Costa Coffee
“I visited Costa Gatley Sunday afternoon — a clean, well-maintained store with a cosy atmosphere and a good selection of food options. However, what stood out during my visit was an interaction at the till that left me quite surprised, and not in a good way. When I ordered a medium hot drink, the young girl serving me actively discouraged the choice. She suggested I go for a smaller size, saying: “There’s not much difference in size — go for the small and save some pennies.” As someone who has run a business for over a decade, I found this quite concerning. In most places, staff are trained to upsell — encouraging customers to consider larger sizes or additional items, which is standard practice in retail and hospitality. Her approach, while possibly well-intentioned, directly goes against basic principles of sales and revenue generation. Encouraging customers to spend less, especially unprompted, may seem kind, but it’s ultimately damaging to the business. In my view, this isn’t just unprofessional — it’s a risk to the long-term health of the store. Costa may want to consider reviewing training procedures to ensure staff understand the balance between customer service and commercial awareness. Thank you”
