I’ve blogged about this before, but I’m going back to the problems at Starbucks again with today’s post.

Starbucks has a new CEO who is talking about how the coffee shop experience is broken. Many aspects of the Starbucks mobile ordering process are broken.

Most of the time, after I order from a location a few minutes away, Starbucks stores make my Nitro Cold Brew before I arrive.

But, some stores claim they don’t like to make the Nitro until they know the customer is there, so it “doesn’t go flat” (which honestly isn’t a concern, but they think it is).

They think they’re showing concern for quality, but they’re talking about the initial Guinness-like cascading of the nitrogenation. That’s cool to look at (as seen below), but the beverage is hardly flat when that’s done.

The other day, I went to my local store with a neighbor for a coffee chat. I was going to order in person, but the store was overwhelmed, and nobody behind the counter would make eye contact or greet us, let alone come take an order. I’d call that a staffing policy problem, not a barista problem.

So, I stood there and ordered through the mobile app — right there in the store. They were busy, so it took them about 10 minutes to make my neighbor’s plain black coffee.

I was still waiting for my Nitro, and a few minutes later, the app notified me that my drink was ready. But it wasn’t on the counter.

So I asked about it. “We don’t make that until you’re here.”

I was there the whole time!

They have no way of knowing if or when I am there. That process decision makes no sense and it can’t be executed. The Starbucks app and GPS doesn’t ping them that I’ve arrived.

I asked the barista, only half-jokingly, “Am I supposed to come in and wave my arms and announce that I’m here for a Nitro??”

The answer was, “You could do that.”

The process doesn’t make sense. The inconsistency at this store (and others) doesn’t make sense.

Please don’t criticize me for ordering a $6 coffee.

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