Starbucks Made A Big Change & Now Lines Are Longer Than Ever
The next time you go to Starbucks for an iced latte, you might want to bring a book. Customers at some locations are beginning to face extensive wait times. We're talking lines that can take up to 40 minutes.
According to a new report in Bloomberg, the reason behind the slow down is understaffing. The locations are reportedly so understaffed because an algorithm Starbucks uses to determine how many workers should be at each location and when. The algorithm takes into account factors like order forecasts and product availability to staff the location.
Employees have also claimed that a new company policy making baristas work at least 12 hours per week has cut down on how many employees are available at certain locations.
Starbucks has denied allegations about its locations being understaffed. The company's chief reinvention officer, Frank Britt, told Bloomberg News that the chain improved its algorithm in the last year and a half so there was “enough capacity to meet demand."
Despite this staffing algorithm, wait times at many stores are rivaling that of a hot new ride at Disney, and customers are becoming increasingly fed up about it.
Reddit is littered with posts from frustrated users questioning if 30-minute waits have become the new normal at the cafe.
In one thread, a Starbucks customer recalled waiting over 30 minutes for an iced coffee when there were just three people in front of them in line.
"At the worst my old store would sometimes be at 45 mins...I'm sure it's even worse now with how much they've cut labor to increase corporate profits," said one Redditor in response to their query.
@Starbucks epic meltdown at your store 50480-274944. 40+ minute wait for 2 drinks. Sounds like a failure to plan for Mother’s Day BOGO during a 6 hour window. No help. Lines out the door. #fail
— Jim Oser (@jimoser37) May 12, 2024
Don’t even try to get a Mother’s Day coffee at @Starbucks - they’re out of almost everything and it’s a 1.5 hour wait for a drink. Awful.
— Suzi Voss (@SuziVoss) May 12, 2024
On X, people have also expressed their frustration with lengthy waits. In what might be the worst example yet, one user claimed they were faced with a two-hour wait.
"Nah the way @Starbucks had a 2 hour wait for some drinks & they didn’t let me just cancel my order," they wrote.
Have you noticed that Starbucks are longer now? Just how long are you willing to wait for a drink at Starbucks?
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