Kamila K.
Yelp
Update (8/1): Bluestone reached out personally to kindly apologize for the situation and that they will provide education to their employees to prevent future interactions as this one. They warmly invited us back and we do intend to give them a second chance.
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Hospitality seems to be lacking at the Bluestone Lane Dumbo location, as echoed by other reviewers. My partner and I visited on a rainy morning, hoping to warm up with hot coffee, only to be met with a frustrating experience.
We received a notification from Bluestone Lane about a reward for "one free barista beverage." The notification asked us to choose between redeeming the reward via mobile app or in-store. We chose in-store and received a code for the cashier to enter. Sounds simple enough, right? Or so we thought.
We walked into the store and ordered a large flat white, intending to use the reward. The cashier immediately said they couldn't redeem rewards in-store and suggested switching to the mobile-app option, which was no longer possible. She insisted they had no way to enter reward codes but would ask her manager. The manager, informed her they couldn't redeem in-store rewards. We persisted, explaining we've done this before at this location, and she agreed to get the manager again.
The manager, visibly reluctant, approached us. He asked to see the reward and what we wanted to order. We specified one large flat white with half and half. He asked for the in-store code, which we provided (something the cashier didn't even attempt to do). To no surprise, the coupon worked. However, when the drink was ready, it was a small flat white instead of a large.
We mentioned the mistake to the manager, who we saw make the drink himself. He defensively claimed our reward was only good for a small beverage. We checked our reward, still open on our phone, and saw no mention of a size restriction. We showed this to the manager, who rudely stated, "well, on my screen it said it can only be a small." If that's true, then 1) why did he ask us what size we wanted, and 2) why not inform us while placing the order? This information should not come after the fact. He didn't even provide a receipt for us to check the order.
My partner pointed out the lack of transparency about what the manager "saw on his screen" versus what we ordered with him. We reiterated that the only condition was the drink could be "up to $5." If the cost exceeds $5, customers simply pay the difference, which we would have gladly done. A large flat white is $5.40 + tax. Instead of apologizing or explaining, the manager was rude and raised his voice, making a scene.
As someone with nearly a decade of experience in customer service management, I know the importance of delighting the customer and maintaining professionalism. This manager's behavior was unprofessional and disappointing. He reluctantly remade the drink to the correct size.
We love Bluestone Lane and have had positive experiences at other locations with well-trained staff. However, the Dumbo location's current management and staff clearly do not prioritize customer service or proper handling of promotions. It's disheartening to see such a decline in quality at a place we once enjoyed.
