Starbucks Crackdown: Enhances Store Safety with New Security Measures and Customer Policies

Starbucks is taking drastic measures to regain control of its stores, installing panic buttons and tightening policies to crack down on non-paying customers, The Telegraph reports.

Starbucks‘ U.S. employees have been handed new directives on how to remove individuals who linger too long, attempt to use restrooms, or fill water bottles without making a purchase—marking a sharp shift in the company’s once-inclusive policies, as first revealed by Business Insider.

That’s right! The days are numbered for all of those annoying people who nurse one cup of coffee for hours, taking up a seat, and using it as an office. And in some cases, they don’t even buy a cup of coffee in the first place. So, whether it’s a Starbucks or a “mom and pop” store, there always seems to be that one annoying guy who complains about the noise because he is “trying to work” and has apparently never heard of a library.

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In a bid to maintain order, Starbucks is also training staff in conflict de-escalation. Some locations have even begun trialing panic buttons, signaling a growing urgency to protect employees and enforce store policies.

This all comes just a week after Starbucks implemented a new “customers only” policy when it comes to using the bathrooms.

On that new policy, a Starbucks spokeswoman said in a statement, “Implementing a Coffeehouse Code of Conduct is something most retailers already have and is a practical step that helps us prioritize our paying customers who want to sit and enjoy our cafes or need to use the restroom during their visit.”

Sara Trilling, the president of Starbucks North America, added, “We know from customers that access to comfortable seating and a clean, safe environment is critical to the Starbucks experience they love. We’ve also heard from you, our partners, that there is a need to reset expectations for how our spaces should be used, and who uses them.”

The Starbucks code of conduct says that the company’s spaces are for “use by our partners and customers – this includes our cafes, patios and restrooms,” and that the company’s goal is to, “create a welcoming environment.”