As Starbucks Customers Get Younger Its Sales Start to Skyrocket

storewanderer
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Re: As Starbucks Customers Get Younger Its Sales Start to Skyrocket

Post by storewanderer »

veteran+ wrote: November 6th, 2022, 6:43 am

This is what struck me. IF they are complaining about the possibility of being "punished" or not rewarded or acknowledged by Starbucks because they cannot deliver the results with these customizations, then that is a workplace issue that can be addressed with the help of a Union. IF they are complaining because they just don't like the task, then that is just silly and not worthy of an organised effort for change.

Throwing away product and customers walking away because of long wait times due to a system that is unworkable and then being blamed for it is not tenable.



"Starbucks baristas also chafe at a performance management program that rates their customer service – especially because they are under pressure by other technology that tracks how fast they process drive-thru orders.

"It's as though you are making drinks under the pressure of trying to defuse a ticking time bomb," Skretta said."
The fast food business (and that is what Starbucks is) is completely obsessed with service times and speeds. Everything is timed, every task, and there are metrics. Historically Starbucks did not operate that way.

As far as a performance management system (not clear if they are referring to customer surveys, mystery shops, or what here) rating customer service, it appears these employees are trying to make excuses for displaying a poor attitude to the customer, and hope the Union will save them. Remember the Steve Burd era Safeway Superior Service Program, Smile School, and all that other crap? The Union didn't make any of that go away despite ONGOING grievances about it many of which were likely very legitimate on the part of the clerk (it wasn't until the company was in serious financial difficulties and shedding divisions that the program was finally scrapped).

Where I understand some of what these Starbucks employees are complaining about is with the volume of customizations. You can literally customize a drink 15+ different ways if you want to; there is no clean or easy way to make these orders, it causes multiple stickers to print for the cup, and it is just a big mess. Starbucks software could potentially be changed to list the customizations in the order in which they should assemble the drink but I am not sure how much that would help. Really, Starbucks needs to probably eliminate some of the customization options from the app and if people really want to customize a drink 15 ways they can go inside and do it face to face (I think a lot of these wildly customized drinks are halfway prank orders anyway).

But here is the thing- Starbucks built its business on customization. What started as swap the milk for soy and add in sugar free syrup instead of sugar syrup has turned into a total out of control nightmare. Now what needs to happen if they really want to continue to allow this level of customization via the app is a certain number of seconds need to be added to the preparation process for every customization. I am not clear if that is happening or not. But it doesn't take a Union to do that. Internal metrics where locations keep failing their service time goals will sort out that issue and they will make adjustments. Of all companies that will look at these things and change, Starbucks is definitely one I expect to be very keen on this.

What probably needs to happen is Starbucks reduce the customization options on the app if this is such a problem for the employees. But again I do not see the Union putting pressure on Starbucks to do that. That is going to be a decision Starbucks has to make. The Union isn't in charge of the app or the menu and never will be.

This is no different from items per minute metrics in the grocery front end. You know the slow cashier. Every store has that slow cashier (except stores like Wal Mart and Target where almost every cashier is the slow cashier and they may have that one fast cashier). Union grievances won't get the cashier out of that missing IPM measurement. There are usually ways to cheat this system that pause the clock at least on the IBM that are technically not allowed but are unlikely to be noticed by anyone (press total often, special signoff during transaction, full sign off between transactions, etc.).

McDonalds will study service times and punish franchisees over it. There is one McDonalds franchisee where I see this happen in their locations a lot. For years McDonalds has had trouble with service speed with the order assembly/bagging process (kitchen is not the issue). A trick I've seen employed by them in multiple locations including years ago in Winnemucca and again recently in Minden (oops, called them out) is when the orders are completed by kitchen and show up on the screen out at assembly/bagging, the assembly bagging employee prints a pick slip out and pushes the complete on the order, so it disappears from the screen and appears as if it was delivered about 3 seconds after the kitchen finishes it. Meanwhile the customer is out waiting 2-3 minutes for their order, but the McDonalds system thinks this place is getting the order out in 3 seconds.

Panda Express is in the process of updating its online ordering system to track service time as well. Their previous system was the online order printed on the cash register (a paper slip) and they were to take that slip, pick/bag the order, and put it on the pick up rack. Now the system changed and they first have to "accept" the order from a screen (and they can "accept" an order "late" but that will hurt that metric) then the pick slip prints, then a bar code also prints. When they finish the order, they are to scan the bar code which is another time stamp that is another metric (also it notifies the customer their order is ready), then when the customer actually picks up the order they have to scan the bar code again to indicate the order was picked up (this metric is to track the orders going out via Door Dash to track if those drivers are actually picking orders up on time).

Let's give another example. At Carl's Jr., I like the Jr. Western. That item is long off the menu. But it is still orderable. You order a "small cheeseburger" "plain" "add BBQ" "add onion ring." I skip the bacon, it is not very good anyway, and has a big upcharge. I can't make this order through the app. I have to go in person and make this order. It is very easy to prepare yet their app limits customizations to a very specific set of requests.

Another example: I want to go to Popeyes and order 1 Chicken Breast (single pieces also include a biscuit at Popeyes). I cannot do this through the app either. I must go to Popeyes and order it in person. Another example- I want to go to Popeyes and order a 2pc- but I want it breast/leg. I cannot do this through the app (or the KFC app, or the El Pollo Loco App)- I have to go to do this in person as the app gives you 2 choices: white meat breast/wing or dark meat leg/thigh. Did you know you can also ask El Pollo Loco to do skinless on your chicken, by pulling off the skin and then they will re-season it and grill it for a couple extra minutes to crisp the outer meat surface and get you back the seasoning that was lost by removing the skin? They will- but you can't do that via the app, only inside (and it is programmed into the register).

Why I bring those examples up is many chains have control over their customizations via app. I don't want to say they discourage customizations, but they are trying not to ENCOURAGE wild customizations. Some, like Starbucks, have by making the app so great and having so many options, when it comes to customizations, have let it spiral completely out of control.
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