Starbucks — Restaurant in Pembroke Pines

5/21/2023 Starbucks Experience

I am a loyal patron of Starbucks. However, on this particular evening I decided to study at the Starbucks close to my home (11255 Pines Boulevard, Pembroke Pines FL). Around 9:28pm one of the baristas, who I believe is the manager (stocky/heavy set), walked over to inform me the store was closed. I apologized and informed her I thought the store closed at 10pm. She said no, and that the store closes at 9:30pm for a deep cleaning. I apologized again and began packing my items. After securing my computer in my bag, I took out my phone to look up the Starbucks store hours. The second barista, short, petite/small frame enters the building from outside and walks over to me and says the store is closed. I responded and said, I know the other young lady informed me. She repeats herself again and says the store is closed. I said, I know ma'am...I just put my computer in my bag and took out my phone. I am leaving now. She thens says, well..you need to get up and walk out (using hand motions) or you can sit outside with your phone. In a stern voice, I said..hold it, as I mentioned to you before, the other young lady has explained to me that the store was closed. I have packed my items and took out my phone for a reason. I do not need you to tell me what the next steps are. At that moment she walked off.

As an educator, customer service is paramount. It is important to treat patrons with dignity and respect regarding services and closing protocols. I have studied at this Starbucks numerous times during the week and have never experienced this type of treatment. I worked in retail as a teenager/young adult, so I get it. It is never my intent to close down a store because I understand the nuances with preparing the store for the opening crew. I was caught off guard with the 9:30 closing time which is why I had not packed up at 9:15pm. The first young lady explanation was kind and respectful. On the other hand, the second young lady was extremely rude, confrontational, and disrespectful. By the time I got into my car to exit the Starbucks Plaza onto Pines Boulevard, it was 9:35pm. I took a picture of my car dashboard time and the intersection as proof that the second barista went too far in her approach.

While I have yet to post my experience as a Google review, my hope is that this experience never happens again to anyone else. Starbucks may need to subscribe to secret shoppers to rate employees or provide in depth customer service training, particularly how to acknowledge customers when closing.

UPDATE as of 5/26/23 This message was sent to the corporate office hours after the incident. While I appreciate them acknowledging the issue and sending a credit to my Starbucks account, I hope that they truly address the customer service issue, more specifically with...

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