The Coffee Club Botany Town Centre — Restaurant in Howick

We are rather incensed by how my wife and I have been treated by an Asian (likely Chinese)worker, likely the branch manager himself, named “Ming”, at Coffee Club at Botany Town Centre, today 20/5/25 at 2.45pm.

I came with my wife and sat down inside the cafe.

We have a Coffee Loyalty Card from Coffee Club allowing a free coffee of any size, on the 7th order.

I proceeded to the counter to place an order of a Hot Mocca, large size, through Ming. Then I presented the loyalty card, after the order had been placed.

When the drink was served by Ming himself, he came with a regular sized drink. When queried why it wasn’t a large drink as I had ordered at the counter, he replied it’s because it a free coffee. Yet, he had not informed me so when I placed the order. When I told him at other branches, the free loyalty drink can be any sized requested, he said it wasn’t so. We are regulars at Coffee Club, and at all other branches, our free drinks are always whatever size we order. Eg. Meadowland branch. Ming refused to up-size the free drink.

And to add insult to the situation, when he noticed we were reading from 2 copies of the day’s newspaper (there are 4 copies, and 2 more copies at the counter) he insisted that since we were only having 1 drink, we are not allowed to have more than 1 copy of the newspaper with us. The place was not even crowded at this time and nobody else was waiting for the day’s newspaper. This is so uncalled for and small-hearted, and smacks of a deliberate attempt to upset us. Then he proceeded to identify himself as “Ming”, and suggested we can lodge a complaint with the head office if we wished.

My wife also reports a previous experience with this same branch, when she had presented an older (the immediate preceding version) Cofee Club Loyalty card, and they had then refused to chop the card with an order of a coffee, just because it wasn’t the latest version. This wasn’t an issue at any other branches we patronised subsequently.

We have been to many branches of Coffee Club in Auckland, and this particular branch and manager has the worse ever service attitude we have ever encountered anywhere in the whole of New Zealand, and is a disgrace to the brand.

I have attached a photo of the loyalty card and today’s copy of the newspaper and the feedback number handwritten on the top of the papers.

I have also just fedback to the head office and hope for their brand name sale, they will take the needed and right action.

Am really disgusted. Won’t you too if you have faced the same kind of...

I don't write bad review very often because my feeling is not good too. Nevertheless, the reason why I am writing this is because I want to let you know in advance that others may experience the same as me. No one wants to be unhappy by spending time after paying.

I stopped by coffee with my friend after lunch on Saturday. normally I go to Botany Junction coffee club but this time we met up at botany shopping mall.

I lined up order for 2 lattes and food. The Asian guy at counter took my order and paid for it. and then I asked him to make the coffee hotter, then he got angry with gurmpy face and said in a very rude tone. "You should have said it all at once when you first ordered it." I wish I had told you earlier but sometimes people forget that. He can say that. I am not talking about what he say. but his tone and attitude are so rude to customer. There is no reason to be rude. His attitude was terrible. I felt bad and upset, and I said, "The way you talk made the customer feel bad. You'd better talk nice." But he ignored me without an apology and said, "Talk to the manager." I felt like he didn't seems to care what I said. I ended I don't want to say anything. what's in his mind? so interesting!!

I came to enjoy coffee with my friend. It was shame that people who did not have basic human manners did customer service. I told my friend about my bad experience and we won't come back to Botany Coffee Club again.

I don't know what personal stress he had, but there's no reason to be angry with his customers. No one here deserves to be treated like that. And I think he should learn the basic manners of apologizing if you hurt the other...

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

Went to the Botany Town Centre brach on 04 Jan at around 7:30am to treat ourselves (wife and I) with some good breakfast. Asked the Chinese guy (or Chinese looking) at the counter for the 50% off on 2nd order of breakfast. He was replying to me in an unintelligIble way due to his face mask. When I asked to say it again for the 3rd time, he lowered his face mask and said in a rude voice “No, not today!” When I asked him if it was due to being a holiday, he replied with “Of course!” again in a rude voice. Had I known that the promo is not applicable during holidays (not indicated on the promo poster), we would not have asked about it. And had he replied in a nice way, we still would have had our breakfast there — more than happy to pay the regular price. But the guy’s lack of customer service put us off. Not sure if he is the manager. But if he is, I would not be surprised if the rest of the staff would act like him (but I hope not). My suggestion to the guy — learn Customer Service 101 (if you have not yet).

So what happened to our breakfast? We went to Columbus Coffee literally across the Coffee Club. When we entered the shop, we were welcomed with greetings. And by the way, we ordered the breakfast without asking the staff if there was any 50% discount on 2nd order — we paid the full price. (Note: no intention to brag about paying the full price, pretty sure everyone...