Monday, October 24, 2011

I Freaked Out In Starbucks

Sometimes when I get mad after I‘ve had enough, I can be quite the Tasmanian Devil.

I’m not one of those cool people who is always in control of my emotions. Therefore, sometimes when I get pissed.…you would never mistake me for being subtle.

It SHOWS when I’m really mad.

That’s not always the most polite way to handle things, I know, but I’ve accepted this about myself because sometimes you just have to get mad to make point - when nothing else works.

Last Thursday afternoon, I had an encounter at a Starbucks that would have tested even the patience of both Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi.

Allow me to say, that this particular Starbucks is the most mismanaged and disorganized store I have ever been to. The staff is BEYOND slow, the drink orders are always getting mixed up, the condiment stand is always out of condiments, and the store in general has a very chaotic feel to it. Customers are always complaining. I myself have called Starbucks Corporate and complained about the service in this store.

I’ve been to MANY Starbucks in my life, yet I have never experienced one that should be rated X.

For X-tra HORRIBLE.

Yes, I patronize this particular Starbucks out of my own free-will, but ONLY because it’s convenient to where I work, so I really shouldn’t bitch. I should just go to another Starbucks during my breaks. But hey, I needed something to blog about, so why not VENT?

The first thing that annoyed me was when I was ordering my coffee and oatmeal raisin cookie, the cashier ABSENTMINDEDLY rang up the order of the customer standing next to me on MY debt card. And I never noticed it until after she had already charged me. I thought the total was a bit high, but since Starbucks is constantly raising their prices, I didn’t think anything about it until I looked at my receipt and saw an extra coffee drink added. And when I brought this to the cashiers attention, she said, “Oooops….I’m sorry, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I already charged your debt card.”

So, rather than cause a scene (because I truly wanted to) I decided to let it go and treat the person standing next to me to their coffee for the day.

Then, after waiting FIVE minutes to get my drink, I had to ask, “Excuse me, but where is my coffee?”

The cashier replied, “Oooops….sorry, but I guess the barista didn’t hear me order it.”

So, she had to RE-order it.

(another FIVE minutes past)

When I finally got my coffee, I said, “And what about my oatmeal cookie?”

She said, “Oooops….I totally forgot about it.”

Well, by this time I was FUMING. You could literally see steam coming out of my ears and a white foam forming on my lips.

I FREAKED OUT and decided it was time to cause a SCENE.

I suddenly held up both my hands and yelled, “ HOLD IT! HOLD IT! TIME OUT! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE???? First, you charge another customers order to MY debt card. THEN, you forget my coffee. THEN, you forget my cookie. Would someone please tell me what is going on here, BECAUSE I’M OVER IT!!!!”

*you could hear a pin drop*

This was when the barista walked over and said, “I’m sorry for the hold up, but I didn’t hear the cashier place your order.”

I said, “This is not the first time that this has happened to me. As a matter of fact, it happens a lot….NOW GET ME MY OATMEAL COOKIE!”

The barista RAN to get my cookie and when she handed it to me, I SNAPPED it out of her hand like mouse trap and shouted, “THE SERVICE IN THIS PLACE SUCKS!”

Just then, all the customers standing in line Boo’d me, saying, “Why don’t you try being more patient, sir?”

It was then that I spun around and snarled, “PATIENT? I’ll have you know that I’m on a 15 minute break and it took me an HOUR to get this order - AND MIND YOUR OWN DAMN BUSINESS!”

*more Boo’s*

Well, let’s just say that the next day when I went into Starbucks and placed my coffee and oatmeal cookie order….

I got it in less than a minute. And for F-R-E-E.

See…..sometimes you just gotta be a Tasmanian Devil!