Starbucks launches ordering app

Paik Soo-jung, chief marketing officer of Starbucks Korea, holds a message board explaining how to use Siren Order at a Starbucks store in Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Starbucks Coffee Korea

By Park Si-soo

Every lunchtime, throngs of office workers flock to coffee shops in a sort of ritual.

During the peak time, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., they have to wait several minutes to place their orders and then wait again to pick their orders. Some people sometimes break out of the queue grumbling to get back to work on time.

Starbucks Coffee Korea unveiled a high-tech “solution” Thursday that could shorten the long waiting time for orders.

It's a smartphone app, called Siren Order. Siren Order is named after the likeness of the 16th­century Norse woodcut of the twin-tailed mermaid in the company's logo, according to a Starbucks official.

Users of it can place an order and pay their bill remotely. It means the app’s users will no longer waste time in a long queue before making a order and payment at the register.

Siren Order is the world’s first app of this kind that is available only at the 643 Starbucks stores in Korea.

Having one’s name and basic personal information registered on a Starbucks website and buying a pre-paid card is all that is required to use the service.

“Starbucks’s success over the past 15 years in Korea has been built through our ability to engage and connect with our customers ㅡ one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time,” said Lee Seock-koo, president of Starbucks Coffee Korea, in a statement. “We are pleased to be at the forefront of mobile innovation, exceeding the expectations of our customers through innovative and convenient solutions that allow faster ordering and payment of Starbucks offerings using their mobile device.”

Adam Brotman, Starbucks’ chief digital officer, said that he will keenly observe the performance of Siren Order in Korea in the hope of introducing the technology to Starbucks outlets in other countries.

Paik Soo-jung, chief marketing officer of Starbucks Korea, is one of the main contributors to the development of the app.

“It took nearly three years to develop Siren Order. Please don’t take it as a simple smartphone app. To make it run smoothly, we renovated all stores with new networking and operation systems,” Paik said in an interview. “In addition, we reeducated some 6,000 baristas to ensure that they serve customers without trouble in the new working environment.”

Paik said that the coffee chain developed the system as it has received numerous complaints from customers that the waiting time during rush time is so long.

“I bet Siren Order will help cut the waiting time significantly,” he said.

Customers can monitor how one’s order is being processed through messages automatically sent from the register. When the production is completed, the barista in charge will call the customer’s name ㅡ or a favorite nickname registered at the website ㅡ to hand it over.

“This is a step toward serving customers with personalized services,” she said. “The app will also contribute to expand our core customer base, currently young women, into men and older customers.”

Starbucks Korea reported 480 billion won in sales last year, up from 391 billion won in 2012.