A NUMBER OF Starbucks workers have reportedly blasted one of the coffeehouse’s chain new policies that they say slows the service down.
Baristas have started to scribble personal messages onto coffee cups after CEO Brian Niccol outlined his Back to Starbucks vision.
Niccol wants to turn Starbucks stores into community coffeehouses and wants workers to take care of customers.
He also wants the company to pride itself on getting every morning right, per a note he shared on his second day in the job.
Personal messages on coffee cups have started to reappear – five years after disappearing thanks to the pandemic.
But not all Starbucks baristas have welcomed the change, per CNN.
Some have claimed having to write personalized messages has slowed down service.
They feel the company is forcing workers to make connections with customers.
Employees have told how adding a message adds to the tasks they have to do.
“It’s just a lot for workers to have to add to the number of things we’re expected to do,” Amanda Rivera, a worker in Atlanta, told CNN.
She wasn’t convinced if writing a message on a cup constituted connecting.
Meanwhile, other unnamed staffers have claimed messages from workers are being interpreted by customers as flirting.
Niccol, the former CEO of Chipotle, formally assumed his role as the new top exec at Starbucks on September 9.
He succeeded Laxman Narasimhan, who stepped down after just one year in the role.
He’s Starbucks fourth CEO in just two years.
In his note to staffers and customers, Niccol said there was a sense the company had “drifted” from its core.
“A visit to Starbucks is about connection and joy, and of course great coffee,” he wrote.
In the letter, Niccol made some admissions.
“Many of our customers still experience this magic every day, but in some places — especially in the U.S. — we aren’t always delivering,” he said.
“It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic.”
On top of ensuring Starbucks is a community coffeehouse, he emphasized the importance of the company telling its story.
“We won’t let others define who we are,” he vowed.
And, Niccol has overseen a series of changes.
COFFEEHOUSE CHANGES
Condiment stations have made a comeback after five years away.
These are areas where customers can add creams and sugars to their coffees.
Shoppers who drink their coffees in-store will have the option of free refills.
But, not all drinks are included in the policy.
Customers who buy a cold brew or latte will be left disappointed.
The free refill option is available to customers who enjoy drinks out of a ceramic mug, glass or cup brought from home.
But, bosses are cracking down thanks to a new code of conduct.
Alcohol and drugs are banned from coffeehouses, as is discrimination and harassment.
Starbucks has ended its open door policy after seven years.
“In order to be the coffeehouse that we want to be, we need to bring some practical pieces of our Code of Conduct,” Niccol warned.
“We’re going to work with our [employees] to make sure they’re supported and protected.
The U.S. Sun has approached Starbucks for comment.
Some workers claim having to write messages slows down the serviceGetty Read More Details
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