Costa Coffee - Kings Hill 1 - West Malling

Glenis B.

I went here to meet up with a friend. Very nice venue, clean and friendly staff, we had tea and coffee with a piece of lemon drizzle cake, delicious, we would definitely come again.

Laura

This was my first experience in the Costa Kings Hill. We visited 3/10/24 at around 1pm.

We were queuing and there were boxes of crisps on the shelf above where the cakes are placed. As we were looking, tons of plastic items etc on their worktop counter fell in to their workspace floor. As far as I’m aware it wasn’t as a result of us looking and seemed a coincidence, and the male staff member cleared it all away. It was only when I saw him bright red faced, seemingly very irate and went over to his colleague who was doing the coffee’s and got right in her face/ear, talking angrily where I heard a loud
‘she should have said sorry’ as well as other things that I couldn’t quite understand, that we acknowledged he had an issue with us.
I was taken aback by it and as we got to the till, he looked at me for the first time and said ‘hello’ with a very put on smile, I paid etc and his female colleague took our sandwich/baguette to be toasted, she asked whether they were takeaway, his response was a blunt ‘yes’ although he hadn’t asked us and we wanted to eat in. We waited to the side; one sandwich was ready and he put the baguette in. I was standing right by the counter, he slammed it on the counter saying ‘cheese & tomato toastie’ even though he knew I was standing there and walked straight past me. When he came back he went out the back. His colleague went to get the baguette out but she stopped and went in to talk to him. We assumed that maybe the baguette had burnt as we were waiting an excessive amount of time for it. He came out and walked to where the baguettes/toasties were on show. After rummaging around he walked over to us, and bluntly said ‘do you want something else’. I said ‘sorry what’ he said ‘there aren’t any brie & cranberry baguettes left so do you want something else’. As the other person with me said something he responded with ‘excuse me’ in a rude and sarcastic tone, ‘you don’t need to be rude’. The other person with me said ‘you are being rude to us not the other way around, I’ll have a cheese toastie’ and I said ‘why can’t we have the brie & cranberry baguette we paid for’ he responded bluntly and loudly ‘it’s burnt’. At this point, other customers who were seated turned around. I said ‘you’re so rude, you didn’t give us an explanation and just stormed over here’. We asked for his name which he didn’t give, so I looked at his name badge. My Mum said, ‘I’m going to be making a complaint so I need your name’ and he said ‘oh sorry’ whilst rolling his eyes. Then he went over and picked up a cheese toastie but I said ‘I just want my money back please’ which he did storming to the till. He ended with ‘have a nice day’ and I said ‘thank you’

His badge said ‘Jack - Store Manager’.
It was all just a really weird and horrid experience, and a dramatic reaction to have if he felt it was us who knocked everything on the floor (which we didn’t). His whole tone and behaviour was not what you expect and especially from the Store Manager. The female staff member was quiet and friendly, just got on with the job at hand.

In the time I was in there, I also witnessed him trying to mop up where someone had spilt orange juice and the lady wasn’t aware so hadn’t moved out the way, he was rude to her too but she was oblivious because she was talking - no please just ‘can you move out the way’.

I will not be revisiting and feel some intensive customer service training is necessary on his part.

Thank you

Philip L.

Larger than most Costas located in the tranquil setting of Kings Hill. Bright and airy with a large glass front, plenty of seating including outside - lovely on a warm summer's day. Lovely staff who prepare a great flat white!

Phill E.

IZABELL! Horrible! I was served by the most rude woman, whom wasn’t even in uniform! Think she was the manager… very passive aggressive, and she burned my croissant

elainesims S.

Terrible service if they get your coffee order wrong it’s obviously your fault. And when you ask them to put it right the manager looks as though she’s sucking sour lemons. Avoid at all cost go somewhere they value your custom. Starbucks have a no question policy and put orders right with a smile. Staff training definitely needed here. Firstly to listen and repeat back orders, secondly to know if a drinks contents conflict with the customers order and thirdly how to surprise and delight a customer when a mistake is made.

J W.

Had a lovely hot chocolate. Very quick service. Thank you

Suresh E.

Always wish it was better but Costa Coffees really are not very good. People working there are lovely though.

Peter G.

Unfortunately the cafe is often populated with people from king's hill.