My wife and I moved to the Bella Vista area several months ago. We are heavy Starbucks drinkers and have frequented this location 3 to 4 times a week spending $20 to $25 per visit since we moved here.
We are there so often that a couple of the baristas know our drink order when they see us.
We generally order sugar free lattes as my wife is diabetic and cannot have much sugar but occasionally, she likes the taste of the pumpkin flavor that they have for a couple of months each Fall.
About every third or fourth visit, I will ask the barista to substitute one of the 5 pumps of sugar free vanilla in her latte for 1 pump of pumpkin. We have gotten this at Starbucks locations for years with no problem and it was the same at this location, too...until tonight.
When the barista delivered our drinks, she told us, "I am sorry, but we will no longer be able to give you the pumpkin substitution on one of the pumps of flavor. This is straight from the manager."
When asked why...she appeared nervous and simply said if we wanted pumpkin, we would have to pay $1.00 more for it.
I find it hard to understand why substituting one pump of flavoring, that we already have to pay extra for would rock their world as hard as it appeared to but it is what it is.
I mean, in few weeks they won't even have pumpkin flavoring until next Fall.
Just know this Starbucks of Bella Vista...that pump substitution that you gave me those 3 or 4 times this Fall...it resulted in you generating $300 to $400 a month in revenue from us.
Your crappy attitude and short sightedness about giving it to us going forward...results in our taking our $300 to $400 a month someplace else.
Someone needs to teach your manager about the real cost of a customer. They obviously do not understand it. read more