Starbucks is debuting voice ordering through their mobile app, with help from Amazon’s Alexa.
Select customers will be able to order their coffees ‘on command’ using the My Starbucks barista app on Apple devices that run iOS.
Starbucks hopes this will streamline the ordering process further, having already introduced the ability to order and pay for their items through the app.
Customers are now able to buy their order before they’ve even entered a store.
“Our team is focused on making sure that Starbucks voice ordering within our app is truly personal and equally important was finding the right partner in Amazon to test and learn from this new capability,” said Starbucks chief technology officer, Gerri Martin-Flickinger, “These initial releases are easy to use providing a direct benefit to customers within their daily routine and we are confident that this is the right next step in creating convenient moments to complement our more immersive formats.”
The ordering AI system imitates a messaging service, giving the illusion that customers are interacting directly with an in-store member of staff.
As part of the integration with Amazon’s Alexa platform, customers will be able to reorder their ‘usuals’ from within their house by using the phrase “Alexa, order my Starbucks.” The user can then collect from their closest Starbucks.
Currently in its beta stage, a more wider-scale rollout is expected by the summer, including use with Android markets later this year.