Blogger complains about his "ruined" Iced Caramel Macchiato (and has photos to back him up)

I'll point out before everyone else does: This happened at a licensed Starbucks location. The unhappy customer writes: "The stupid clerk who I will refer to as a clerk because he is surely not a barista.....put the caramel in a SEPARATE cup! Yes that is right, he filled the bottom of my cup with caramel.....then put another cup on top of the caramel.....then filled the cup with ice, milk and espresso." || Read "Stupidest Starbucks Employee Ruins My Iced Caramel Macchiato"

Comments

[j barista]

Oh no lets all over react and call the "barista" names. Look it happened and it is a mistake. This blogger should just leave it alone. Why post about it? As if it was an injustice to him personally. The barista obviously does not know how to make the drink and that is that. The blogger should tell the shift sup. or manager and leave it at that. Why do we have to blog about everything now?

[j barista]

Does this guy really have nothing better to do with his time than blog about this. I not even going to blame sbux gossip for posting this cause it is related (sort of) to the purpose of the blog. But the guy who took pictures and decided that his whole day was "ruined" needs to back off and let it go. I am sure it wasnt personal. It never is.

[wii master]

I do not think that this story is worth any of our valuable time and energy discussing in this forum. At what point did you feel this was a good idea? Slow Starbucks news day? No other negative topics out there for people to spew their pent up hate at?

Why don't we discuss the upcoming webcast of Starbucks 1Q earnings instead?

[TiredofThis]

Less Labor = Good earnings.

[Jim Romenesko]

>>>>Why don't we discuss the upcoming webcast of Starbucks 1Q earnings instead?

OK, let's start it.

What do you think about the upcoming webcast of the earnings, which we know nothing about at this point?

[gimmabreak]

safeway does not train their employees. Known fact. if you are so stressed over life, how the heck did you have time to post this drivel ?

[waltie]

"Does this guy really have nothing better to do with his time than blog about this."

Isn't that the point of a blog?

[LV]

Lol. Personally, I find it funny all around. Either the barista really had no clue, or he was trying to double cup it to keep it from being messy and forgot he already caramelled the second cup. Also, the person writing the blog really could have just poured the contents from the inside cup into the cup that had caramel on the bottom. Problem (somewhat) solved. No need to have your day ruined by a silly mistake. :)

[javagirl666]

Either way..you dont put caramel in the bottom of the cup.

[merganzi]

i might have done something like this on purpose to a customer who needed a good wake up call. lol. caramel in a seperate cup. that's inventive!

[vegan barista]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that the Bux was inside of a Safeway... Kidding, kidding. But all baristas should know the caramel doesn't go on the bottom of the cup.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

As a former Sbux partner, I am saddened and yet not surprised that nobody here, nobody, has even taken a second to empathize with this customer. Now, as just a consumer, I probably get an off drink 1-2 times a week, and it really, really pisses me off to drive away with a crappy drink. Just yesterday I was given a white mocha when I ordered a peppermint mocha. I suspect that there will be plenty of partners posting her that this is "no big deal". You know what, it is a big deal. That sense of entitlement is soooo 2007. Get with the program partners- my $25 a week in Starbucks spending should still feel valuable to you.

[A. Nony Mouse]

we get lots of requests for "caramel around the cup" though mostly for frappuccinos. maybe the barista misunderstood.

[Shifted]

@p.r.i.d.e: Wait, who's supposed to be the entitled one? Choke down the "crappy" white mocha while you're feeling superior to the third of the world's people who are starving today.
This happens twice a week and you haven't spoken to a manager about it? Your money is possibly valuable to *$, especially now that the luster is back on the brand, but not so much to the actual people who work there.

If the sense of entitlement is passe, why don't you change yours? Come on, it's no big deal, right?

[calm]

I actually think this is pretty funny.

[spence]

The customer is right. It is not earth shattering but still the customer is right.

[P.R.I.D.E.]

You know things have gone off the deep end when a partner is chastising a customer for coming in and purchasing a (incorrectly made) drink, saying that there are people starving in this world. Well, maybe then I should reconsider coming in at all anymore.

In response to your suggestion that I just "alert" the manager, you don't seem to get that often I may already be out of the parking lot, already late because wait times are excessive (but still worth it, as long as I get the right drink).

A margin of error that would be acceptable in my eyes, is maybe 1 out of every 15-20 drinks is wrong. In that case, sure, give partners the benefit of the doubt, we all remember what our first drink creations might have tasted like, no problem.

You also assume that I go to the same location every day, which I do not. So it's not necessarily consistent with one store, rather consistent within a region.

But again, all of this is tolerable in my mind because I understand the challenges of running a store (luckily for you, I'm a former partner, I would have been long gone if I were just a regular customer with no ties to the Bux).

What I DON'T understand is when someone gets the wrong drink, documents it, and has a legitimate complaint, and partners on here seem to think that this is not their fault.

And Shifted, I think you are kidding yourself that the "luster" of starbucks is already back. You have a LOT, I mean a LOT of work to do, in order to just remain competitive.

[BOSTON STARBUCKS REBEL]

Now that's legendary service for ya!

[me myself and I]

P.R.I.D.E, are you talking drive through, or cafe?
No matter what we do people keep grabbing the wrong drinks, run away with it and then complain about their drinks being done wrong (I obviously am not referring to the silly mistake the barista in the lead story made). I just hat a customer ordering a venti mocha, but at the handoff he grabbed the next drink, a tall SKCDL and ran away even before I could stop him. Sometimes it pays off to talk to your barista if you didn't hear him calling out your drink loud and clear.

[Jason Coffee]

#1 I think it is somewhat ridiculous that I could not comment on the original post unless I registered an account. But that is just a side note.

#2 The first thing I thought when I was part way through the article was the "clerk" was either ULTRA tired or they did it on purpose. I don't know about you but I have done some pretty weird things on 1 hour of sleep. Ever had your cell phone in your hand and mean while your looking all over for your phone saying, "Where's my cell phone?" Maybe you haven't but I have. So I can have some sympathy for the person. On the other hand if it was on purpose the manager should be made aware of the situation.

Either way I think the best thing to do in these types of situations is to tell the owner/manager about it and give them a chance to recover it with a free drink or gift card. In all likely hood the barista "clerk" would laugh and say, "I did that? Man I am so sorry!"

Funny situation to be in regardless though. I think I would have laughed out loud and then called the store.

Jason Coffee
Coffee Cup News

[ShiftMisto]

i have always believed that starbucks does more damage than good with licensed stores.

the safeway grocery bagger more than likely has no idea what he's doing, and did just that, with the best of intentions.

would you get your hair done by the desk clerk at the local Curves Fitness because they are in the same plaza? No. so why would you expect a great latte from a safeway attendant?

[Barista Ben]

stuff happens. It was probably just a silly mistake.

[Melody]

@JasonCoffee - I read the blog post too and wondered some of the same thoughts as you - Give them the chance to fix it. Buried deep in the comments to the blog, the blogger explains that he got in his car, leaving for work, and didn't notice soon enough to go back to the store.

I like P.R.I.D.E.S. attitude and think there should be some sympathy for a person who gets a wrong drink, but the real test is not at all about the drink, but rather how the baristas handle it when a customer says, "Please remake my drink..."

It's funny the mistakes that can be made. I recall one time ordering a Vivanno and I immediately took a sip as it passed to me at the bar. I exclaimed, "How odd this tastes kind of warm." The barista very spontaneously said, "Oh shoot I forgot the ice!!". It was a funny moment. She immediately remade the drink, and offered me a CSR coupon.

In this situation, we'll never know what would have happened if he'd immediately noticed, and brought it to the attention of the Safeway employee. So what we get is kind of half of a story where we can only guess what the real ending might have been.

@ShiftMisto - I'm not totally sure why people go to Safeway Starbucks, but once in a while it's the only nearby option. Yes, you're right that they do more harm to the brand than good.

[pHluid]

I always recover my customers and happily ask them to try their drink before they leave the store, if it's not right I will gladly remake the drink for them until they have something in their hand they absolutely love. It's worked pretty good for me but I end up remaking drinks other partners have made incorrectly more than my own. It's a great practice but I do think the customer has part responsibility in making sure they taste their beverage before they leave to ensure correctness. The other part of the responsibility is the partner ensuring they've done everything possible to make that drink to the individual customers liking.

[microgrind]

Cut any more labor and customers will just work the bar themselves. One person will run the store. They will come in turn on the lights and leave the beverage manual out. Customers can come in make their own drink and leave their money on the counter a la "Clerks". End of day partner returns to store. Counts up all the money and turns out lights.

[soydork]

Hahaha! @microgrind, that's the funniest thing i've heard in a while, and sadly close to the reality of my store! so many customers tell us how to do the job/ make the drinks anyways, why not just let them have at it?
i agree that this caramel macchiato may have a reasonable explanation, but really, people need to stop expecting licensed stores to be anything close to real starbucks. that's another sad truth.

[(former) FLA SM]

I'm not even supposed to be here today!

[Cubical Drone]

Anyone else notice that the biggest douche bag customers tend to be Caramel Macchiato people? I know at the CCC as soon as you hear someone whining about a drink being made incorrectly, there is a 80% chance the person was ordering a caramel macchiato, extra caramel but not too much....

Never be a caramel macchiato person.

[Polish Power!]

Maybe the "Barista" was from Poland, that's a Polish Caramel Macchiato where I'm from!!

[Admiral70]

I have to ask you all. Why shouldn't he post about his experience? As a regular customer I believe we have a right to share our experience with whomever.

I do think he should have taken it up with the Store Manager later or go online and submit a complaint. Of course I am also one who will submit feedback both good and negative to Starbucks. Also the kind of customer that adds the names of those that have given me good service to the feedback.

It is amazing how customer service is going by the waist side these days. Not all with Starbucks (or I will comment ;) either so many retailers just act like there the only game in town. NOT!!!

This guy has a right to vent I am thankful he did not put the persons name and then bash them.

[ex barista]

I'm drinking my iced caramel macchiato as I read this thread and laughing hysterically. For one, there clearly is caramel in the macchiato; you can see it on the side of the cup in the pictures. Second, the blogger drank the entire thing before realizing the mistake; it must not have affected the taste all that much then. Third, it's possible that the partner realized he put the caramel in one cup then did the milk, ice and espresso in a different cup (or it could have been two partners not communicating). Yes, it's silly to have stacked the two cups, but the caramel cup gets tossed regardless.

[banter]

I am a barista, and have been for quite a long time. This was a silly mistake, I'll give you that...however: it is entirely possible that this kid was new, was poorly trained, or any number of things. This customer has a right to be miffed. I would be...but I don't think it would mean so much to me as to write a rant about how stupid this kid is.

Perhaps I'm getting a little jaded...but I am rather sick of garbage. I bend over backwards to make people happy at work. If they order wrong, and get their drink, and it's not what they want...I remake it. If they think they waited fifteen minutes, and they really didn't, I agree with them, and compensate them within my means. If they yell, I smile. If there are any problems, I handle them while being polite and calm. Yet, if we make a mistake...if the barista working makes a mistake...there is no mercy. I would like to point out that this is coffee, folks. It is not a medical procedure that you could not live without. Although I am donning this green apron, it does not mean that when I put it on, I become God-like, and therefore am perfect. I make mistakes. And if you tell me, I will fix them. If you don't, I can't help you. From time to time, we slip up. Maybe we are tired. Maybe we haven't had any of our breaks today. Maybe we are stressed out, maybe something catastrophic has happened in our lives... All I'm saying, is that someone could be empathetic with the employee here.

[ashley]

haha well clearly this guy was a straight guy. they never understand how to do anything! i work with 3 straight guys all of which who have been with starbucks for 2 plus years and they still have to be babysat. oh and a safeway store isnt even trained with the same material that corp starbucks are. i think all starbucks inside stores and such should be closed. and this is a fine reason why