Your Starbucks barista is now a psychologist

Your Starbucks barista is now doing a lot more than just making your coffee. The Wall Street Journal obtained a training manual that instructs baristas to closely track customers’ moods and adapt to them, including prompts for making gestures and choosing the correct tone of voice.  “Pause for a second to make eye contact. Don’t rush the moment,” the manual reads. The Seattle coffee giant is now a year into a turnaround plan led by CEO Brian Niccol that seeks to create a community coffeehouse vibe at its 17,000 stores across the U.S. Founder Howard Schultz has even said he can “feel” the difference. Starbucks has reported six consecutive quarters of slumping sales.