Warning!! Rant Time!!

Time for a little rant....

So, as many of my family and friends know, I like Starbucks. I think some might say that "like" is a slight understatement. I may be an addict. I really do like it, and only for one reason: the Frapuccinos. NOBODY can make them the same way as they do at Starbucks. As far as I am concerned, they have that market cornered. Don't get me wrong, I have tried various "Frapps" at other local coffee shops. If I want an iced latte, I have no issues with going to the "local blend" if you will, its a basic coffee drink that all baristas should have mastered. But the Frappuccino: thats a whole nother beast onto itself.




So, enter Starbucks, my biggest love and biggest frustration when it comes to coffee shops.
Here is why: There is no consistency!
Let me explain, so take the new format for the Frapps. They consist of about 5 elements

1. Coffee/Espresso Base
2. Milk
3. Ice
4. Frappe syrup
5. Flavoring

These are the elements that make up a Frappe. The only two that are ALWAYS consistent are the ice and the coffee base. The other elements can change. There are two major varities of the Frappe that are standard: the normal, and the light. The normal has whole or 2% milk, regular syrup, and whipped cream. The light has skim milk, light syrup, and no whipped cream (unless otherwise specified). The other milk option is soy milk. The flavoring syrup is all the same.

Now, to me this seems simple, the difference between the regular and the light Frappes. If you have that down, memorized, you shouldn't mess up right? Wrong!! There are so many times that I have ordered a LIGHT Frappe and I would not get a truly light Frappe, what I would get would be one of 4 options:

1. A regular Frappe
2. A whole milk, light syrup Frappe
3. A skim milk, regular syrup Frappe
4. A light Frappe

It is really annoying. I can tell the difference between the milk. I know when they have used whole or 2% because it is so much thicker. The syrup is harder to tell. Sometimes I can and sometime I cannot. It just drives me nuts when I order a LIGHT and I do not get it.

To avoid this, I rarely go through the drive through. I am the person who orders inside and tries to keep track of her drink. I make sure they used skim, and the light syrup. I also try to tell them before the drink is blended up. Then its not wasted. When I ask them to use skim if they don't I say "excuse me, can I get it with skim...I ordered a light" the same goes for the syrup. One time I watched a gal make it, but I couldn't say anything due to the location and the amount of people there. So, when she brought over the drink to me...I asked, "Are the lights made with light syrup?" She said "yes", and I said "I ordered a light (It said so on the cup) and you just made it with regular syrup" Basically she was like, did I and I said yes, and she remade the drink. I felt bad doing that, but I am a customer, and Starbucks is a customer based company, based off of customer service...so I have a right to get what I want right? I like it because I like the flavor...and the coffee...and the fact that I cannot recreate it.

Phew!! It felt good to get this off my shoulders! Please don't take this the wrong way...I just want to get what I order, thats all! I still LOVE my Starbucks!!!