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RetailStarbucks

This Is Why Lines Have Gotten Longer At Starbucks

By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
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By
Madeline Farber
Madeline Farber
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 29, 2016, 10:33 AM ET
Inside A Starbucks Corp. Location Ahead Of Earnings Figures
Photograph by Bloomberg — Getty Images

Starbucks has reportedly cut its barista’s hours which has resulted in longer wait times.

Originally reported by BuzzFeed News, Starbucks (SBUX) baristas around the country are claiming that the coffee giant’s streamlined scheduling system is giving them less hours than they normally would receive.

Baristas told BuzzFeed that having fewer people on the schedule means longer wait times.

“The change came with no warning or explanation from executives; some staff say their schedules were cut in advance, while others have been sent home during their shifts,” Venessa Wong of BuzzFeed News writes. “Many have taken to social media to complain, with some threatening to quit.”

According to BuzzFeed, Starbucks has denied making changes to reduce hours. Fortune has reached out to Starbucks for comment on the matter and will update the story if it responds.

However, in the original report, BuzzFeed published an internal company memo asking field leaders to use a new forecasting tool to prevent “an overspend in labor.”

The current complaints echoes a similar sentiment from earlier this month.”Extreme” cutbacks of work hours at Starbucks’s U.S cafes led to over 9,000 people signing an online petition that accused the coffee giant of hurting both customer service and employee morale. The cutbacks came as Starbucks tried to manage growth at its U.S. shops by introducing technology that allows customers to order and pay from mobile devices. That service aims to boost sales and reduce bottlenecks in stores.

About the Author
By Madeline Farber
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