I've been a loyal Starbucks customer since middle school. I love starting my day with a coffee…read morebefore work, grabbing one before road trips, or stopping by during errands. But the Otay Mesa Starbucks continues to disappoint me, time and time again -- to the point where I feel the need to write this review in hopes that someone in management takes action.
This isn't about a single bad experience. This is about a pattern of consistent mistakes and poor customer service that I've put up with for far too long.
Nearly every time I go to this location -- whether through the drive-thru or via mobile order -- something is wrong. I'm constantly receiving the wrong drink, missing items, or food that isn't mine. I've even been handed entire orders that weren't mine at all. What's worse is that I've actually had to leave work on multiple occasions just to go back and get my order corrected. And I only do that because I work 12 to 14-hour shifts, and on long days like those, I just want to enjoy my morning coffee -- the one I paid for and expected to be made correctly the first time.
Some might say it's not a big deal, but when you're dealing with this every week, it becomes a huge inconvenience. I shouldn't have to waste time and energy fixing a mistake I didn't make, especially not during a workday.
To make matters worse, the customer service is equally frustrating. There's a tall Hispanic man with a beard who regularly works the drive-thru window. He rarely greets me, almost never smiles, and speaks in a tone that feels dismissive or annoyed. On one occasion, he scanned my phone aggressively fast and when I said I wanted to use my rewards stars, he said, "You should've told me sooner, I already scanned it," as if I was the problem. No apology, no effort to fix it. Another time, he got my drink wrong again and still charged me for an extra add-on I didn't even ask for. By the time I realized, I was already at work -- and again, couldn't leave to go fix their mistake.
I keep going back to this location only because it's close to work, and unfortunately, there's no Dunkin' nearby. But I'm honestly at a breaking point. Being treated like an inconvenience when I'm a paying, loyal customer is unacceptable. Starbucks is a brand built on consistency, quality, and a good customer experience -- and this location is falling short on all three.
To the management: Please take this seriously. Your team needs better training, more accountability, and a reminder that customer service actually matters. This store has potential, but right now, it's leaving a very bad taste in people's mouths -- and I don't just mean the coffee.
