Starbucks trains over 10,000 UK baristas on stammer awareness

Baristas learn about stammering and how to support customers.

Starbucks UK has launched a training programme designed to help baristas better support customers who stammer, with more than 10,000 employees already completing the training.

Developed with STAMMA, a charity representing more than half a million people who stammer in the UK, the programme has been completed by more than half of Starbucks UK’s 18,000 baristas.

The training focuses on customer interactions in retail and hospitality settings, where verbal communication is a routine part of the experience.

STAMMA approached Starbucks to explore how practical training could help address barriers faced by people who stammer, including interactions where customers are asked to give their name.

Baristas learn about stammering and how to respond to customers in different situations.

The training is delivered through Starbucks’ gamified training platform, allowing baristas to practise scenarios, receive feedback, and earn points for appropriate responses.

The programme is intended to help baristas build skills they can use both in their roles and beyond the coffeehouse.

Since its rollout, Starbucks said feedback from baristas and customers has been positive, with baristas reporting greater confidence in recognising and responding to the needs of customers who stammer.