Starbucks – why art thou inconsistent?

I have praised Starbucks in the past (and will likely continue to again), but they appear to have some creaks in its armour as it marches towards global domination. Starbucks’ brand was built on high quality coffee served in a comfortable environment. I suppose one’s expectations of a company like Starbucks are so high after consistently positive experiences at their stores.

However … what’s with Starbucks stores in the United States? I generally find them dirtier, ruder, factory-like and generally unimpressive (compared with Canada). Starbucks in the US feels more like a Burger King outlet.

-Employees are sloppily dressed (why wear the baseball cap when it’s 4 sizes too small for your head?)
- rude (“yeah, what you want?”)
- have limited selection (Chicago airport, I believe is operated by a company called HMS Host, only offers 1 brew (mild) + 1 decaf …. where is my bold? – customers have been trained to ask!!)
-ill trained (why does it take 3 staff members to process a credit card transaction?) and is more expensive ($1.75 US vs $1.75 CDN for a Tall).

You want your favourite brands to succeed, not falter. This is why I am writing about this. Howard Schultz – get over to Chicago and fix those HMS operated stores. (oh, and go to Las Vegas afterwards – the airport operated stores are not much better there either).