Wrong drink. No replacement. 10% off if you PAY for another one. Then accusations of "harassment" and being "hostile and threatening." Followed by a permanent ban. This was our experience with Bloom Bagels.
I have recommended Bloom Bagels to friends, family, and even at a corporate level. After this experience, I can no longer recommend them.
I was waiting in the car while my partner ordered bagels and a drink for me. At the register, he asked what was in the Cloud Matcha Latte. After the employee explained it, he called me to ask if I wanted it. I clearly said NO, I wanted the Banana Matcha Latte. Before we hung up, I personally heard him tell the employee I wanted the Banana Matcha Latte.
When he returned with a Cloud Matcha Latte, he went back inside expecting it to be corrected. According to my partner, the manager repeatedly asked whether he had confirmed the order on the screen, which felt robotic and dismissive, as though the screen eliminated any possibility of employee error.
The owner later emphasized that Bloom Bagels has "built systems to double check orders at the register." Systems can reduce mistakes. They do not eliminate employee error or automatically make an incorrect order the customer's responsibility.
Rather than replacing or refunding it, my partner says they offered 10% off ANOTHER drink. I find that insulting.
I encouraged him to try once more with the manager. He asked to speak away from the busy pickup counter to be respectful of customers and employees around them. The manager refused, and my partner described his tone and demeanor as extremely rude and dismissive.
After no resolution, my partner said he would dispute the charge. According to him, the manager immediately told him, "Never come back," and that they would refuse him service if he returned.
My partner ultimately left with no resolution, only a receipt and an email address to contact the owner. The owner's response only escalated our concerns.
Bloom Bagels said they reviewed security footage but admitted the audio was "not clear due to ambient noises," yet said they could hear "cloud matcha latte" several times.
My partner was asking what was in it to see if I wanted it. I said no, I wanted Banana, and I personally heard him relay Banana Matcha Latte to the employee. Hearing "cloud matcha latte" on unclear audio does not establish that he ordered it.
If the audio isn't clear, how much can it establish? Can you clearly hear my partner's tone or the manager's?
The owner stated that it "started to feel like you were threatening our staff." They later described "harassment such as wanting to speak to the manager away" and said that "feels hostile and threatening."
I'm sorry, but those are SERIOUS accusations to make about another person.
My partner has been unequivocal that he did not threaten anyone. One example the owner gave was his request to speak away from the counter, which he says was an attempt to speak respectfully away from other customers.
Businesses should protect staff who feel unsafe. But discomfort is not the same as harassment or threatening behavior. Serious labels require specific conduct to support them.
I find it troubling that the owner focuses on my partner's alleged hostility while seemingly giving no consideration to the manager's tone or immediate response of telling him never to return after he said he would dispute the charge.
Bloom Bagels stood by permanently restricting my partner and emphasized that they have declined service only twice in two years. I find that appalling. By emphasizing how extraordinarily rare this action is while simultaneously labeling his conduct as harassment, hostile, and threatening, they are painting an extremely serious picture of my partner that I do not believe the circumstances support.
The email begins, "we're sorry we could not reach an understanding." That is not a genuine apology for how my partner was treated or for characterizing him as harassing, hostile, and threatening. In my opinion, Bloom Bagels owes my partner a sincere apology.
Bloom Bagels also said "situations like this rarely happen." Yet another customer approached my partner and said she had recently ordered non dairy milk because she is lactose intolerant, believed she was given dairy milk, and said Bloom Bagels would not remake it. Refusing to correct a drink when a customer raises a potential health concern involving dairy is extremely concerning and makes me question how isolated these situations really are.
Bloom Bagels publicly speaks about growth, making a positive impact, and taking care of staff. Fairness, dignity, and respect for customers matter too. I struggle to reconcile those values with how this was handled.
This could have been resolved with basic customer service. Instead, it escalated into serious accusations and permanently refusing my partner service. Based on our experience and the owner's response, I cannot in good conscience recommend Bloom Bagels. read more