Since its inception, the coffee industry has prioritised its customers. As far back as the late 1800s, consumers demanded convenience, expecting their coffee to be roasted for them.
When the second wave of coffee emerged in the mid-to-late 20th century, customer interaction became an even bigger focal point. Chains like Starbucks and Peet’s emphasised freshness, quality, and craft – factors that increasingly appealed to coffee drinkers – to demonstrate their attention to detail.
This fundamentally changed how coffee shops interacted with consumers, placing hospitality and service at the forefront of business operations. Third wave and specialty coffee brands built on this concept, highlighting artisanry and skill to draw people in and showcase a commitment to meeting their needs.
But as the industry increasingly embraces and adopts automation, it presents a double-edged sword. While new technologies help streamline service, they also risk diluting barista culture – an integral part of specialty coffee that consumers seek out.
As recently seen with Starbucks’ coffeehouse revival strategy – focusing on simpler menus, premiumisation, and nostalgia – coffee shops can’t afford to sacrifice the customer experience for efficiency.
Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, the managing director of Colonna Coffee, and Laila Ghambari, the owner of Juniors Roasted Coffee and Guilder Café, provide their insight on why customer service will always be key to specialty coffee.
You may also like our article on what the future is for hospitality and customer service in coffee.
Why offering exceptional customer service is challenging
Baristas’ technical skills have long been at the forefront of the coffee shop experience. They take great care dialling in espresso, pouring latte art, hand brewing pour overs, and explaining the nuances of extraction and flavour. This transforms coffee into more than just a product and creates an elevated sense of hospitality, enhancing the overall customer experience.
But as third wave and specialty coffee scaled, drawing in a wider audience, the industry became increasingly competitive. Offering exceptional service and serving high-quality coffee alone was no longer enough to retain a consumer base and capture new customers.
“The main challenge has never essentially changed; at a lower price point, how do you offer a great customer experience and a quality product but also make it stack up commercially?” says Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood, the managing director of Colonna Coffee in Bath and London, the UK. He is also the author of The Business of Specialty Coffee.
Even key industry players like Starbucks have struggled with this challenge in recent years. Founded on the concept of “the third place” – a space at the heart of a community – the brand designed cosy, inviting cafés that prioritised and elevated the customer experience.
Against the backdrop of growing competition from both international chains and independent shops, however, Starbucks’ sales fell in key US and Chinese markets throughout 2023 and 2024.
In response, the chain appointed a new CEO, Brian Niccol, to revive its original coffeehouse culture. Niccol claimed the brand had “drifted from its core” by offering“transactional” customer service, underscored by long wait times, disorganised mobile ordering, and endless customisation options.
Its latest menu addition, the cortado, signals a shift in strategy to refocus on simplicity. Moreover, the decision to revoke its open-door policy indicates a desire to bring back premium store experiences.
Specialty coffee has always had an edge
Hallmarked by artisanry and craft, specialty coffee shops have long trumped bigger chains with their level of customer service. Crisp latte art, meticulous hand brewing, and extensive knowledge of the supply chain signal to customers that baristas are skilled professionals offering exceptional service. This often isn’t the case in larger chains where efficiency is a key priority.
“I think we’re moving into an age where there is more division between different types of coffee shops and the experiences they offer to customers,” Maxwell says. “For most specialty cafés, the bulk of guests are return customers, so you get to know them and their preferences. They’re better positioned to operate with passion.”
Familiarity helps build more intimate relationships with customers, creating a more personable service that larger coffee businesses often can’t replicate.
“If they focus on building great hospitality to show they are genuine and authentic, they have a competitive advantage,” Maxwell adds. “Chains struggle with this.”
Brand authenticity has arguably never been more important in influencing purchasing decisions. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, 88% of consumers said trust is critical when deciding which brands to buy or use, with customer service a close second at 85%.
This puts specialty coffee shops and roasters – many of which highlight their commitment to quality and sustainability – in a better position to navigate an increasingly challenging market.
The shift towards automation presents a double-edged sword
Automation is a prominent part of the coffee industry, but it often takes centre stage in cafés. Intuitive espresso machines and grinders, standalone milk foamers, and programmable pour over brewers are standard in coffee shops, and they influence how baristas offer customer service.
Many herald automation as the coffee industry’s silver bullet, improving efficiency and resolving persistent problems such as staff training and barista shortages. Leveraging automated solutions like pour over brewers and milk foamers also frees up baristas’ time, effectively giving them the ability to interact more meaningfully with customers.
There are downsides, however. Increasing reliance on automation risks disengaging baristas from the technical skills of their job role, eroding the artistry required to prepare and serve quality coffee. Even more importantly, as businesses invest in automated and AI-driven solutions like point-of-sale (POS) systems to speed up service, the industry shifts further away from its core values.
Post-pandemic, the increasing prominence of touchscreen kiosks and QR codes in restaurants and hospitality businesses has undoubtedly improved efficiency and speed of service, but some argue that it is at a cost. Although consumers increasingly value convenience, and up to 97% have abandoned a purchase that they deemed “inconvenient”, overreliance on these technologies increases the risk of creating a “faceless” business.
“There is pressure for coffee shops to automate everything – not just coffee brewing but also the customer service experience itself. But the quality of hospitality could drop as there is a move to automated, self-serve POS systems and AI integration,” Maxwell tells me.
“The core principle of hospitality will then feel like a direct contrast to that and could create a greater sense of divide in the café experience.”
Coffee shops need to balance efficiency & hospitality
The coffee industry will face a challenging year with rising business costs, record arabica futures sitting above US $4/lb, and increasing rates of staff turnover. Investing in technology is a likely way forward to manage these issues, allowing coffee shops and roasters to automate costly or time-consuming human-driven processes.
But a heavy reliance on automation, especially at the point of sale, can cause more harm than good.
“When a customer doesn’t discuss, interact, or place their order with a human, it dramatically changes the hospitality service experience,” Maxwell says. “The café-customer interaction is relationship-based, so building a loyal consumer base over time requires a focus on classic hospitality.”
The face-to-face human connection proves critical for specialty coffee shops to stay true to their core values of hospitality; however, it’s only one part of a much wider customer experience.
“For a small independent shop, service typically takes up a larger portion of the overall experience,” says Laila Ghambari, a coffee consultant and the founder of Guilder Café and Juniors Roasted Coffee in Portland, Oregon. “Meanwhile, for a large chain, service accounts for a lot less. Maybe customers placed their order on an app or picked it up at a drive-thru.”
Coffee consumers increasingly demand convenience, but context is essential. Efficiency is key for chains to operate successfully, but the “Back to Starbucks” turnaround strategy emphasises how they also need to strike a balance between speed and service. Although consumers still expect to receive their orders in a timely manner, specialty coffee’s focus on quality and craft opposes the push for greater efficiency – making the experience more holistic.
“No matter how much face-to-face service happens, it’s still one part of the overall customer experience,” Laila adds. “You also need to consider the drink itself and the look and feel of your space.”
How can specialty coffee continue to prioritise customer service?
The rise of tech-driven solutions for coffee shops will undoubtedly improve efficiency, consistency, and speed of service. Automation can relieve baristas of repetitive tasks like milk steaming and pour brewing, allowing them to focus on fostering meaningful customer connections and elevating service quality.
But with a challenging year ahead, coffee shops may choose to implement automation across the board, streamlining more than just coffee preparation.
“If the traditional coffee shop economics don’t stack up, it will drive a lot of business operators to find new ways to save money. If one of the primary costs is staff, then I think we will see more interest in automated systems that reduce the number of baristas,” Maxwell says. “This will dilute the customer experience; if you run a shop with less staff, you can’t focus on a traditional analogue hospitality experience.”
According to a recent World Coffee Portal report, the global automation market is forecast to grow by as much as 30% by the end of 2025. The benefits of automated coffee equipment mean coffee shops could lose their competitive edge if they decide to go without it.
However, certain conditions apply. Businesses that invest in automated equipment must view the hands-off approach to coffee preparation as an opportunity to invest in training and hospitality.
“We have an opportunity to thoughtfully consider how we adapt without losing some of the key parts of our industry: Community and connection,” Laila tells me. “Taking the time to ground your brand in an ethos to guide those decisions should be a priority.”
Understanding what consumers want
As specialty coffee matures and becomes more commercial, it creates a shift in consumer demand. While some still crave hand-brewed pour over prepared at a slow bar, others gravitate towards high-quality customised drinks dispensed on tap.
For coffee shop operators and staff, this means understanding individual customer preferences is essential.
“The market is competitive and drives people’s need for a unique experience. To stand out, you have to deliver an experience that people want, but not everyone wants the same thing,” Laila says. “It’s about finding value for enough people in your audience.”
Ultimately, this makes staff training all the more important. Skilled baristas who can anticipate a range of needs and adapt accordingly enhance the customer experience, no matter what they are looking for.
“For your staff to achieve ‘excellence’, they need to see the target they are shooting for. For some, it might be friendliness; for others, it could be speed or quality,” she adds. “You need to set that expectation, teach it, and uphold it.”
Excellent customer service is often about giving consumers what they want. In the early years of specialty coffee, craft was the main priority, but as the industry grew, consumer preferences shifted. While quality is still key, convenience has also become integral to the overall experience – driving the trend towards automation.
“The future of customer service is not about sharing more information but investing in the experience that guests have, whether with a person or not,” Laila adds. “Digital hospitality will become more important, and customer service will continue evolving.”
Enjoyed this? Then read our article on why customers can’t wait forever for a pour over.
Photo credits: Julie Rings
Perfect Daily Grind
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