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Costa

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Costa Reviews

Updated 4 Dec 2023

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Found 3,637 of over 4K reviews
3.4
53% Recommend to a Friend
64% Approve of CEO

Found 3,607 of over 4K reviews

3.4
53%
Recommend to a Friend
64%
Approve of CEO
Costa Chief Executive Officer Philippe Schaillee (no image)
Philippe Schaillee
27 Ratings

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Top Review Highlights by Sentiment

Excerpts from user reviews, not authored by Glassdoor

Pros
  • "Lots of overtime opportunities and free drinks on shift and 50% off food on shift.(in 221 reviews)
  • "Fun and good pay for all ages(in 214 reviews)
  • "Good team atmosphere, free coffee to keep you going(in 194 reviews)
  • "Nice people and a good team(in 133 reviews)
  • "All fine and nice people(in 131 reviews)
Cons
  • "Expected to work long hours and any hours you work extra you dont get paid.(in 223 reviews)
  • "Management is poor and unorganised(in 199 reviews)
  • "Bad manager isn’t very customer friendly(in 128 reviews)
  • "advertised as up to over £10 after skilled but no training so you will always be on the lowest amount.(in 76 reviews)
  • "Low salary and the company makes it almost impossible to get any bonuses.(in 64 reviews)
    1. 5.0
      21 Aug 2023
      Barista
      Former Employee
      Recommend
      CEO Approval
      Business Outlook

      Pros

      Good team Good pay for student

      Cons

      Not what I want long term

      1. 2.0
        29 Aug 2023
        Barista
        Current Employee, less than 1 year
        Recommend
        CEO Approval
        Business Outlook

        Pros

        Free drinks and can sometimes take home pastries that are being thrown away. You do get some nice regular customers. Slightly above minimum wage at £11 an hour as a barista.

        Cons

        I can only speak from experience in my store but there is a lot of favouritism from the GM with regards to certain employees. It's been reported in the past and not dealt with. There's also a lot of animosity towards new starters and a severe lack of training. If I didnt have previous cafe experience I would have walked out first week. There is supposed to be a pay rise once you are signed off on all drinks but my GM has deliberately taken as long as possible before signing off my drinks, thus denying my the pay increase for longer. Lots of bad mouthing from the baristas, BMs, and GM. Nobodys private life is left confidential and it's a very toxic environment to work in. On top of this end of day closes take way longer than the assigned 30 minutes which means you are always out late and a 6 hour shift can quickly become a 7hr+ with no break. Very overworked as its often short staffed since the company are trying to cut down on hours constantly. In my store tips are not distributed to staff, they are put towards a "night out" which rarely happens and when it does not everyone can make it as they have work the next morning. Most dont even want to be on this night out as they dont like each other.

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        1. 2.0
          29 Nov 2023
          Supervisor
          Current Employee, less than 1 year
          Bristol, England
          Recommend
          CEO Approval
          Business Outlook

          Pros

          Nice crowds of general staff - All in all good company perks - Holiday, sick pay and additional support avaliable is fairly wide reaching.

          Cons

          Mostly managers are uncaring and worked too much that a lot of mangement gets passed on to rest of staff. Company now since sold to Coca-Cola, also worked there 10 yrs ago when the environment was just as hectic but managed much more effectively than it appears to be today!

          1. 3.0
            24 Sept 2023
            Barista, Shift Supervisor
            Current Employee
            Recommend
            CEO Approval
            Business Outlook

            Pros

            - if you enjoy creating coffee it is a very satisfying job - 50% off food whilst working and also free drinks on shift so no need to worry about bringing in your own food. - in general, all of the staff are very lovely and friendly. - holidays are usually not an issue i’ve always had mine accepted.

            Cons

            - during rush hour it can be very overwhelming as you have to multitask - breaks: under 6 hours =15 mins over 6 hours = only 30?! - customers are not always the nicest so you have to have thick skin sometimes. - ‘costa check’ can place a big stress on the employees. - requires alot of physical movement so you will be smelling of coffee by the time you get home - tips are shared very rarely i only got tips twice in the whole 3 years working there which was about £30 each time. - we are only closed on christmas day, so that being said you are required to either work through the christmas period or new years, you cannot have both off at the same time due to it being such a busy period

            1. 4.0
              2 Dec 2023
              Barista
              Current Employee, more than 1 year
              Loughborough, England
              Recommend
              CEO Approval
              Business Outlook

              Pros

              - Pay is high for the job type - Wonderful fellow staff

              Cons

              - Treated like garabage by the general population - Often too much to do - Scolded for small mistakes - Understaffed - Trial by fire/ no initial training - Shifts are terribly scheduled, often working close then open

              1. 3.0
                28 Nov 2023
                Cashier/Barista
                Former Employee
                Recommend
                CEO Approval
                Business Outlook

                Pros

                I love working as a barista and have done so for several years. Customer facing role.

                Cons

                Had to wear plasters to cover piercings. Lazy management who did less work than even a barista. Had me training up new supervisors as a barista, even when they were getting paid several pounds an hour more than me, and I had to do three times as much work.

                1. 2.0
                  13 Nov 2023
                  Barista
                  Current Employee, more than 1 year
                  Recommend
                  CEO Approval
                  Business Outlook

                  Pros

                  Barista team is very lovely

                  Cons

                  Management is horrendous No care for staff working for them Many customers are inappropriate Management is sexist No consideration for needing time off for the death of a family member No consideration for sick leave No sick pay Management will change rotas at the last minute and not tell you Will change your rota in the middle of your shift Will schedule you into protected days off for college and expect you to work No regard for staff moral or mental health No regard for food hygiene policies No regard for the safety off staff If a problem isn’t affecting the manager it isn’t a problem

                  1. 5.0
                    4 Dec 2023
                    Cashier/Barista
                    Former Employee
                    Weston-super-Mare, England
                    Recommend
                    CEO Approval
                    Business Outlook

                    Pros

                    They are fair employers and I enjoyed my time there

                    Cons

                    It was part time I just got on with it

                    1. 2.0
                      3 Dec 2023
                      Barista Maestro Skilled
                      Former Employee, more than 1 year
                      Wilmslow, England
                      Recommend
                      CEO Approval
                      Business Outlook

                      Pros

                      Decent hours and slightly higher pay then other retail jobs

                      Cons

                      Seems to be a problem in Costas all around that the shops are consistently understaffed and the company is insistent on constantly cutting costs.

                      1. 3.0
                        4 Dec 2023
                        Barista
                        Former Employee
                        London, England
                        Recommend
                        CEO Approval
                        Business Outlook

                        Pros

                        free drinks on shift , 50% off when off shift, lots of holiday days

                        Cons

                        lack of benefits in terms of bank holiday pay , always understaffed

                      Viewing 1 - 10 of 3,607 Reviews
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                      Costa Reviews FAQs

                      Costa has an overall rating of 3.4 out of 5, based on over 3,802 reviews left anonymously by employees. 53% of employees would recommend working at Costa to a friend and 39% have a positive outlook for the business. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

                      According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, Costa employees rate their compensation and benefits as 2.8 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at Costa. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

                      53% of Costa employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews. Employees also rated Costa 2.9 out of 5 for work life balance, 3.1 for culture and values and 3.0 for career opportunities.

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                      Glassdoor has 3,802 Costa reviews submitted anonymously by Costa employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Costa is right for you.