No, Starbucks, I Dont Want the Cookie on the Floor!

That's nasty. I know Starbuck's are usually clean, but hello, sanitary
issues do apply. She should have thought twice before handing it to
you. They are usually good at apologizing or giving a refund when I go
in. They even gave me a free drink on my previous birthdays. Oh well.
Maybe you got a bad cashier person. It sounds like she just didn't
want to get in trouble. Being new, maybe she thought, "If something
happens to it, do I have to pay for it out of my check." But, still
that's not your problem, right.
I hate stupid customer service people. It drives me crazy !!

When I was 16, I worked at a fast food restaurant. During a rush one
time, I accidently dropped a hamburger patty on the floor. I tried to
cook a new one, but the manager saw me and made me put the dropped
patty on the burger. I VERY reluctantly did so.

She was more worried about food cost and the customer's wait time. So,
who knows, we all have probably eaten something that was dropped on
the floor.

But I do have to say that in this case, that the barista was most
certainly in the wrong, as was I back when I did that. I wonder what
the barista's manager would have to say?

Well I don't see anything wrong with eating a cookie off the floor
that had been picked up right after it was dropped, but I don't think
that you should have gotton an attitude about the refund.

Pretty icky. Just be glad it wasn't Taco Bell/KFC in NYC.

While I do think it was disgusting to offer a customer a cookie that
fell on the floor, and your complaint IS valid, I don't think we can
trust every establishment we go to, especially food stores. Can you
imagine what goes on that we don't see?
As for the five second rule, even when I was in college, I never
bought into that concept.
Although I hope they take you up on the suggestion, I wouldn't let
this one incident keep me away from Starbucks Stores- They've always
given great service and their stores are spotless.

To echo what another user said, make sure you go through Target as
that particular Starbucks is employed by Target. It is a "licensed
concepts" establishment meaning Target is licensed to sell Starbucks
products.

Seriously... who DOES that? Ick.

Great letter. Valid complaint. I hope you hear something back though
I don't think this is a matter of bad training so much as someone done
raised that girl wrong.

I believe that Starbuck's is only franchised to the Targets which
makes the barista a Target employee, not Starbuck's.

You should have spoken to the LOD there at the Target - I don't think
there is much Starbuck's corporate can do for you.

I think this was well handled, no, "I want free coffee for life and
that girl fired, railroaded, exiled, and excommunicated!" demands. As
someone who has worked in foodservice for a very long time, if I had
done that, I would have immediately thrown it away, explained what
happened, and offered a replacement of a different type or a refund
right there. THERE IS NO 3 or 5 SECOND RULE, FOLKS! If bacteria is
present on the floor at all, as soon as the food hits, the bacteria's
on it.

I think this is a good letter - no hysterics, no apology asked for, no
you need to fire this person.

The only problem I see is that you didn't let them know which Target
this was. I can't imagine what the countergirl would sell since she
seemed to have no problem selling you a cookie that she knows you saw
fall on the floor.

I know the OP has said in this thread that all he wants is for
employees (or just this employee?) to get a "refresher course."

Here's some food (hahaha!) for thought: Anyone who actually needs to
be told, "If you drop food on the floor, do not offer it to a
customer. Instead, discard it and make note of it on the waste
control sheet." HAS NO BUSINESS WORKING IN FOOD SERVICE.

You can't TEACH someone common sense things like that. Either they
get it, or they don't. If she hasn't figured something that basic out
by now (age 16? 20?), then I doubt a refresher course from corporate
will get through her head.

I used be a contractor for a health department. It was always fun
walking into a restaurant with my ID displayed. You cannot imagine
the service that I'd get.

That's disgusting, and no it is not being blown out of proportion. If
the employee did something like that in full view with customers
watching, I can only imagine what their hygene standards are like when
nobody's around. Starbucks should have every reason in the world to
want to put a stop to this: if a health inspector had witnessed it
they'd have been in for a world of trouble, not to mention terrible
publicity.


The only way it even would have made a little sense is if the employee
were clearly joking: "Are you sure you don't want the one that fell on
the floor? Ha ha, just kidding, here's another one." But that
doesn't sound like it was the case.

I was already to jump in saying how you are blowing this out of
proportion, ect. But after reading all the responses I think I got a
little different perspective.

To be honest, if someone dropped a cookie on the floor and then
offered it to me I think I would have done the same as you. Especially
if they got bent out of shape about giving a refund. It isnt that I
would be mad they dropped it but it would greatly offend me to be
offered a cookie that had been on the floor.

Its a disgrace that she did that. Even worse with the attitude.

I think experiences like this is exactly what corporate wants to hear.
And I think they very well might put everyone in the company through a
little re-training or at the very least send out a company memo
highlighting proper procedures. Maybe speaking to a manager might have
been better but in this case I dont think it really matters.

This is a good letter.

The only question I have (though directed toward no one in
particular):
If the employee dropped the cookie and she was the only one who knew
about it, would she have said anything?
It's food for thought, so to speak.

You turned down a floor cookie? Holy crap, those are the best kinds of
cookies. What the heck's the matter with you?

Mmm. Floor cookie.

Anyway, I have to agree with ticky. You're taking this way too far.
You got your money back, no one made you eat the floor cookie. The
matter has been settled. All this letter serves to do is make you
look vindictive.

I have to wonder, does your wife know you are writing this letter? I
mean, if my husband wrote a letter complaining about my store, I'd be
a little peeved if he didn't let me know first. And I'd be really
peeved if he proclaimed that he would never again patronize a store
where I worked. Also, what did the manager say when you told her?

The Starbucks inside Target are operated by Target employees. You
needed to ask for a Target manager.

I'm not saying by any means that you have no right to be grossed out
by being offered a cookie that was dropped on the floor. That is,
indeed, nasty (and quite audacious of the clerk to try to pass it
off).

I just think you're taking it too far.

I think you are overreacting BIG TIME. You didn't accept the cookie -
I don't blame you for that - and you got a refund. This was a one
time thing and you claim there is no "chance of [you] ordering
something edible from that location again."

It's the first time it happened. Probably will be the only time. You
didn't eat the cookie. You didn't have to pay for the cookie.

"With these habits" - again, it was only once. Since when is doing
something only once a "habit"?

My advice? Get over it.

This is a very good letter and a valid complaint. I give you props for
not demanding freebies and/or the employee's head on a plate.

But I take exception to your dismissal of the five second rule. I am
out of college and I still abide by it! 'Course, that's just in my own
house. And sometimes in my office - if the food I dropped is something
I really, really wanted. 10 second rule if it's chocolate. ;-)

You dare question the five-second rule!?

Okay, okay, it was disproved on Mythbusters, which makes floor cookies
officially ew. I carry around a bottle of hand sanitizer, so if
someone offered me a cookie they had dropped on the floor (the floor
of a public store, no less), I think I'd go a whiter shade of pale.

It's a health concern, and good for you for writing a literate,
non-dramatic letter without a demand for free stuff. After reading a
letter like this, I think I'll bypass Starbucks and spend a little
more money at Tim Horton's...

What about the 3 second rule?? Did she take longer than 3 secs to pick
it up..did she not blow on it..to remove the dust??

Ok.. I was being a smarty pants!!! ;)

This letter is very well written. I do so very much love the fact that
you didn't go ballistic and ask for $1 gazillion coupons for free
cookies to last you and your family until the year 5000! ;)

I do believe you did the right thing to write to corporate..as yes..
as someone said it could be handled at the local level..but, I'm sure
that a "re-education" of ALL employees, no matter what location.. will
do some good!!

Good letter.. good luck to you!!!

Although I agree that this letter was well written, this is an issue
that should be addressed with the location not with corporate. So
many letters are being sent to corporate lately, even though the
complaint could more adequately be addressed at a local level.

Also, the letter writer points out that he will never go back to this
particular location. I have to point out the fact that if I knew
exactly what had happened to my food at any given fast food venue, I
probably wouldn't eat at any of them.

This is a definitely a well-written letter with a valid complaint and
no demands for free cookies from Starbucks for the next 500 years.
The idea of someone offering someone else food off the floor is
insane. I would have said "I am so sorry! I just dropped the last type
XXXX cookie we have! Yikes. I apologize. Do you have a second
choice"?

At this point, the customer will do one of four things:

1. I'll take that cookie you dropped. I can just wipe it off.

2. Sure, I'll have a piece of lemon cake instead.

3. I want a refund.

4.. #%#$%$#%#$ I wanted that cookie!

If the customer went with #1, #2 or #3, thats a no-brainer. But if
number 4 is what he is leaning towards, this is the part where you (I
hope) are empowered to do something to make this customer happy. Like
offer a different type cookie, cake, muffin, SOMETHING and comp it. I
don't know how empowered Starbucks employees are though. I think,
personally, that companies should empower employees to do simple
things to keep a customer happy. But anyway, that is just my
opinion....I'm sure there will be posters coming along soon who will
say OH MY GOD!! Its just a COOKIE! GET OVER IT!!! Whatever. Bottom
line: employees should not offer customers food off the effin' floor
and a request for a refund on SOMETHING YOU DID NOT EVEN GET TO EAT
BECAUSE IT WAS DROPPED ON THE FLOOR should be met with a cheerful
"absolutely, I will refund your money immediately".

She gave you the option - which it was extremely unlikely (but not
absolutley certain) that a customer would reject - of taking the
cookie. You chose not to do so. Big deal. If she had thrown it away
without offering it to you, you probably would have complained about
that.

Try keeping things in perspective.

Maybe I forgot how PFB works, but will the location be known so that
the employee in question can be included in the education? I would
think that management of this particular location should know it
happened there so that they can address the situation. My hope would
be this is isolated and not something that would happen at the average
location with the average employee.

This was a very well written letter as the other comment pointed out.
No freebee request; no bad attitude. You show a genuine concern for
improving customer service.

I think this is a very good letter; to the point, no unreasonable
demands, and completely understandable. What a nice change.