Starbucks

Starbucks • Starbucks Tries a Downscale Approach • Economy Sour, Starbucks to Close More Stores • Starbucks to Close 600 U.S. Stores • Baristas Beware: Starbucks Puts Machines in 86 Stores • Starbucks Serves Up Free Wi-Fi • Starbucks Cuts Trans Fats • Starbucks Data Loss No Laughing Matter • Starbuck Raising Coffee Prices • Starbucks Sales Losing Steam • Starbucks Plans to Get into the Digital Download Business • Starbucks Pours on the Trans Fats • Starbucks Raising Prices • Starbucks Blends Brews and Blues --- • Consumer Complaints

Corey of edmonton, AB July 1, 2009

Inconsistent and inaccuracy of drinks. Wish they would get orders right... 1 out of 5 times my girlfriend visit, they get order wrong in Edmonton. Last week, I ordered a Grande iced coffee with milk, sweetened. They forgot to add milk. Added the milk after I mentioned the mistake. too much ice in it... but at least it was cold.

I more luck with simpler drinks... cafe Americano or just a bold coffee. My girlfriend usually orders a Grande Cafe Vanilla light frapuccino... usually has to clarify or she will end up with Vanilla bean, the other blended creme based drink. Few times they don't blend it long enough and it separates too fast. 1X they added whip cream to top... HEllo, it supposed to be light! Another fav is Vanilla latte... sometimes forget to add enough pumps of syrup or forget to add any pumps. Frustrating. From now on, we check our drinks carefully before we leave.

jan of la, CA June 14, 2009

I go to this Starbucks (Ladera Center UCO) on the way to work regularly and began to notice the service was going down depending on the cashier and server. Some days I get a polite greeting but most days, they're cold and impolite. But since I really like Americano, I put up with most of their attitudes. However, for the past several times visiting, their Americano began to taste horrible. First I thought it was just a bad day, but every time I order, it is consistently bad. It tastes worse then their regular coffee. I ended up throwing it away and vowed never to go back.

K. of Washington, DC June 11, 2009

I was pleased with the new Starbucks oatmeal the first time I ordered it. However, in the past month at 4 separate locations in Washington, DC, I have not been able to get a oatmeal with all of the toppings. Today I even thought I had learned my lesson and made sure to ask before I paid whether or not they had all three toppings, but when she handed it to me I was informed they were out of fruit -- after I tried to order oatmeal at a separate location this morning only to be informed they are out of brown sugar.

If I specifically ask before paying I should not receive a prodcut that is not what I paid for. I realize I am overpaying for oatmeal as it is, is it too much to ask that Starbucks makes sure they stock appropriately. This has happened on 6 different occasions at 4 different locations in the past month. I won't even get into how I can never count on a standard amount of hot water.

Sorin of Richmod Hill, ON May 16, 2009

I am been charged a higher price when I buy 2 or more drinks together, then when I buy them individually. Example: 1 Grande Latte + 1 Tall Coffee = 6.16 (taxes included). Separately: 1 Grande Latte = 3.94(tax included) 1 Tall Coffee = 1.79 (tax included). Total = 5.73. So Starbucks "extra charge" = 0.43. I have the receipts to prove this. I've asked for the Store Manager, and I was told that he is not present in the store. The employee who was working on the cashier was impolite, and gave me misleading information: I called the number they gave me on a business card, and it is actually the store phone number. At the phone, the Supervisor by the name Rena, told me that she is the Store Manager. Only when I've specifically asked for the Customer Service number, only at that time she disclosed the phone number to me. I've called and there is no one to be talked to during the Weekend. It is sad that such a large and reputable brand name like Starbucks is employing practice like this¦ The Store Manager (or supervisor) told me that it is a known issue, and she advised me to buy the drinks separately. It is unheard of such practice, that when you buy more merchandise to pay more, when you should be paying actually less.

Kimberly of Brentwood, TN May 1, 2009

I asked for half caf coffee at approximately 3:30pm. They graciously tried to make me an Americano and other things to accomodate me. I realize that decaf is not something everyone uses. However, I like decaf and hate this new policy. In the Nashville area where I live, they brew small amounts of decaf as requested. I think this should be the policy all over the country! Something needs to be done for people like myself who need to limit the amount of caffeine that we use. I am a regular customer...probably 5 days a week at least! Please address this concern!

Arpana of Calgary, AB April 29, 2009

I was going through the drive through ordering my regular VENTI Chai Tea Misto w. Vanilla and when I got to the window, I had to wait about 5 minutes before someone acknowledged me. After that, they handed me Grande Blueberry tea misto so I said it was a venti. From there they transferred it into a venti cup and just added water. I recognized the tea bags were a different colors so I told them it was a chai tea misto. She scoffed, re-did the order with a GRANDE and of course then I asked is there Vanilla in here? She looks at me and then goes back and literally transfers it into a venti again, adds vanilla and water. Now I'm sitting at my desk, with a watered down Chai misto that isn't warm at all because of the transferring. This will most likely be the last time I go to that starbucks.

Diane of Orange Park, FL April 20, 2009

6;39 in the morning I get get the nasty barista. I made the mistake of asking him to make sure the water was hot for the Oatmeal and this nasty young adult got such an attitude with me about how the water is always 200 f and it is always hot. The last 3 oatmeals I got from Starbucks were luke warm and there is never consistency with how much water they add.

I thought I would be a team player in these tough times and I have tried to patronize Starbucks because I liked the idea that they provide employee health insurance. After this incident and all I have read here, and waiting for 10 minutes EVEN when you try to alert them that you want decaf pikes peak is really turning me away from Starbucks...I can very easily go back to Dunkin! I am also shocked that you are suppose to get all three condiments... that has never been offered to me....

Consequences...I will bring my own oatmeal when I travel. I really do not need to be insulted by a squirt at 6:30 am...

Patricia A Jenner of Augusta, GA April 11, 2009

I was in the drive thru- ordered - 1 venti -white mocha-frapp- w/ no whip cream double blended - and 1 venti carmel mocha frapp with w/whip cream double blended. She repeated it back that the carml. was a grande - I said both were ventis - she said go to the window. No price or anything. I went to the window and after a while a young man came with a venti, I asked which one was this. he said The one without cream, 9.95! Then he handed me the other and said this is a carmel, and closed the window. The girl came, opened the window and almost through my credit card at me and slammed the window!

I get Starbucks for my niece and my self coffee or frapp. at least 4 times a week at other shops and at this one and have always had the best of service! I will never go to this one again and be treated like this. I am a Starbucks lover and where ever I go in this country from Ca. to Ga I have not had bad service - I will not have anything but bad things to tell people about the augusta exchange. Oh by the way the frapps. were not double blended!

Terri of Indianapolis, IN April 10, 2009

I have recently spoken with many Starbucks customer's and have come to the same conclusion and that is that Starbucks has recently (since 4/1/09) began making their coffee weaker. I have had problems with Starbucks recently and have been in contact with their customer service group concerning consistently receiving cold coffee from their stores and the inability to receive de-caf coffee at certain times of the day. To each they reply they are trying to cut cost during tough economic times.

Apparently now a new way to cut cost is to make weaker coffee, which cost their customers more money. More money is needed because now it is necessary to pay for a shot of espresso to put in the coffee so it takes like it did before the decision to make weaker coffee was made. What use to be an unreasonable price for coffee is now made more unreasonable. One must ask is Starbucks loosing their customers because of the tough economic times or are they loosing their customer because they keep making decisions to weaken their once impeccable brand.

J.king of Ruidoso, NM April 2, 2009

About one month ago I had an interview for work with Starbucks of Ruidoso, NM. The manager who interviewed me was Robie. As Robie described the dress code to me, I realized she wasn't a great example of it. Her hair was highly teased, glittered splattered on her face, body and clothes. Blouse was VERY lot cut and, in the course of the interview, began to cut down her employees. She talked about getting ride of 'the bad apple.' She questioned me as to the fact that I needed to be ready at her beckoned call, no matter what I was doing, drop everything, and come to work if she needed me(that is, if I were to be hired). We talked about learning the 'barista' training.

I asked her if we were allowed to ask other workers for help and she responded, 'No, you should know what you are doing by reading the directions.' The part that distrubed me the most is that Robie does not represent Starbucks in an appropriate fashion. Starbucks needs someone more professional. Thanks (I didn't take the job)

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