Hi Paul,
Your post got my attention while I was searching for the contact number for the Seattle branch in Killarney. I worked as a part time barista at the Hyde Park branch whilst I was in high school back in 1998. As an ex barista and now a film maker who is a regular customer at the Seattles that you frequent I understand your frustration. And as much as social media is a great tool to voice your concerns, in aid of better customer service I am old school in my thinking that it is even more effective for customers to make time to voice their concerns with the manager on duty right there and then so that an immediate solution can be initiated. I know for a fact that Barry and Pete put all new baristas through an intensive training programme before they are given the go ahead to work in their assigned store. The managers of the store are also advised to put a strong team member at the till who is confident and in the know about the dynamics of the business. I love the culture that Seattle has created and I look forward to seeing it grow and get better. With this thought let's try hard to turn bad experiences into better experiences. The customer service in South Africa is bad because of us, the customers tend to be too rushed to voice their concerns and let things slide. I am sure Barry has ensured since your post that you don't lose your love for Seattle because of one rainy day.
Happy drinking 🙂
Thandiwe.