, consistency and quality might improve marginally. Increased focus would take care of that. Clearly the wait time will tick up though.
Is this a good move for them? I suppose yes. Without consistency, all they have is marketing and speed.
Will this reposition them? No.
On balance I think its probably much ado about nothing... just like all of their big-deal initiatives. Remember when they closed up for an afternoon, to retrain and refocus? Big press release, lots of discussion, not much different today. "Hey, look at me!" Not a bad approach. Do something press-release worthy to help the newspapers publicize how hard you are working to get better.
Is it just me, or do they seem to be a bit confused about who they are these days? Are they competing with McDonalds or the quality independent? They roll out an artisan store concept, then turn around and release flavored instant. I'm confused. What's the message?
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Permalink Reply by ryan mcdougall on
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St. Arbucks rules. I love the part about "the barista's skill", and waiting for the foam to rise to the top. how is it that people let St Arbucks become the standard in coffee. McDonalds is not the standard in hamburgers. People ask for "no foam" as if my drinks are foamy. In which world should milk "foam". In a better world they'd be asking for no microbubbles if they were so inclined. Funny article though. Thanks.
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Permalink Reply by Jason Haeger on
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Funny. I just shared my thoughts on it: Starbucks Baristas Told to Slow Down – WSJ
Basically, I see it as a publicity stunt to make people think that they suddenly care a lot about quality. If only it were true. A google search (image posted in the link above) says otherwise.
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Good input.
I agree... it's all about publicity and public perception.
Jason Haeger said:Funny. I just shared my thoughts on it: Starbucks Baristas Told to Slow Down – WSJ
Basically, I see it as a publicity stunt to make people think that they suddenly care a lot about quality. If only it were true. A google search (image posted in the link above) says otherwise.
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Permalink Reply by Andrew Cash on
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It is interesting that that they want to push their Baristas to slow down and focus on quality but they also want them to push their Via instant coffee at the same time. Also, how do you really slow down a super automatic machine anyways?
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Permalink Reply by Chris on
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Andrew Cash said:how do you really slow down a super automatic machine anyways?
"We need to slow down and pay attention to *HOW* we push the button. We want to push it in a slow, deliberate, caring and artisinal way..."
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Permalink Reply by Jay Caragay on
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You know, I think griping about the quality aspect of Starbucks is really wasting your time and energies. Face it, a company with 6,700 stores and over 100,000 employees worldwide is going to operate differently than any of us. To expect a company this large to adhere to the same standards as a small, quality-focused shop is just out of touch with reality. The quality of Starbucks is commensurate with its size.
Interestingly enough, while Starbucks may be unable to brew a cup as delicious as many specialty independent shops, it almost universally manages to trump these Third Wave shops on friendliness and customer experience.
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Permalink Reply by Jared Rutledge on
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jay's right, and i always try to remember they're not competing with us - they're competing with dunkin donuts and mccafé. what starbucks does is pretty irrelevant as far as my business is concerned.
also, funnily enough, one thing people mention over and over to me (besides the fact that we geek out on coffee) is how friendly and unpretentious my staff and i are. i do think a lot of 3rd wavers are notoriously bad at customer service, and i'm hoping to reverse that trend by transcending this weird consumer/corporation duality we have in our society. almost all of our customers really appreciate that we're just real people making them a cup of coffee without any pretense.
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Permalink Reply by Jacob Casella on
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Interesting idea. I wonder if it will actually come to anything. Did anything every come of Starbucks buying out the Clovers? Or messing around with pour-over bars?
I'm interested for two reasons. The main thing is, if they start steaming to order, could that eventually decrease the "no-foam" population? I've always thought that one reason people order no-foam, extra hot lattes is that they've become used to places (Starbucks) where the milk is steamed way ahead of time and then just has a thermometer stuck in it--so your milk is not only cool, but has totally separated, resulting in some silly amounts of foam at least some of the time. Maybe the no-foam culture is here to stay, but if Starbucks could reverse the trend even a little I'd love it.
Second, I'm frankly wondering what I could learn from watching a Starbucks employee after a big-money-funded "lean team" has taken a look at their every operation. Getting all scientific labor on it. I'm always looking for some ways to shave seconds in my routine without sacrificing quality, and I wouldn't turn my nose up at some trick the Sbucks figured out.
And yeah, how do they keep their employees so friendly? Is it the health insurance? Compared to what I think of as similar jobs (fast food, other coffee chains) they do seem to do an unusually good job of customer service.
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Perrine on
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Starbucks lets the milk separate because it is easier to be consistent. That is ideally.
You are to hold back the foam while pouring the milk leaving a third of an inch of room which you scoop the foam on top.
I managed a starbucks for a few years, (Wasn't selling out, it just paid the bills), and I had one of the most consistent stores in the area.
The problem is not necessarily the procedures, its the poor training and the failure of most Store Managers not retraining/refocusing the staff to maintain procedures. Starbucks let to many bad barista become store managers and district managers.
Their drinks aren't 'proper' but they can be tasty with an effective management team.
Jacob Casella said:Interesting idea. I wonder if it will actually come to anything. Did anything every come of Starbucks buying out the Clovers? Or messing around with pour-over bars?
I'm interested for two reasons. The main thing is, if they start steaming to order, could that eventually decrease the "no-foam" population? I've always thought that one reason people order no-foam, extra hot lattes is that they've become used to places (Starbucks) where the milk is steamed way ahead of time and then just has a thermometer stuck in it--so your milk is not only cool, but has totally separated, resulting in some silly amounts of foam at least some of the time. Maybe the no-foam culture is here to stay, but if Starbucks could reverse the trend even a little I'd love it.
Second, I'm frankly wondering what I could learn from watching a Starbucks employee after a big-money-funded "lean team" has taken a look at their every operation. Getting all scientific labor on it. I'm always looking for some ways to shave seconds in my routine without sacrificing quality, and I wouldn't turn my nose up at some trick the Sbucks figured out.
And yeah, how do they keep their employees so friendly? Is it the health insurance? Compared to what I think of as similar jobs (fast food, other coffee chains) they do seem to do an unusually good job of customer service.
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Interesting follow up here is that Starbucks is now getting into the wine and cheese business...
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