Starbucks Drive Up launch

busyzoningtoys

Finally almost getting paid enough.
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Oct 6, 2016
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HQ: “We want to test this thoroughly and take the time to test it and work out the details and really get it right”.

This week at HQ: “hey, we’d better tell the HRBPs to confirm stores have the required amount of trained baristas and are scheduling them as required by next week in preparation for this since the launch date was decided 2 months ago, and we don’t want stores to act surprised about it. Oh, but it has to be a surprise still, so just be vague so they think you’re being annoying as usual about wanting to be ahead of when this happens”.

Announcement from HQ on Tuesday 11/22: “This Q4, we’re bringing some extra joy to our guests when they pick up their drive up order! That’s right, this holiday season, we’ll be adding some extra holiday cheer to the list of reasons guests love Target by launching Starbucks drive up availability! Starting 2 weeks from today, our guests will be able to enjoy their favorite drinks without having to compromise the contactless shopping experience they’ve grown to love! Better yet, we were able to make this happen so quickly by not listening to pilot stores’ feedback, and using Zebras for every step of the process! No burdensome industry standard food service remote ordering solutions here! Just the same powerful technology that our teams know and love”.

Obviously this is all hypothetical; not my fault I have an okay track record when it comes to hypothetical situations 😅
 
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Have they even piloted this anywhere? This is a disaster waiting to happen, we're already short staffed as it is for picks and we're a store that doesn't have drive up. I imagine it'll be worse for stores that do. With how picky and particular guests are about their drinks, I can only imagine how often guests will send a drink back to get remade.

Also separate question, will stores without drive up fulfill Starbucks orders for pickup?
 
Have they even piloted this anywhere? This is a disaster waiting to happen, we're already short staffed as it is for picks and we're a store that doesn't have drive up. I imagine it'll be worse for stores that do. With how picky and particular guests are about their drinks, I can only imagine how often guests will send a drink back to get remade.

Also separate question, will stores without drive up fulfill Starbucks orders for pickup?
Yes, they are piloting this in some stores in Minneapolis, maybe elsewhere as well. I assume the pilot is going well because they are (were?) only allowing TMs to order Starbucks via drive up, so they barely get any orders. And they probably overstaffed the pilot stores for it. And there is a very limited menu right now for these orders.

Not that many guests get their drinks remade, but yeah it'll be extra complicated when it is a drive up because the guest won't be interacting with the barista at all. The drive up TM will need to communicate between the two, which will not work out well at all. Starbucks is a different language, and some guests don't even know what they're ordering in the first place, so they certainly can't explain the mistake to someone who doesn't work in Starbucks.

Launching this in Q4 is also the worst idea Target could have. It's going to fail pretty hard even in January, but launching it in November or December is going to be so much worse.

Stores that do not have drive up will not be doing this at all. These can only be ordered via drive up orders.
 
The baristas aren't the ones making the drinks. Drive Up TMs should be getting trained on how to make drinks so when one drops into a Drive Up order, they will make it. All of our front end TMs who do Drive Up have been spending a full week training at Starbucks with the TL in preparation for this.
 
The baristas aren't the ones making the drinks. Drive Up TMs should be getting trained on how to make drinks so when one drops into a Drive Up order, they will make it. All of our front end TMs who do Drive Up have been spending a full week training at Starbucks with the TL in preparation for this.
Baristas are the ones making the drinks.
 
The baristas aren't the ones making the drinks.
Only certified baristas make drinks at my store & we haven't had any hours to fully train *new* baristas.
The TMs training are getting the full 40 hours of barista training so I guess technically they could be considered baristas after they're done.
Only if they earn their certification or your DM may have questions.
 
This is why I think they're making front end people train in everything...at least at my store. Front end, DU, pickup orders, guest service, the SCO person, you will know how to do it all! (And no, you aren't getting a raise for it, so stop asking)
guest advocates knowing how to do everything has been part of the plan since modernization happened and they became guest advocates in the first place. it's how i trained my team for ~3 years, before starbucks drive up was even a twinkle in anyone's eye

it works out better for everyone
 
The baristas aren't the ones making the drinks. Drive Up TMs should be getting trained on how to make drinks so when one drops into a Drive Up order, they will make it. All of our front end TMs who do Drive Up have been spending a full week training at Starbucks with the TL in preparation for this.
Swear to GOD I’d quit so fast if I was DU TM.
 
Swear to GOD I’d quit so fast if I was DU TM.
I'm not as worried about the diva drive up having to learn something new as I am about the payroll/logistics of this, especially since SB is far from the drive up exit. I have zero faith that we'll get the hours we need to implement this well, and I'm skeptical that it will be all that profitable. We're already their personal shoppers, may as well do their laundry for free too.
 
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