Technology Helps Deaf Place Orders At Starbucks Drive-Thru

Those who are hard of hearing will definitely find ordering food and drinks at a drive-thru to be frustrating or perhaps impossible at times, but it looks like coffee company Starbucks intends to bridge the divide with the help of technology. 28-year-old Rebecca King of St. Augustine, Florida, uploaded a video to her Facebook that showed what happened when she made an order at a local Starbucks drive-thru.

“Hi, welcome to Starbucks, what can we get started for you today?” hails the voice from the intercom. King obviously does not respond and waits, before the screen shows a Starbucks barista who the starts to respond in sign language with King.

King shared on her Facebook, being pleased as punch with her experience, “Starbucks! This is what I’m talking about! Share it away! We can change the world!” The barista in the video has been identified as 22-year-old college student Katie Wyble, who claimed that she has a “passion for sign language since I first saw a teacher use it when I was in preschool.” Wyble shared, “I think more people need to know about what we’re doing because it moves customer service to a whole new level. I hope it helps make more people aware of what they can to do serve others in their communities.”

Now this is certainly a heartwarming story where technology and the human touch comes together, doesn’t it? Someone pass be a box of tissues please.

Edwin Kee
Categories: General
Tags: starbucks, Video