To not be suprised AT ALL about Costa?

[AlexanderHalexander]

Couldn't see another thread on this, despite looking.

www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/03/costa-coffee-to-cut-1600-jobs-as-covid-19-takes-toll-on-cafes

I go for takeout coffee quite frequently. Since lockdown I've been in Costa twice, both times it was so stressful, rude staff barking orders, being shouted at across the store for standing 1 inch to close to someone in the queue (despite standing on the markers!). The staff were slow and made one order at a time, meaning loads of people left the queue. And you could only get somewhere to sit once you had your FULL order, really stressful with children.

I've been to Starbucks and it's really chilled, smiling staff and no stress despite loads of customers, people served quickly.

AIBU to think Costa has handled the post-covid return badly, and not to be surprised their revenue has plummeted?

Their coffee is pretty awful. They have almost as many outlets as Gregg's in some places (except Newcastle and Sunderland City centres :o) but they don't have the queues out the door that Gregg's has.

I’ve been about 5 times since lockdown (my town has 3) but after the last trip where I saw other customers being told off and then staff backbiting about them I’m not sure it’s the type of company I want to support.

They make up the rules and expect customers to know the rules.

@Thelittleweasel I get that, but I genuinely have found that the service in Starbucks, Nero and independents is much faster, the person on the till and the person making the drinks work independently and multiple orders are made simultaneously, even post Covid. Why don’t Costa do that, the staff must be getting paid the same as the others?

I quite like Costa. Indy coffee shops around me don't tend to have space for my pushchair. They often carry my coffee to my table when I have the DC (the only other place that does that is Debenhams!) and when I've been since Covid they took me to a table with the pushchair before taking my order, which was handy.

Must admit my daughters and I went to a large Costa in a retail park recently on eat out to help out and other than waiting a while for our iced drinks I couldn’t complain at all.

I don't fall for the over priced coffee craze. I make my own coffee and tea and it is better quality, a fraction of the price, more hygienic and better for the environment. We should all go back to the time when we could go into a town or go to work without feeling the need to gasp for an expensive branded coffee that puts big profits in a mega-corporations profit line.

Costa is seriously overrated. I haven't been in years - overpriced (bad) coffee, their hot chocolates are terrible, their food offerings are mediocre at best.

Their shops are like noisy canteens - I would urge everyone to avoid at all costs.

It's all subjective isn't it. I really like Costa coffee and they serve nice cakes etc. If you ask for cappuccino in Starbucks you get about 1/3 coffee and 3/4 foam.

I feel sorry for anyone working in hospitality. We went to Costa at the weekend, which was full, and they were having to cope with people refusing to wear masks, coughing at the counter, rudely refusing to complete track and trace details. Not surprised there’s increasing complaints that staff in cafes and restaurants are rude. I wouldn’t last the day working in that environment.

@universallychallanged
I agree 100%.

We’d all do well to vote with our feet (or our £)!

We have had good recent experiences in Costa so maybe it depends on the location. Clean environment and pleasant staff who might have been a little bit on the slow side maybe but it didn't really bother that much but I do prefer Cafe Nero or an independent, overall.

I much prefer my local independent coffee shop. Their coffee is out of this world.

Costa is okay in a caffeine emergency when you're on the road but otherwise I avoid them.

Having worked for Costa for 8+ years I can honestly say it's an amazing company to work for. Please don't judge all staff and the company in general because of a few stores! They've been fantastic to their staff during the covid pandemic and unfortunately we simply aren't taking the money needed now we're reopening and innocent people are losing their jobs!

Absolutely love Costa and never had a bad experience. Our two local ones clean tables before you can sit down. They also make sure you use track and trace at the moment and the few who were unaware were sent off with a free takeout order. Honestly can't fault them. Local coffee shops sell lattes and its weak coffee with milk in it. Yuck.

I am far from a coffee aficionado as I don't drink it, but none of my friends will set foot in a Costa. It's the Little Chef of coffee shops.

Yes, ours always has sticky tables too...

Who pays £3+ for a coffee.....anywhere? DOH...more money than sense. No wonder employees want to continue wfh, its saved them a packet on oneupmanship designer coffees.

I like our local Costa and the people who work there.

However, they were the last cafe on our High St to re-open for take-away, and they are still not getting food deliveries reliably, there are only paninis in stock every few days.

@InDeoEstMeaFiducia

Maccie D's coffee is delicious!

I agree. The only coffee I will buy.

I quite like my local Costa, it’s clean, staff are friendly, for a relatively small shop they are well spaced out and have reopened quickly and managed all the distancing rules well, plus their flat whites are nice. Starbucks is on the other hand dark, dingy, never has had enough tables (pre lockdown) and a bit dirty. Plus the coffee is basically frothy milk with a smidgen of coffee. Don’t even start me on the ridiculous name on cup thing!

Meh. I quite like Costa and have started buying Frostino coffees there ever since one of our local indy coffee places stopped managing to make anything halfway acceptable to being an ice-blended coffee. I find the hot coffee fine too, but then I'm not a coffee snob. Our local Costa was slow to reopen but got it right first time with signage, waiting areas and one-way. They didn't open up seating for quite a while, so I think they were being cautious and taking their time. The staff are friendly and it's pretty quick. I see it as a good place for local people to work, and our indy coffee shops appear to be bullet-proof, so I no longer feel guilty about getting the occasional drink there.

YANBU, Costa sucks. Coffee sucks, food sucks, customer service sucks. Much prefer independent.

I LOVE Costa but their latest special blends I have found revolting!

Costa had the franchise for both my local hospitals.I was forced to use them during my time spent with my now late husband during his many admissions and the days before he left us.
I had no other choice when I was desperate for a hot drink and sandwich etc. I got my family to bring in food a lot as I just got sick of their overpriced stuff and foul tasting coffee.
Now the very name just makes me shudder.