Dear Mr. Schultz (Chairman and CEO of Starbucks),
First of all I would like to thank you for your company and products. I appreciate the ability to spin around 3 times and face one of your establishments when I stop. I also appreciate the ability to use all of those $5 bills I have cluttering my wallet on a Venti Cafè Americano.
What I DON’T appreciate is watching 3 cars in your drive-thru being serviced for every one customer inside. Look, I actually parked my car (in the designated spot) and walked into your store to make my purchase. I can tell you’ve spent a lot of money trying to impress me and liberate more $5 bills from my wallet. You’re a business, I get that. Sometimes it works!
I find it absolutely infuriating to place my order and watch drink after drink from the “outside” be processed in front of mine. You always have twice as many Baristas working that tiny little window than you do the big expansive counter.
T
he little treats you put out for me are a nice touch but the guy in front of me always seems to have taken the last one. The sole employee manning the inside counter is too busy helping the window to notice. As a point of reference I actually SAVE you labor costs as I put my own flair in my drink at the little self serve counter!
All I’m asking for is a little respect when I enter your store, after all, I’m taking the time to enjoy the “experience” and I might even stick around and visit for a while. I assume that was your intention when you started oh so many years ago.
Please Mr. Schultz, please consider the customer who cares. The customer who sees, and buys, all of those leftover holiday items in January to free up shelf space for the Spring Collection. The customer who uses your free wireless services you have invested in. The customer who cares enough to bring this matter to your attention.
Really your post boils down to labor. Starbucks has gone through a long phase of labor being stretched too thin. I absolutely love Starbucks, but yet still definitely agree that there is not enough labor given the stores. They struggle to keep up with making drinks, and keeping the lobby and bathrooms clean, and time for a coffee tasting is almost not there at all. 🙁 Starbucks needs to hear that there should be more labor. You can also voice your opinions through customer service or through mystarbucksidea.com.