Wall Street Journal: Starbucks tells harried baristas to slow down

Some baristas worry the company's edict -- focus on no more than two drinks at a time -- will create longer lines. When asked whether changes have created longer lines in the test markets, a Starbucks spokeswoman said she didn't have "that level of detail." || Read "Starbucks baristas told to slow down" (click the top link) || Jump to the second page of comments.

Comments

[Georgia Latte]

Having been a test district for this system for almost 1 1/2 years I can tell each of you that it does work. It will take your store a few weeks to see results,... give it time.

To answer some questions that some of you have posted...
-The bar person can wash their own pitchers if they don't have a starback / bar back/ bar helper (whatever you call it :-) there is built in time during the routine to connect... you can use this time to wash pitchers.

-You should only be using 5 pitchers.... 1 for water, 3 for dairy, 1 for non-dairy.

-In the rythym, when you add a frappuccino into the mix, you start making it while waiting for step 3 on the current drink. Get it ready, and blend it.... once it starts blending finishing the first drink and continue on.

Just a few suggestions...
-You may want to experiment with moving your frappuccino blenders closer to your bar.. this worked at my store and some of the other stores in my district.
-It is really hard for the bar person to MARK cups.... we have our register partners mark them. I can tell you when we rolled this out, it was part of the routine to mark the cup (the bar person). I am glad that the finished result is that the bar person isn't marking cups.

A final thought --- this is a proven system that works. It is up to us as partners to give it a try to increase our quality, speed and customer service. There will be stores out there that won't be onboard. This is nothing new.... For whatever reason they forget that it says "STARBUCKS COFFEE" on the building, not "Mary's Coffee" or "John's Coffee".... etc. It is stores like this that REALLY HURT our company. It is the same stores that struggle with Via, Comp Sales, partner morale, and customer voice.

Ok, I am jumping off my soap box. :)

[slaw275]

I bought some new exercise equipment but after I used it once I was really sore. So I stopped using it. I didn't get in better shape at all. That equipment must not work.

[James Connolly]

'Hi I'm slaw275. Starbucks tells me that apples are, in fact, oranges and I agree.'

[baristamclane]

@DMs are on another planet--I think you may have been one of my old SMs...

[baristamclane]

I was skeptical when I first heard about this routine, but I was surprised by the results. I will say however, that it was tough on my delicate and over-inflated ego to be told that despite being a stickler for beverage quality, that my technique wasn't good enough.

Judging from the feedback I heard from the group who trained after me, I suspect that there is going to be more than a little resistance in our store.

[slaw275]

Nobody has told anybody that apples are oranges.
I did not take the company at their word when this rolled out to my store almost 2 years ago as the test. The company has been working on this for a long time and has taken partner feedback to make sure that the final result, BR2, is the best solution.
Do not personally attack me because you are resistant to change. Evolution is never going to go away as a part of our job.

[Waltie]

"'Hi I'm slaw275. Starbucks tells me that apples are, in fact, oranges and I agree.'"

Weak. I thought you were smarter than that, James.

[James Connolly]

It was a comment on slaw's dumb analogy, nothing more Waltie.

[george]

We've reached level 4 people!!!! this could take a while!

[Waltie]

No, the analogy was apt. Your comment was dumb.

[.]

Interesting posts on this blog from a LEAN guy, including a fake article that he wishes he read in the WSJ. Makes a lot of good points about how LEAN shouldn't be forced on us from Seattle:

http://www.leanblog.org/2010/10/lean-at-starbucks-or-tayloristic-industrial-engineering/

http://www.leanblog.org/2010/10/the-article-i-wish-i-had-read-about-starbucks-in-yesterdays-wsj/

[Barista 101]

THIS IS SO RIDICULOUS!!!!!!! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT STARBUCKS, A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION WOULD ROLL OUT A METHOD THAT DOES NOT WORK???

People stop complaining and realize that you work for a company that changes to make things better for customers and for you! Julie (writer of the WSJ) needs to get her FACTS straight! If she would have gotten all the information, everyone would know that,this new process actually helps barista's impact the customer experience and become faster on the bar. Also, in the article.. Tyler- said, "While I'm blending a frappuccino, it doesn't make sense to stand there and wait for the blender to finish running, because I could be making an iced tea at the same time," he says. His store has yet to adopt the changes.- Exactly.. Why wouldn't you make that iced tea? That's exactly what this method is helping to create. Start the Frappuccino, then start the iced tea. Finish the Frappuccino, then finish the iced tea. What's the problem?!?

For customers, with steaming a whole pitcher of milk the quality and the full experience of the beverage is not the best. (The milk often falls below the 150-170 degree tempature by the time it gets to that second or third beverage.) Wouldn't you want the barista to make your beverage so that it is accurate and be the same everytime? Also, if a barista is making more than two beverage.. Let's say four.. and they cant remember what they put in the beverage?!? hmm... i would want someone to make two at a time so they can accually remember if they added the syrup to my drink or not.

This is my two cents... And please partners.. Give the BR2 a chance!!! IF YOUR FAST, IT WILL MAKE YOU FASTER ONCE YOU GET THE FULL PICTURE OF IT!!

[Northwest]

James needs to work a day at a farm labor camp picking fruit for 14 hours a day. No unions, and these folks are some of the happiest I have ever met, and they have a repeatable routine.

14 hours a day James, and they love there work, grow a spine.....

[James Connolly]

You are just as cute as a button, Northwest.

[yerbamate]

Sounds intelligent.

[James Connolly]

And completely stable and rational, to boot.

[ms barista]

I have a question For all of you that love the new routine: how many partners do you have on the floor? And for those of you with 2 partners on the floor, do you really like it when you're really busy? Thanks.

[Eric Lee]

Attacking a fellow partner like that anonymously is pretty sad, Northwest. (And "those folks" would be far better off if they had a union to protect them, just like we are.)

There's no grudge against BRR in the union - I'm a member, I thought BRR sounded like a terrible idea, but now that I'm using it I think it's ok - for me, and for my store.

What I object to are the one-size-fits-all policies that we get handed down to us by people who live on the other side of our espresso machines. Downtown stores are different from suburban stores, drivethru stores are different from mall stores, and 8am Thursday morning is different from 9pm Sunday night. As partners we're all capable of making decisions about what's appropriate!

I wish corporate would let us do our jobs. It's insulting that they don't trust us to.

[Northwest]

Oh wait I am just some crazy store manager who has worked for this company for 10 years and has some of the highest OSAT in the region, and the happiest partners anywhere........

Just sick of people who do not want their jobs, and feel free to be dicks about it on-line. It's my turn, and it's not he first time.

[Northwest]

And I personally know the store manager and Lean-Team partners who helped test this, his store is a 40,000+ drive-thru. I think it will work in lower volume stores just as well.

Just wait for Low Man Floor repeatable routine. LR2!!!!! (no joke it is test now and is awesome)

[A Non eMoose]

So you think that just because someone disagrees with a new company policy or system that they deserve to be personally insulted? Oh, but it's alright because you're an awesome super-duper manager.

[James Connolly]

Eh, don't worry about it, A Non eMoose. He's just the latest in the long line of commentators who have attacked me merely for being in the union and/or disagreeing with something the company does. Though I have to say his farm labor camp line was absolutely hysterical. I wonder what possessed him to post it.

[cafenoir]

I am a long time lurker, occasional commenter. I work at a mall kiosk that is run by corporate. We are tiny, cramped, and badly laid out. But even during rushes with two partners on the floor, I have found the br2 to be useful for me. During training, we were timed on six drinks both "old" and "new ways". For six drinks, I went from 3 min 54 sec to 5 min 10 sec. Still less than a minute per drink. It's not that big of a deal to me, and I love to connect with people. Sometimes it is hard to keep up with, but so far I enjoy it. I like routines a lot. I have found that I'm much less stressed out.
Many people may have different opinions, and having a different opinion is everyone's prerogative. However, let me tell you a little story.

There was one partner at our store who always made the mocha too thick, insisting that it tasted better that way. However, it actually made mochas too weak if you didn't stir them and too strong if you did.

Well, he disagreed with that. I am fully in favor of his right to disaggree, but you have to keep in mind: better or not, the thicker mocha was inconsistent with the rest of starbucks.

I happen to think that the frappuccinos taste better when made with breve. But if I imposed that on the routine, people at other sbux will have to listen to customer complaints: it's way better at this other store...

Consistency is good, not just for the company, but all those other partners out there who might have to deal with cranky customers over these discrepancies. Do the partners across the nation a favor and do things according to policy. You just might save Jane Doe barista a huge headache.

So, like it or not, policies are for our benefit as well as the customers. My opinion may vary from policy, but I will still follow policy.

Waltie, I think you are right on target in this thread. Sometimes my opinion varies, but with this I think you are correct.

Melody, the new br2 routine is, in my opinion, a great thing. I would say not to let the naysayers discourage you. Keep on being a fan of starbucks!

Incidentally, loving your job doesn't make you a drone, it makes you an optimist. I love my job, and I love the company. I don't see eye to eye with everything they do, I roll my eyes at them, but I love this job.

It is okay to be an optimist.

[A Non eMoose]

It's ok to be an optimist. You can also enjoy your work and disagree with certain implementations and directives on a personal or professional level. At least, you used to, back when we were "partners". Now that we are factory robots, I guess they'll start calling facilities everytime a barista doesn't operate at full 100% capacity. Oh, and for holding these kinds of beliefs, that also makes me an ungrateful lazy terrible worker. I forgot that's how it works now.

[Juan Valdez]

You know, I'd feel a lot more compassion for James and Eric's complaints about "attacking fellow partners" if James wasn't running around here referring to the partners at the support center as "mouthbreathers".

Hypocrites.

[James Connolly]

Where am I complaining about Northwest? Point out to me, please.

And you are right, I don't have any respect for those who figuratively stand over my shoulder trying to tell me how to do a job that I've been doing for over eight years with nothing but positive reviews when they haven't worked a single morning rush.

[optimistc barista]

We broke our dt peak the first day after br2. Quit crying and figure it out... that's what we do.

[Phil]

Frankly BBW has improved our average speed of service. The only time I ever find it to be a bit harrowing is that short window between the three drinks to six drinks before expo starts helping on cold bar. I work in a high volume cafe store and after chugging through the learning process have had no problem getting my drinks out in time.

And furthermore whatever happened to not talking to the press? Isn't that grounds for separation? And what starbucks Union? Did I miss a meeting or something?

[Juan Valdez]

James...

I never said you were complaining about northwest. I am referring to this statement from you (at 5:48pm): "Eh, don't worry about it, A Non eMoose. He's just the latest in the long line of commentators who have attacked me merely for being in the union and/or disagreeing with something the company does." and Eric Lee's statement about how sad it is someone is attacking "fellow partners".

I simply pointed out that you feel quite comfortable attacking your fellow partners but don't like it much when someone attacks you.

[rachel]

i dont mind it it makes sense! however my store like many other stores is understaffed because of this optimal scheduling bull shit....sooooooooo who is gonna rinse my pitchers when i am steaming my milk per drink? we have three people at our store during the morning rush. gay

[suzy greenberg]

My store is a high volume yet understaffed one, and we are struggling with finding a rhythm. It was easier when a 3rd person could float a bit more. I felt excited and positive about this being implemented... but we are on the verge of just trashing it and doing it the old way. It isn't worth putting up with all the customer tension.

[Broyling Water]

Sorry, but a lot of the crap that is included in this "Better Way" is stuff I already do.

I'm extremely efficient as is, and I'm not changing what I do. I see this "Better Way" as an attempt to justify the money spent on LEAN, by instituting a new policy, even though if you can already multitask well, if you are already somewhat intelligent, then this won't help you as much as someone who is totally lost. Learning a new method, one in which there will be growing pains, when in a lot of cases, the current system isn't broken(and may be more efficient), is just wasteful.

[thisistrash]

re wasted moments: Not so much. Many of us already were prepping in between. lame line

[thisistrash]

@Waltie, don't be an Ass. It's pompous to say if it's not working you are doing something wrong. How about the managers and all above agree it won't work in your cafe. Get over yourself

[btlemonade]

I'm a six year partner and I have to say this routine does make sense, in that you really do want to keep your bar working for you at all times.. but it is NOT reasonable for all stores including mine. I was on bar the other day for 8 hours straight.. the majority of that time there was only two partners on the floor. Which meant I was stuck rinsing pitchers and making all the fraps and cold drinks all day... in addition to being slammed with all the hot drinks. Probably by the hundredth time I was stuck at the sink rinsing 8 pitchers, I was exhausted! And at other times, we got so many multiple drink orders that I had to open the other bar just to steam up more extra hot milk. To me, it was really frustrating and to watch everyone looking at me knowing it was taking forever and there was nothing I could do about it.. just keep going, trying the new routine. I think it works if you have the third person there to help with cold and rinsing and if you can mainly just stay on bar focusing on steaming, but if not.. it can be a disaster.

[Monty Clair]

A small part of my brain exploded tonight when I was forced to steam milk for 2 kids hot chocolates in seperate pitches X|

[Lexi]

We don't use the new routine at our store. We have a mall store and from day one we could all tell that this would not work for us, once the holidays rolled around we gave up any pretense that we would continue to use it and all went back to doing it the right way (old) way. Our manager tried to play along with the new routine, constantly raving about how great it was, but he too gave up pretending once holidays hit. It's a terrible system for our store, and all new partners are and will be trained to do it the way we've always done it.