Bitter to the last gritty drop; and I don't just mean the coffee. (Starbucks)

Member Name: TheViolinist

Product:	Starbucks
Date:	15/07/08 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nothing that you can't find elsewhere.

Disadvantages: Horrendous prices, ignorant service, terrible products.

The thing that bothers me about ridiculously large companies is that I often find them resting on their laurels while their quality slips drastically. This does not hold true for all large companies, but after a number of - frankly - shocking visits to Starbucks I can say that it does hold true for them.


-Shop-

Okay, as I enter, I'm left in no doubt whatsoever that I have indeed entered a Starbucks cafe. This is because they have helpfully affixed their logo to pretty much everything here; they'd probably start stickering the customers if they sat still long enough. Under other considerations, however, it is unsurprising that this cafe makes great use of its name, because it is really the only thing it has going for it.

The cafe itself is quite neat and stylized, but I'd rather save a few pounds and sit on a park bench to be perfectly honest.


-Service-

In this country, we have a - perhaps obscure - logic of waiting in queues and being served in the order that we join the line. Unfortunately it would appear this concept is too much to comprehend for Starbucks, who believe that it is perfectly acceptable to take your order and then serve the person behind you first.
I could perhaps understand this if I had ordered boiled hippopotamuses with chocolate sprinkles; but as it happens, I had ordered a humble Capaucinno, while the person behind me (who was served first) had ordered a tripple deluxe mega uber hot chocolate made with chocolate shipped specially from Cuba, with chocolate sauce administered so slowly and carefully that they could put a brain surgeon to shame.

Apparently they don't function on 'first come first serve', but 'pay more first serve' which just about sums up the ethics of this greedy company.

I made an official complaint about this on their website and never heard back from them.


-Products-

When I actually got my drink (thank you very much) not only was it cold, but it didn't taste much like coffee at all. In fact, it didn't taste of anything except water with milk in it. Dreadful!

Now I am somewhat of a coffee connoisseur; I've imported ground coffees from all over the world, but at the same time I wouldn't say I was especially picky either; the instant stuff does nicely when I simply can't be bothered or don't want to be awake for a fortnight.


-Prices-

Okay, so I'm sure that some of you see me as thinking that if something isn't free, it's too expensive; what can I say, I'm a student. I do, however, believe that a price should be consistent to quality, otherwise it is nothing short of daylight robbery.

Their prices are, in a word, horrendous. Even the simple items are almost double the price of local cafes (including the cappucinno from hell that I mentioned earlier). It is unlikely that I will be sampling any of their specialty products anytime soon unless I win the lottery or inherit an obscene amount of money from a mystery uncle.

Also, the pricing for many of their items are 'sit in' or 'take out'. Apparently it's not enough to rip you off for dreadful products; they want you to buy the tables and chairs too!


-Conclusion-

This cafe has a lot to learn about consumer satisfaction. The prices are horrendous, the staff are ignorant and the whole feel of the place is artificial. Starbucks coffee may have been good once, but no more.

Don't get me wrong; I always try to find at least something positive, but sadly none come to mind, at least nothing that you couldn't find at your friendly local café where your business would probably see far greater appreciation.

Summary: Only Starschmucks drink at Starbucks?