Hunter Robbins
Google
Service at Madison Park Starbucks has become terrible over the 6-9 months. I understand that COVID took a toll on everyone, but businesses have had long enough to adapt. I thought perhaps it was just my attitude, but my wife has also noticed - through the frustration of wrong orders, unfilled cups, etc. She simply stopped visiting this Starbucks months ago.
Sadly, service at Madison Park Starbucks has become unbearable. I've had a growing sense of dread ordering my neighborhood SBs for many months. Not even discreetly trying to bring this up with the manager or assistant manager has rectified the situation. What makes posting this review very sad is that for many, many years... Madison Park Starbucks was the gold standard, even through the worst of the pandemic. (See my previous review.)
That excellence has disappeared.
I have lost count - well into to the 20s of the number of times drinks have not been filled to the top. Starbucks charges a premium price, so the drinks should be full, right? I don't seem to have this problem at any other Starbucks.
I often order a venti Frappuccino, which more times than is prepared with about 1 inch remaining to be filled in the cup. A few weeks ago I I asked if I could have it remade when the staff person said to me, "We measure these things out so that's why it's not full. Sorry."
No, dear readers, she did not remake the drink. I have changed my name on my app to read, "Fill-to-top".
It's really weird how these drinks are always filled to the top at any other Starbucks. Maybe other Starbucks sites are doing it wrong.
Lately, I've been going to a completely different Starbucks, which is definitely out of my way, but at least consistently correctly. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of ordering from Madison Park Starbucks today. I waited for my mobile-order drink and a young woman put it on the counter for me without a lid. (The lids were right next to where she placed the drink.) It would be awkward for me to simply reach around into their work area and grab a lid, so I politely asked for one. She said, "You can get a lid over there...", motioning across the store.
By "over there", she met 20+ feet away from where she was standing, which was only 12 inches next to a bevy of lids on her side of the counter.
When I got halfway home I realized that the breakfast sandwich I ordered was missing half the bun. I couldn't have lost it because it was still in the sealed wrapper. (See photo!) Oy vey!
I return to the store to ask for a replacement. I said to the SB partner there that it was a bit of a comical day. I was trying to be generously nice, despite my frustration. I whimsically explained the weird lid situation. The person helping me explain that it's Starbucks' policy to not provide lids or straws with beverage orders as a way to encourage people to use less plastic.
Great, except that I saw other lids being put on cups while I was standing there talking to her, and when my original drink was put on the counter.
The staff members' explanation is weird because it certainly doesn't explain why they couldn't just give me a lid 12 inches away from their hands when I asked for one.
I think I detected a bit of smugness in her response. As a regular practitioner of smugness, I recognize it when I hear it. Hats off to her because I do enjoy getting it dished back to me once in a while. Today, not so much.
Perhaps Starbucks should have staff explain to people why they're not getting lids or refuse to give them one if requested while standing 12 inches from lids on their side of the counter.
Why are there even lids in their work area if they're not going to be handing them out anymore, expect the customers to walk across the store to get their own This seems a little ironic to me.
We live in a litigious society. It's just a matter of time before a hot beverage spills on some parent's child because they had to walk across a crowded store to get a lid, but spilled on their child.
Doesn't Starbucks already have enough negative PR?
