Sunday morning around 10:00 am, I stopped in at Starbucks for a cup of beverage, some fun talk with friends and to do some writing on my laptop.
I suffered a long wait. While standing in line, 4 customers became frustrated and left the store without making their intended purchase.
The Starbucks Playbook plan is proving to be effective at destroying customer relations. Eventually Starbucks upper management will be able to say, “See, we have no long lines.” Current management solution is to discourage as many customers as possible from visiting Starbucks. No customers, no lines. Problem solved. Factor that into your salary percentage formula Starbucks management. We are talking about some left handed corporate genius.
Two of us began to watch the line. We picked a guy out who just fit inside the doorway at the end of the long line and timed him. There was one cash register in operation. He may have been in line longer than my numbers indicate, but we started watching at 10:10 am. At 10:20 am, he finished placing and paying for his order. He then waited at the drink pick up area. At 10:23 am, he walked away with his drink. If he had planned on spending an hour at Starbucks, he wasted almost a quarter of his time waiting.
I have attached a photo to depict what these new Starbucks lines look like. We hope Howard Schultz will be able to sift through his yes-men and management cancer and reach a manager who tells him what he needs to know before it is too late save the 3rd place.
I recognize that a business owner has a right to do with their business as they please. They have a right to succeed and a right to fail. And besides, if I am so smart, why am I not a BTO (Big Time Operator) like Howard Schultz? Starbucks might prove me wrong again and I hope they do.
I am right about one thing. This is an ideal time for an enterprising entrepreneur to establish a new coffee shop called The 4th Place. A new potential customer base is already forming from all those who are beginning to flee Starbucks.
Is it true the man you watched in line waited for 13 minutes? If so 13 minutes is not very long.
Thanks for the explanation, Joe. I thought it had something to do with the remodeled store. I also noticed fewer employees working. The remodeled store is way to cramped inside. I love the baristas at that store so I will continue to stop in. I miss the Forza’s on Bridgeport. Wish we could get a Treo’s in Lakewood. Great coffee and food. Owned by Brian Carpenter who used to own many Forzas. When in North Tacoma, I go to the one on N30th (at the bottom of the hill in Old Town). While I don’t stop in that often, they always remember my drink. A great location would be in the Clover Park Shops.
Whew, now I can take cancer and war off my worry plate – let’s all focus on the economy-crushing 13 minute wait! A story from a disgruntled customer, ok: A series – well, the wait for installment three is just making me a nervous wreck!
I was on vacation for the last two weeks and stopped by several different Starbucks. My wait in most of them was half the time of the Towne Center Starbucks. I believe this is the slowest Starbucks anywhere!! The problem is they run both the walk-in line and the drive-through line from one machine. If you can get in and out in less than 20 minutes, it’s a miracle. Love the baristas but no longer the store. So sad!
Joe, first of all I want to thank you for caring enough about your 3rd place at Starbucks to give it a voice for many. We loved our cozy comfy Starbucks back in the day when the customer was the focus. Coffee was the number one reason we would go to Starbucks, the service impeccable, the experience phenomenal. Not anymore, McStarbucks has been born, sad but true. Will anyone listen, will anyone even care. Time will tell the story. So now I will wait on Father Time, may he be wise.