Coffee in under 4 minutes part of Starbucks CEO’s vision of becoming ‘world’s greatest customer service company again’

NILES, Ill. (WGN) — The CEO of Starbucks spent the day in suburban Chicago on Wednesday, speaking exclusively with WGN News about the company’s emphasis on providing a better customer experience at one of the world’s most recognized brands.

With plans to turn around sluggish sales and an emphasis on service at the forefront, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol knows that the customer is the boss. But at the global coffee chain’s store on West Oakton Street in north suburban Niles, the boss is the customer, as he continues to roll out his new version for the company.

Niccol’s drink of choice: a tall Americano with an extra shot.

“I’ve said to our team, part of our turnaround is becoming the world’s greatest customer service company again,” Niccol said.

The ubiquitous company is launching a new operating model called Green Apron Service, touting improved efficiency. Baristas have a goal: no custom order should take longer than four minutes to make. 

“It’s centered on putting enough partners on the roster in the stores and then deployed correctly so they can provide that customer connection, that experience, that frankly Starbucks really was founded on,” Niccol said.

The company’s emphasis had shifted too much toward mobile orders (which now make up 30 percent of Starbucks’ business) and away from the customer standing in the café. 

“What we had to figure out is, ‘How do we bring order to the fact that we have three key order points?'” Niccol said.

Mike Grams, Starbucks’ chief operating officer, said the company’s focus is on making it easier to operate the coffeehouse. The new Smart Queue technology will use an algorithm to guide the process so customers in the café aren’t watching mobile orders being filled before they’re helped. 

“Many of us have had the experience where you go into a busy Starbucks and there’s a lot of mobile orderings stacked up on the counter and you just want a cup of coffee to sit in your third place,” Gram said.

Top executives hope the idea will increase sluggish sales, as the coffee giant recently reported its sixth straight quarter of same-store sales declines.

Niccol has remained open about the turnaround situation Starbucks is in, and equally honest about when customers can see and experience changes.

“We’re rolling this out now everywhere,” he said. “It’ll probably take the next two weeks for it to unfold, but by the time you get to September, all of our stores should be up and running with the Green Apron Service model and the Smart Queue technology.”

There are about 11,000 company-owned Starbucks stores across the country. So far, about 1,500 Starbucks stores have tested the Green Apron Service. 

While change is paramount, Niccol remains committed to emphasizing Starbucks’ origins: its signature service with a smile and a Sharpie. 

“Part of the connection of Starbucks is these little touches. The Sharpie is probably the most visible thing people see, where it just kind of slows everybody down, even if it’s only a second, or a beat,” Niccol said. “It just sort of slows you down when you look at your cup and you’re like, ‘It’s a smiley face,’ or it might say ‘Go Bears.’ So it just gives you a moment, where you can take a second and have a connection with our barista.”

Starbucks’ ultimate goal, Niccol adds, is to return a community coffeehouse vibe to the world’s largest coffee shop chain.