If they were going to complain about something, you would think Starbucks customers might complain about paying $5 for a cup of coffee. Nope. They love that. Want to get them all in a lather, though? Make them wait in line. When “in a hurry” coffee customers are stuck waiting for their caffeine fix, they can get downright testy. And they have their phones right there in their hands to tell the world all about it.
After a lengthy and massive social media tirade over the state of the wait at Starbucks from coast to coast, the company made a few internal changes. The wait shifted from the front of the line, the cash register, to the next step in the process, the pickup line.
Customers are still aggravated. The company is blaming the wait shift on new technology. Starbucks launched a mobile order and pay app back in 2015, hoping that the easier ordering process would keep the line moving and make the customer experience a smoother transition.
Unfortunately, while many customers took advantage of the ordering convenience, the company didn’t beef up its equipment or the number of baristas to meet the scaled demand. Behind the counter, baristas were making like Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory, getting more overwhelmed with each passing order.
That, in turn, is hurting sales. Customers who did not order online and are thus not invested, come in, see the long line and the confused, frustrated, and overworked baristas … and they head right out the door.
CNN reported the Starbucks COO Kevin Johnson brought the concerns to analysts recently, saying, “This congestion resulted in some number of customers who either entered the store or considered visiting a Starbucks store and then did not complete a transaction…”
Basically, they stuck their head in the door, looked around, and left. CNN reports that “congestion” was the theme of the call as if Starbucks had a winter cold. What it does have is an increasing number of vocal fans who are not happy with the wait as well as others who are simply making other plans to fill their coffee cup.
With falling sales, came falling share prices and frustrated investors. Executive leadership might be delighted to have “too much demand,” but the frustration customers are feeling opens the door wider for the competition. Existing competitors like Dunkin’ Donuts or even Panera Bread could peel off some typical Starbucks customers, and other local coffee joints could find a place to get a foothold on a market that is saturated with Starbucks leaving little opportunity to gain ground.PR Insights & Public Relations Strategy
By Editorial Team2 min read
Starbucks customers still seething over long lines
By Editorial Team2 min read
If they were going to complain about something, you would think Starbucks customers might complain about paying $5 for a cup of coffee. Nope. They love that. Want to get them all in a lather, though? Make them wait in line. When “in a hurry” coffee customers are stuck waiting for their caffeine fix, they can get downright testy. And they have their phones right there in their hands to tell the world all about it.
After a lengthy and massive social media tirade over the state of the wait at Starbucks from coast to coast, the company made a few internal changes. The wait shifted from the front of the line, the cash register, to the next step in the process, the pickup line.
Customers are still aggravated. The company is blaming the wait shift on new technology. Starbucks launched a mobile order and pay app back in 2015, hoping that the easier ordering process would keep the line moving and make the customer experience a smoother transition.
Unfortunately, while many customers took advantage of the ordering convenience, the company didn’t beef up its equipment or the number of baristas to meet the scaled demand. Behind the counter, baristas were making like Lucy and Ethel in the chocolate factory, getting more overwhelmed with each passing order.
That, in turn, is hurting sales. Customers who did not order online and are thus not invested, come in, see the long line and the confused, frustrated, and overworked baristas … and they head right out the door.
CNN reported the Starbucks COO Kevin Johnson brought the concerns to analysts recently, saying, “This congestion resulted in some number of customers who either entered the store or considered visiting a Starbucks store and then did not complete a transaction…”
Basically, they stuck their head in the door, looked around, and left. CNN reports that “congestion” was the theme of the call as if Starbucks had a winter cold. What it does have is an increasing number of vocal fans who are not happy with the wait as well as others who are simply making other plans to fill their coffee cup.
With falling sales, came falling share prices and frustrated investors. Executive leadership might be delighted to have “too much demand,” but the frustration customers are feeling opens the door wider for the competition. Existing competitors like Dunkin’ Donuts or even Panera Bread could peel off some typical Starbucks customers, and other local coffee joints could find a place to get a foothold on a market that is saturated with Starbucks leaving little opportunity to gain ground.Written by
Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces reporting, research, and analysis across thirty verticals — communications, reputation, AI visibility, public affairs, media systems, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era. Publishing since 2009.
Other news
See all
Editorial Team · 05/26/2026
The AI Communications 100: Methodology
How Everything-PR defines AI Communications, how the ten lanes work, how the 1-100 ranking is determined, and the methodology lock for the 2026 and 2027 annual editions. The reference document for the inaugural ranking.
Editorial Team · 05/26/2026
What Is AI Policy? The Communications Discipline Behind AI Regulation
AI Policy is the communications discipline that shapes how AI gets regulated. Not AI ethics. Not AI governance. Not the same as AI regulation. A definitive guide to the discipline behind AI's most contested decisions.
Editorial Team · 05/26/2026
What Is AI Visibility? Citation Share in the Answer-Engine Era
AI Visibility is your brand's share of the answer in ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews. The metric is Citation Share. A definitive guide to the discipline.
Never Miss a Headline
Daily PR headlines, weekly long-form analysis, and our proprietary research drops — straight to your inbox.