In light of the current economy and the tendency for people to spend less on luxury items, such as fancy caffeinated drinks, it is rare to see a big-name company such as Starbucks changing their business to hinder the speed and efficiency of their production. The new guidelines, which were implemented very recently and which require baristas to work on no more than two drinks at a time, are designed to increase the level of personalization behind each drink made. These changes surfaced amidst complaints that the art of coffee making has been reduced to “a mechanized process with all the romance of an assembly line” (Jargon).
However, “the new methods have ‘doubled the amount of time it takes to make drinks in some cases,’ according to Erik Forman, a Starbucks barista in Bloomington, Minn., who says his store began making drinks under the new guidelines last week” (Jargon). With slower production time comes longer lines, and, seeing as the lines in Starbucks are already longer than is ideal, this new process could hinder the sales and reduce the consumer pool, especially in today’s rushed world of fast food and quick business. Although Starbucks is attempting to create a more personalized and efficient way of doing business, they may ultimately be hurting themselves, a decision which, in the current economic state, could be less than intelligent.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704164004575548403514060736.html?mod=WSJ_Hospitality_leftHeadlines
This is a really tough decision faced by Starbucks since they can't make a single decision that will satisfy all thier clients' needs. However, I believe that with proper practice, the products can be prepared both rapidly and efficiently. It will never be as efficient, however, it will be satisfying which is better than having clients leave the store due to extreme lines.
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