☕ Bitter Brew at Starbucks Mid Valley Southkey, Johor

As a long-time Starbucks customer (and shareholder), I hold the brand to a high standard, especially given the premium pricing and emphasis on customer experience. Unfortunately, my visit to Starbucks at Mid Valley Southkey left much to be desired—and not just with the coffee.

From the moment I stepped in, it was clear that the team was either under-trained or simply unmotivated. There was no queue, yet the ordering process was painfully slow. The cashier took an unusually long time to key in my order, and even walked away mid-order to clean a table after a customer request. It was baffling—shouldn’t staff responsibilities be better delegated?

Next came the shocker: my Starbucks card couldn’t be used because of “no good signal,” and I was told to pay with cash. This is the first time I’ve ever encountered this issue at a Starbucks outlet, globally. Ironically, my drinks were ready before the transaction even went through, so clearly the system wasn’t entirely down.

I then asked for Equal sweetener, and my father-in-law requested brown sugar. The response? “Use the sugar syrup, we ran out of sugar.” How could Starbucks—a brand known for consistency—run out of basic sugar? When my wife questioned it, the sugar suddenly “reappeared.” That response felt more like laziness than a real shortage.

The lack of professionalism here was disappointing and concerning. Starbucks Malaysia needs to take note, especially with competitors like Luckin and Cotti entering the market and raising the bar. As a global brand, Starbucks should never compromise on service quality, no matter where in the world the outlet is.

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Post by Crumpled Nomad | Jun 25, 2025