07-02-2025
Starbucks Fans Are Riled Up As Customers Are Now Limited to How Much Can Be Ordered Through the App
Starbucks is making a major change to its mobile ordering system, one that aims to cap the number of items consumers can purchase per order at 12. The change is part of the brand's larger effort to reduce wait times, as mobile orders have surged and some Starbucks locations are struggling to keep up. As a result, in-store operations have slowed down significantly and baristas are becoming overwhelmed by larger, time-consuming orders.
This new effort to streamline Starbucks' operations does not stop at the capping of items purchased through the mobile app, however. Starbucks has also removed some of the customization options available in-app. The ability to add milk or lemonade to one of the brand's Refresher drinks, for example, is no longer an option. The coffee shop giant has noted that there are already versions of these beverages on the menu with those exact modifications.
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As can be expected, giving consumers the ability to upgrade any beverage as they please ultimately has led to an excessive abuse of the app, further slowing down operations in-store for employees during peak hours. A Reddit thread from last summer highlighted baristas' concerns, where many took to the comment section to voice their frustrations with understaffing at Starbucks.
I can't believe that understaffing has become this bad by u/carolinaknows in starbucks
"I should not be holding my pee for 1-2 hours because if I dare to go to the bathroom for two minutes, everything will collapse on two other people on the floor," wrote the author of the post. Another barista chimed in to agree.
'Something is WRONG. I rarely take a single break, I leave everyday feeling like I did a crap job. I take about 12,000 steps a day in a single shift and still get told to cut labor.'
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Another added, 'Between the 3-4 callouts a day, surprise promotions, summer launch, mothers day, and all the other garbage we've been dealing with recently. I am one of maybe 5 people available for closing, we've lost around 6 partners in the last month. Most of us are scheduled upwards of 30 hrs a week which sounds good until you realize we're still running skeleton crews every day.'
It's understandable that a brand would want to adjust its strategy in order to see financial growth, but it's just disappointing when it comes at the expense of employee health and consumer satisfaction. Starbucks is already the biggest coffee chain on the planet, and no amount of growth will ever justify the alleged abuse of employee rights. Here's hoping these mobile app changes will lead to much needed relief for workers and a weight taken off of the shoulders of those who are on the front lines every day, creating exceptional experiences for customers.
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