Peet's Coffee — Restaurant in Pasadena

I just had the worst experience at Peet's in Pasadena on Lake at around 2:30 pm today....11-24-24. The person making the drinks had the worst attitude and was very combative and rude. As the customer I questioned (I have the right), how she was making the drink, and she didn't like being questioned. In fact, she said that if I didn't like what she was doing, then I could do her job...WOW!

I asked to speak to someone in charge, and she proceeded to tell me that she was the shift lead and there was no one else to speak to. At one point, she threw a temper tantrum and said she didn't need to deal with me, so she gave me her back and walked into the back room.

Someone else did come out and tried to find out what was going on, and although she was nice...everything was blame, blame, blame the customer, and excuses....really! In fact, at one point I said "whatever happened to the customer being right".

I never, and I repeat I never, complain. I have owned a retail business for 19 years, so I sympathize with anyone who deals with the public. Every customer thinks 'they're special', and it's challenging to deal with so many different personalities.

All she had to do was offer to remake the drink, which is standard response anywhere....but she didn't, her ego got in the way and she took it personal, obviously a sign of immaturity.

My partner and I go to Peet's several times a week, if not on Lake, on Foothill....in fact, when we're in other cities we go out of our way to find other Peet's locations throughout SoCal...Huntington Beach (unfortunately closed recently) Seal Beach, Costa Mesa, Tustin, and Irvine...etc.

I'm a creature of habit, so I order the same drink every time. On Foothill, the cashiers and baristas already know our order...so the drink is often waiting for us right after paying. I'm a believer in gratitude, so I tip at the cashier, and when the drinks are given to me, I tip again.

I realize I shouldn't have allowed the woman to upset me, but I did, so before I left the building, I threw my drink and pastry in the trash.

Again....I never complain, but writing this review isn't enough. Tomorrow morning I'm going to call corporate, to escalate this up the chain.

Even though I intend to call corporate, I'm someone who doesn't like confrontation, so Peet's on Lake, doesn't need to deal with me/us anymore....this bad experience hasn't tainted me against Peet's in general, but it has at...

I would give it a five star if it wasn’t for one female employee Marta who has been so unprofessional and borderline aggressive and passive aggressive towards me while all the other staff are wonderful to interact with. Of many uncomfortable borderline hostile interactions, I observed her making my drink with non fat milk staring right at the container she poured from and I informed her that I had requested whole milk and she insisted her pour was full milk and pushed the drink towards me and rolled her eyes. I live on the same block so the convenience of this location is ideal but I am shocked this location keeps such an employee who can’t even ring me up without yelling, when the district manager isn’t around, “oh, no I am not going to serve her”. This comment has been made numerous times but she holds it together when the GM is in the house! I have complained to the district office, I have spoken to the general manager who said he would handle this. I even recently went to the assistant manager Stephen, and asked him to help mediate a peaceful interaction between she and I as it has become so unbearable to go to this location for coffee. Her under the breath comments as I approach anywhere in proximity is appalling and when I complain about it I am told either that it didn’t happen or maybe she was referring to someone else. If an employee working in customer service is so bad that she can’t serve a customer at the register and needs someone else to take her place to ring me up-she is in the wrong business and should find another career choice. She is bitter, rude, petulant and passive aggressive. I have listened to her talk about me to her female buddies behind the bar as she complains about me and I stand off to the side. I just can’t believe this is remotely acceptable in a Custer service environment where I give 10.00 of my money daily to get coffee and a muffin....

The staff that this location hires are often petty, rude, and aggressive. I can't believe what happened today. I get a coffee here every day. Often, they don't put whipped cream on my coffee. Fine no big deal but It cost $1.00, I pay for it,so when they don't put it, I ask for what I paid for. Today I pick up my coffee as usual, no whip cream, when I ask for whip cream, the batista decides to take out whatever frustrations she's dealing with on me and that is not okay. She's about to tell me to pay for it and I said, don't worry I already paid for it. She tells me I have to wait. She works on the coffees she's making. Her paces slows. Suddenly she's taking as much time as she can to ignore me. When she finishes the coffees she's working on she washes her hands. Goes to the coffee machine empties out the coffee grinds to replace the filter.

When I ask to speak to a manager she then speaks up and says I'll do it.

No. This behavior is disgusting. I can't even believe that I had to ask for a manager until I received what I paid for. I don't even remember the last time I asked to speak to a manager anywhere. This woman should not be working near or around people. All because I wanted whip cream, I paid for whip cream and I asked for what I paid for.

Absolutely...