That was Easy?

Staples is well-known for their "Easy Button". Until a couple days ago, I thought this meant that they were supposed to make things easy for their customers. However, now I realize that it is actually meant as a dare to shoppers to ask for help. Those who succumb to the facade of service will be met with nothing short of a condescending reference to their slogan.



Take this interaction, for example:
Elderly woman to Staples employee: I need to make a copy and this is my first time. I think I need help. 
Staples employee: Ohhhhkaaay... Do you want to try it on your own? ...All you have to do is press a button and put the page face down It's pretty easy.


Do you think this gem of an associate got bonus points or an extra piece of flair for dissing an old lady?

Coffee and a Smile, Please

Image: Graeme Weatherston / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The thing about Starbucks is that when you go there, you expect to be jolted back to life by an extra perky barista that has obviously been sampling the espresso all morning even before you get your dose of caffeine.  Maybe you roll your eyes at the sight of that wide-eyed energetic fellow taking your order, but deep down that's part of the reason you chose Starbucks - for their delicious seasonal blends and their overly-friendly staff. So when the person taking your order is having a bad day, it kind of brings you down a notch. But when you are greeted by staff with attitudes and rudeness that you would expect at a highway rest stop, it kind of ruins your day. That's what happened to us and led us to write this e-mail to their customer service department.

This Starbucks is less than a mile from my house, but I only enjoy coming here early in the morning (before 7am). Any other time I come, I get rude service and very little understanding when my order is messed up or forgotten. Today, during a particularly full time of day, an employee on their break along with a personal visitor were taking up three separate tables while not having any food or beverages. Meanwhile, I, a paying customer, had to stand and wait for a table to enjoy my snack and do a bit of work online. Yesterday, my hot tea was forgotten from my order and I stood and waited at the "Pick Up" counter for five full minutes and was never acknowledged. When the mistake was brought to the employee's attention, his response was "I'm glad you said something because I completely forgot." This was his only response. This Starbucks continually does not uphold the customer service ethic that I have enjoyed in stores around the country.

As we would expect from this company, which is well-known for their excellent customer service, they replied to our e-mail in just a couple days and promised to address the issue. They also sent us coupons which will be perfect for our Pumpkin Spice Latte addiction and keep us coming back while they fix this problem with rude workers - well played, Starbucks.