Starbucks — Restaurant in North Carolina

I come to this location every other day, either before or after (sometimes both!) I have an infusion at the hospital across the street. This morning I was driving into town from Hubert (home), and stopped at the Piney Green store because it’s on the way and I wanted my venti strawberry and cream frappe with almond milk, no whip.

I don’t know why I thought my experience there would be different today, because in the past they’ve always been disappointing (and slow — I waited in line for 15 minutes this morning, and when I got to the window, waited another 5 minutes before getting my drink; I fully appreciate they’re busy but slow service + a bad drink is a bummer). When I drove off and took a sip of my frappe, it tasted like chunky, cold water. Zero flavor. I felt like I could cry — as silly as it seems, this drink is what keeps me smiling on infusion days! I stirred it up, hoping the purée was just at the bottom. No dice.

When I arrived at the drive through of this location (on Western, immediately across from the hospital, but the stand alone store — not the one in Barnes and Noble) I was (quietly! barely audibly!) crying. Over the top, I know. But the girl in the drive through was so kind! I didn’t lay it on thick. I just said, “I just came from another location and my drink is disgusting, so I’m here. I know it isn’t y’all’s fault though!” She asked me which location, and I told her. She made a knowing sound and took my order, then told me she’d see me at the window, sounding very chipper. When I got to the window she (presumably the same girl) smiled and asked if I was getting the frappe remake. I said yes, and she handed me my drink and told me to enjoy. I said, “I haven’t paid!” She said I didn’t have to, then, “we want you to enjoy your beverage!” I cried again, and said that it was so kind and that it really made my infusion day better. She told me she hoped it went well and I pulled off, conscious of those in line behind me. Honestly, 10/10 service — and the drink is DELICIOUS!!! Thank you, kind stranger. You won’t ever understand just how much you improved my day. I will be sticking to this location from now on! By the way? This entire experience from the time I entered the line to when I pulled away? Less than...

This is probably the worst Starbucks I have ever been to and I have been to a lot of Starbucks throughout the country. The employees appear to be friendly to customers, but unfortunately they’re also very friendly with each other and thus they are placing their own personal conversations ahead of customers orders. On top of that their chocolate chip cookies are stale. I would imagine that the other food they have isn’t much better.

When I was there a short time ago, the person who waited on me was very friendly. I ordered an Americano and a chocolate chip cookie (not warmed). In full disclosure, there were four other customers inside the store with me, three of whom had already been waited on, and one person yet to be helped. And there were approximately four cars at the drive-through. However, there were EIGHT workers there! If each employee was doing what they were supposed to be doing then you could’ve cut the size of that staff in half and there still would have been too many employees working at such a small location.

I did have to wait longer than I usually had to wait at other Starbucks locations for the Americano. But to get a chocolate chip cookie (which I later found out to be stale), took forever! When I asked about it, the employee responded that it was coming up. I continue to wait. And then I walked over to the glassed-in enclosure for the food items to see that it was all going to come down to one extra chatty employee, who apparently had the unlucky straw of the hat to be responsible for all the food orders. She was holding several bags of food for customers at the drive-through and for one customer at the counter who was waiting for his chocolate chip cookie, me.

I gave the location two stars because: a) the minimum number of stars needed to be able to write a review is one and b) the employee who waited on me was friendly.

If the manager was there then he or she blended in with the other chatty employees. If the manager was not there, I would encourage him or her to spend more time at the store, because it appears that he or she is missing out on some very good personal stories! One thing the absent manager is not missing out on is...

My husband and another black man in line both had their drinks forgotten and then they served 20 other customers we were chatting and waiting at a table but the other gentleman had 2 small children with him and sadly after so many people came in and were served and went through the drive through we still were not served. It wasnt that everyone who did get served were all white and the only 2 black men in the place couldnt get a coffee order as simple as medium black coffee, it was clear that somehow the first 2 orders in line had accidentally been deleted. (Yes accidentally, i know its hard to believe accidents happen but the young lady was also black i do not believe she had ill intent) I think the mix up happened because there was a young lady in line in front of us who couldnt pay for her order and I had the cashier just put her order onto mine so I could pay for it, then she got her order and it got cleared i dont know how the gentleman in line behind us got deleted but either way, accidents happen. Then the manager came over to us with gift cards for all of us explaining how our drinks had accidentally been cleared out and he thought we all had already gotten them because we were to polite to have said anything. He was genuinely sorrowful that our drink orders had been skipped and tried to make it right. I am appreciative of the little gift cards and forgiving of the mistake, were all human and humans make mistakes, its what they do after making a mistake that...