Do you tip at Starbucks?

[Mara]

what tends to offend so many people?...is it the tip jar out at sbucks or the feeling that more people EXPECT a tip from you because of the jar? or are people flat out asking? because i see tip jars all over and i just drop change in whenever i have it. i never stop and think why do they have a tip jar here, do they expect it or that i''m bad if i don''t do it. if they have it, i do it typically. if not, then i don''t. i guess most of the examples that are put out here are like ''oh they have a tip jar out'' but i don''t understand why that offends people or some might think it''s considered RUDE. i figure if it''s there then i do it if i want. now if a sbucks employee said ''arent you going to tip me'' or something, YES that''s seriously rude. but i have never had anyone say something to me about tipping or not tipping (if that is even what putting a few cents into a jar is considered these days).

 

[Dee*Jay]

Al and Mrs. S., I think you''ve hit the nail on the head--it''s about *expectation.* For me, I would rather give someone a thank you token that is unexpected rather than handing over the obligatory extra change at the coffee counter. (Why I couldn''t have said that concisely before rather than dragging you all through my long Crackberry trauma/drama I don''t know!)

 

[lumpkin]

DeeJay, my hubby is an IT guy, too, but not IT support. He helped a coworker with a problem and she gave him the employee attaboy dollars (can''t remember what they are called) and I think it goes on his record? Anyway, since it wasn''t his project he didn''t HAVE to help her, but he''s nice that way, AND, they all kinda help each other there. But the attaboy dollars made his month! He was really touched. Now, those did not come out of her own money, but each employee only has so many of them to give out and it''s a big deal when they do. I think it''s absolutely a wonderful thing to give that kind of recognition for someone who goes above and beyond. I don''t think I''d call it a tip as much as a thank you?

But you raise a good point. I took my son to Sonic this afternoon because he loves their slushies and the peppermints they give out there. Right now they are giving "special'' peppermints with both green and red on them. He gets a real thrill out of those things, so I asked to see if they had those when I placed the order. The server came out right after I placed the order and gave us a handfull of them. Such a simple thing, but those are the kinds of things that make me tip. She knew it was for my son and she made a special trip out. You should have seen her face when I tipped her. So yeah, I think it''s great to tip when people go above and beyond. I always tip at Sonic because those girls have to serve in whatever weather and I''ve never had one who wasn''t super nice.

Aljdewy, you are a crack up! I love the tree story. Really! What a nice guy, and yes, I think it was VERY appropriate to tip him $25! I think we''re on the same track.

I''m a real moderate. I think there''s common sense middle ground that often gets left out in favor of extremes. I''m a pretty generous tipper, but I work hard, too, and I''ve done a lot of lower paying jobs in my time. I don''t like to feel *obligated* to tip for average service when the employees are well paid, but if someone goes out of their way for me, knowing they probably take a lot of attitude from some customers, I''m happy to tip.

 

[lumpkin]

Date: 12/18/2007 2:33:06 PM
Author: Mara
what tends to offend so many people?...is it the tip jar out at sbucks or the feeling that more people EXPECT a tip from you because of the jar? or are people flat out asking? because i see tip jars all over and i just drop change in whenever i have it. i never stop and think why do they have a tip jar here, do they expect it or that i''m bad if i don''t do it. if they have it, i do it typically. if not, then i don''t. i guess most of the examples that are put out here are like ''oh they have a tip jar out'' but i don''t understand why that offends people or some might think it''s considered RUDE. i figure if it''s there then i do it if i want. now if a sbucks employee said ''arent you going to tip me'' or something, YES that''s seriously rude. but i have never had anyone say something to me about tipping or not tipping (if that is even what putting a few cents into a jar is considered these days).

Hmmm, I guess I was just wondering if it WAS expected since the tip jars are out there. And I wondered if the employees were getting paid waiter/waitress wages and that $4 cup of coffee profit was going into the pockets of the CEO and not the employees. I don''t think I''m angry so much as taken aback and going, "Now WAIT a minute! What am I tipping for exactly???"

I didn''t expect it to become a heated discussion, just more along the lines of "what''s up with THAT" kind of thing. And now I guess I have a better idea.

 

[sunnyd]

i just read through this whole thread, and no one has really said that you don''t have to tip if you don''t want to!! i go to starbaucks daily, they know my drink, i never have cash, only debit card, thus, i don''t tip! my service hasn''t changed, no one has spit in my drink, etc.

if i do pay cash, i give them the change from the dollar, because they do a great job, but i also hate carrying around the change. i don''t really think it has anything to do with how much the employees make or how much the customer makes. the ceo of the multi-billion dollar company i work for keeps his change, and i KNOW he can spare it.

people in the service industry should give you good service, regardless of whether you''re waving a tip in their face or not...unless their drink is more than 10 words long. hehehe...just kidding.

 

[peridot83]

Definition of gratuity: a gift of money, over and above payment for service; something given without claim or demand.

Further, just because I CAN afford it or won''t miss it shouldn''t OBLIGATE me any more less to offer it to random people. Somehow now it''s OK to expect me to give away money at someone else''s whim just because that person thinks ''oh, she can afford it''? I don''t think so. *I* earn my money, and I work hard for it. It''s my decision how I utilize that money and when/who I gift it to.

Yes, we make more than most people spending their day serving customers. Some of those people are in such jobs because they haven''t had the opportunities in life that we have, and I''m absolutely empathetic to that. You can usually spot those folks; they are the ones who DO get the order right the first time, care about giving you the right change, etc. They are conscientious about doing a good job.

I would agree with this definition if EMPLOYERS had not changed the rules on us. This doesn''t really apply to starbucks, but to waitressing jobs. The restaurant industry in many states pays below minimum wage and expects the waitstaff to make up the difference in tips. In these situations, the tips aren''t over and above the payment for service, they ARE the payment of service.

Does it suck that the customer has to subsidize the waitstaff''s wages? Yes. Shouldn''t the employer be meeting the minimunm compensation standards for employees him or herself? Yes. But that''s not the waitstaff''s fault, and I can''t see why there would be resentment towards them. (There can be a whole debate about who can better afford to pay the waitstaff, the consumer or the small business owner but that''s a separate argument).

Now in states where everyone has to be paid minimum wage no matter what, I can see the argument for tipping going either way depending on an individual''s concept of how much one has to "earn" their compensation.

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 12/18/2007 3:05:41 PM
Author: peridot83

Definition of gratuity: a gift of money, over and above payment for service; something given without claim or demand.

Further, just because I CAN afford it or won''t miss it shouldn''t OBLIGATE me any more less to offer it to random people. Somehow now it''s OK to expect me to give away money at someone else''s whim just because that person thinks ''oh, she can afford it''? I don''t think so. *I* earn my money, and I work hard for it. It''s my decision how I utilize that money and when/who I gift it to.

Yes, we make more than most people spending their day serving customers. Some of those people are in such jobs because they haven''t had the opportunities in life that we have, and I''m absolutely empathetic to that. You can usually spot those folks; they are the ones who DO get the order right the first time, care about giving you the right change, etc. They are conscientious about doing a good job.

I would agree with this definition if EMPLOYERS had not changed the rules on us. This doesn''t really apply to starbucks, but to waitressing jobs. The restaurant industry in many states pays below minimum wage and expects the waitstaff to make up the difference in tips. In these situations, the tips aren''t over and above the payment for service, they ARE the payment of service.

Does it suck that the customer has to subsidize the waitstaff''s wages? Yes. Shouldn''t the employer be meeting the minimunm compensation standards for employees him or herself? Yes. But that''s not the waitstaff''s fault, and I can''t see why there would be resentment towards them. (There can be a whole debate about who can better afford to pay the waitstaff, the consumer or the small business owner but that''s a separate argument).

Now in states where everyone has to be paid minimum wage no matter what, I can see the argument for tipping going either way depending on an individual''s concept of how much one has to ''earn'' their compensation.

DIT-TO. ditto ditto ditto

When it comes to restaurants, servers really get a bad deal. I say, if you can''t afford to tip or don''t think it''s your obligation...don''t go out to eat. (That''s not directed to you, Aljedewey...there is obviously a big difference between restaurant tipping and tip jar tipping). A lot of people don''t know that a lot of that money is given away at the end of the night. 10% to each bartender, 5% to each busboy, if there is a hostess they get tipped as well, if there is a food-runner THEY get tipped as well....sometimes you leave with only like 30% of what you made. Paychecks are usually VOID, so the measly $2.13 an hour doesn''t even make it''s way to your wallet. And servers are charged for other things too, like every time someone pays with a credit card. The restaurants don''t want to pay for the ability to use credit cards at their establishment, so they divide it among the servers, and it''s completely legal! There was a big lawsuit in our area when one restaurant started taking money fom servers in order to pay to get their uniforms cleaned/aprons provided etc. I swear, restaurants will stoop to any level to not pay people.

Some restaurants require that everyone''s tips be put together into a money pot (you can''t even pick up the tip off a table--the manager does it for you) and then all of the money that you made is divided by how long you have worked there and what your hours were that day. A lot of nicer restaurants do it that way. I personally thing that is RIDICULOUS, because if someone really likes your service and leaves you a $100 tip, you get a small percentage of it.

From what I understand about our local starbucks, apparently the tips from the tip jars don''t go to the cashiers, but the baristas themselves. The only problem with this is that they are already getting paid like $10 an hour and the tip basically IS just for them doing what their job entails. But do I still throw my change in the jar? Yup. I don''t mind doing it.

However, there are SOME businesses that use a tip jar as a way to pay their workers less money. For instance, a restaurant that I worked at hard a seperate area for to-go orders. These cashiers were paid $3 an hour because the tip jar was out. That seems to be the law though. If you work in an industry that accepts tips, you can pay less. It really sucks, especially since most people don''t feel like they should have to tip on a to-go order and compare it to tipping at McDonalds or something. Even busboys get paid $3 an hour because the waitresses are expected to tip them out 10% of what they make...it doesn''t add up to a whole lot. I feel bad for those people.

Sort of off topic, but there is this one restaurant that FI and I go to that is SO confusing. We wait in line to order. We get our own drink, then go find a table. Then, a waitress comes over and picks up our food ticket and confirms it with us (um...okay). They bring us out our food and bring us our check. Are we supposed to tip them for bringing out our food? We do, but find it kind of annoying.

 

[crown1]

i don''t think anybody needs to feel bad about asking the question or about whether they tip or not. it you tip 20% or more good for you if you don''t tip at all good for you. it is a personal decision and the very name to insure proper service reflects back on the business owner. i feel the owner needs to price his meal and fairly pay his staff. it is his responsibility to insure that they do their job properly. this is not going to happen in my opinion because we are all trying to do the right thing and letting business take a pass on this. add 20% to the price of the meal, drink, whatever and be done with it. i would be impressed by the restaurant who did this and had a no tipping policy.

for those working at starbucks it seems they may be making more than the person selling me my shoes. shall i add 20% to the price of my shoes also? i try to tip as i think i should but the tip issue has many sides and as many answers.

 

[Jypsie]

I do tip at my regular Starbucks - the girls and guys in there will start preparing my drinks before I even get to the counter. They know DH and I, and when either of us go in they are always very nice, sometimes we get a drink for free, or a discount - I like that it''s friendly and they have taken the time to remember our drinks, how we like them, etc. I switch back and forth between two drinks and my orders are never "straight from the menu" I always have to do something a little different, so the fact that they have learned my "special touches" earns brownie points and the change from my order, or a $1 if I pay by debit card.

 

[HollyS]

alj: You''re not obligated to tip when there is a tip jar. It is not there to make you pay a tip. It is there so that the people who feel they would like to tip may, in fact, tip. It serves a purpose of thanking the staff, if you want to, without causing any embarrassment to them, or drawing attention to them.

I have to laugh, because since so many of the folks here say they do not tip at places like Starbucks, and since we surely are representative of the world at large, I really don''t think the Starbucks staff is expecting our tips. Apparently most people don''t tip them.

I like to tip good service, sit-down or stand-up, brought-to-me or get-my-own, ''cause it makes me feel good, not because it''s expected. If it makes the receiver feel good too, it''s a win-win in my book.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/18/2007 3:05:41 PM
Author: peridot83




I would agree with this definition if EMPLOYERS had not changed the rules on us. This doesn't really apply to starbucks, but to waitressing jobs. The restaurant industry in many states pays below minimum wage and expects the waitstaff to make up the difference in tips. In these situations, the tips aren't over and above the payment for service, they ARE the payment of service.

Does it suck that the customer has to subsidize the waitstaff's wages? Yes. Shouldn't the employer be meeting the minimunm compensation standards for employees him or herself? Yes. But that's not the waitstaff's fault, and I can't see why there would be resentment towards them. (There can be a whole debate about who can better afford to pay the waitstaff, the consumer or the small business owner but that's a separate argument).

Now in states where everyone has to be paid minimum wage no matter what, I can see the argument for tipping going either way depending on an individual's concept of how much one has to 'earn' their compensation.

Peridot and Lucky, I completely agree with you both that the definition of gratuity is a bit different in a restaurant setting (and I tip outrageously well there as well).

My comments in this thread about definition of gratuity in the context of this thread are strictly for the purposes of *this* discussion about tipping at non-sit-down type establishments.

 

[aljdewey]

Date: 12/18/2007 4:23:46 PM
Author: HollyS
alj: You''re not obligated to tip when there is a tip jar. It is not there to make you pay a tip. It is there so that the people who feel they would like to tip may, in fact, tip. It serves a purpose of thanking the staff, if you want to, without causing any embarrassment to them, or drawing attention to them.

I have to laugh, because since so many of the folks here say they do not tip at places like Starbucks, and since we surely are representative of the world at large, I really don''t think the Starbucks staff is expecting our tips. Apparently most people don''t tip them.

I like to tip good service, sit-down or stand-up, brought-to-me or get-my-own, ''cause it makes me feel good, not because it''s expected. If it makes the receiver feel good too, it''s a win-win in my book.

Holly: I know I''m not obligated by the mere presence of a tip jar; my post didn''t mention tip jars at all.

My comments were limited to the seemingly prevailing attitude that tips are expected (jar or no jar) just for showing up to work and performing barely passable service, nevermind exemplary. That expectation doesn''t have to be conveyed through the presence of a tip-jar.

I''m sure everyone on PS would find it easy to believe me when I say that I rarely feel pressured personally...

. Like you, I tip for many reasons. Sometimes it''s because I received exceptional service; other times, it''s because I simply feel like it. But, I can see where some people today feel as though a tip is expected even in the presence of very little ''service''.

 

[Libster]

Interesting thread and so many points of view

Mara, thanks for posting that link to the hourly wage info!!

Sometimes I tip, sometimes I don''t. I guess it depends on if I''m paying with cash or a debit card and if my order has been a PITA

A little Starbucks humor for the day: Today I''m dressed like a slob and pop into Starbucks to get a latte and a few gift cards. After ordering and a funny smile/look from the server...I realize I have on my "Dunkin Donuts" hoodie

We both got a good laugh out of it......

 

[HollyS]

Date: 12/18/2007 5:01:49 PM
Author: aljdewey

Date: 12/18/2007 4:23:46 PM
Author: HollyS
alj: You''re not obligated to tip when there is a tip jar. It is not there to make you pay a tip. It is there so that the people who feel they would like to tip may, in fact, tip. It serves a purpose of thanking the staff, if you want to, without causing any embarrassment to them, or drawing attention to them.

I have to laugh, because since so many of the folks here say they do not tip at places like Starbucks, and since we surely are representative of the world at large, I really don''t think the Starbucks staff is expecting our tips. Apparently most people don''t tip them.

I like to tip good service, sit-down or stand-up, brought-to-me or get-my-own, ''cause it makes me feel good, not because it''s expected. If it makes the receiver feel good too, it''s a win-win in my book.

Holly: I know I''m not obligated by the mere presence of a tip jar; my post didn''t mention tip jars at all.

My comments were limited to the seemingly prevailing attitude that tips are expected (jar or no jar) just for showing up to work and performing barely passable service, nevermind exemplary. That expectation doesn''t have to be conveyed through the presence of a tip-jar.

I''m sure everyone on PS would find it easy to believe me when I say that I rarely feel pressured personally...

. Like you, I tip for many reasons. Sometimes it''s because I received exceptional service; other times, it''s because I simply feel like it. But, I can see where some people today feel as though a tip is expected even in the presence of very little ''service''.

Oh yes, the entitlement attitude is a whole ''nother thread!! As a manager of employees, I''ve seen my fair share of that problem! We''ll just have to save our stories of those nutjobs for another day.

 

[zoebartlett]

I read part of this thread early this morning and it''s now 3 pages long..who knew tipping would be such a hot topic?

I don''t generally tip for counter service. I will occasionally put the change I get back into a tip jar or in the "give a penny, take a penny" container if there''s one. I don''t feel obligated to though.

This thread kind of reminds me of some of my kids. We give out stickers and tickets that kids can exchange for something little (erasers, etc.) if they''re caught doing something fantastic at school. I''m amazed at how often my students come to me and ask if they''re getting something because they''ve just done XYZ. I always tell them that if they''re doing what''s expected, that''s great, but I can''t reward them every time they do what they should be doing in the first place. Now if some of my kids choose to spend their whole recess time rearranging my books or organizing the materials in the classroom, that might get them a sticker or two. I certainly wouldn''t ask my kids to do that for me but if they choose to do it and surprise me with their hard work while their friends are playing, I may give them a little something.

The point is, if you''re doing your job but not going way above the ordinary, sure, I''ll give you a hearty "thank you" and a huge smile. If you''re doing something above the ordinary and it''s a sitaution that could make someone a few cents richer, I may tip. It depends though.

 

[Pandora II]

Lol, as a Brit, the whole tipping issue seems weird to us. I had a nightmare in the US in October trying to work out how much I should tip for everything! I probably paid way too much trying not to give too little!

Here in the UK, I tip 10% if I go out for dinner, 15% if the service is exceptional.

I will round up a taxi fare to the nearest pound, and if it''s over £10, I''ll round up and add £1. Taxi drivers reckon I''m very generous judging by the thank yous and blank receipts I get offered!

I don''t tip anywhere else. If I have a small amount of change in the supermarket, I''ll probably stick it in the charity box, but that''s it.

It never crossed my mind that you would tip in StarBucks or any of those places - certainly it''s not expected here.

I must admit, when I was a student and working part-time as a waitress in a restaurant, we always loved it when americans came in, as they always tipped 3 or 4 times the usual amount!

 

[Elmorton]

To the comment about the shoes - people who sell shoes in a department store typically get commission. As do the associates in fine china. Yet, the people working in other departments (linens, clothes, etc) don''t. This used to drive me crazy when I worked retail, especially when I would cover in those depts and be expected to type in my sales for someone who regularly worked in that dept. I digress. Also, at most retailers, every time an associate sells a credit card, they get some sort of reward (when I worked at Famous Barr in high school the going rate was 1-5$ per card depending on the promotion). What I''m saying is that sometimes the company provides these bonuses (and you pay a premium on the product) and sometimes they don''t (thus they provide a tip jar). I agree with the comment that the business should price their goods/pay their employees fairly, but the truth is that they don''t - and almost all large corporate retailers FREAK at the idea of unions (Starbucks being one of them), so it''s pretty difficult for employees to have influence on this.

Curious though - are people more inclined to tip at coffee houses that AREN''T owned by a huge corporation? What if this thread was titled "Do you tip the barista?" In grad school, my favorite local place did latte art. That''s just freaking cool, so I felt horrible when I wasn''t carrying cash to tip (usually, I''d keep track and leave a bigger tip than normal next time I was carrying cash). They really spent time (and talent! - anyone ever tried to make a design in the latte you make at home?!) on my drink and that deserves a tip without question, IMO.

 

[BigDiamonds]

I tip in exactly two situations: when I get good service, and when I get bad service.

For the record, sometimes I don''t tip when I get mediocre service, but I''m usually so guilt-ridden about it that I tip double the next time. So basically, I tip a lot.

I worked in the service industry for a long time, and I know how nice tips are. It''s not the amount as much as the consideration. So now that I''m on the other side of the counter, I know that my extra $0.35 means more to the barista/sub maker/ice cream scooper than it does to me. I''ll never miss it, but I know that they will appreciate that I appreciated them!

I also tip when service is bad, rude, distracted, or just generally annoying. And I do it because I know that when I acted like that and someone tipped me anyway, I felt like cr#% afterward. So now when the barista takes my order with a big sigh and an eyeroll, I pointedly tip $1 to make them feel bad, and hopefully be nicer to the next customer!

This thread has made me realize that perhaps I''m being excessive on the amount, however. I almost always pocket the change and then tip $1, or just put both in the jar if the change is small. I just can''t imagine tipping someone $0.08. Maybe I need to reevaluate the $0.50-$0.80 change though...

By the way, someone else mentioned that they went into a Starbucks and there wasn''t a tip jar. I have this vague recollection of reading something about how stands inside other establishments, like a grocery store or airport, are not allowed to accept tips. I forget the reasoning, but I think that an actual store inside another store, like an actual Starbucks store within an airport instead of just a stand, can accept tips.

 

[ljmorgan]

Why should people be tipped for making your coffee, when they get paid to make your coffee? I''m a security consultant... no one tips me for saving their butts.

 

[monarch64]

I haven''t read the thread in its entirety, so forgive me if anything I say is redundant.

When I go to Starbucks, it''s typically on my way in to work and I order for myself and 3 other co-workers (hey, it just so happens they all fit in the drink carrier, hee hee). Since I''m ordering more than one drink, I do deposit a tip mainly because I feel like I''m holding up the line sometimes and they are always superfast at filling the order and not once has a mistake been made. It might be a buck, it might be two, depends on what the change is and whether I have singles on me or I receive them back as change or whatever. If I don''t tip, it''s because I''m using a gift card and just ordering for myself, or I don''t have change on me.

I really liked BigDiamonds'' post...it reminds me of that movie "Pay it Forward," i.e., whether the service is good or bad, at least she''s doing her part to make someone''s day a little bit better and also letting them know they need to cheer up!

DH and I used to go to our local Chipotle all the time before we burned ourselves out on it...they have a tip jar as do many other f/f places, and we usually tipped them a buck or two. We got comped a handful of times, which was nice.

I kind of like the tipping thing. When I first started noticing it at different places, I sort of raised my eyebrows thinking "oh, the audacity that they actually EXPECT me to tip them when I''m already paying!" But then I realized that I was getting a perk or two here and there and that I didn''t HAVE to tip if I didn''t think it was necessary...and if I could afford a $6 burrito or a $4 cup of joe then what was another .50 or $1?

On the subject of retailers and commission, etc....when I worked for an upscale dept. store a few years ago the pay for hourly employees included different commission percentages per department, with shoes and fine gifts earning a higher percentage and every other department earning significantly less. However, there was a program called "Heroics" in which a customer might call or write a note to the store manager about exceptional service, including the employee''s name, and during a Saturday morning meeting those employees got recognition and $10 cash! Whoever got the most "heroics" in a month got the "employee of the month" title and a nice little cash bonus. Small things in general, just like tips, but wow does that kind of thing go a long way in the service industry as far as giving employees incentive to do their job well and treat customers as they would wanted to be treated.

 

[MoonWater]

Ahh, the never ending tipping at Starbucks debate. There was a lovely website up with a question posted dedicated to this topic. Always a very, very heated issue.

Those that did not wish to tip always said things like:

"They are only making me coffee, should I tip at McDonalds too?"
"They already get paid, why is it my responsibility to pay them more?"
"They knew what they were getting into when they took the job?"
"I already pay too much for the coffee as it is, now I have to tip?"
etc etc or some variation there of...

Those that were pro tipping always said things like:
"You tip for good service."
"No one cares if you tip or not, why is it such a big deal to you."
"We work our butts off to get your order done correctly and serve you with a smile, tip or not."
"I agree, the coffee is overpriced, why do you continue to shop there?"
etc etc or some variation there of...

Now, I worked mainly in indy coffeeshops for about 3+ years, I decided to work at Starbucks and lasted about 7+ months. And let me say this:

Espresso bartending is just that, bartending. Sure some bartenders make less than min wage, but the complain that a person that makes you a latte is just making coffee is beyond silly if you want to tip a bartender a buck for simply pouring your beer. Trust me when I say that making espresso drinks takes A LOT of training, skill, and if you really want it to be good, talent. I will most certainly toot my own horn when I tell you, I was severely talented at it. However, Starbucks has no room for talent, it's a corporation after all. But honestly, considering the amount of customers they get, that job is INSANELY grueling. I was an expert at the espresso bar when I was hired and it still took me a month to master everything (you essentially become a robot). I tell you, you guys are tough to deal with in the summer. Those frappacinos are the most unhealthy things and you order them up like there is no tomorrow. Do not think for one second that making 5 of those, while making 2 short, non-fat, white chocolate mochas, with no whip cream, 1 drip, 1 venti vanilla latte, steamed to 180 degrees (yes, specific degree requests), and 2 grande shaken ice tea lemonades is easy to do and do correctly and deliver under a deadline (with a smile no less). But, people do it every day, all day long (and I mean all day, sometimes there are no breaks, even if you are supposed to get them). Do you have to tip? Of course not, would it be nice? Would it be appreciated? Hell yes. Especially when you throw in the fact that every single day you are guaranteed to deal with a least one very rude person (ok, usually multiple rude people). Sometimes someone throwing in a quarter just to say thank you saves your damn day and keeps you smiling.

In regards to the wonderful pay at Starbucks and their benefits. What a crock is what I say. That is definitely their selling point. Sure, you can be a part timer and still get benefits! Well here's what happens: They keep you just under an hour short of what you need to prevent you from getting your health insurance. I watched it happen over and over again. I think my boss didn't do this to me because she was afraid of me. Starbucks is currently suffering because they pay so much out in health benefits, they have their shady little ways of skimping. Also, not everyone is getting $8 and $9 an hour, and honestly, with the attitude of many of the customers (not all but many in large cities), it's not even worth it (which is exactly why I quit). Further, most of the employees are students! Every bit helps. You have no idea what those tips mean to some people. Sometimes it is their lunch money. Literally, how much you put in, is the difference between them getting lunch for that week or not.

I was very fortunate in my indy coffeeshop days. Not only did I have more control, but my customers absolutely adored me. They tipped me, not just because I made them coffee, or did it right, but because I was their smiling face every morning, I made them creations of my own that started their day off right, I memorized damn near every drink (I may forget your name, but I will know exactly how many shots of espresso, your milk's fat content, and flavor), I suggested new ideas to them, taught them how to grind and roast at home, and every recommendation was on the nail. They knew I actually cared about their coffee experience (yes, I took it that seriously, and plan to open a coffee shop whenever I retire from my professional career). Espresso bartending was fun, I enjoyed it and it showed. Also, they saw me working my ass off! I would have a line down the hall and knock out every single drink on my own. Most without a single person having to utter what they wanted. I got them in and out as fast as I could and they appreciated that I recognized that their time was valuable to them.

From that job I made $100 a week in tips. During the holidays they always threw in $5s, $10s, and even $20s. It was simply their way of showing appreciation, nothing more and nothing less. They would have gotten the same exact service whether they tipped or not,(now if they were rude, that's another story). To show my appreciation I gave discounts on bakery, or gave out free samples just to introduce them to something new. I gave away free drinks if someone was having a bad day or even just because. I gave free flavor shots, I did lots of stuff within my control. Did I have to do those things? Of course not, I mean, I gave them the drink they paid for, why do I need to do anything more? Well, I don't but it's nice and it makes people happy. What's the big deal?

Ps-I ALWAYS tip in ANY service oriented job, regardless of what I assume their base pay to be, as long as the service was good.

 

[MoonWater]

I found the link I was talking about. This is coming from those both for and against tipping. I provide it because a lot of Starbucks employees chime in and I think it gives you perspective on their expectations. Warning, it's long:

http://starbucksgossip.typepad.com/_/2004/08/tipping_debate_.html
http://starbucksgossip.typepad.com/_/2006/08/tipping_debate_.html (part II with more barista comments)

ETA: This thing reminded me, an assumed portion of tips is claimed on the taxes of every Starbucks employee, regardless of what people actually tip. Sucks huh?

 

[Haven]

Moonwater--Thank you for providing so much insight about what it takes to be a barista! I had no idea. And I''m sorry but not surprised to hear about the skimping and shirking out of paying health benefits--like I said earlier, Starbuck''s is a mastermind when it comes to spinning their image.

After reading everyone''s input I''m rethinking why I''m reluctant to tip at Starbuck''s, yet I always tip a bartender (even for grabbing a bottled beer!)

This thread is extremely interesting to me, and I can''t quite figure out why. I will say that I worked three jobs in college, one of them as a delivery driver for Jimmy Johns, and I definitely had to rely on tips to make a decent wage there, so I definitely feel for anyone working for tips. (Female drivers also earned an average of 20% more in tips than guys at my store, just an FYI/)

I understand what Moonwater and others are saying about the skill and energy involved in making the fancy shmancy drinks people order at Starbuck''s, but there are MANY service jobs that require skill yet don''t have tips attached to them. Now I''m curious as to how tipping began and why we tip some service workers and not others. I worked as a personal trainer for years in college and grad school, I was highly educated and performing a service for which I wasn''t earning much when I was working as an employee for a gym, yet I rarely received tips (and I definitely wasn''t getting ANY benefits paid by anyone.)

I wonder where and why we draw the line?

This is completely tangential--but someone mentioned Chipotle earlier, and I just have to say that Chipotle employees are the nicest people. I get a free meal EVERY SINGLE TIME I go to the Chipotle near my school, and have for over three years now. I struck up a conversation with the manager one day and I haven''t paid for a burrito since. He also gives free meals to whoever comes in with me. I''ve gotten free Chipotle for no reason whatsoever in four different locations, I wonder if it''s a company policy to give away a few free meals to build up good will. (FI jokes that everyone wants to feed me because I get free food everywhere, and it''s definitely NOT because I look like I''m hungry.)

Needless to say, I always leave a nice tip when I get a free meal. I also bring my local Chipotle a holiday basket, but that''s because I eat their far too often.

 

[HollyS]

I believe Moon Water has more than made my point for me. Thank you, MW.

 

[lumpkin]

Well said, Haven. And I''m rethinking my reluctance to tip at Starbuck''s as well. I didn''t know it was that complicated and I''m a bit appalled by the shaving of hours to avoid paying benefits. It never occurred to me, but I don''t know why not since I''m pretty jaded toward corporate greed.

I was a nail tech for a couple of years and of course, the beauty industry relies on tips as well, because we either rent space or work on commission, for the most part. I always rented space so I could pick and choose my clientelle, and honestly, if tipping made a difference in whether someone returned or not, I''d rather have them return than tip and never come back. I had a couple of older clients who didn''t tip, but they came back every two weeks faithfully. I knew it was a financial stretch for them to come get acrylic nails, and I valued their patronage. Although, honestly, I could have used the tips! I think it probably varies from person to person depending on their circumstances and backgrounds how they feel about it.

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 12/18/2007 2:04:19 PM
Author: luvn2oxfrd
lol! i just had to respond to this! you have totally just described my mother...to a T! AND she orders a venti, decaf, skim, 9 pumps, sugar free, vanilla, latte!

OMG, THAT drink is your mom?!!!

(The great thing about regulars is that you can call them by name or by drink. I always had to smile when someone would say, "Here comes a medium skinny latte" or "Oh, I see our favourite peppermint mocha crossing the street!" It's the little things in life.

)

So, no, seriously, I don't know your mom, but I do know quite a few customers like her!

NOT saying that's a bad thing, mind you--just saying that there are always people who come in knowing ex-act-ly-to-the-dot what they want, and they can sometimes stick in the memory easier than other customers who get the same old thing as everyone else. The most ironic thing to me is that now I'm one of them, after making my own drinks for 4 years--no one can make my drinks as well as I can!

Which reminds me...there was one chick who would come in and slightly change her usual all the time, and then get pissy with the staff for not "remembering" her new drink when half the time, the people taking her order weren't even working when she changed it! That's one thing that gets me (ohhh, if only there was a customer-gripe thread to counterpart this one), is when customers come in expecting you to know their drinks to the point where they order as vaguely as possible "Oh, you know what I like" and literally have tantrums when you didn't remember every detail perfectly (amidst your hundreds of other customers), and that the "usual" or "what I like" drink has gone through a few dozen incarnations. Seriously, people who refuse to say anything other than "My usual, Jeeves!" and then get tetchy when it doesn't come out right because it really ISN'T 'usual' if it's constantly changing!

Oh, that chick killed me. After a couple of those little tantrums, I wrote down her order, dated it, and then showed it to her next time to prove that she kept changing it. She didn't believe me! Oh, what a loon. And she wasn't even the nuttiest--there was a guy who ordered "e-presso" and talked about Jesus being an alien and all kind of crazy stuff! Oh, I so love working with people!

 

[Haven]

Gwendolyn, dear, you make me laugh out loud! I''m so happy I''m a plain old cinnamon apple spice no whipped cream, please!

I love your avatar pic, by the way!

 

[luckystar112]

Darn it Haven, I have to dress up like a burrito on halloween in order to get mine for free!!! lol
I always get a chicken burrito. DID YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE 1700 CALORIES?!?!

 

[gwendolyn]

Date: 12/19/2007 12:22:59 PM
Author: Haven
Gwendolyn, dear, you make me laugh out loud! I''m so happy I''m a plain old cinnamon apple spice no whipped cream, please!

''Plain old?'' P-shaw, my dear, you sound most delicious*! And polite to boot!

Author:Haven
I love your avatar pic, by the way!

Really? Thank you, m''dear! It is just my face (sorry, am quite punchy today because I flew from the US back to the UK and haven''t slept in about 30 hourssss). But yes, that was sweet of you to say--thanks!

*not intended as a come-on

 

[Mara]

NINE PUMPS?? wow!!! That''s some serious syrup and sugar free too...that''s funny. It''s like an oxymoron!

I used to have a seriously over-caffeinated boss who would get QUAD venti caramel macchiados with whip like 2-3x a day. and she wondered (a) why she was so spastic and (b) why she couldn''t lose weight! I only worked for her for 6 months before I quit...she was crazeee!!!!