Starbucks

I went to this Starbucks a few days ago and was not happy with my service.
The cashier first told my hubby they were out of blonde roast and didn’t even bother to ask if he wanted a drip. So, he asked for one. Which is like every other Starbucks we go to. Then I ordered my drink and the barista told me I was saying it wrong. I should say white mocha first so she is able to write it correctly. Actually if she had a cup and sharpie in order to write it correctly I wouldn’t need to do that. I mean how rude and inappropriate to say that.
Honestly, I’ve received better customer service in San Francisco the eight times I went and ive done a lot of shopping there and not one complaint. Customer service in Alberta used to be awesome. Now, not so much.

I am originally from Toronto, so I have experienced Starbucks at almost every nook and crany there… Every time I would want to order something from them, they would have proper number of staff and every order was timed (as is in Tim Horton’s) in order to keep the customers happy and served properly.
I guess you could say that the people working in these shops aren’t very «passionate» about coffee, but are rather just working as part time to support themselves (or immediate family) which is alright by me, so on occasion (very rarely) I would give a pass to an underwhelming service (which I rarely experienced in Toronto) because of cutthroat competition all over the place and everyone vying for your dollars.
Here, in Calgary however, it seems that competition either doesn’t exist or is in such small quantities that no one really gives a jack! :D Maybe that’s a good thing? Not all the time though.
Anyways, Toronto was just given as a comparison. This particular Starbucks (as other reviews also outline) is severely understaffed. There is always some kind of shortage of food orders, and then there are the drive-​through line-​ups…
I wanted to get Veggie Fontiago from here on many occasions (even coming in nice and early in the morning) only to be turned down (this happened at least 3 times; that I can count on top of my head).
The redeeming quality is of the friendliness of the staff and the care they take to prepare your order which is commendable!
But again, that’s not an excuse for someone who might be slightly short on time and would want just a quick «pick me up» (if you will) similar to what Tim Horton’s does to its customers…
I would recommend based on the quality of service and the small coffee shop atmosphere it provides (or if you’re writing a novel and want free WiFi!!!) but other than that, don’t come here to waste your precious time. No one in the world has that much free time!

The boys and I came in at 7:40am to pick up a single large green container of coffee for forty referees and volunteers at a Taekwondo tournament (the order had been placed the day before). We needed to be at the venue (which was five minutes away) by 8:00am to make sure everyone had their coffee and snacks before the tournament started at 9:00 am. The barista greeted me pleasantly but was slightly flustered since she hadn’t even started to prepare our order yet. She informed me that the order would be ready by 8:00 am. Okay, so they were slightly behind schedule — no problem, I guess… There was free wifi there, so I decided to read the news.
It was 8:15am when our order was ready. I thought Starbucks baristas also undergo some time management training, but this skill is sorely lacking at this location… They included a large bag of coffee cups, sugars, and cream (which ran out before the coffee did — we were only given one large cup each of half and half and full cream), but forgot to pack lids for the coffee cups!

I go here… Because I have to. It’s an addiction. Through and through.
The baristas are nice, the pastry case is almost always empty (therefore my sweet touch is always aching). Their drinks are on point, but service is slow at times as they have a drive thru as well. Often I find this location understaffed no matter what time I come.
I’m sure I’ll be back to this location… Maybe within the day again. Gotta get my fix ;)

Love the service and friendly baristas! This place is always packed, but they have renovations coming soon (even they are looking forward to it) so there is only so much they can do.

I have no reason to ever go back here. Especially when another Starbucks is within 5 km.
As a Starbucks enthusiast/​obsessor/​lover I realise that it’s a perfectly brewed drink, fantastic service and a nice atmosphere that has me handing over all my money.
This Starbucks location hurts their overall brand. The service rivals the worst I’ve received in Calgary. Sure our order had 6 drinks — but isn’t that a good thing? Shouldn’t business be great enough where so many people want your drinks??? I felt extremely under valued and appreciated as a customer. And further, the overall service from the barista was down right rude.
I recommend visiting another location — not worth the attitude here. Felt more ripped off than usual for some steamed milk, and I’ve-water.

This location seems to make decent drinks most of the time, but it is also painfully S-​L-​O-​W! It must be the norm, because I once waited over 10 minutes when they forgot my order, and wasn’t even offered a free drink coupon for their gaffe.
Why two stars, then? Because for a Starbucks, the lattes actually taste okay (i.e., not burnt).
Would I return here? Only if I had lots of free time (if my wife was in labour, I would instead head to the Panorama Hills location).