Pret A Manger

[317 forever]

It is quite generous that Pret A Manger allow us 50p off for coffee if we bring our own reusable cups.

However, I have had a lot of disappointment from them in the last year. By last August they introduced cartons of milk alongside the refrigerated semi-skimmed and skimmed milk.

Now, of all the lattes available in all the chains, Pret coffee with semi-skimmed milk from semi-skimmed milk jugs is my favourite. I even find I can have it at times of day when I am not otherwise used to coffee, such as early mornings.

Trying to request I have coffee with my choice of milk is proving quite troublesome. Twice previously at Waterloo station the barista has expressed belief that all their milk is semi-skimmed. In Oxford last August Bank Holiday I requested semi-skimmed milk, and he went to the trouble to take a jug of skimmed milk out of the fridge for me. When I put him right he did make my coffee entirely from semi-skimmed. It was just a pity I had to try so hard to persuade him to oblige.

In Manchester in April the barista obliged, but only up to a point. He merely added semi-skimmed to whatever rubbish milk was already in the jug, rather than emptying it for me and using only semi-skimmed.

Victoria station last November was ok, I think, and Stratford Westfield in May was fine. I saw the barista make another customer coffee from semi-skimmed, and she did oblige when I requested the same.

Then in June there was then unnecessary conflict in Edinburgh. The barista poured semi-skimmed milk into the jug for the previous customer. I requested semi-skimmed and - I am not joking - she poured skimmed milk into the jug for me! I did say that I had requested semi-skimmed and she replied "Oh, you want milk from the green jug?"!! She emptied the coffee from my reusable cup and did make me another one. Even this was less helpful than it sounds. The replacement coffee was inevitably diluted with skimmed milk as she did not even empty the jug, and therefore only met me half way. On a human note, I did not enjoy being made to feel like a difficult customer when it was the barista's behaviour, not mine.

In Leeds in July I went without their latte but wanted as a compromise to buy a bag of their filter coffee to use at home. The first 2 branches had queues and the next branch had stopped opening on Saturdays. What was significant was that the notice outside. I forget the exact wording, but it proclaimed that staff work hard to provide us our snacks, and requested that if we have issues with staff we treat them peacefully and raise the matter with the branch manager. I felt slightly better, as this suggested staff had upset other customers too, so it was surely not just me.

I wonder why they have even introduced milk from cartons. Surely having preservatives in it goes against their widely proclaimed claim to specialise in organic products.

This change and the poor customer service has persuaded me that the managers are misguided and incompetent, and some baristas (though not all) are just plain thick.

I don't have this problem with Caffe Nero for example. At Leon they have sometimes even asked me automatically which milk I'd like. It is odd visiting places where I used to look forward to a Pret latte but feeling it necessary to avoid them. Maybe it is time to give other chains and independents a chance, just acknowledging that this is not a good era for Pret A Manger.

 

[westv]

I prefer full fat milk in my coffee.

 

[mikeg]

First world problems. Incidentally milk in cartons is much more eco friendly owing to the lack of requirement for refrigeration and reduced wastage. So that goes with their ethics. Does it really have preservatives in or is it just ultra heat treated?

 

[Iskra]

Pret have had many troubles over the last couple of years with branches closing and staff made redundant. I should imagine they are also struggling for staff to employ due to their troubles and wider structural issues affecting recruitment in the hospitality sector and have probably had high staff turnover too, all affecting morale and the quality of the staff you have encountered. Unfortunately, I don't see it ending any time soon; their main customer type has disappeared and they are predominantly high street based which is an area that has been struggling for some time.

 

[skyhigh]

I forget the exact wording, but it proclaimed that staff work hard to provide us our snacks, and requested that if we have issues with staff we treat them peacefully and raise the matter with the branch manager. I felt slightly better, as this suggested staff had upset other customers too, so it was surely not just me.

It's a reminder to be patient and polite to the staff - sometimes customers get aggressive over tiny things that aren't really the fault of staff. It's certainly not saying 'we know our staff upset you'!

I wonder why they have even introduced milk from cartons.

Every branch I've visited recently have had normal milk in plastic bottles and oat/soya milk in cartons. Are you sure it's normal milk in the cartons?

Surely having preservatives in it goes against their widely proclaimed claim to specialise in organic products.

UHT milk doesn't rely on preservatives. It's heat treated and stored in aseptic packaging to give the increased life at room temperature.

 

[madjack]

My impression is that Pret staff are overwhelmed by people claiming their pre-paid coffees (from their £20 monthly subscription) and - together with the staffing issues mentioned and the pressure they're under to work at speed and keep smiling - just don't have the time or energy to put into all the customisation that customers expect for low prices (not saying it's wrong to expect it, just that I don't think it's sustainable).

 

[317 forever]

Pret have had many troubles over the last couple of years with branches closing and staff made redundant. I should imagine they are also struggling for staff to employ due to their troubles and wider structural issues affecting recruitment in the hospitality sector and have probably had high staff turnover too, all affecting morale and the quality of the staff you have encountered. Unfortunately, I don't see it ending any time soon; their main customer type has disappeared and they are predominantly high street based which is an area that has been struggling for some time.

Of the responses I've received I welcome yours the most.

Pret must have had a harder time recruiting suitable staff than chains such as Caffe Nero.

It is one of those things that we all have to put up with evolution within our chosen companies. People can suddenly be let down by changes or poor service from insurance or phone companies for example.