Starbucks St Albans SHAME ON YOU!

[StarkAndWitchesWillFindYou]

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!

Is this still rolling?

OP had to drink her coffee faster than suited her. She didn't get turned away from A&E with a bleeding from the eyes DC.

Where is Scottishmummy to pour cold water on this?

Oh yes lets play the I have a disabled child card, jolly good fun.
The world is only mean to me because I have a ....

She went in to a shop that was closing, was told it was closing, for most people not a big bloody deal, not the end of the world, but it made her* child have a melt down, that is no ones problem but hers^ so leave the starbucks staff alone and instead of saying call the press, the TV the queen just get over it FFS or stay home and have milkshake

Trillian..could you sound any more bitchy? I think not.

The OP has made a mountain out of a molehill.
All she was asked to was leave a shop after closing time, so what?

all she did was post a mildly pissed off rant at the rudeness of the staff on here, hardly "making a mountain out of a molehill".

stark let us know the outcome of your complaint - I think many of us would expect to have drinking up time under the circumstances and can see your point. Wouldn't bother running it past this lot as opinion bound to be divided.

Don't bother - some of us have real life problems to deal with.

who rattled your cage?

Why not just go for an e-mail saying you weren't very happy, and giving constructive suggestions? For example, if you are closing soon and there's a long queue, please let customers know that it's take-away only.

The cafe I used to work in had it right, I think. We stopped serving half an hour before we actually wanted people to leave. After about twenty minutes of this half hour had elapsed, a member of staff or two would make their way around and - very politely, with a smile - let people know that we were closing shortly. Worked really well, people didn't feel they were just being chucked out. Can't say we never had any people whingeing, but there weren't many.

Oh, I should add we also had a sign outside saying when last orders were.

OP - YANBU

I went into a Farm Shop Cafe the other day, it said 'Close at 4', 3.40 I ordered a coffee, it took them ages to make it and bring it over - they had started mopping, putting chairs up etc and at 4 they turned the lights out. I thought it was really rude. If they want to lock the doors & leave at 4, they need to 'close' earlier or at least tell you that you can't actually drink the drink you have just paid for.

IMO ordering a drink (no-one else at the counter) 20 minutes before they close should be fine and I shouldn't have to wait 10-15 minutes for it, then be rudely shuffled out of the door.

FFS is this still going on? What is wrong with people?
You go just before 6pm to a coffee shop with children (one of them SN) and it doesn't cross your mind to ask them if they are about to close?? This is not 'Little Italy' in Soho, it is Sturbucks in St.Albans. Of course it is going to close soon, shocking?

Lets say they let you stay while they are cleaning. Apart from the noise from closing machines, buckets and mop on the floor, smell of bleach etc what if your children need the toilet while the staff are there cleaning it? And what about the wet floor?

Where is common sense and personal respobility? They tell you they are closing in 2 minutes and you still buy the drinks and expect to sit there as long as you like with children? And then you blame the staff?

responsibility

i went to a cafe in a marina the other day, it was past six, we ordered and the waitress said very nice: you8 can order and have a sit, but i am afraid i will have to ask you to leave in 20 minutes, is that ok?

we cleared our table in good time and took the dishes to the bar.

i don't think that was the case here

stark if you are house hunting again in St Albans and you want a coffee, come round to mine. (think we chatted about schools for SEN recently?)

spark, i think she is absolutely right to rant, i probably would be complaining to the company too.