Do It Yourself Coffee

Starbucks can travel across the world to find the best coffee beans. They will grind the beans for you on premise and customize your drink to your heart's desire.

But they can't do one thing: put cream and sweetener in your coffee for you.

Why?

On Saturday I was at Dunkin Donuts (as usual) and I ordered an iced coffee. They asked me if I wanted cream and sugar....moments later I had my mixed up and fantastic iced coffee.

McDonald's in the drive thru or in the restaurant will do the same thing: they will gladly/eagerly make your coffee exactly how you want it.

Starbucks won't.

I found myself at Starbucks on Sunday morning in the airport and I ordered an iced coffee. The barista didn't ask or offer to make my coffee for me. Instead I was handed coffee over ice and instructed to visit the "station" so I could do it myself.

So I walked over to the station and along with the 5 other people standing there I proceeded to take off my lid and mix up my coffee. In the mean time I had to reach in front of them to get my sweetener and the creamer and missed the trash can when I was throwing the packets away spreading Splenda dust all over the counter.

Fun.

Most of us do this every single time we visit Starbucks and don't think twice about it. However, let's pause for a moment and think about what's actually happening: Starbucks costs more than Dunkin and McDonald's....yet you get better service (and better tasting coffee in my opinion) at Dunkin and McDonald's.

It doesn't seem to add up. If Starbucks can make you any creation in the world, why can't they add cream and sweetener in your coffee?

Maybe it's because they want to make sure you can "customize" it however you want. Or, maybe it's because they don't want to add another step for the baristas.

Whatever the case may be, if we're paying more for Starbucks, we shouldn't have to "do it ourselves".

What are your thoughts? Does it irritate you that you have to make your own coffee at Starbucks?