Tapingo, a mobile ordering app that allows students to order drinks and food items on the go using Dining Dollars, Wolfie Wallet and debit/credit cards, could help customers in a rush get their Starbucks faster.
“Mobile ordering uses technology to reduce congestion and improve order accuracy by enabling customers to browse menus, customize orders, pay using their phone and then skip the line to pick up their order,” Angela Agnello, the director of marketing and communications for the Faculty Student Association, said.
Tapingo gives students an estimated order time – usually eight to nine minutes. It then tracks the whole process from the time the order is received to when it is done being prepared. Once an order is ready for pick up, customers will receive a text notification. They can then bypass the traditional line and head directly to a separate window just for Tapingo users.
Since the app’s mid-April launch at the Starbucks in Melville Library and Roth Quad, there have been 500 mobile transactions.
For those who have taken advantage of the app, it has been useful in avoiding long lines. Jacqui Walker, a junior biology major, called Tapingo the “best thing ever.”
“It saves a lot of time,” she said. “Instead of waiting on the line, I place my order while I’m walking from my room to class and it’s ready when I get there. The only bad thing is some of the options are limited when ordering from the app.”
For example, you can’t add milk to some of the refreshers on the app but you can when you order in-store.
“It’s very easy to use and convenient, but there are things from the Starbucks menu that are missing, such as paninis and more,” Lubin Zhu, a sophomore biochemistry major said. “It’s a lot better than waiting on line.”
For those who prefer to wait in line, Agnello said Tapingo has not “adversely affected” in-store orders. The app will be evaluated after the end of the semester to determine its potential.
“Tapingo is a pilot program which the Faculty Student Association is using to evaluate usage and service until the end of the spring semester before making a decision about expanding to other locations,” she said.
