I must tell you guys about the worst service ever: COSI at union square

[La Lioness Priyanka]

I have lived in NYC for several years, have traveled to many countries and have NEVER experienced such horrendous service as i did at COSI. I arrived there with 3 friends, the store was moderately empty, yet to be polite we told the Maitre D' that we were there for beverages and dessert but not dinner. She said " fine, sit at the bar". So we sat at the bar for 10 minutes, got no service. Across the bar, was the take out counter, so we ordered our coffee and came back to the bar.

The maitre d' then started YELLING at us, about how we cant sit at the bar, with our coffee because we hadn't ordered it from the bar. we would have ordered it from the bar, but for 10 mins the bar had no bartender. So we told her, we would sit there for the next 20 mins and leave. there was no line so there was no reason for her to have a fit. Ten minutes later another COSI employee stood behind the bar and started YELLING at us. My friend asked "isn't this a restaurant, aren't you supposed to be good to your customers?" to which she yelled "HA! HA! you are so funny and started mocking his accent. I mean literally, for till we left, she mocked his accent in a high pitch voice. it was literally one of my strangest NYC moments.

I mean who mocks an accent as an adult? seriously?

(FYI: we had 20 mins before our movie began and the bald guy's place was full, so cosi was the closest place to go)

[NJmaverick]

1. That is absolutely terrible. Is COSI a chain? Is there someone you

can write to?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. yeah they are a chain. i wrote to corporate already.

[Patiod]

34. I did that when a chain restaurant sandwich-maker yelled at me

Well, she actually yelled at everyone waiting for a sandwich. And she screamed at me specifically because someone else complained that there was no rhyme or reason to the way the orders were being submitted and processed, and she scooped up all the orders at once, yelling "I TOLD YOU HOW TO PUT YOUR ORDERS IN AND YOU DIDN'T LISTEN!!!" I said "oh, that's helpful".

"Who said that? Who said that?"

I told her to forget my order, and she said "that's RIGHT forget your order!!! That's RIGHT forget your order!!!! What's your name?" and continued yelling after me as I left the store (I was shaking at this point).

Wrote a scathing email to corporate, suggesting that they Secret Shop that store. I did not aim to get anyone fired - just re-trained. I'm from Philly, so I'm used to rude, abrupt, no eye contact, etc. But I'm not used to feeling threatened when I order a sandwich.

It took a few days, but I finally got an email in return, claiming they had investigated, and fired the two sandwich-makers (who had agreed they had screamed at us, but said we deserved it). They also said they had re-trained the rest of the staff. Returned a week from my original visit, and damn if the place wasn't SWARMING with suits who clearly WERE retraining everyone. For about 2 months afterwards, the cashiers actually LOOKED at you when they gave you your change!!!!


(I'm still afraid to go to the sandwich counter, though, and only get the pre-prepared stuff)

Wonder if COSI will return your email.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

35. Cosi did return my email stating that the general manager would be in touch

we'll see

[rug]

2. Give them a break. They were updating their Facebooks.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

10. LOL. if only they just ignored us

[Madrone]

3. Which store?

I think corporate needs an intelligent letter on WHY they may be taking a sales hit in an already shit economy.

http://www.getcosi.com/folders.asp?action=display&record=30

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. i wrote to them already!

:hi:

[Madrone]

6. Well... the rest of us haven't.

;)

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. the one in union square! i mean, you should have heard this woman

it was fucking nutso

[Taverner]

7. Is that one of those places where the staff is *supposed* to be rude?

I never got the whole point of going to those places...

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. no. its not one of those high end french places. or soup nazi. its like a midwestern chain

NO one would ever go, if it wasnt right across from the movie theater

[ScreamingMeemie]

23. It's not Midwestern. The first restaurant was actually opened in NYC

and then moved to D.C. (I think...?) I (MI girl) never heard of them until we went to D.C. for the Spelling Bee.

That is horrible service though and I hope that person isn't allowed to get away with it.

[Chan790]

11. I think I'll go apply.

I was a horrible mean-spirited table-server/barista (I used to mock people's lame drink orders. I mean seriously the grown woman who ordered Rum and Cherry Coke deserved my derision. So did the guy who wanted Knob Creek in his Whiskey Sour and the Philistine who ordered a Caramel Macchiatto in a real coffeehouse.) but I'd be employee of the month in comparison to that.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

13. ...

:rofl:

[edbermac]

12. Mocking your accents?

Sounds like they were too busy planning their next tea-bagger rally.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. not white. teabagger rally would reject them.

[LynneSin]

15. I remember we all did COSI before a protest in Washington DC

I never saw a slower group of people working behind the counter and it's not like they were doing brain surgery or splitting the atom.

But I do know that COSI has a really great S'Mores Platter. Comes out in one of those serving dishes that has a small flame in the middle - can make your own S'mores.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. you know, i could understand if there was a long line or something

but it was empty

[northzax]

21. welcome to the wonderful world of hiring minimum wage employees

and not giving them benefits or rewards for doing a decent job. why should they care, exactly?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. there is a mile between caring and mocking ones accent.

they should care because normal human beings care.

[Chan790]

30. Because Cosi as a chain actually pays rather well...

and because they serve alcohol, a fact that increases tip income by about 1000% over employees of other chain coffeehouses. The average Cosi server or barista (their bartenders are their baristi) makes about $23k/year and has benefits...higher pay certainly in a high-traffic area of a major city (for that city and neighborhood, probably closer to $30-35k)...most of it off-the-books as tip income.

If you're a no talent barista who can't pull shots from a non-super-auto espresso machine, it's the holy grail of your career field.

[NewJeffCT]

16. There is a Cosi pretty close to my house

here in CT... I had been tempted to go there, but now I won't.

I would have asked to speak to the manager while I was there. I'm not exactly the most assertive of persons, but I've gotten free meals/comped meals several times in the past - and since I used to work in a restaurant, I don't complain unless things are really bad.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

17. i think she was the manager. i mean the manager could also not have missed it

[NewJeffCT]

19. well, sometimes

the manager could be in back - helping out in the kitchen or whatnot.

Unfortunately, I've found that minorities often don't get good service in a restaurant. When I've gone out to dinner with my wife and another Chinese couple, we tend to get worse service than if we go out to dinner with a white couple. It's not always the case, but it has been noticeable to me over the years.

[JVS]

20. Sounds bad. So how much did you tip?

:popcorn:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

24. It's times like this that I wish maiming was legal.

Not for the bad service, but for the not-so-subtle racism.

[ThomCat]

26. Seriously. Racism that blatant deserves a protest.

I'd be up for it. There is no way I would sit still for shit like this. x(

[La Lioness Priyanka]

27. nah, its not even worth it. too stupid

[ThomCat]

28. It worth never eating there again though.

x(

:hug:

[NewJeffCT]

37. Last night, I drove by the Cosi I mentioned a few days ago on here

The one not far from my house here in CT - the windows were papered over - it had gone out of business. I guess you don't mess around with the Lioness!

[Burma Jones]

25. The COSI in Mount Kisco sucks too........

[WildEyedLiberal]

29. Call back and ask for the store manager

The person who was mean to you was probably the shift manager or an assitant manager but not likely the store manager - they're rarely out front. If she WAS the store manager, then find out who the regional manager is and call them. The good thing about chains is there's always someone higher up who can fire the idiot who makes them look bad.

[LostInAnomie]

31. That's when I would have "accidentally" spilled my coffee...

... all over a very hard to clean area. I probably would have "accidentally" pissed all over their restroom too.

[unpossibles]

32. That is awful!!

I try to avoid those places but I agree sometimes there's no choice. Maybe see you Saturday!

[Blue_Tires]

33. sad to hear...

now you know they don't deserve the business of you and your friends ever again..

[Deep13]

36. Wow. That's bizarre. nt