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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Starbucks St Albans SHAME ON YOU!

217 replies

StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 21:22

After dragging my two preschoolers (one with asd) all over town house hunting we take them into your cafe for a promised drink and marshmellow lollipop.

DH has to queue for ages as you only have one member of staff serving. My children sit quitely, well-behaved and expectantly.

You tell my DH as he is ordering that you close at 6pm (earlier than published time)but that he is welcome to sit down. It is 5:58pm. He orders.

As SOON as the children receive their consumables one of your staff members comes around saying that you are closed. We say politely 'okay'. A minute later we are told that you really need to close and can we now leave.

We point out that we were sold our items and told we could sit down. You tell us that you have already let us stay there for 5 minutes and that we were told that you were closing. You tell us that there was obviously some mis-communication but it wasn't from you because you were very clear.

We mention to our autistic ds that he needs to finish his drink but he gets distressed at the implication that the promised milkshake is about to be taken off him. This results in a meltdown making it difficult for us to get his coat on. All the while one of your member of staff is arguing with us and telling us to hurry up making ds (And now dd) more distressed.

Your member of staff tells us that she is now not being paid for the time. I tell her to take it up with her managers.

And I'm taking it up with you here!

OP posts:
2shoescreepingthroughblood · 30/10/2010 22:03

sorry yabu

Himalaya · 30/10/2010 22:03

Sounds like misunderstanding on both sides to me. They sold you drinks in take-away cups at takeaway prices and told you they were closing, so they must have thought you understood and weren't staying for more than a couple of minutes.

If you had all been sitting there with full Starbucks mugs then it would be a different story.

Odd given that so much of this incident hinges on miscommunication that you left out that important detail in the retelling though.

The customer is always right and all that and I'm sure if you complain they will send you a voucher for free coffees, but maybe the better takeaway is that all day househunting with two preschoolers, one with ASD is bound to end in tears.

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:06

No. Didn't ask.

Actually I just looked up their times on the web and it says they opening times are until 6pm. Confused

So I have no idea why they said they are closing early today (to me, during the argument, not to DH).

OP posts:
kingbeat23 · 30/10/2010 22:07

I dont think that your child has Autism has anything to do with it.

they sold you the product, they should have told you that if you wanted to drink it, you would have to make it take-away, regardless. If they sold you a product that was clearly designed to be drunk indoors, then indoors it should be. If not then clear instructions should be made to you, as the customer, to make the choice whether to enter into a sale to take it out of the premises.

If this is the case, and i am not sure here, then surely they are in breach of the Sale of goods act 1977

?Stipulations about time. E+W+S+N.I.

(1)Unless a different intention appears from the terms of the contract, stipulations as to time of payment are not of the essence of a contract of sale.

I'm not sure if i'm making sense here or not, but as someone who works in retail, albeit not in catering, and has had to ask people to vacate the premises i would listen to each person on an individual level and use reasonable judgement to my outcomes.

I think that rather vent your frustrations here, get in touch with thier head office lest others be treated in the same way.

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:07

See, thing is, I don't use Starbucks often enough to even have KNOWN that you can get the stuff in mugs. Why would I know this?

OP posts:
quizling · 30/10/2010 22:08

I think you are being U. I would have assumed that they were closing at 6, if that is what they said, and so if I ordered there I would have to take it out. Did you expect them to wait for 20 mins until you had finished when they shut at 6? Don't get it.

Laquitar · 30/10/2010 22:09

Well he told him he can sit down - for 2 minutes Grin.
And your dh decided to sit down!

Meglet · 30/10/2010 22:09

Yanbu.

If they were happy to serve you then they should have been willing to give you 15 / 20 mins to have your drinks.

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:10

Yes. I have never before been rushed out of an eatery. Usually if you are sold something to eat on the premises, you are given TIME to eat it.

My children aren't especially slow either. They can wolf a milkshake and marshmellow in record time, and did I might add.

OP posts:
ummagumma · 30/10/2010 22:11

Stark you knew Starbucks well enough to know before you went that they had marshmallow lollipops - so i find it incredible that you didnt know Starbucks used mugs!

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:12

I didn't know they had marshmellow lollipops. DH did.

OP posts:
Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:13

Nor did I know that the frappacinos, which I thought were milkshakes that my dc's drank, had coffee in them, until I secretly guzzled some when they weren't looking to help speed them up.

OP posts:
GrimmaTheNome · 30/10/2010 22:14

YANBU.

You arrived in what should have been plenty of time to do what you'd told your son. Its not your fault that they weren't serving efficiently.

A cafe which wasn't part of a big chain just wouldn't have done this to you(well, none I've ever been in); starbucks needs to train its staff better and pay them 'drinking up time'.

Laquitar · 30/10/2010 22:14

You sound like a child.

aristocat · 30/10/2010 22:15

appaling behaviour by them, you should complain .... i agree with meglet if they were happy to serve you then they should be happy to allow you time to drink the drinks

coffee shop/restaurant staff will never finish their shift at closing time - it isnt possible of course their wage details are none of your concern as a paying customer

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:16

What will complaining do? Get me some vouchers for coffee?

I don't want vouchers for coffee, unless they are for Costa!

OP posts:
Appletrees · 30/10/2010 22:16

YANBU.

They are COMPLETELY bang out of order. Absolutely, no question, no room for debate.

HoneyIatethekidsdragon · 30/10/2010 22:17

I don't want to go to stat bucks now, if the only member of staff served till 6pm, and was unpaid from 6.01pm that means nothing is cleaned up, bins empty or anything till the next day....euuuurgh.

Actually I wouldn't want the morning shift either, you have all the earlybird customers and the other persons cleaning.

Appletrees · 30/10/2010 22:18

Stark, a refund plus. And you could get coffee in bags, or some insulated jugs. And demand an apology from the staff. Cakes, buns, a humble apology, take away stuff, crockery.

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:18

There were 3 staff, just one serving. Confused

OP posts:
Appletrees · 30/10/2010 22:19

Starbucks is a bit common really.

moondog · 30/10/2010 22:19

Take it up with HQ.
You will receive a grovelling apology.
No point wasting your breath on the worker bees.

HoneyIatethekidsdragon · 30/10/2010 22:20

WTF were the other 3 doing then?

aristocat · 30/10/2010 22:20

i would hope that they will apologise to you

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 30/10/2010 22:20

'Stark, a refund plus. And you could get coffee in bags, or some insulated jugs. And demand an apology from the staff. Cakes, buns, a humble apology, take away stuff, crockery'

LOL.....I'm not out for the get. I'll take an apology though, and that manager to be sent on customer service training, also be quite interested in the company reassuring me that they do in fact pay their staff after 6pm, as there is NO way they can leave at 6pm on the dot if they are still serving til then.

What about cashing up for one thing?

OP posts:
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