Starbucks barista tells all on why mobile orders aren’t ready at pickup, and it’s all because of the company’s system changes

A Starbucks worker has shared why mobile orders are often not ready when customers show up to get them. The barista, who uses the name @xonlylenlen on TikTok, made a video that got more than 100,000 views. In it, she talks about how Starbucks handles orders differently than people might think.

According to Daily Dot, she said that Starbucks works in a different way compared to smaller coffee shops. At most small cafes, workers wait until you walk in before they start making your mobile order. But at Starbucks, they begin working on your drink right away when it shows up on their screen. This is because people want their coffee ready the moment they arrive.

But there is a bigger problem now because of recent changes. The barista said on TikTok that “they changed the system where cafe orders are prioritized,” which means if someone walks in and orders at the counter, their drink “jumps the entire line.” So if you ordered on your phone just a few minutes before getting to the store, your drink might still be waiting because someone else’s order cut in front of yours.

The system gets even more complicated

The barista also cleared up something many people get wrong. Not all workers are making the same orders at the same time. “The person making drive-thru drinks is not making your mobile order,” she said. Every type of order goes through its own separate system. The debate comes as Starbucks locations continue to be a focal point for viral customer stories.

When you order in the drive-thru, your drink gets added to a line that only includes other cars. The workers handling that station focus on getting cars through as fast as they can. But mobile orders and orders made inside the store all go into one shared line. This means your mobile order could be stuck behind a bunch of other drinks, even if you are already waiting at the counter.

This is why rushing to the drive-thru right after placing a mobile order does not help. Your order still has to wait behind everyone else who ordered before you did. Starbucks wanted to get drive-thru and counter orders done in four minutes this year, but mobile orders were still taking around 12 to 15 minutes.

The company started testing something called Smart Queue earlier this year to fix these delays. It uses AI to figure out which orders to make first so drinks get done faster. This is not the first time Starbucks workers have spoken out about challenging customer demands.

People had a lot to say in the comments. One person named Leah stood up for the workers. She wrote, “Everyone saying the baristas are being rude by telling you it’s not ready, but are they actually rude? Or are you just not used to being told you made a mistake by someone you see as inferior cause they’re just a service worker.”

Someone else who goes by <3 talked about how other places do things. “Girl I’m not sure if you’ve ever worked somewhere other than starbucks before, but ive worked at as a cook at two diff restaurants and we also make mobile orders as soon as they come in so that they’re ready once the customer gets there,” they said. “What would be the point of ordering online if they don’t start making it until you arrive?”

A person named Keisha lee said she has problems with her orders getting made wrong. “Sorry but I have like a 5 customization drink because the matcha is nasty without it and every time I order at the speaker they get it wrong,” she wrote. “Mobile order and I’ll be there in 5 minutes.”