Starbucks' CEO says letting people order coffee via mobile 'chipped away' at the brand's 'soul'

• Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said mobile ordering "chipped away" at the brand's soul.
• In a Rapid Response interview, he said mobile ordering caused the brand to lose touch with its customers.
• Since he took on the top job in September, he has worked to make stores more inviting.

Brian Niccol, Starbucks' CEO, said that mobile ordering "chipped away" at the brand's soul.

In a Tuesday podcast interview with Rapid Response's Bob Safian, Niccol said, "I think one of the things that veered Starbucks a little bit off was the whole mobile ordering, the COVID situation."

Niccol added that he thought mobile orders affected the "connection" Starbucks has with customers because staff just used labels, and "stopped writing on the cups."

He said that the company also focused on how to "remove seconds from the proposition" instead of maintaining the "experience and the connection" for customers.

He said that, at the moment, Starbucks outlets have no control over how many mobile orders they receive, and this puts pressure on the baristas to "just get drinks out the door" instead of connecting with customers.

Niccol added that, on average, mobile-ordered drinks sit on the counter for six to eight minutes, so the customer doesn't end up with the best product.

"It's been sitting there, and then usually what happens is you ask our barista to remake it," he said.

In an earnings call on January 28, Niccol introduced a new algorithm for mobile orders in an effort to make mobile ordering a lot smoother.

Since the CEO moved from Chipotle for the top job in September, he's tried to make Starbucks coffeeshops more inviting.

That involves changes like having more comfortable chairs in the cafés and serving customers their coffee in ceramic mugs again.

In an internal memo obtained by Business Insider on January 27, the chain directed staff to start writing messages to customers on single-use coffee cups to add a more personalized touch.

On the January 28 earnings call, Niccol and Starbucks' finance chief said the chain would also reduce the number of items on the menu and add digital menu boards to stores.

Representatives of Starbucks did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.