Is Starbucks too fast for you?

[cwloo]

Is Starbucks too fast for you? Maybe their Verismo machines are proving to be too good for their own good: Reduce waiting time, increase efficiency, both down without sacrificing the quality of the end product! Mind you, Starbucks baristas need only to push a button for the shots, and put the steamwand into pitcher of milk, and you'll have perfectly consistent end products for you at the end of the line.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704164004575548403514060736.html?mod=e2tw

[mistercheah]

If their machines are so good then why are the customers feedback not so positive and they have to make such drastic changes to their processes?

This is like getting your espresso from a super auto and a manual/semi-auto espresso machine. The answer is pretty obvious i.e. the manual/semi-auto will take the prize.

[kkyoon]

I do not know enough about the Verismo machine, but technically it is possible to build a machine which will be as good as a barista once the machine is dailed in to the bean.

How well a Verismo machine is tuned in a KL Starbucks store is unknown.

However, much of the taste of espresso depends on the bean - so a lot depends on wether you like their style of roasting. 

[cwloo]

I was talking to Bruce, my barista, about why customers swear by Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato. We tried the same with our coffee, and man it sucks, big time! We concluded that the sweetness in the vanilla syrup and caramel sauce in the recipe can effectively cover-up their coffee's taste, making their Caramel Macchiato so acceptable to the masses...

The point of whether one likes their coffee's roasting/profile is a valid one. By using the Verismo, Starbucks made the choice of standardizing their shot-pulling consistency across the board. This is since I was told that outlet baristas are not to do any adjustment, only assigned technical baristas can do that, and this technical barista will go make adjustments in outlets under his coverage. Of course other variables will still come into play. The steaming mechanism also looks to work pretty much on a push-button manner, just needed a pitcher of milk and its good to go. So, Yes, they can be pretty fast, especially good for their busier outlets. Perhaps by slowing down their operation will make their outlets seems more "packed" with customers waiting for their coffee... A dangerous game to play, IMO, especially in some US cities...

[grabulasa]

no matter how fast or slow they are going, you can count on them to burn the milk, EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!

and its more annoying when they actually have a thermometer in the pitcher. what gives???