No food, just whine


UPDATE 10/22: Well, I received two free drink coupons in the mail from Starbucks Corporate… I did go on their site and complain. They indicated that Dedham would be notified of my (anonymous) complaint. So, I went back to Dedham this morning and used the coupon. There were several new employees working, who all seemed to be nice. The granny-glasses girl was there and was still her usual (how shall we put it) “moody” self. Whatever… clearly she is just a miserable person… and if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have two free drinks!

I am PO’d and I need to write about it. I HATE the Dedham Starbucks. And I hate having to dish on Starbucks, as I am a big fan; however, I am fed up. This has been a big downer week for me as far as Starbucks goes.

First, I find out (via my mother no less) that SB hot cups are NOT RECYCLABLE. Then today, I have yet again another bad experience at the Dedham Starbucks.

Let me begin by saying that “my Starbucks” is the West Roxbury branch, which I have frequented on almost a daily basis since it opened a few years ago. Even though I generally have a good experience there (do not get me started on the older woman with the ponytail), I sometimes go to the Dedham branch. The Dedham branch has a drive-thru and I am lazy; they are also the only SB around here that serves the cold sandwiches and salads, of which I have always been a fan.

Every time I go to this Starbucks, I regret it. I would have to estimate that at least 30% of the time, the drive-thru gets my drink wrong. I am sure if I ordered something straight off the menu these morons could get it right. Forget about it if you have even the most minor of customizations. My drink is an Iced Grande Non-Fat Caramel Macchiato – with sugar-free vanilla and extra caramel. The sugar-free is a substitute for the regular vanilla, so there is no charge. Starbucks also does not charge for extra caramel in a drink that already contains it. At this location, I have to double-check the price every time I order… as they are constantly trying to charge me for these items, adding an additional $0.65 on top of an already $3.94 drink! I do not know what the problem is… either the management sucks, the training is awful or this store is doing a poor job with hiring.

Another issue is more often than not, there is residual coffee under the lip of the lid, so that when I grab the cup from the drive-thru window, it inevitably drips all over my clothing. ANNOYING… How hard is it to put a dome lid on a cold cup that is too full???

Next, the staff is horrendous. They are ridiculously slow — especially when you actually go in. I once waited (I kid you not) FIVE MINUTES for the Barista to even begin making my drink… and I was the only person in there! They were lolling around, talking, wiping the counters, etc. I finally had to say something. You would have though that I actually asked them to do their job or something…

Not only are they slow and incompetent, but they are rude. Some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. There is one woman in particular who is downright unfriendly and mean. I was lucky enough to have this woman get my coffee this morning and be her usual “friendly” self.

I just do not get people like her. She never smiles, she makes you feel like she is doing you a favor, she gets annoyed when you want her to actually help you and she never says thank you when she hands you your drink… she slaps it on the counter without calling out whose it is! I am going to do a big no-no and actually describe this woman. I am usually not a tattletale, however, this woman has been rude to me so many times that I am done dealing with her. She is in her mid-twenties, often wears her hair in a short phony tail and wears granny-like glasses (she’s the one with the severe grimmace on her face). If you ever read this Barista girl, you need a serious attitude adjustment! It is because of people like you that I do not ever want to go to your store again! I wonder what the Starbucks home office would think about that? Hmmm… hopefully they have a customer feedback form on the Starbucks website.

On a final note… I need to dig Starbucks in general. What the heck is the deal with how the cold sandwiches, salads and platters have changed (for the worse) over time? When these items first came out, the quality and quantity were superb. This morning, I got the Fruit and Cheese Plate (for $5.25) and it had 4 slices of apple (that were badly bruised and marred), a disgusting slice of orange (that looked like it had been chewed):a handful of rotten grapes and 3 slices of slightly soggy fruit and nut bread. On the cheese side, there were two cubes of some type of herb cheese (no joke, there used to be 7 or 8 of these), a small triangle of dried up cheddar (about 30% the size of what it used to be) and a wedge of brie (about 50% the previous size). Today was NOT a good day for me at Starbucks…

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