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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:
Brollyflower · 31/10/2010 00:16

Now I know and comprehend their "mission" the next time I am in Starbucks my expectations will be higher. I will expect human connection from the staff when I am screaming at my toddler. I will go in full of anticipation at having my spirits uplifted, depsite being covered in snot, dripping with rain and about to endure an argument about how many cakes I am prepared to buy.

Nah. I'd just settle for them wiping the flippin tables of sticky coffee and clearing away the mugs before I sit down. Oh, and maybe serving a bit faster, as I'm usually on my own with a small child or two and hanging out in a big long queue is not their favourite thing and not that relaxing or uplifting an experience for me either. I have never visited the St Alban's branch.

Brollyflower · 31/10/2010 00:19

Oh I can so feel your pain from your last post OP Sad. I would have been stressed and sweating in such a situation Sad. Time pressure and toddlers = disaster, especially when you then throw tiredness, marshmallows and autism into the mix.

I am beginning to think Starbucks (St Albans and my local branch) don't see toddlers as their core customers.

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 31/10/2010 00:25

LOL. I used to work for McDs. They see children as their future customers.

The only organisation in this country that looks at the long term gains of investment now Grin

They're going to take over the world I tell you..........

OP posts:
Brollyflower · 31/10/2010 00:28

LOL

Dh said that according to his friends/colleagues he thinks they do live up to most of their mission. He then commented that perhaps their environmental track record might not be as good as it is perceived to be. I can't be bothered looking that up now. I do know lots of people who boycott them... and McDs... and Tesco...

fairycake123 · 31/10/2010 00:56

It does sound like you had shit service - it wouldn't have killed them to just let you take your time, especially when they could see that your son was distressed.

But I have to say that the expressions "the customer is always right" and "the customer is king" make me want to fucking spew. No, the customer is often not only wrong, but a stupid, rude asshole to boot.

I absolutely don't think the OP was one, at all, but I occasionally have to serve imperious, self-satisfied wankers who believe that just because they're sitting down and I'm standing up, they can speak to me however they want, do no wrong, and expect me to take whatever shit they throw at me and carry on smiling and bowing and scraping, and I hate them. And so does pretty much everyone else I have ever met in catering.

fairycake123 · 31/10/2010 00:56

I just got home from a pretty shitty shift - does it show? Grin

dinosaurinmybelly · 31/10/2010 01:26

YANBU. You should certainly voice your complaint to the head office and let us know how you get on! It is unacceptable that staff should be so rude after a miscommunication. It doesn't matter who was at fault for the misunderstanding - rudeness should not be tolerated especially in front of children.

SlackSally · 31/10/2010 01:59

Fairy, no it wouldn't have killed them, but they would have been working with no pay. They're almost certainly on minimum wage, why should they stay a second after their shift finishes?

Obviously unpleasant for the OP and her DC that he was distressed but that's not the fault or, to be blunt, the problem of the worker.

I understand all the stuff about getting there earlier, but OP stated that her DH had been told they were closing soon. Surely that is a warning that they wouldn't be able to hang around? Surely you'd be extra careful if you knew that your DC would be likely to become distressed?

Tortington · 31/10/2010 01:18

if you want to ginish your shift on time, you dont sell drinks to people 5 mins earlier - makes sense.

MaMoTTaT · 31/10/2010 01:21

exactly Custy - and has been stated I believe most eating/drinking establishments employ their staff until a least a little later than "closing" time.

ItsGhoulAgain · 31/10/2010 02:19

They told DH they were closing in 2 minutes. Whenever I've been in that situation, I've asked if I'll have time to drink/eat at my table. I think you made a bit of a mistake - and the 'miscommunication' may well have been that the barista meant "Don't order if you don't want to, we don't mind if you sit your kids down for a few minutes".

This really does look like an honest misunderstanding to me. Still, if you send Starbucks a link to your thread, they might offer you a more relaxed family break on the house [hgrin]
Hope so!

ItsGhoulAgain · 31/10/2010 02:26

ps: How did the house-hunting go?

ilovesooty · 31/10/2010 02:38

"OP stated that her DH had been told they were closing soon. Surely that is a warning that they wouldn't be able to hang around? Surely you'd be extra careful if you knew that your DC would be likely to become distressed?"

I think I'd see it that way too: and the serving in takeaway cups would indicate that the staff weren't expecting them to stay.

Original poster
StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou · 31/10/2010 09:00

Oh not great. It seems we can afford a teeny tiny 1 bedroom house in the area we want with no parking or garden for £100k more than we sell our current 3 bed hous with garage and garden.

OP posts:
SpookyMousePink · 31/10/2010 09:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RunawayPumpkin · 31/10/2010 09:21

I think if they told you they were closing and gave you drinks in take out cups then it was quite clear.
They can not be expected to stay open for you just because you told your son he could sit there and have his drink.

That said I have often been is starbucks after closing time, the staff clean round me if I have not finished my drink, I don't know if the fact I am in there a lot and they know me has anything to do with it, but in my local starbucks they will let you sit there and finish your drink while they clear away, as long as you don't drag it out iyswim.

SpookyMousePink · 31/10/2010 09:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SpookyMousePink · 31/10/2010 09:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lisianthus · 31/10/2010 09:55

I agree with Spookymouse. This was a really bad way to treat a customer and very rude. THEY are the ones who should have been clear that you would only have two minutes to drink and eat before they threw you out after having queued and paid to sit down.

If the barista's pay arrangements are such a problem for her, she needs to complain to management, not take it out on the customers. She should also have stopped serving 15-20 mins before starting to throw people out.

As SM says, Starbucks frequently run out of those mugs, takeaway cups wouldn't mean anything.

I will be most interested to hear how you get on with management.

elinorbellowed · 31/10/2010 10:02

I avoid Starbucks in places where they take custom from independent coffee shops but sometimes go in one when there is no choice. Once they forgot my drink and gave me a free one when I reminded them. Once I ordered five minutes before closing and the barista told me to sit down and checked with me before cleaning around me. Think service must vary and I don't think the op got particularly good service. However, you cannot expect good service from people who are paid and treated so appallingly by big chains and should therefore drink elsewhere.

whomovedmychocolate · 31/10/2010 10:30

This is the reason the supermarkets put big 'this checkout is now closing please use another' signs though, people become invested once they join a queue.

You should complain because they can learn from this (and so can you find a better coffee shop). And then hopefully in six months it won't be like de ja vu on Mumsnet when this happens again. :)

edam · 31/10/2010 11:13

I like that phrase, WMC. And v. good point about them not telling the queue. Really irritating when you queue for something but only get given a very important piece of information once you get to the front.

JoBettany · 31/10/2010 11:28

I'm sorry but I do think YABU.

I think it was a horrible situation for you to be in with your DS but I think there were mistakes/misunderstandings on all sides.

It is never good when an anticipated treat goes wrong but looking for someone to blame is, IMO, pointless.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 31/10/2010 13:11

On the other hand, it's very helpful if companies are informed when things go wrong so that they can ensure that staff don't repeat the same mistake.

Someone made a good point earlier - when a bar closes it allows customers the time to finish their drink. When a restaurant closes it's kitchen, it allows diners to time to finish their meal. It sounds as if the staff here wanted to be away for a night out or something, so had decided to clear the coffee shop of customers come hell or high water. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that.

Brollyflower · 31/10/2010 14:05

From their website:

Contact Starbucks

We love hearing from our customers, all questions, comments and feedback are always welcome. They help us to ensure to that every Starbucks experience you have is the best it can be. We're on Facebook too, so please feel free to leave your comments on our page at www.facebook.com/StarbucksUK

Customer Care

You can call us on 020 8834 5050 ? we?re here to help Monday to Friday 8:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 16:00. Alternatively, you can send us an email to [email protected], and we?ll do our best to reply as quickly as possible.

If you would like to contact us by post, please direct your questions and comments to: Customer Care, Starbucks Coffee Company, Building 4 Chiswick Park, 566 Chiswick High Road, London, W4 5YE.