Starbucks — Restaurant in Maryland

On January 21st, 2022, I visited one of my local Starbucks here in Glen Burnie Maryland. Over the last year, I’ve actually met a few very nice people here, whom I now call friend. On the 21st, upon entering this store, I placed my order for my coffee, walked over and placed my cup on a pedestal towards the exit of the store, where a fellow was sitting in one of the chairs in the area. This fellow demanded that I not sit in the seat. Upon settling in the seat, this fellow whom I perceive had mental issues, began to insult me with vulgar language. There were Starbucks area managers having a meeting at a table right next to us, they ignored this fellow as I did as well. This fellow appeared to get highly agitated and tapped by hand as I reach for my cup. When I took my cellphone out, he ordered these managers to take my phone, stating that I was videoing him. The female manager actually approached me, telling me I was violating some Starbucks rule, instead of addressing this vulgar individual. When she asked me to move to the back of the store , I became really offended, telling her that black people should not be treated as second class citizens. Thank God a very professional Area manager was present, he(Aaron Thompson) intervened and properly handled the situation. I glad Aaron was present during this incident, he affirmed my view and love of Starbucks brand. I’ve travel all over the world and I frequently posted great Starbucks moments on social media....

I ordered ahead on the mobile app. I get to the drive through and there are only 2 cars in front of me. I didn't wait long till I was to the window, but it was around 20 minutes till someone acknowledged that I was at the window, even though they had confirmed my order moments before. It said my drinks would be ready by a certain time, I watched them complete the orders for the cars behind me before they even started mine. Meanwhile, my infant is screaming in the back of the car because we were just sitting for so long. No apologies were made for the wait. The girl in the drive through just acted like nothing was wrong. Never once looked at me while we were waiting or explained why we were waiting so long. There were maybe 4 customers in the store at the time. After finally receiving my order I had to park and go inside because the lid to one of the cups was cracked and spilling all over my sister. I've never had issues before with this location, but this situation definitely put a bad taste in my mouth. A simple apology or explanation would have made all the difference, but it seemed like no one, especially the worker in the drive thru, could be bothered. I work in the service industry. One bad experience can ruin a person's whole opinion of your business...

Today, I spent 30 minutes in the drive-through, and honestly, I wish the weather wasn't so rainy. Unfortunately, it was pouring. My sole intention was to pick up my mobile order. If I had known the drive-through experience would be so challenging, I would have chosen to collect my order inside the store. This is the first time I've encountered such a prolonged wait at any Starbucks drive-through.

To exacerbate the situation, the representative who assisted me seemed unable to locate my order or even identify what I had ordered. She even inquired about water, leaving me confused. To add to the frustration, the drink she handed me appeared diluted and poorly made, as if it had been sitting there for an extended period. Given that it contained oat milk, it shouldn't have looked as subpar as it did. The drink lacked flavor; all I could taste was water, and the oat milk flavor was completely diluted.

In summary, I have no intention of returning to that particular Starbucks location. For anyone contemplating the drive-through, I would advise avoiding the hassle and either opting for counter service or hoping for a representative who knows what...