Starbucks Global Head Office — Local services in Seattle

Starbucks customer service in the main call center used to be amazing today this morning. I have the opposite experience and I don’t write many negative reviews like very very few. Most of my reviews are five star advocacy reviews for any company with a smaller large and they highlight individuals and my positive experience working with assets and just you know in general being taken care of a customer This morning I experienced the opposite with an inbound CSR. I escalated it to a supervisor to try to get someone with empowerment and tools to help me and my modest reasonable request, which was to get a food coupon to buy a burrito that would be equivalent to my birthday reward. I didn’t receive my birthday reward so I called Customer Service this morning. The guy said happy birthday. He was nice. I appreciated that explain the situation. He said oh you have to get one gold star seven days before your birthday to get the birthday reward I said this one gold star equal one dollar he said yes I said OK. I didn’t know that I never use my mobile app or nor do I use my account in person to buy stuff I am. I’m a cash or credit card. I’m a point of sale You know Customer I bought many of the sausage burritos like mini and many of the blue red fruit fruity drink that has a little soft like egg like little squishy things at the bottom for myself and for my son I have spent a lot of money. I’ve definitely spent one dollar but I never use my mobile app because I’m a walk-in buy it or order it and then pay cash or with my credit card. I explain this to him and he was un empathetic in tone demeanor, verbiage, and quoted reward protocol. well you’ve gotta earn one gold star and make one purchase you know, blah blah, blah blah blah.

I said I get that and I’ll be aware of that next year for sure but I’ll use my account one time but as a courtesy in the name of Customer Service and taken care of me as an honest consumer and honest Starbucks customer do you have the ability to just you know, give me a comp that’s equivalent doesn’t have to be a birthday reward. I get that the system is not allowing you to do that but you can in the name of Customer Service and take care of me as a Customer so you know what I think we can do this and then pop it on the account that check the box it’s equivalent that would be great customer service and appreciated. I said he just repeated himself. He said well we can’t substitute said you know I said do you have the power to do it? He said yeah I said OK so you can’t do it you’re choosing not to. That’s the reality. I said you know that’s not great Customer Service that’s the opposite. That’s a failure of taking care of the Customer. It’s also insulting because you’re saying that I gotta spend at least one dollar I’m telling you I have but the type of consumer I am is a cash and carry I’m 54 years old today. I don’t use the mobile app I walk in or what I want pay for point of sale done.

He just kept stonewalling 20 minutes 25 minutes roughly maybe 30 this morning I spent and all I got was Stonewald and rushed away, not taken care of

I called back, hoping to be able to ask for a different supervisor typically I don’t know Customer Service in Starbucks in the past whenever I called in, which is not very often it’s always been amazing, but it wasn’t this morning. It was the opposite of that so I explained the second in CSR what happened and I’d like to speak with a different supervisor. Please stonewalls me and says you already talk to a supervisor and I cannot put you to a supervisor.

I said seriously you’re gonna deny me from talking to a supervisor just because I’ve already spoken to one that was very un empathetic and ineffective like I actually wanna make a formal complaint about Keith. I have a case number associated that guy needs coaching and training how to take care of customers better use better professional discretion Have some empathy. All you did was insult me as if I was lying. But horrible, horrible customer service I have no recourse I will not spend any $ as long as I live...

Around Christmas 2024, I ordered a Chai Tea in the drive through. When my husband was given the drink and he handed it to me, the lid was not secure and the Chai spilt all over me, in my purse and on my coat. I talked with the store immediately because I suffered a burn to my right forearm. Eva, who works at the store said, "we have a problem with the lids fitting and corporate office is aware of it". No manager was on duty, no one with authority.

Jonathan, the manager finally came back and filed a claim for me with the only number Starbucks provides to customers. Months later, the problem is still not resolved. Jonathan gave me Annie's phone number. She is the district manager. She assured me that she would help me. She said she had put calls into the Seattle office to call me. No one ever has called me still months later from the Corporate office. Annie has stopped returning my phone calls or answering my text messages. She did not care and frankly, did nothing to help me. She is a poor example of a district manager in my opinion.

I just read the article where Mr. Garcia in California was awarded 50M by a jury. Of course my injury was nothing like his but I do deserve to be compensated for Starbucks errors. They tried to blame the whole matter on me saying, "once you leave the drive through, the drink is your problem". They have outsourced all of the customer calls to the Philippines so you can imagine how that is to deal with. Monica L. was assigned to my case. She disappeared for 2+ months. Her solution was to add $200.00 to my gold card. I was never looking for free drinks. Finally, four months later she has agreed to pay the $80.00 dry cleaning bill for my shirt, coat and purse that was filled with Chai Tea. Nothing for the burn. In fact, both Monica and Annie asked me to have my attorney contact them. Rather than sort this matter out, they want to talk with my attorney who is not involved.

Starbucks it absolutely terrible to deal with if there is an issue they simply do not care. Annie Mead has let me down and lied repeatedly to me. Monica L. in the Philippines is non-effective and does not care and has not treated me fairly.

After reading the news article, I think I should contact the attorney name who got this significant judgement for Mr. Garcia. Starbucks has a lot of issues now, as posted on the news. One would think that a small issue like mine could be handled by a local Starbucks manager who cares. Aftercall, the Corporate office for Starbucks is in Seattle.

I can assure you that if If do get legal counsel involved, Starbucks will have to pay because Eva admitted fault with the lids and Annie also confirmed that with the store directly.

Starbucks failed to exercise ordinary care on his own behalf and that their own negligence and carelessness contributed to the spill, which took place in the Newcastle Commons Starbucks where no one cares. We all have had lots of hot drinks and do not get burned.

At some point, Starbucks will take responsibility for their mistakes and own up to injuring customers. Also, my hope is that they get good management over seeing the restaurant. Some unlike Annie Mead who cares about customers and wants to help them when injured in their facility.

I gave a one star, not four. Their software is changing my rating. They are...

Please note! The Starbucks Reserve store closed at the end of September 2025! The main store is still open!

On September 28th, I traveled all the way from Japan specifically to visit the Reserve store. This was because Google Maps still showed the Reserve store as “Open.” However, when I arrived on site, it was closed. Seeing the attached notice left me feeling utterly devastated. I immediately sent feedback to Google Maps requesting the information be corrected. This is to help reduce the number of people who might experience the same disappointment as me. However, upon checking the reviews again, I was shocked to learn others had faced the same disappointment. Fortunately, the Reserve store's Google Maps listing had been updated to “Closed.” This should lessen the number of people feeling sad.

After this experience, I understand all too well the urge to give Google Maps a low rating. But as of late September, official information had been released—we simply overlooked it. (I knew about the official notice but still visited, clinging to the faint hope that Google Maps still showed it as “Open.”)

I sincerely hope the Reserve store in Seattle reopens!

This location remains the headquarters of a global corporation with countless fans. It still features the original logo, and the Starbucks symbol adorns the building's rooftop. Isn't that enough to be satisfied for now?

If you wish to visit one of the few Reserve stores in the world, please come to Japan. You can experience the ultimate Starbucks experience and receive Japan's “omotenashi” hospitality.

To all Starbucks fans. From a fellow Japanese person who, like you, came here looking forward to the experience, but it...