There are a few places that I need to review again. My local Starbucks is one of them.
I have been a customer here for over a decade, well before I knew what Yelp was. I have met some fine baristas over the years, who have gone on to different careers because working here got them through college or university.
This store has a high turnover of baristas, mainly because it's often a training store. I am a pretty patient person and I don't mind being a part of their training process. Lately, the current set of staff have not made my experiences pleasant. It has been building since the early part of 2021.
One time, I decided to redeem my points towards a tumbler using the Starbucks app. It said that the tumbler was in stock. I also ordered a drink.
When I approached the drive-thru, I indicated that I had a mobile order. The man said that it was out of stock. I stated that the app had it available. He maintained that he didn't have it and that he'd give me a refund in the form of a gift card, rather than reloading stars.
I talked to this barista, who was the lead this day. I asked why the app didn't reflect their inventory. He simply told me to contact their head office. Um, no. It's not my responsibility to get your lack of updating your inventory and syncing it with your mobile app. The onus is on Starbucks to fix these issues. Telling me to report it is lazy. I'm reporting it to you now. Make it happen.
During the same visit, I had another barista ask whether I had ordered "just" an iced black tea. The use of "just" by main staff members here is unnecessary and was ongoing for at least two months. To confirm that you have my order, rattle it off without the "just." I usually reply by saying, "It's only me. One drink is enough." My alternative is, "You aren't just a barista. You are a barista that folks would think that you do important work." Why just? Just do you job by not implying that my order isn't as large as you'd like it to be.
I took up that beef with the lead. He indicated that his team often has chats and will discuss it. I will say that I don't get "just a drink" thrown at me as often these days, but coming here to deal with this nonsense has made me drop by less often than I used to.
There are a couple of regular barista that I enjoy seeing and chatting with. There are some new ones who are pleasant and great getting my orders from. However, I simply don't enjoy coming here. The lines are often long and I have often waited half an hour for my drink. I am patient, but I see that other Starbucks cafes near me do not make me wait that long and are far more pleasant.
The latest experience was ordering through the app, indicating that I had a mobile order, getting to the window, and being advised that staff were brewing black tea. The barista said that someone would come out with my drink in five minutes and that I should park off to the side.
I first parked in the parking lot. Ten minutes went by. Nothing. I then parked in front of the patio. No one. Illegally parked, I put on my mask and headed towards the front door. I was met by a barista who had no clue who he was handing the drink off to until my eyes met his. I was thankful for my drink, but waiting fifteen minutes for it was longer than promised or anticipated.
There is plenty of parking. I'd avoid parking in front of the cafe because it does get busy with Popeyes and Jeon Ju Hyang next door.
Here's hoping that things get better. In the meantime, I'm averaging a visit here once a week or two because it's no longer my favourite place to grab a drink. Sad, but true.
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