Starbucks workers are dealing with short-handed stores and broken machinery—and it’s likely the reason customers are left tapping their toes waiting for their pumpkin spice lattes and cream-topped cold brews.
Only one-third of U.S. Starbucks workers believe they have stores that are consistently well-staffed, per a survey responded to by about 160,000 Starbucks employees across 10,000 U.S. stores in April, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Survey results were released within the company in July. Respondents ranked staffing with the lowest approval rating of all the issues measured. Plus, fewer than half of staff members surveyed said their store had reliable equipment to prepare food and drinks on a consistent basis.
A Starbucks spokesperson told Fortune the feedback survey from employees has shown consistent improvement in other job satisfaction metrics. More workers agree they are getting the hours they want to work and are earning competitive pay. According to Starbucks's third-quarter earnings, turnover has been its lowest since the pandemic, and there's been the highest rate of shift completion, or number of scheduled shifts getting worked, in two years.
But Starbucks’ staffing issues have been a burden for baristas, who say short-handed, behind-the-counter teams have made it harder to efficiently fulfill orders, leaving customers impatient. About 8% of Starbucks customers wait between 15 and 30 minutes for orders, according to September data from marketing consultancy Technomic. It’s a problem that didn’t exist in 2019, according to the report.
Restless customers waiting for online orders have cost the coffee chain. Former Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said in the company’s second-quarter earnings that loyal customers were canceling orders taking too long to be fulfilled, which contributed to the company’s lackluster sales. More than 60% of Starbucks' morning sales come from in-app orders from busy commuters.
Narasimhan’s successor Brian Niccol, who started as CEO on Sept. 9, identified this issue as a priority in an open letter to employees on Sept. 10, pledging to give baristas “tools and time” to perform their jobs.
“Many of our customers still experience this magic every day, but in some places—especially in the U.S.—we aren’t always delivering,” he wrote. “It can feel transactional, menus can feel overwhelming, product is inconsistent, the wait too long or the handoff too hectic.”
What Starbucks is doing to improve wait times
Starbucks has been trying to address its long wait times prior to Niccol’s arrival. As of July, about 10% of chains began integrating a Siren Craft System, a set of protocols to improve technology and processes to improve order efficiency, including introducing a staff role specifically designed to resolve and expedite hiccups. The company increased staffing across 3,500 locations earlier this year.
Starbucks also adjusted how drinks are made. Instead of the previous system of prioritizing cold drinks—which were often left piling up as baristas scrambled to make hot beverages—drinks are now prepared in the sequence in which they’re ordered.
And under Niccol’s direction, Starbucks has scaled back on discount and promotions to return the brand to its premium status and alleviate some pressure from workers by promoting seasonal drinks already available. The strategy follows the playbook Niccol created during his time as Chipotle CEO. During his tenure as boss of the fast-casual chain, Niccol improved Chipotle’s mobile app, leveraging it to increase order efficiency, including the implementation of grab-and-go shelves for online orders, which reduced line waits.
“People start their day with us, and we need to meet their expectations,” Niccol said in his Starbucks open letter. “This means delivering outstanding drinks and food, on time, every time.”
