Your next drink order is just a chat away,
thanks to a collaboration between Starbucks and ChatGPT.
Customers can customize and add to their Starbucks cart right from the ChatGPT app using @Starbucks.
Prompts can, for example, focus on nutrition, such as “I’d like something high in protein and lower in sugar.” They can also get whimsical, with users
uploading a photo and asking “Recommend a drink that matches the vibe of my outfit.”
To try it out, users are instructed to open ChatGPT, add the Starbucks app through
the app directory, chat to discover a drink and then add it to their cart. Orders are completed in the Starbucks app or on Starbucks.com.
“While helping users decide on
what to order, the ChatGPT app will also fuel discovery by suggesting niche menu items that users might be unaware of,” according to Fast Company. “Starbucks joins the growing list
of retailers integrating ChatGPT into the customer experience, including Etsy and Walmart, as more and more customers turn to LLMs for product discovery.”
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The
company has been leaning into customization.
“The coffee giant is among the first major restaurant chains embedding AI into discovery and ordering — a preview of the
next-gen digital menu,” according to Axios. “As AI takes a bigger role in everyday
choices, tools like this raise questions about how much decision-making consumers outsource.”
Other QSRs including Little Caesars, Firehouse Subs, Burger King and Popeyes are also listed
under the apps that users can chat with on ChatGPT.
The announcement is the latest way that Starbucks is trying to entice customers back to its cafes under its “Back to
Starbucks” turnaround strategy
“The company has added seating back to its cafes, trimmed its menu and reintroduced tiers to its loyalty program,” according to CNBC. “It also helped customers find new drinks on its mobile app,
through its trending beverage category or the secret menu under its ‘offers’ tab. Drink discovery is also important for winning over Gen Z consumers, who have shown more of an affinity for
unique beverages at U.S. restaurant chains than members of older generations.”
Not all users are enthralled with the attempt for connectivity.
“Even
with the best-faith read, it’s hard to understand what problem this is meant to solve,” according to Futurism.
“If anyone’s struggling to remember a 10-word string of buzzword drink titles, it might be time to redesign the menu. Assuming customers are unable to decide on a drink without algorithmic
assistance reduces them to a pig waiting for their customized slop, and only really serves to make life harder for the baristas pulling the ungainly orders together.”