Yelp gets it right again. Two stars. And that is a very unusual rating for a Starbucks. * * * Two problems. One of which the Yelpers correctly note is the staff. Or rather, management and what management has allowed the staff to become. I think management structuration of the workflow has created pathological staff behavior as a byproduct. When I went there - the place was filthy. There is no way that conspicuously dirty floors are up to Starbucks corporate standards. Floors stay dirty if no one cleans them. Most coffee places have a rotation of duties that specifies who cleans floors and when ... And the job gets done often and well. My guess is that no such procedure was in place. The other Yelpers complain about service. I had perfectly wonderful service. However, if there are low performance standards on cleaning There may be low performance standards on the timing for getting product to customer. Note that the fact that reports from all sorts of different dates mention the same problem suggests this is NOT just an issue of a few bad apples working there now. When this kind of staff behavior is enduring that comes from management procedurals at the top. * * * There is a second issue that they can't control. In the afternoon, the sun shines into their west facing location, Making the Needham Heights Starbucks more or less an oven. If a turkey came in to get a latte and stayed to get some work done, It would be a roast turkey by the time it was done. When I was there, few people were staying. Most people ordered by app and left. Starbucks corporate typically deals with these things with thin mesh curtains to filter out the light. They do a half-assed job of helping with Texas light. This particular Massachusetts light blew away standard Texas light problems. Starbucks needs a better way to equip its stores for hot light issues. They don't want anything opaque because they want customers to be able to see out and they want potential customers to be able to see in. But the current system is not working in hot spots. * * * Either way - If you live in Needham, You are not going to go to Starbucks to get your work done. read more

The drinks are always made well here, and the food is always as fresh as can be, but the service really struggles. I've been coming here for as long as I could remember because it's the only Starbucks in Needham. Unfortunately, no matter what time of day you're here, expect to wait around 20 minutes if not more for your drink. I used to swing by here frequently after work on weekdays around 4pm, but this is the worst time to come because all of the Needham students flood here. I always try to be as understanding as I can, especially with kids, but I've had numerous kids here take my drink here, and the baristas have to remake them. When it's empty, however, my drink is almost always takes much longer than it should to be made. The store almost always has crumbs on the floor, tables aren't cleaned off, and drinks are spilled on the table. If you have the time and don't mind waiting, this is fine, but if you're rushing, good luck with this Starbucks. read more

My order is constantly wrong. Especially annoying when I'm paying to customize and they don't bother. Half the time you're waiting so long you have to grab your drink and run and don't realize until you're gone they've messed up again read more

This is probably the slowest Starbucks I've ever been to. There was a line and we weren't acknowledged until 3 minutes later, and the baristas knew that there was a line. Our order was delayed by 10 minutes and there were many people waiting. It also wasn't clean - crumbs and trash were left on the tables. This Starbucks is very short staffed. There are many tables for seating, and it is quite spacious. Parking is convenient - there's street parking and a lot behind. Overall rating: 3/10 read more

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The way the staff acts, you'd think refunds come out of their paycheck and not from a multi-million dollar corporation. I ordered a White Chocolate Macadamia Cream Cold Brew and got something that resembled a latte. They tried to insinuate that the cold foam combined with the cold brew because I must have left it sitting. I mentioned the time I ordered and the fact it was 30 minutes later when I went up to the counter to get a refund. I ordered at 12:03 PM, and the drink wasn't ready until 12:18-12:20 PM. It looked like a latte with cookies on top when they put it down on the counter and called my name. It looked way too light for just the cold foam to have combined; it seemed like extra milk had been added. I tried to drink it anyway, and I would have paid for it if it still tasted the same as usual or at least good, but it did not, and it wasn't drinkable for me. So, I didn't get what I asked for, and I wasn't going to be able to drink it, so I didn't want to pay for it. I asked for a refund. I didn't immediately go to the counter because I also bought a sandwich I wanted to eat before having to go to work. Plus, I took multiple sips because I really didn't want to ask for a refund at all. If it was a case of me ordering something I never had and just not liking it, I would take the loss. But I've ordered the same thing multiple times from this store, and about 3 out of 10 times, it's made correctly. They usually forget to put the toppings at the end, but at least that mistake doesn't make the drink undrinkable. I had to ask for extra toppings so that they'd not over look putting them on this time... and well they were there at least. I really hope the staff gets that $6 back since it's so personal for them that they need to insinuate that it's the customer's fault the drinks they are putting out don't meet the standards set by their own employer. The entire interaction was aggravating, and not that it matters to Starbucks or them but not bothering ever going back here. read more

The Good: The drinks are great. There's a counter and one table with plugs and four without plugs. Free parking in back usually with a spot open. Now the bad. The Bad: I go to Starbucks all over the country. If there was an award for the slowest Starbucks ever, they would definitely be in the running. The baristas even walk really slow. Average drink time preparation time: 10 minutes. And that's without a line. Lol. Ok, you could probably get a black coffee faster. My guess is the people training are super slow so they train the baristas that way too. Tip: If you like your drinks hot you can't just say extra hot. You need to tell them to make it at 180°. Alternatively you can order it "scalding". Otherwise expect all extra hot drinks to be medium warm. read more

Starbucks - Interior - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

I have no clue how this place is still open, I have no clue where they got the money to renovate. Why renovate if you're never open?! Please close and replace with a Dunkin' because at this point it's just a building with a Starbucks sign. If your order isn't mobile, don't bother, you will wait for a good 20-30min. It was lovely when they first reopened, the manager there seemed like a joyful person and tried his best but he most likely quit and things just went downhill from there, shame because this is a really good location to gain some loyal customers. read more

A small Starbucks, not a lot of seating. The staff is always helpful and everything makes it out fast. It seems to be a busy Starbucks, they always seem to be cleaning and looking like they just had a mad rush. The quality of drinks are good and the restroom is clean even though it is shared. read more

I am surprised this place is still open. Quality is far below average for Starbucks. I wish it was better I try every once in a while but it seems to keep getting worse. Now it's hardly ever open. Just close it read more

The absolute WORST Starbucks out there! I use to come here a lot because It's down the street from my work.. I stopped coming because they are SUPER SLOW. I came in today.. and it was faster granted it was 12:45 in the afternoon.. but the customer service was TERRIBLE! I pulled my mask down just to scan my face to put money on my app.. legit two seconds. Having a plastic shield protecting the person and me being fully vaccinated and letting them know verbally the person ringing me up was was wicked rude and gave me a smart ass remark! RUDE! Never again! Get better service read more

The shift on Sunday June 18 2023 at approximately 11am was totally uncoordinated. Except for the Black barista in braids, everyone else we interacted with appeared to not know what was going on. Perhaps it's an understaffed location, but more likely a case of operational mismanagement. Ambiance was nothing to write home about with crumbs on tables. Food was ok, though had to switch order to a regular coffee after it became apparent they couldn't make a regular coffee with a splash of whole milk even after 15 minutes. read more

I was happy to discover this above-average Starbucks with it's friendly outgoing staff who take pride in what they do. This is also one of the too few Starbucks in the Boston area to offer coffee from the Clover brewing system which makes it possible to order a premium cup of custom brewed coffee from the bean of your choice. This branch, the couple of times I've been here, has always been busy but has a very comfortable upscale suburban vibe that attracts all types. The store is located directly across from the Needham MBTA Commuter Rail station so it's easy to stop here in the morning to grab a cup before walking to work or getting onboard the train and it's only a mile and a half off of 128 with plenty of free parking in the back. read more

Starbucks - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

The refreshers are really good and I like a pink drink with 4 pumps of raspberry but they discontinued the raspberry which is sad

I'm absolutely unsatisfied I asked for a caramel crunch frappe with extra caramel and caramel crunch and they gave me the wrong drink TWICE.

This is the filthiest Starbucks I have ever been in, I pointed out I spilled hot chocolate on the floor 20 minutes ago, three people looked at it and left it there. The bathroom is a mess and the three people behind the counter could give a crap about the condition and cleanliness of the restaurant. read more

Can be a crazy busy store, but service is usually pretty quick. Located on a congested corner and traffic is heave during early mornings, and weekends. Food, coffee, and merchandise are typical of any StarBucks locations. read more

My 5 star review today was earned by the employee I saw, while driving by, who was helping an elderly woman fold her walker and get into her car. This Starbucks is located on a relatively busy street and a complicated intersection, and though I didn't actually step inside, witnessing this act of kindness in made my day. Obviously these employees care about their customers and the community. read more

This is by far the worst Starbucks I have been to. To give some perspective I visit a Starbucks location at least once a day and often more. The baristas are slow at making drinks and are rude. On one ocassion I watched a barista remind patrons multiple times of the store's closing time "because she needed to be out of the store right at closing." I also overheard an older barista reprimand another barista for calling out sick right in front of customers. They also play the music extremely loud there. No customer service nor class; take your $ elsewhere. read more

The service for regular walk-in customers at this location is terrible. I arrived at 11:41 today & placed my order for a cappuccino. There was no one in line. Walked up to the register and ordered. It took 8 minutes to get my drink, and there were 2 barristas working. The female worker churned out about 6 mobile orders while the male worker was walking around aimlessly. After the 8 minutes, when I asked where my drink was, he finally gave it to me. Why are mobile orders preferred over actual in-person customers? There's no up-sell to a mobile customer, whereas good customer service might prompt an actual in-store customer to buy something else. This is the second time this has happened to me here in the last two months. This Starbucks only wants virtual customers, not real ones. read more

Probably the worst Starbucks that I have ever visited in my entire life. They are understaffed drinks take way too long to come out and you end up waiting almost a 1/2 an hour for an iced coffee read more

I'm not one of those people that needs to stop for a coffee every day on my drive into work. I tend to drink no more than one cup of caffeine each day and, when I do drink coffee, it's more as a treat -- the occasional latte or cappuccino when I'm bored with the coffee or tea at work. I'm also a Dunkin Donuts fan, so it takes my coworker coercing me or a free-coffee promotion to get me into Starbucks. This morning was one of those occasions. Starbucks had its first ever "Coffee Break," and they handed out free tall coffees from 10-12. I must say, Starbucks is great with its promotions and I love their creative coffee and tea drinks. This particular Starbucks is really the only one I visit anymore, seeing as it's close to my office. The people who work there are nice for the most part, but the shop isn't my favorite. I like Starbucks with LOTS of little nooks to park yourself in. This one is limited in the table space department and the seating it does offer is too close to the order line, so don't plan on doing a lot of reading. In any case, it's quick and convenient and gets the job done -- especially when they offer free coffee! read more

All I want is an iced coffee. No flavor shots, no fancy requests. Just cold coffee poured over ice. Every time I go into this Starbucks, they take my order and then make me wait 6, 7, sometimes 10 minutes- because they put my order in the queue, making me wait behind all the more complicated drinks. Yet with hot coffee, these customers get their drinks right away. It's not like this at every other Starbucks I have ever been to- a simple hot or iced coffee gets to you as you order and pay for it. If I order a scone, they would not make me wait while they write my name on a bag and then take the next person in line. I don't get it. I don't understand this trend of making customers wait while moving on to the next customer. What about me? You just took my money, please get me my product. That's how it works at every other cafe, every other retail store. I forgot to mention, I waited almost 9 minutes for my medium black iced coffee while 3 other Starbucks employees stood around doing NOTHING. (2 additional ones were working- the one talking people's money, and the one making the fancy drinks.) Why couldn't one of the 3 others hopped on the production line? read more

This is by far the worst Starbucks I have ever seen, it's dirty, the staff is just rude, and it takes about 20min to get a Black Iced Coffee at 7:00am in the morning when there is not even a line. The Manager Jen does not have any management skills and is frequently belittling employees in-front of customers not to mention they are always out of something. Never have I seen a Starbucks operate under such conditions, all they seem to care about is the mobile orders and can't multitask. I really hope that Starbucks takes a look at this location as it should not be allowed to operate under such toxic leadership (or lack there of). read more

I've been a customer at the Starbucks for years by virtue of living four blocks away. Neither service nor product have ever been consistently good. Occasionally the experience is unacceptable. Lines are long and slow. I have found myself coming back less and less often and finally this morning after spending over three dollars for a decaf "Venti" Americano "with room" that tasted watered down and was 2/3 filled (four shots, huh?) I decided this would be my last visit. Maybe also because when I politely commented on the flavor given the number of shots the "barista" looked down and went about her business. I have been transformed to a vocal detractor of this store. Needham Heights is a cool area and even though it's small, I think there's room for a Petes! read more

Starbucks - "With room!" - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

I have been to dozens of Starbucks, and this one is the least efficient one I have come across. I normally order an iced coffee in a personal cup (save the earth) and have to wait 5-10 minutes after already being in line for 10 minutes. For an iced coffee! It takes 10 seconds to make my drink! and I am in the hole 20 minutes to start my day. There is normally a line 10 people deep that barely moves at this location. Many Starbucks are busy but still only make you wait 2-3 minutes for your drink (even pour you an iced coffee as soon as you order). What's worst, there doesn't seem to be a sense of urgency at this location. A few of the staff members are great, but from others I get the sense that I am in their debt because I am in their Starbucks. I would avoid this location if you don't want to spend 20+ minutes getting a simple coffee. read more

I didn't experience any customer service issues as others reported but it's not a good starbucks to work at. There are only 4 small tables, 2 lazy boys and a laptop counter that is not deep enough to get your laptop on comfortably. You will look like an excited chipmunk typing away at the high counter. You could easily tip your laptop off the back of the counter and have it go smashing down to the floor as well. Also the windows weren't very well insulated and it's kind of cold on your legs. I had to move to one of the few tables and felt bad taking up space. Lots of parking in the back lot. Nothing wrong with the typical Starbucks products if you're just stopping in to grab a coffee but they were backed up and only had 1 cashier available (typical at any Starbucks). The staff seemed nice enough to me, but according to others, apparently not. read more

The Needham Starbucks has a Clover coffee machine! !!!!!!!!! read more

Very disappointed. Ordered a Venti size coffee. Received a small in a Venti cup. I was offered more milk!!! Going to Dunkin'

Just served the worst Frappuccino I've ever had. They must have used a spoonful of coffee mix with a glassful of ice. Barely a hint of coffee flavor for nearly five bucks. read more

The singular slowest Starbucks I've ever been in. Waited 20 minutes for a drink while three people were working the two registers. There were three people making drinks (at a glacial pace - did they each have a hand tied behind their back?) but then one barista said "I'm freaking out, I can't deal," and went into the back room. A boy, no older than 6 or 7, went up to the counter and very sweetly asked the barista about his donut because he had been waiting a long time. Without looking at him, the barista shouts "can I get a donut?" And the guy behind the register says "all out," and the boy is upset because his sister already got her thing, and the mother says that she already paid for the donut, but the staff was really rude about it. Tl;dr: I waited 20 minutes for a drink while an incompetent staff was incompetent. read more

"The worst starbucks in the area. I ordered an ice coffee with cream. The girl at the register caucasian with glasses said sorry what cream or milk i said um cream... she said okay ice coffee with cream " What is wrong with this paragraph? She didn't hear you and asked to repeat yourself so she could get the order down correctly. I don't see a problem here. Next. "10 minutes later the assitant manager a milado young man gave me my coffee with milk i said hello i asked for cream He got so upset without a word he grabbed my drink abruptly and then made me a new coffee with cream I said thank you and he didnt even look at me and was still so upset" 1. "milado" is both spelled incorrectly and a racial slur. I hope he wasn't upset because of your racism. Next. "All in all it took 18 minutes for me to order and get a grande ice coffee with cream.. Like what is wrong with the staff there? An ice coffee takes less then 30 seconds to assemble and if he is the one who made the mistake why give me an additude? " Every time I come in this store is swamped with customers and the staff can barely keep up. Despite this they are consistently nice and accommodating. I know the manager you are talking about and he is a sweetheart. Like I mentioned the store was probably insane at the time you came in and they just couldn't keep up. It's easy to be frustrated in such an environment. "I did not wait 10 minutes for a wrong simple easy ice coffee just to receive the order wrong and then be given additude because he made it wrong and the girl at the register doesnt know the difference between cream and milk at a coffee shop." You are rude. The girl, as quoted by you above, was just clarifying what you ordered and probably didn't hear you. I'm sure she knows the difference between cream and milk. The rest of the review you left is pretty sloppy, Katelyn. It just goes to show how rude these customers are. I have received incredible service from everyone that works here. They go above and beyond to help anyone out. I have noticed the customer base is incredibly short tempered and rude in Needham. It's a busy location but the service is first class! Thanks. read more

The Needham Starbucks is quite small, but the service is very friendly, they offer a private parking lot, the crowd is upscale, and the coffee drinks are always mixed well. A great location! read more

I have been a Starbucks fan ever since they moved to Boston, and am a gold member. The coffee is very good, just as it is in all Starbucks. But the service seems to move much, much slower. When it is crowded, you often have to wait 10 or 15 minutes before you get to place your order. Even with the app, the wait can be 10 minutes. Their recent remodel removed some seating so they went from a barely adequate amount of seating to not enough most of the time. They also removed a milk / sugar station and a garbage can and moved the remaining garbage can beside the one remaining milk sugar station further inconveniencing customers. They require a key to use the bathroom which does not make sense since it is always available on the wall. They never had a problem with the bathrooms before the policy. The big problem with this policy is that people forget to return the key and then they go weeks with only one available bathroom until they make another key, which creates a backup. Their redesign looks a little more modern but it is not nearly as convenient as the old one. I now avoid this Starbucks when it is convenient, and go to Bagels best. read more

I don't think they are trained well here. The baristas are slow and one of them was super rude. The poor girl at the counter couldn't figure out the chip reader for the life of her. Bad experience. read more

I love starbucks but this one is just a disaster . My drinks get messed up a lot and they are super simple , so I am not sure where the confusion lies there . If that was not enough this store is horrible about marking things out, you mobile order , drive there only to find out they were sold out of what you wanted. They do give recovery cards but it would be nice to get what you wanted in the first place . This is also something that is totally preventable because if employees were communicating what was there and actually in stock they would go in and quickly "mark it out" on the register so you could not mobile order it . It's just very frustrating and has happened so many times that I am just moving towards going to another location which would be out of my way but at least it would be done right . I want to like this location but they make it very hard . Sorry , needham starbucks it had to be said. read more

I would have to say that every time I have come here people have been extremely nice and very attentive. I have never had a problem. Everything has been cooked well. They have all gone out of their way to accommodate every request. In addition Jonathan is remarkable with his knowledge of the different bruise ideas to allow me to expand my coffee experience. I think it's a terrific Starbucks! read more

Very slow service: one cashier with about 10 people in line....2 girls and 1 guy making drinks and still couldn't keep up. Also, double check your drink before you leave, mine's been wrong twice. If you're grabbing a quick bite as well, forget about it - you'll be in there for a half hour at least. Head further up on Needham St and grab Starbucks near the Soup Factory instead. read more

I ordered a black iced coffee without sweetener. Seems pretty easy, right? Wrong. They sweetened it and I didn't realize it until I got back to my office. It was undrinkable. I had to dump it out. What a waste of time, money, and gas. read more

I live closest to this Starbucks but usually find myself at the one on the Dedham/west Roxbury line as this one has had consistent not so good service. I try to give it a chance here and there but I still have yet to be convinced. the lines are quite long and a couple times I've ordered something that's well, not a usual request and they seem to sneer at it, which doesn't make me feel to great about myself. I'll probably be sticking to other Starbucks around the area. read more

Dirty Starbucks, trash overflowing, gross tables, even behind the bar there was garbage & flies read more

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