Eater Query: Service Downtown vs. Westside

Little Tokyo Starbucks, jericl cat, Flickr

A reader has a conundrum: Why is the service downtown chains lower quality than the Westside?

"From Starbucks and the Coffee Bean to the new Ralph’s, the employees seem to be less customer oriented, and some bothered to have to help you, or even answer a question, and just not as motivated. Employees on the cell and texting while preforming their daily job duties. How do you run the espresso machine and text at the same time? At the Coffee Bean at Ralph’s they just seem to be sleepwalking. The Starbucks at 11th & Grand has some of the slowest workers I've encountered. What’s up? Do they pay less than the Westside? Is the talent pool that shallow? Or, is it just me?"