Dear Starbucks

***I'm writing this here and linking it to the comments section because the Starbuck's website won't allow for long detailed comments and this one is a little long winded but I think it should be read***

Dear Starbucks,
I've been a regular customer at the Gloucester store for over a year now. I usually pop in there 2-3 times a week and enjoy a cup of coffee and the free Wifi. I like to call it "Mommy Time". I somehow feel a sense of peace at this location or maybe it's just the friendly atmosphere. Speaking of being friendly, that is the reason for my email. During my regular visits to this same location, I've been blessed to witness some of the most fantastic customer service that I've ever been a part of.  One certain worker sticks out above all the rest. His name is Bradley. This man makes being at Starbuck's so uplifting. When you actually sit in Starbuck's, you get to see another side of the staff there. You're not just a number. You're not just another paying customer. I've watched Bradley ask people things like, "How's your day going?", "Where are you off to today?", "How's work going?", "Do you have a busy day planned?" and he actually takes the time to make conversation with the customers. Whether I've gone through the drive thru or gone to sit down, he's always so pleasent and it just makes being there a nice time. My intent for this email is to tell you exactly how this location is practicing some of the most wonderful customer service that could ever be shown. There is an old saying that says, "A little kindness goes a long way." and Bradley shows this EVERY single time we are in there.

I wanted to share our experience this morning just to show you how kind this man is. My youngest daughter is 10 years old and a Type 1 diabetic. Bradley doesn't know my daughter is diabetic. He doesn't even know our names but he does know our faces. My youngest daughter thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread and whenever she goes into Starbuck's with me, I get her the same thing every time...a TALL Vanilla Bean Frappuccino. Being diabetic, getting a drink like this is often a "treat" and 65g of heavenly carbohydrate goodness. So this morning when we walked in, we had just come from the doctor. She was covered in hives from an allergy to something and we were waiting for some medication to be filled at the pharmacy across the street. She immediately lit up with excitement because Bradley was working. It wasn't a shock when he asked us what we were up to and why she was out of school today? So we went on to explain the morning we'd had and you could see he genuinely cared about what we were saying. The other worker behind the counter told him that she would make the drink and he turned to her and said, "Nope! I've got this! She's one of my favorites." This statement alone caused my child to beam and smile from ear to ear. So the other worker made my drink and we went to find a table while Bradley made my daughter's drink. We sat down expecting to be called when it was done and he walked out from behind the counter with a GRANDE Frappuccino and he handed it to her and said, "Hey there! I made you a grande instead of a tall since you're feeling so bad. I hope you feel better!" Now THAT, dear Starbucks, is amazing service! He had no clue of the daily struggles she has being a type 1 diabetic. He had no clue of how rotten her night had been with the itchyness from all the hives. All he knew was that he could make her smile by making her a grande instead of a tall. This is just one story and I'm sure that many others could tell you that their days were a little brighter from one simple caring smile from Bradley. We don't know what others go through on a daily basis but I have witnessed first hand how someone can change someone's day in an instant! As I sat at the table with my daughter, she was almost in tears because he'd done something so nice for her. It didn't matter that her blood sugar was a 440, it didn't matter that she was covered in hives and scratching wildly while her Benedryl kicked in, what mattered was that he went out of his way to brighten her day with just the simplest thing...an upgrade from a TALL to a GRANDE. I'm almost positive that working at Starbuck's doesn't pay much but this man certainly derves a raise! You can't put a price on kindness, thats priceless, but he's definately worth keeping for this location. I sure hope you're able to pop in and witness first hand how wonderful the service is there.

A Faithful Regular Customer,