This is a review for NCR of some Starbucks Coffee Shops in Edinburgh.
Please accept my sincere thanks for choosing me for this review, it being much
appreciated by my husband and I, and enabling us a treat or two. A pleasant
surprise receiving the email from Tania Walker, who was very helpful in answering
any questions / queries I had.
My Score for Starbucks is a 3 - Good
However, other than the issues outlined below, I would normally have given them
4 - Very Good. The 3, is reflective of the dirtiness I have come to associate with
many outlets in Edinburgh, and not Starbucks as a Global Brand.
On the whole it was a pleasant experience, and good to compare branches here
to ones Worldwide. However I have noticed in most of the branches I reviewed,
they are a bit messy and dirty. Tables sticky due to not being wiped properly,
cups/plates still on tables and not promptly cleared away. This as far as I can see,
is mainly due to lack of staff training or time to clean up. It would appear that both
Locals and Tourists alike in Edinburgh seem to be a lot more messy compared to
other International locations. They appear more inclined to drop food on the floor,
leave mess on tables, instead of being polite and helpful to the Starbucks Staff. It
may be wise to employ a cleaner whose sole job is to ensure the total cleanliness
of the outlet. I have also found a few times, there is only one staff member taking
orders and making coffee, which means a longer wait for your much needed
coffee, or worse, a higher degree of errors with orders.
We did visit one Starbucks, that I thought I could use my Gift Card / Phone Credit
at, only to be told by the staff that they do not accept these or any Starbucks
loyalty Cards etc. This because of being a Franchise in a hotel, even though fully
branded as Starbucks, with Uniforms, Banners etc. This I found shocking and
personally think that if it is a Starbucks, franchise or not, they should still accept
everything advertised by Starbucks. Otherwise Starbucks needs to ensure in its
marketing of such promotions these are not applicable in Franchises, or they
should not operate with the full Starbucks branding, as this just undermines the
Starbucks product and confuses customers.
Food-wise, this is mainly good, a little expensive, but so is everything in
Edinburgh. The Muffins are good, love the lemon ones, and the sandwiches they
offer are of a good range, but could change variety now and again and maybe
have a few specials on the food range like their coffees. Having a more exciting
range, instead of the standard products you get in every coffee shop. Less sugar
in sweet items would also be nice, as I personally find that the Edinburgh food
scene has too much sugar and salt in products instead of letting the ingredients
speak for themselves. Allowing you to taste all the natural local produce you have
seasonally, this also being a step in helping people live a healthier life yet still
have a good tasting treat. Food items are stored well, kept refrigerated and
packaged properly. Staff as usual are very helpful and polite.
I did find that a lot of the Edinburgh Starbucks locations had an issue for people
who had wheelchairs or difficulty getting up stairs, elderly etc,. This due to most of
the Central locations having “upstairs” seating areas. Meanwhile downstairs was
often limited to hard chairs in a small crowded area if needing to sit in. This not
offering a very relaxing experience when needing a coffee break. I do understand
about the regulations in the old buildings, but being Starbucks which I have
always felt relaxed in, there is always a way to help those who want a coffee in
comfort and peace. Maybe a few more comfortable chairs downstairs may work.
Apart from the filthiness of the branches, which I believe to be mainly a customer
and staff training issue. That said, I observed that the Staff, when able too, did try
to clean up, whilst other hygiene matters seem to be good,. I have only visited
one toilet so far, it was clean and tidy, just a bother getting in using a keypad
outer door., where you had to ask the counter staff for the entry code.
On a whole I, as usual, enjoyed my time at Starbucks and do hope that you take
this as good information to just tweak a few issues enabling Starbucks to strive
further, in staying as a good coffee company.
Thank you again Starbucks and NCR for this lovely opportunity.
Kind regards, Jacqi Lunt