 (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) |
Why now?
"Connecting with customers," a Starbucks employee told Jim Romenesko. "They probably did a year and a half of research on this before deciding to go ahead."
Apparently not all baristas are too thrilled about this.
"In the comments section over at Starbucks Gossip and on I Hate Starbucks, baristas discuss whether name tags might encourage stalkers or an 'awkward interaction' with a regular who might approach them outside of work," points out Eater's Amy McKeever. "They also complain that the move makes Starbucks seem more like McDonald's."
They make a good point. Starbucks had once tested name tags in the Northeast and they decided not to keep them for that very reason.
"We decided not to move forward because the feedback was that it created a 'fast-food' atmosphere," Starbucks wrote on its idea forum at the time. "It's something we’ll continue to evaluate and discuss and we’ll definitely update you if it gets implemented in the future."
Some baristas have been wearing name tags for a while now, but this will be the first time Starbucks has rolled it out nationally.