My family and I recently had a very disappointing experience at this Starbucks location, specifically with the drive-thru attendant Brittany.
When we first pulled up to order, Brittany immediately seemed rushed and began trying to guess our order rather than allowing us time to respond. We were attempting to order an ice water and clearly explain that my mom mostly wanted a cup of ice with just a small amount of water. Instead of listening, she cut us off and said something along the lines of "Yeah, yeah, large ice water with extra ice, got it." She then repeated the order back extremely quickly and sent us to the next window before we could clearly confirm what she said.
When we received our drinks, one of them was the wrong size. We politely asked if it could be corrected and even offered to pay the difference. The employee handling payment initially told us not to worry about it. However, when he stepped away, Brittany came back to the window, insisted she had repeated the order correctly, accused us of lying about what we ordered, and abruptly held out her hand saying, "That'll be $2.57."
This interaction felt unnecessarily confrontational. We had already offered to pay and were told it was not an issue, yet Brittany treated the situation as if we were trying to cheat the store over $2.57. Her tone and attitude were far more aggressive than the situation warranted.
Because the interaction left us uncomfortable--especially my mother--I stepped out to speak with the manager, Angelo (I believe that was his name). While explaining the situation, I also mentioned that my mom is currently battling cancer and has very specific dietary limitations, which is why the drink was ordered a certain way in the first place. The attitude at the window made what should have been a simple request feel like a problem.
During that conversation, the employee who initially took payment stated that he had told us not to worry about the charge because we were "holding up his window times" and he was just trying to move things along. That response was disappointing to hear, as customer service should not come second to drive-thru speed metrics.
Angelo did offer a gift card, which I initially declined because compensation was never the point. I would have preferred simple courtesy and respectful service. My mother is already dealing with a serious illness and does not need to feel embarrassed or pressured over something as simple as ordering a cup of water.
In the end, Angelo insisted that I take the gift card, which I accepted, but I still felt it was important to leave this review and escalate the matter further. Situations like this could easily be avoided if employees took a moment to actually listen to customers rather than rushing interactions and becoming defensive when mistakes happen.
I hope management addresses this issue so future customers--especially those who may already be dealing with difficult circumstances--are treated with patience and respect. read more