There was a time when I was a regular patron of Starbucks and this not so good review does not reflect at all on the wonderful Baristas who are doing their very best while executing on the shrinkflation policies dictated by their managers.

At Starbucks you pay well over $5 for your Americano so you would think it would be served how you'd like it, but their point of sale system is so corrupt and uncontrolled that there's literally no way to order drinks as you would like it. Cream and milk are made by Canadian and American farmers and are probably hundred times more expensive than all the other components that Starbucks uses. So Starbucks has started carefully rationing these items to maximize their profits.

Online you can only order a splash of cream which can be anywhere from a few drops to one creamer's worth. If you order in person you can ask for units of cream but no one really knows what that unit is. I order mine with five units of heavy cream just to get enough to get the correct flavor and Starbucks. Has it built right into their point of sale system that this should cost an extra $4 so the coffee will be almost $10 or more ordered with the amount of cream to mellow the flavor just right. I see the Baristas voiding this charge because Starbucks isn't confident enough to charge it yet. That said, you literally have to beg for cream at Starbucks.

Pretty much all the Starbucks cafes are also in need of a refresh of their styling and in the last few years cleanliness has become an issue.

In summary, Starbucks management is in profit taking mode and their business is basically based off drive-thru customers ordering sugary drinks with cheap ingredients.

Also note that Starbucks wants to charge a full dollar for one creamer's worth of cream and that is a hundredfold profit over retail price of l cream.