ChatGPT’s Starbucks Ordering Tool Criticized for Inefficiency and Poor User Experience

Starbucks has introduced a new way for customers to place orders through ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI chatbot, but the feature has been widely panned for its inefficiency and poor user experience. The tool, which integrates with Starbucks’ ordering system, allows users to place orders via conversation rather than the official app, but critics argue it falls far short of expectations.

Software developer Wes Bos shared his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), calling the tool “one of the first MCP apps I’ve seen break outside the tech circle.” He noted that while the public’s reaction has been overwhelmingly negative, the feature is still being positioned as “the future of UI.” MCP refers to Model Context Protocol, an open-source standard for integrating external tools into large language models.

The experience of ordering through ChatGPT has been compared to the frustration of shouting back and forth with a barista in a crowded Starbucks location. Users report that the chatbot’s slow response times and clunky interface make the process unnecessarily tedious. A veteran Starbucks customer can typically place their favorite order in seconds using the app, but with ChatGPT, the process can take several minutes.

One user demonstrated the stark difference in efficiency by uploading comparison videos. Using the official Starbucks app, they placed an order for a Mango Strawberry Lemonade Energy Refresher in under 20 seconds. The same order took approximately one minute and forty seconds through ChatGPT. “This is why it sucks and AI replacing UI and apps makes no sense,” the user wrote on X.

The experience was even worse for David Pierce, a reporter for The Verge, who described the tool as a “complete mess.” He highlighted several issues, including persistent glitches and a lack of responsiveness. After instructing the AI to order a Venti iced coffee, ChatGPT responded with a detailed description: “The Iced Coffee is exactly what you’re after — cold-brewed and served unsweetened, so adding light skim milk will keep it smooth without getting heavy.” However, Pierce still had to manually customize the drink through clunky menus before adding it to the cart, defeating the purpose of using an AI assistant.

The frustration escalated when a pop-up warning appeared, stating that the chat was “nearing its limit” as Pierce was in the middle of adding another drink. “Hitting the limit this fast was a bit surprising,” Pierce wrote. “Also, why is there a limit at all, when the official app doesn’t impose such restrictions?”