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> The article takes it for granted that having thousands of combinations is inherently unmanageable [...] Well, yes, it is unmanageable FOR A BEVERAGE. It's ri

> The article takes it for granted that having thousands of combinations is inherently unmanageable [...] Well, yes, it is unmanageable FOR A BEVERAGE. It's ridiculous what some people are asking for (even when you ignore the deliberately farcical tik-tok complicated order fad). I think there's a point at which it becomes wise to say "no" to the customer. Not just because fulfilling the order becomes intractable, but ALSO because it's a matter of good taste and maintaining a classy image (admittedly that ship has long ago sailed away for Starbucks).

Closi 5y ago
Unmanageable is obviously hyperbole because they are managing it now and have a fantastically successful business. I don’t think any of us in this thread understand what their customers want more than Starbucks do… Besides even the classiest coffee bars will offer an eye watering number of permutations. Most offer 3 options of bean (dark, light, decaf), 7 drink types (Americano, espresso, latte, cappuccino, flat white, macchiato, filter), 2 sizes for each, skim/full/oat/coconut/soy milk choices, 5 syrups, own cup/mug/takeout, option to double-shot, so that already gets you well above 6,000 combinations. Want to offer those as iced drinks in the summer? Up to 12k options. So what do we want to do? Not offer syrups? No cold drinks in the summer? No coconut milk (which is an upsell anyway)? All these choices have revenue implications.
- crispyambulance 5y ago
  An espresso beverage that is described by a list rather than a short phrase is, IMHO, crossing the line into bad taste-- both for the customer to ask for it and for the vendor to make it possible. TBH, whatever Stabuck's is doing is perfectly fine. They're not killing-off the super-cool coffee shops who employ skilled baristas, they're making them more desirable and rarified.
  - Closi 5y ago
    Eh, in my view if you own a coffee shop but snub customers when they ask for a decaf latte with coconut milk and a shot of vanilla then you probably won’t stay open too long, because that’s a reasonably basic request that’s good for the coffee shop too (people have caffeine sensitivities, lactose intolerance and generally the syrup shots and coconut milk are an up-charge anyway so as a coffee shop that’s a win). We can agree to disagree on that though! You can also either look at the options as pure complexity or as sales opportunities. Sure adding a choice between two beans doubles the permutations, but it also provides an opportunity to add $0.30 on a portion of sales. Sure you could only offer oat milk as a non dairy alternative, but some people prefer coconut and if you give it to them for a $0.50 charge that’s money in the bank for you along with a customer that will come back. Teens going to the coffee shop with their mates don’t like the bitter taste of coffee? Great, take even more money from them by charging an extra buck for some pumpkin spice syrup and a sprinkle of powder that costs you a few cents, plus because it tastes like candy you might manage to get someone into drinking coffee that otherwise wouldn’t. This isn’t annoying complexity to Starbucks corporate - these are opportunities to appeal to a broader audience while taking more cash at a higher margin.

Closi 5y ago

Unmanageable is obviously hyperbole because they are managing it now and have a fantastically successful business. I don’t think any of us in this thread understand what their customers want more than Starbucks do… Besides even the classiest coffee bars will offer an eye watering number of permutations. Most offer 3 options of bean (dark, light, decaf), 7 drink types (Americano, espresso, latte, cappuccino, flat white, macchiato, filter), 2 sizes for each, skim/full/oat/coconut/soy milk choices, 5 syrups, own cup/mug/takeout, option to double-shot, so that already gets you well above 6,000 combinations. Want to offer those as iced drinks in the summer? Up to 12k options. So what do we want to do? Not offer syrups? No cold drinks in the summer? No coconut milk (which is an upsell anyway)? All these choices have revenue implications.

crispyambulance 5y ago
An espresso beverage that is described by a list rather than a short phrase is, IMHO, crossing the line into bad taste-- both for the customer to ask for it and for the vendor to make it possible. TBH, whatever Stabuck's is doing is perfectly fine. They're not killing-off the super-cool coffee shops who employ skilled baristas, they're making them more desirable and rarified.
- Closi 5y ago
  Eh, in my view if you own a coffee shop but snub customers when they ask for a decaf latte with coconut milk and a shot of vanilla then you probably won’t stay open too long, because that’s a reasonably basic request that’s good for the coffee shop too (people have caffeine sensitivities, lactose intolerance and generally the syrup shots and coconut milk are an up-charge anyway so as a coffee shop that’s a win). We can agree to disagree on that though! You can also either look at the options as pure complexity or as sales opportunities. Sure adding a choice between two beans doubles the permutations, but it also provides an opportunity to add $0.30 on a portion of sales. Sure you could only offer oat milk as a non dairy alternative, but some people prefer coconut and if you give it to them for a $0.50 charge that’s money in the bank for you along with a customer that will come back. Teens going to the coffee shop with their mates don’t like the bitter taste of coffee? Great, take even more money from them by charging an extra buck for some pumpkin spice syrup and a sprinkle of powder that costs you a few cents, plus because it tastes like candy you might manage to get someone into drinking coffee that otherwise wouldn’t. This isn’t annoying complexity to Starbucks corporate - these are opportunities to appeal to a broader audience while taking more cash at a higher margin.