Dear Starbucks

Date    Transaction    Amount
11/27/2011     In Store Purchase     ($3.86)  

My less-than-satisfying experience today at store #876 points out something I’d like to bring to your attention and seems to be already addressed in various “my starbucks idea” postings:  Starbucks employees, in my own experience, are not trained regarding the Rewards program.

Examples:
1. When I buy a pound of coffee, most of the cashiers tell me I get a tall drip, that’s it, they can’t give me the tall drink of my choice.   I have to tell them, just ring up the tall triple mocha, and some don’t even bother to look at whether the full drink was credited or not.   It is particularly annoying when the cashier tells me with some impatience “you only get the tall drip, sir”.

2.  Today, I presented one of my cards for a French press, and I’m told by the manager on duty (at least she was the one wearing the red apron, everyone else was wearing green), that the french press is “so much more coffee” than the other drinks that she could not use the code to credit that drink.   What’s odd to me is I have ordered many french presses and used my “free drink card”, and have never had this problem, and many times it was at this very store #876. If cost is the issue, there are many drinks on the board showing at $4.75 (before tax), so what’s with prohibiting the use of the card toward the $3.60 french press ?!? 

I sometimes feel that I am advertising the Starbucks rewards program more than yourselves, which I would love to continue to do, but given the current poor level of training among cashiers, I am reluctant to do so because I will be proven an idiot even if I'm right (I don't need help in that area, thanks).
 
Summary: 
Starbucks is wasting great opportunities for long time supporters like myself, to point out benefits of buying Starbucks coffees and participating in the rewards program, because your own baristas and cashiers are poorly trained on the features of the rewards program and spout incorrect information.   Your inconsistent handling of the “free drink” postcards (or was it that the manager didn’t have her facts straight? - I suspect it’s just lack of training) makes it hard for me to enjoy the benefits, not knowing what to expect.   Poor handling of your loyal supporters, will simply make them not care if Starbucks does well or goes down the drain.

Angela's Cafe

Angela's Cafe, 131 Lexington Street, East Boston, MA
http://angelascaferestaurant.com/    (617) 567-4972   East Boston MA, 02128
 
open at 8am, even on Sunday - very pleasant environment inside once the metal shutters were raised, although parking could be an issue any time in East Boston.   self-described as Mexican, although there is probably a  variety of cultural representations in the area.

coffee:

mine:  Chilaquiles (see menu below for details)

Richard, assembling his Central American with churiso instead of ham - yep that's a plaintain:

red and green sauce:

Menu: