Starbucks: The decision to brew decaf on-demand in the afternoons is being misrepresented

Starbucks spokeswoman Deb Trevino e-mails Starbucks Gossip: "I wanted to provide our perspective on the decaf post. The decision we made to brew decaf coffee on-demand in the afternoons -- a decision made for the benefit of customers, and in response to our partners (employees) who want to help reduce waste -- is being misrepresented.

We are simply giving our stores the flexibility to make decaf on customer demand, during a time when overall demand for decaf is very low. In the process, decaf customers get a fresh cup of coffee and the company saves money. It's a win-win. (The actual store communication is below.)"

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For many of our stores, the demand for decaf is greatly reduced in the afternoon and therefore yields high waste with the current standard. In recognition of this, stores no longer need to continually brew decaf coffee after 12 p.m. and can now apply the same standard that exists for Morning Pick.

* Continue offering Decaf Pike Place Roast as the daily decaf brew through 12 p.m. (from 5 a.m. until 12 p.m. in 24-hour stores).

* Consider your customer base and decaf requests after 12 p.m. to judge whether you should brew a batch of coffee to prepare for decaf customers.

* Ensure partners respond to requests for decaf coffee according to standard, while acknowledging the wait time for a freshly prepared brew.

Comments

[caffeineaddict]

As a partner I understand the concerns of customers and company alike. My store is frequented by a large number of half caf drinkers and therefore, I gaurantee we will continue to brew decaf. I also agree with the frustrations in all the promos like the tea lattes and vivanno. I have to make both of these on a daily basis, and I am happy to do it, but they interrupt the flow of operations, and sometimes warrants an extra partner just for the making of such beverages.

I think they are trying to jump into the competition with other coffee houses and these take us away from what we are- a coffee company. I think we should return to a variable of bold and mild roast coffees, offer Pikes as a medium blend, and continue to carry a bold coffee all day. As for the decaf, the question is whether you can wait at stores that do not brew it all day, and keep from taking it out on us when we have to offer you a free decaf when its brewed, or take the half caf americano we should be offering you instead. If anything, take issue with the corporate offices and the people who make these decisions. As baristas, we are just trying to do our jobs and keep them.

Two comments about the alternatives offered when you are out of something:

1) If you offer an Americano, don't try to tell a drip coffee drinker that it is the same or even similar; it isn't. If it were the same, why would Starbucks even offer the same drink?

2) The French Press, while a favorite among many, and the "only way" among coffee snobs...is also not a replacement for drip coffee. If you get a drip coffee, you are used to the taste (don't remind me of how superior YOU think FP is)... an FP of an identical coffee doesn't taste anything like the drip. I really like the Columbian (which is no longer brewed because it is in the same class as the PPR) and I do not like it in the FP whereas I really like it in drip.

In summary, an FP or CA are not substitutes for drip coffee.

[Java Grounds]

Go Independent Coffee Shops-No Bull....!

[GRTL]

Freshly brewed every 30 minutes...oh except decaf.

Can I change my sign now?

[decaf gal]

Customer question:Can someone tell me if this means that my decaf soy carmel macchiato will take longer as well? Or is it just when you order a plain cup of decaf? By the way, my Starbucks was out of soy yesterday which I was told only after I ordered my drink and it was rung up on the register.What a project to reimburse my card, you'd think they would have just handed me a coupon and not held up the line while a manager came out and did her magic. I am a daily customer and a shareholder,who along with my hubby, spend approx. $6-$8 a day on decaf lattes, we are bummed by the morale of the workers and the pathetic changes at Starbucks. I'm sorry for all of us who treasure our rituals at Starbucks and have seen them shredded one by one.Is it the end of the world, OF COURSE NOT, but has it changed our desire to visit Starbucks and our experience there, ABSOLUTELY!

[Melody]

@decaf gal - This issue of "brew on demand" (which I badly want to rename as "our immediate coffee OFFERing" - staged ready to go ...)ONLY affects the drip brewed coffee choices. This should not affect your "decaf soy carmel macchiato". (You're the new "core customer").

Starbucks should find some way to give this new strategy a new verb - "demand" makes it sound like the customer must get demanding. The right verbiage could help. ;) After all, if Starbucks can "re-architect" their business, or operate on a "go-forward" basis, they can come up with a better verb than "demand." ;) ;-)

[decaf gal]

Thanks, Melody. I appreciate your reply and your ability to "break it down."

[CamSpi]

"so, let me get this right , I'm supposed to walk into $tarbucks order a brewed decaf , wait, and then be called an ass**** for wanting decaf? Way to go $tarbucks. This is the " bold situation" all over again !

Posted by: Thought of the Day | January 28, 2009 at 06:29 AM"

OH NO! NO! NO! Please do not interpret me calling people wanting decaf a-holes! The minute I wrote that I felt it didn't come out right.
If you want decaf brewed, you are certainly not a jerk.
If you feel its outrageous that you have to wait, that does not make you a jerk, either! I totally understand where you're coming from.
If you use inappropriate language and a rude tone with me, then you are a jerk.

I honestly feel ABSOLUTELY AWFUL that my comments are being misinterpreted. I am more than willing to do ANYTHING for my customers! Jump their cars if their car battery is dead. Give them directions if they're lost. And of course brew decaf! ANYTHING! I do not in any way feel as if I'm put out of my way if I have to brew you coffee! And I understand that I have to let the customer know that there IS a wait, and that they DO have options!

Sorry if I made anyone feel as though I was calling them an A-hole!!!!!!

[KristiC]

I'm also posting in response to the request to hear from decaf customers.

Too much caffeine makes me a trembly, cranky wreck, so I drink half-caf in the morning and decaf in the afternoon. I've got a fairly breakneck-pace job (another reason I need to watch the caffeine!) and sometimes can barely manage the 10-minute dash to Starbucks between meetings. Once I've gotten to the front of the line, I'm counting on my drip coffee to be pretty much immediately available--I only order Americanos when I have extra time to hang out in the herd of people waiting for specialty drinks. So being told that I have to either wait another 4-5 minutes for decaf drip or possibly even longer for a decaf Americano just doesn't strike me as putting the customer first.

Starbucks is always my first choice among the three chain coffee vendors in my building, but I'll probably be making fewer afternoon purchases simply because I sometimes genuinely don't have time to wait around for decaf drip (which is a pretty basic commodity, not like an exotic beverage that demands special attention) to be brewed 'on demand' for me. I don't think I'm 'self-important' or an a--hole--I'm just *busy*.

[Decaf Gal]

Thank you, as a customer, I appreciate your remarks. I hope I am NEVER a jerk to anyone if I express frustration at waiting for my decaf. It bothers me to think that I may be considered a lesser valued customer than someone who drinks "regular" coffee. I LOVE coffee, but I simply cannot have caffeine. I just wish this wasn't the option Starbucks had gone for to reduce spending and/or waste. It is a slap to those of us who opt for decaf no matter which way it is spun. Baristas like you are so valued and appreciated-please hang in there and make it worth my four minute wait by your kindness!

[Decaf Gal]

Sorry, my remarks were directed to Camspi-again thank you!

[Rick Macnamara]

Is it any wonder that Starbucks is closing stores nationwide? What could be more basic in life than a cuppa coffee and they are screwing it up? Dunkin Donuts doesn't seem to have a problem with fresh decaf all day long, so what's the deal with Starbucks? This policy sounds like something thought up by some bean counter in an ivory tower doing cost analysis and found they can save $0.000010241772 per minute by stopping decaf after 12 PM, not realizing that pissing off their customer base will cost them ten times that. This weekend, my wife went to two Starbucks in a mall in New York and tried to get decaf at 6pm and in both stores, the baristas had this condescending attitude that she would dare to ask for decaf after noon! You know what, Starbucks? I once read that coffee enemas are an essential aspect of Ayurvedic medicine, so I invite you to experience this exotic form of medical treatment by shoving your coffee up your asses.

[JerseyGurl]

This morning I had my first post-12PM decaf customer since the change. I had a 1/4 batch waiting in the basket ready to brew if needed. A very nice gentleman ordered a venti decaf. I explained the new policy and offered him a freshly brewed pot with a 4 minute wait time or a decaf americano immediately. He opted to wait so I hit the brew button and proceeded to spend the next few minutes connecting with the customer. He thanked me for giving him options and said he understood the change.

Take a minute to connect... up-sell a pastry... anything to keep customers happy. They are our life-blood in this business and I think we need to focus on them.

[mj]

I'm with you Rick, as a decaf drinker I am constantly annoyed by the snotty attitudes I get (to be fair, at sbux and other chains, too). Do you have a snotty attitude towards diabetics who use nutrasweet instead of sugar? Well, I'm sensitive to caffeine at night and I still like my coffee, well made at that. What a crime! As a matter of fact, I want my coffee enough to go the extra mile and test it with a caffeine test strip, just to make sure sbux gave me actual decaf - that's how much I like my coffee!

In this case, sbux is showing they are completely out of touch - I can't understand why you would make decaf in the morning but not the afternoon. Most decaf drinkers I know get regular in the morning and switch to decaf after 2-3 pm to avoid losing sleep. One of these chains is going to wake up one day and see that decaf drinkers are a totally underserved market... i hope...

[Decaf Drinker]

This decision will probably become a chapter in the future business book titled "Death of the Starbucks Empire".

My decision as a consumer is easy. I head over to Dunkin' Donuts, a block away from Starbucks, where fresh brewed decaf is always available.

[AC]

I think it's inaccurate for people to use the argument (and I'm paraphrasing here) "how can SBUX call itself a coffee shop if you haven't even got decaf?" The idea that we're moving away from our core principles, and that this is some terrible, McStarbucks-esque idea just doesn't seem to make sense to me. Yeah, the three or four decaf customers will have to wait a few minutes or have an americano for the same price, but so what? Now, those customers get fresher, higher-quality coffee (and can opt for a french press of whatever coffee they want, not just DPPR). This seems classier, to me. Fresher coffee, more choice. The wait seems worth it if you're coming in for a nice, coffee shop experience. Go to my store, we'll offer you a french press, and if you want to stay in, we'll have you take a seat, and we'll bring it to you, ceramic cups and plates included! Most people in a big hurry (A-holes or not) aren't usually trying to AVOID caffeine, so what's the big deal? Besides, I'm personally tired of dumping out unused batch after unused batch of decaf. One less pain in the A to deal with during a close.

[TK]

Well if it's not a problem to brew decaf on demand,it obviously won't be a problem to brew 'bold' on demand either, right?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

I have to say, as a customer, I'm not some self important a-hole. Given the sanitized Pike Place swill that's on par with the cheaper McD's or even Dunkin Donuts coffees, at least for caffeinated drip I'm more likely to go where I know I can be in and out rather than where I'm likely going to have to wait after waiting for something that should be on hand. So if this is the case for decaf as well, I'm more likely to save money and go to a competitor.

Given the crazy number of laptop zombies sucking up every free seat in a starbucks anyway they aren't exactly a third place I'd linger anyway unless I want to stand next to the clearance rack staring at the employees.

[AC]

I think it's inaccurate for people to use the argument (and I'm paraphrasing here) "how can SBUX call itself a coffee shop if you haven't even got decaf?" The idea that we're moving away from our core principles, and that this is some terrible, McStarbucks-esque idea just doesn't seem to make sense to me. Yeah, the three or four decaf customers will have to wait a few minutes or have an americano for the same price, but so what? Now, those customers get fresher, higher-quality coffee (and can opt for a french press of whatever coffee they want, not just DPPR). This seems classier, to me. Fresher coffee, more choice. The wait seems worth it if you're coming in for a nice, coffee shop experience. Go to my store, we'll offer you a french press, and if you want to stay in, we'll have you take a seat, and we'll bring it to you, ceramic cups and plates included! Most people in a big hurry (A-holes or not) aren't usually trying to AVOID caffeine, so what's the big deal? Besides, I'm personally tired of dumping out unused batch after unused batch of decaf. One less pain in the A to deal with during a close.

[FLA SM]

To me, the best part of this topic is that a Starbucks rep. actually was following the decaf thread and wrote to Starbucks Gossip to defend the decision. To all those people who constantly say "quit whining" I say, we are not whining, we are making our voices heard to the people at the corp. office through a safe, anonymous medium.
THANK YOU STARBUCKS GOSSIP.COM!

[Gust]

AC---I definitely agree with you that you can deal with the issue in a customer friendly way. And I did have the welcoming experience of baristas offering to immediately brew fresh coffee and bringing it to me (in a ceramic cup) after I took a seat. But I did as well have the experience of baristas refusing to brew new coffee, argumenting that americano is about the same and either charging for the americano when I took it or commenting on my behaviour when I didn't. Going for a drip coffee is becoming a hit or miss experience at Starbucks, and more often than not I decide not to test my luck of the day. All this could be avoided if the policy was just to keep two or three flavours of brewed coffee available throughout the day.

[Tarponsprings]

Wow, another really stupid decision by uncle Howard & Co. When is everyone going to realize that Howard knows nothing about the coffee business?

The local independent coffee that I patronize always has 4 varieties of caffeinated, and 4 varieties of Swiss Water Process decaf. brewed. Why would anyone wait 4-5 minutes to get a cup of Starbucks chemically processed decaf?

[Melody]

Gust I completely understand your post and the hit and miss experience, and especially the process of having to go through an argument to get some non-PPR coffee.

PPR was launched April 2008. From April 2008 through about late Summer, I went through lots of rounds of having to persuade baristas to drip brew me coffee and I was made to feel like my business was not wanted. Sometime in the Fall of 2008, the situation got better.

Between Fall 2008 and definitely through the end of December, I was sometimes finding bold in the afternoon, and even when I wasn't, I was finding baristas who were much more willing to say those magic words, "I have got some xyz coffee ...let me get that started for you right now.." Things got so much better in that time period - I can recall even being at a mall Starbucks on Christmas Eve, and ten minutes before closing, a barista brewing up a batch of Christmas Blend for me. I tipped very well because I wanted her to know I appreciated it. Quality is worth a little wait.

My wounds began to heal during that period. Surely Starbucks was beginning to understand that brewing one pot of coffee was better than a lost customer.

But now, given my most recent Starbucks experience, we have fully gone back to that time in April to Summer 2008, where "brew on demand" really means, "brew only after a 4 minute argument at the register as to why you want drip brewed coffee and not a substitution. If you can persuade a barista to do this for you, best of luck to you."

But now I have had it. I walk into a Starbucks with so much baggage about this now. I'm a great customer until I get told - and this is new one on me last night - until I get told things like "well we didn't sell decaf frappuccino light drinks either, and so now we don't have those anymore either." I came unglued. I just lost it.

Sigh. I assume that bold coffee drinkers are now to be found at Peet's or something like that, and I assume that decaf drinkers will follow ... ? It just depends on one thing: What will "brew on demand" (whether we're talking about bold or decaf) really look like as an in-store experience. I COULD work, but my most recent experiences, it's not working.

[Moira]

So after spending tons of money at Starbucks for years, I am relegated to second class treatment. Did anyone consider getting smaller pots to hold the decaf in the afternoon.

By the way, got a nice email today from Caribou Coffee who is giving me free decaf tomorrow and will keep brewing it in the afternoon.

[Itsnotallaboutyou]

Idea #1: People are losing jobs, companies are closing left and right and because a SBUX is trying to spare itself the same agony, you're worried about 4 minutes for something that's considered a luxury and is 98% water.

Idea #2: Find out your local store's stance on the decaf subject. Talk to the Store Manager. They might not even be participating in the "NO Brew after 12."

Idea #3: If they are partcipating, put your favorite SBUX store on speed dial on your cell phone (you know, the one you're on the entire time you're in line ANYway) and let them know you're on your way in your nicest voice possible. They'd love to get your decaf started and get you out the door as quickly as possible with your fresh cup of decaf.

[FR BUX]

obviously I misread the action item on the portal...i thought it said it was at the discretion of the store manager to stop continuously brewing decaf after 12.... because our store manager wants us to keep brewing it all day. One thing I'm confused about though.....are the stores that choose to brew decaf on demand going to be giving it away for free? i thought it was policy for the coffee to be on the house if someone had to wait for it to brew--that would mean that decaf is always free after 12 pm.

one last comment--in the past five years I've been a partner in four different stores and i've never seen anyone use the deacf brewed button on the POS, do you think that's why they think no one wants it? the corporate office people have never worked in a store, they just analyze numbers so i wonder if we did this to ourselves....

[LMM]

Competitor Caribou Coffee is giving away free cups of decaf coffee Friday afternoon to promote the fact that they always have decaf ready.
They also say they have a natural decaf process as opposed to Sbux.
Hate to say it but it sounds like a company that puts the coffee first.

[CamSpi]

FR BUX, it isn't policy to give away free coffee if the customer has to wait. Although sometimes customers expect it to be that way. I don't understand why, though. This was brought up at an open forum I attended last year and the people in charge said we have to charge them.

[Mobius]

I have not had any negative reactions from customers about over the new decaf policy. I close my store 5 nights a week and on average, we sell 2 CUPS of decaf a night. I keep the basket loaded with grinds and hit the brew button as soon as the customer orders and tell them they will have the freshest possible coffee in about 4 minutes. No big deal. I mean, we are in the midst of a financial crisis in this country and people from every sector are starting to feel it. It seems that alot of people posting here think that Starbucks is going to remain unaffected and just dump out batch after batch of decaf coffee all night long like there's no tomorrow. Well, there is a tomorrow and if our company is going to survive this, than we have to change a few things. I've noticed several baristas telling the customers that they don't agree with the new policy and putting a negative vibe out there about it. Guess what, customers will latch right on to that and start complaining about it. I coached those partners that if we approach it differently, i.e. commenting that we are streamlining our procedures in an effort to provide the best service, pointing out that the decaf is super fresh every time, and that you would be glad to bring it out to them at their table when it's done brewing, 99% of the customers will gladly wait 4 MINUTES, roughly to get it. Think about it, if you to any restaraunt and walk to the counter and order, are you going to get your order any faster than that? Not usually. It is our responsibility to make the best of this situation. I don't know about anyone else, but I don't want to be out there looking for a job right now. It's rough. Let's be as positive as we can. That's what this company needs. What we don't need is the automatic gripe sessions that seem to have become the norm every time some policy is changed.

[Melody]

I keep the basket loaded with grinds and hit the brew button as soon as the customer orders and tell them they will have the freshest possible coffee in about 4 minutes.

That is fabulous, and I know if I walked in your store, I'd be very very happy, and be sure to tip. Do you do the same for your non-PPR drinkers? Have something sort of pre-staged?

[~~the dmr~~]

I was a Shift at SBUX for 2yrs, but I left to go back to school, so I have some logistical question about this.

A customer ask for decaf drip, since it has to be brewed, can the customer choose which decaf to be brewed? Will there still be pre-measured decaf, or will the barista have to grind and measure out the decaf as well?

Couldn't SBUX also use this a chance to market coffee presses? Send out a b.s. pr memo stating the benefits of using a coffee press, and encourage reguar coffee drinkers to try their favorite coffee using a coffee press. In theory, it could still help reduce waste, it could also help with a 3rd place atmosphere, and look less like cost cutting measures.

Eh, just my thoughts.

[What a joke]

Honestly. We grind one bag of decaf every day. We will continue to grind 1 bag of decaf every day. Sure, 50% of the time it isn't fresh. But no one complains, and if they do we offer them to wait for a fresh pot or an americano. I've never worked at a store that grinds more than one bag of decaf before...and all the stores I worked at have been busy. Unless we are no longer brewing decaf at all, I don't understand how we are saving any money...and I'm sure not in a reasonable amount of time. Way to lose focus again Starbucks.

Maybe it's time to cut something we actually have a low margin on like Izze for instance or Odawalla (if they cost us a lot). Something that has nothing to do with coffee anyways, so if we lost the business we wouldn't actually be losing a devoted customer. When was the last time Starbucks did something right?

[Shannon]

Support local Coffee Companies, Stop making the ceo's of starbucks rich and go Independant when Buying your Brew.

[greenapronprincess]

I've never really ever had a problem offering a decaf americano. But we hardly have any decaf drinkers in the first place.

[Clark Kent]

Having worked for Starbucks for 5 years now, I can tell you that there are more than a few things that I disagree with from Corporate... this "decaf on demand" debacle is just one more.

Just heard we are getting warming in a few months in our market. Great... breakfast sandwiches... ugh.

It seems to me that the higher ups who never even work inside a store are just throwing every idea to the wall to see what will stick. I know that I will ALWAYS have Decaf brewing at my store so long as I am on the clock. I would rather pour 2 dollars worth of a 1/4 batch down the drain than lose a customer. Starbucks is a COFFEE shop. To tell any customer that walks in the door that we do not have what they want unless they wait... it is just wrong and goes against our values and principles. I won't do that.

I want our customers to stay and I want the ones who have left to come back once the economy turns around.

[Rocky Sharwell]

I refuse to wait for decaf--i typically stop 3-4x per week for a decaf after working late and get right back into my car. I now make decaf espresso when I get home.....

[Rick]

I wouldn't mind waiting, but gee wiz the coffee nazi at my starbucks told me to go fly a kite he wasn't going to make any decaf, it was a waste....sooo I said thank you very much for the great service and walked a block down to a little independent coffee house and guess what..decaf all I wanted...it's a miracle

[Shelli]

I was completely denied the choice of decaf coffee at two separate Starbucks in the Colorado Springs area. Very disappointing!

[greg wright]

Got 1/2 decalf when I ordered bold regular at the Michigan Road & Kessler Blvd Indianapolis Starbucks. Walked out when I caught them!! Starbucks will not answer my complaint.
G Wright
Certified Fraud Examiner

[Craig]

I'm not a Starbucks fan at all. Their coffee is bitter and they have no selection at all. (My favorite spots offer 10-20 regional blends and 8-10 regional decafs. Starbucks offers 2 and 1, respectively, and the latter only in the morning.)

I'm traveling this week and the Starbucks up the street from my hotel is the only coffee shop around. So I'm stuck. I just ran into this "no decaf after 12" policy, but here it is strictly enforced. Not "decaf on demand" but "no decaf". Period.

They'll make you a decaf Americano (watered down decaf espresso) but I refuse on principal. I'm not going to order a beverage that is geographically insulting ("it's espresso but we water it down so Americans can drink it"). And what I want is real decaf coffee, not something you can make taste like coffee by adding solvents.

What's super-dumb is that it's not that hard to make some decaf and put it in a thermos for the afternoon. You don't have to brew and dump, brew and dump, brew and dump. Brew it, put it in a big thermos, and serve it all afternoon. When that runs out, make more. It's the brew and dump policy that's at fault here.

I'm surprised that they sell less decaf in the afternoon. But that's fine. They know their business. I know my coffee shops, too, though, and this is one more reason not to go to Starbucks (on top of many others).

[WP]

Well, now corporate thinks that pour overs will work for decaf drinkers. Enough is enough. I get it. What you really want me to do is get ready 4 minutes early, get the French press going, brew a good quality decaf, and head out the door..........wait, oh my gosh, that was great! Count on me to brew my own. By the way, I drink decaf because I LOVE good coffee, but must watch my blood pressure. (This A..hole thinks that prevention is better that medication.) Unless you have a ridiculously good relationship with your local Starbucks, decaf drinkers have gotten the message....You're not wanted here.

[starbucksgossip.typepad.com]

Starbucks says the decision to brew decaf ondemand in the afternoons is being misrepresented.. Awesome :)