Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Starbucks to Baristas: No More Multitasking

Critics fear longer lines

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 12, 2010 7:08 PM CDT | Updated Oct 16, 2010 8:00 AM CDT

(Newser) – Starbucks is changing the way its baristas operate—it wants them to focus on one drink at a time, the Wall Street Journal reports. The company is looking to shed what coffee aficionados see as an assembly-line process, but it runs the risk of angering everyone else with longer lines. The changes "doubled the amount of time it takes to make drinks in some cases," says a barista in Minnesota who's been testing the process.

The company says the changes will make stores more efficient in the long run, with the bonus of better-tasting drinks. But company documents acknowledge delays for drinks such as no-foam lattes. Baristas should "let the customer know their beverage will take a little longer and may be out of order due to the time it takes the milk to settle and the foam to rise to the top (approximately 60 seconds)."

A file photo of a Starbucks barista handing over a drink.
A file photo of a Starbucks barista handing over a drink.   (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
11%
8%
1%
13%
1%
66%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 21 comments
jcrouse22
Oct 17, 2010 8:50 AM CDT
I got an idea-how about taking your prices down a notch! You will increase customer flow by being more competitive which will make up for the lower pricing. The days of price gouging are gone for good!
Rick Drewien
Oct 16, 2010 5:09 PM CDT
Is this another attempt by a NewsCorp-owned rag to malign a cultural artifact. I've talked to dozens of baristas throughout the Southeast and the processes are generally understood to mean enhancing efficiency not slowing things down. Granted some of the Starbucks in Manhatten are some of the worst in the nation in terms of civility and wait-times, but that doesn't hold true for the world. Wise-up. Since when can the Wall Street Journal be trusted? Oh, right, since before it was owned by that hack Murdoch.
Dave Crenshaw
Oct 14, 2010 10:26 AM CDT
To anyone who thinks that Starbucks eliminating multitasking is a bad idea: please read my book "The Myth of Multitasking. The hardcore analytical types who want evidence should read all the articles and studies in the bibliography.
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne