Costa Coffee
Reviews and Complaints

To be clear, I have absolutely no problem with the staff who serve at the Bootle branch of Costa Coffee (Stanley Road, Bootle, Merseyside, L20). They are doing their utmost best and are always professional and courteous under the circumstances.

What concerns me is how you, Costa Coffee, a big multi-national corporation is treating those employees and their public.

I work mainly from home now but once a week I go into the office and before I do, I visit the Bootle Costa Coffee shop to get my favourite coffee to go.

However, over the past few months, I have walked out before being able to place my order because the waiting time is ridiculous. Most people may now be working from home but this particular branch is as busy as ever. And yet, for the past few months, there has only ever been ONE person serving and taking orders! On top of that, that same person is also dealing with your recently introduced online orders for delivery!

It is completely non-sensical to have just one person dealing with all of this. It was bad enough with only two staff serving before you started the deliveries! The pre-ordered deliveries (as expected) are taking precedence over your actual physical customers who just want to grab a quick coffee on the go on their way to work.

As a result, us 'actual' customers are walking out and going elsewhere. I can tell you that from my particular place of employment, you have lost a LOT of customers.

I would suggest you stop being so greedy and employ more staff!

My name is Maria L. Forster. I was part of a coach tour and we called into the services in Penrith, I believe it was Tayside, southbound. We called in for a comfort break. Whilst there I purchased a cappuccino coffee and egg mayo sandwich and am sorry to say I was disappointed with both.

Firstly, the cappuccino - at a price of £3.45 or thereabouts for a regular coffee, once the very small amount of frothed up milk has "calmed down" it becomes apparent there is less than half a cup of coffee within the cup, which is the amount that is put into a china cup and transferred to the cardboard cup. Compared to an ordinary coffee with milk from Costa I think it is scandalous and definitely not worth the cost especially when comparing to another brand where the cup is full and costs at least £1.00 less. I am very disappointed and will not purchase one ever again.

Secondly - the egg mayo sandwich - did not contain mayo in any shape or form, there was no butter/spread at all on the bread and no seasoning whatsoever. Basically it was a very bland, dry, egg sandwich. Definitely not what is advertised on the packaging "egg mayo with seasoned mayo on oatmeal bread" and surely, totally in breach of trading standards policies. This sandwich cost over £4.00! Apart from being bitterly disappointed once again I find it scandalous and shall never purchase a sandwich or anything else from Costa Coffee and this was my first visit to a Costa Coffee Shop, a very disappointing and expensive, (over £8.00) experience. I would be loathe to spend such an amount on a bland egg sandwich and half a cup of coffee ever again.

An explanation from yourselves as to the lack of seasoning and mayo and less than half a cup of coffee did not meet up to expectations of your advertising. I would also like to be refunded the total cost of both items

Please email me at your earliest convenience on. [protected]@yahoo.com

Regards

Maria L. Forster

I visited your branch at unit 1 Haymarket Leicester opposite the clock on Sunday 25th June between 12:30 to 13:30, and was initially surprised that there was only one member of staff serving although doing a good job could only work at the pace (Luke).The other member of staff (Kimberley) was sat in the front of the shop by the window and interviewing for staff beside the queue for all including myself to hear all of the interview. After the interview had finished the lady came behind the counter, at this time I was being served by Luke, and asked if I had been served I mentioned to her that it was rather inappropriate to be interviewing someone in earshot of the public to which she replied there is nowhere else to go, I commented that it would have been better in the back at a table out of the way, I was given a reply "that we only ever have 2 members of staff on duty and its now the way of the world, I replied it isn't really fair on the people being interviewed to give their information for all to hear, the reply I was given was "you have a lot to say for yourself", I told her that this kind of attitude was not acceptable and was told again well this is the way of the world and that's how it is", at this point I said that this sort of behaviour needed to be reported, and the answer given was report it then I have done nothing wrong.

To summarise there are clear data protection breeches shown here as not all candidates will be given positions but it is not for the general public to be party to confidential information. Feedback on the interviewing methods, having interviewed probably several thousand people over my career mainly for senior positioned jobs, the interviewer was not focused or trying to engage with the candidate in a way to consider whether they would fit into the environment or work with other staff, mainly talking by the interviewer saying how she did things and asking whether the candidate would be able to do that clearly a poor interviewer and making an assumption I guess that there is a high turnover of staff in that branch

I've been using the Hemsworth branch since it opened. I ask for food off the display menu, there is never no food via drive through

I honestly think the staff cannot be

Doing the prep it would be interesting comparing food sales to other branches where they can be helpful.

Also the new branch near birdwell/ hoyland has been contact less for 3 weeks or more meaning I've most out on some beans ?

I love you coffee by the way

Dave [protected] [protected]@sky.com

I am finding it incresingly frustrating that my daily FLAT WHITES are not consistant in taste or even appearance! Staff (some) seem to make a drink as fast as they can to move on, as they sometimes seem busy, I find it awkward to take my coffee back to have it re made! Today my Flat White was very weak, not the good strong, dark coffee I enjoy, but it did not even stick to the cup as it normaly does! It was not very hot, but I had one at the weekend that had been boiled on the sun! This is not a one off, hense I feel the need to make you aware.

Eileen Wilson

A few weeks ago I took my grandchildren to the costa coffee adjacent to the cinema in Oldham Lancashire. I ordered 2 lattes as I have done before in other locations in Oldham I was refused the one for my 12 year old grandson, the reason it contains caffine but I was served hot chocolate for him which also contains caffine, the 9 year old had a coke or pepsi which also contains caffine. My grandchildren didnt want me to make a fuss about the coffee so I now refuse to go back to any Costa coffee. It has been on my mind since it happened so could you explain why all the other concessionaries serve it him but not this one. Yours faithfully Kathleen Ingram

Hello

I been to the elstree and borehamwood costa near the station yesterday the man with glasses and facial hair was abusive to me I went in to see what cakes and coffee they do he looked at me and said you buying anything or what I said its ok I went outside the man went outside moments later walked past me said to me what the [censored] do you want I said it is ok she said will punch you I quote I was disappointed in the abuse and threat

Would appreciate the managements to address the staff

Thank you for the servcie

Fraser peters

Hi Guys, you recently installed new machines at Shell Waitrose site at Warley Brentwood Essex since then your quality of product has deteriorated also the design of the machine makes it more difficult with no shelf to have multiple coffee's also the machine's are so poorly setup that the large Latte is the same as the regular and the regular is only two thirds full and not hot enough and now more expensive what planet are you on please rectify asap.

Best Regards

Duncan

Served by ‘jake’ today at Nottingham and when I bit into reduced panini realised it was off. Drank my coffee whilst still hot and half hour later went to counter and asked for a refund. I was rudely told that the sandwich had been sitting for half an hour so would taste off and that I should have come for a refund straight away. Li told him the sandwich was off and inedible. I was reluctantly given refund after arguing. This is shoddy service. Not good enough.

Hi Costa Coffee

Keith Bell, 49 Norfolk House, Regency Street, London SW1P 4BD

Card No [protected] [protected] 4

email - Keith. [protected]@hstmail.com

On a recent visit 19th May to costa coffee, High Street, Elgin, Scotland, I handed over my costa coffee club card to the shop assistant to record my visit and issue the corresponding points for the transaction. I cappuccino coffee, I latte coffee

I don’t know why the transaction was not recorded

I have the bank traction details record of this visit etc

When checking later I noticed these points have not been awarding to my account, would you please arrange for this to be action

Thanks in advance for your assistance

Keith Bell

To whom it may concern,

I write this email in deep regret to inform you of a hugely disappointing experience I had at one of your stores while taking a trip with my partner for a long weekend. Upon this trip we visited one of your stores residing in clacton on sea. I would firstly like to express my disappointment and dissatisfaction. I have a nut allergy and have dealt with it all my life, some may think it would be a struggle but I personally have learned to deal with it quite well. 

Now my first issue was that there was simply not one thing I could eat from your pastry counter as there is a huge amount of cross contamination. Cakes and pastries that contained nuts on top of other cakes and pastries that didn’t! I haven’t seen anything like it, honestly. This shows how inconsiderate and insensitive Costa have really been towards people with allergies. I have pictures that will follow numerous cross contamination! 

Now I did speak to a member of staff and when asking why the food was displayed in such a disgusting manner she replied“ several of us have asked why it’s this way and we are just told to leave it by management”. I was in absolute shock! I can not begin to explain how infuriated this made me. I mean, I have to say I won’t be returning to Costa anytime soon!, and have told several members of my family and friendship group who also suffer with allergies like myself. I wanted to bring this to your attention because there are people all over the world who suffer with allergies and it’s really not fair that this is what we have to deal with. 

I look forward to your reply. 

Many thanks 

Sophie Luckett 

Costa at high street March. Went to meet my family. Sat outside drinking coffees when started to remove tables and chairs from outside. I asked staff Molly what time they shut was told 5pm. Then the manager came out at approximately 4.30pm that I had to drink up as outside was shut from 4.30pm. This was news to me considering I have been visiting your March high street site since it opened over 7 years ago. I have spoken to other staff members and they have said that this was new to them. It’s bad enough that chairs are put on tables inside from 4pm. Causing a safety issue. Only takes a child to pull a chair off table onto themselves. So please explain to me what the times are for this store. Also I am fed up going into the toilets and they are filthy and always out of toilet paper. Please get back to me at [protected]@gmail.com

We (67&66 years old)
were sold an outdated Fruit Flapjack
yesterday, Sunday, just before 4PM¬iced disrespectful Customer Services of assistant shouting over ‘Your drink is ready!’
I wondered if ‘server’ always spoke to elderly persons who had a walking stick&a spouse in a Wheelchair.
I wouldn’t have minded if we weren’t regular Customers there who spent up to £23 each time we visited there for a Coffee.
PS I find it is annoying that there is no valid, working phoneline to speak to anyone!

Arrived at the coffee shop in Next in Birstal Batley at 3:55pm today 23/04/23 ordered drinks, I ordered a drink that included Ice, no ICE, my mum ordered her drink and cake but I couldn't make my mind up at that stage as I was disappointed that I couldn't order my drink which was a Frapachino.
At 4:10 I went back to order a flat white to be told sorry no hot drinks now, only cold.
I checked online and it showed the store was open until 4.30pm. I have a screen shot of this, showing clearing open until 4.30 on the 23/04/23
To sit there whilst my mum drank her coffee ate her cake to be told after I had decided sorry you cannot have a drink now was terrible
As we left the store one of the cleaning staff said thank you have a good evening as we left, I wasn't happy at this stage it felt she was being patronizing.
As we walked out of the coffee shop into the next upstairs area, my mum and I could hear the staff laughing, it was just terrible, I will not be rushing back into that store again.
Very disappointed at the level of service received.
PLEASE REPLY TO [protected]@sky.com

Hello, this is not an incident but a complaint about the condition of the exterior of Costa Coffee on Sidmouth High Street - it really is bad and very sad to see it in Sidmouth. I am happy to send photos because I think you, as a very successful company, would agree that this cannot be good for business and it certainly isn't good for our high street. How can I send you pictures to link to this message?

Sincerely, Wendy Benwell, a lover of your good coffee and resident of Sidmouth.

I went to purchase a medium Americano black from the outlet at the Mall in Walthamstow today 16th April 2023.
I went to pay for this with a Royal Bank of Scotland £10 and was advised it was company policy not to accept Scottish banknotes!
This was from a lady called Menhur the assistant manager.
I explained that the banknote was legal tender but was told forcibly that this was not acceptable due to company policy.
Can you confirm if this is company policy.
Tom Dyer 138 Nethergate Dundee DD1 4ED ‘Em [protected]@rvbc2.co.uk

I have just visited the costa coffee at Southampton General Hospital and the attitude of a member of staff was disgusting.

I ordered 1 large decaf mocha, 1 large latte and a med Kit Kat hot chocolate. The young lady starting to make our drinks and as she proceeded to make the Kit Kat hot chocolate, we noticed she was putting ice in it.

I said “ excuse me, we want hot chocolate, not iced” she then gave me and my wife a disgusting look, like we were filth.

Any way she continued to make the hot chocolate and when finished she slammed it down. I then asked where was the Kit Kat biscuit that accompany the drink. She then again said we haven’t got any.

Luckily another of your team members said I can give your little boy marshmallows instead, which was a nice gesture.

This young lady need to go through customer service training again I think. She has a horrible attitude and should not be working in the service industry,

I would like to see some follow up action or a response regarding this complaint. This has put me off costs if that the attitude of employees.

Regards

Mr Brian Sweeney

[protected]@hotmail.co.uk

I am unable to download the app onto my iPhone. I have an earlier version of the app which no longer works … I have tried several times but without luck. It has been very difficult trying to find out who I should contact. Previously I have used Costa regularly because of your loyalty scheme. How do I go about requesting a card so that I can continue to benefit from the scheme? Thank you

My email is caroline.[protected]@ntlworld.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon

I went into Costa Bluewater in Greenhithe and used my own glass. I was only given 1 bean I discovered later. The account is not updated instantly, usually after you have left.

I tried complaining via the app but the complaints form doesn't accept the date of birth properly or the locations and time the missing bean visit took place. There is a garbled mess of how to input it correctly at the top which makes no sense and no matter what you input the field won't accept what you put in leaving me unable to submit the complaint. So I rang the number and that is inoperable too.

When I asked Costa for my bean in person they refused on account that I had no receipt even though I had a history of purchase to present. The manager simply said that 'anyone could wander in for an additional bean' it proved nothing. Presumably that means the complaints form would not yield a positive outcome either even if I had been able to submit it and despite there being a section to choose from which include missing beans. They would have no more proof, after all.

Feel annoyed and cheated. Coffee costs enough so every freebie counts.