Tipping debate: How much should you tip for a cup of coffee?

A STARBUCKS GOSSIP reader recently posted this: "So, how much is in the tip jar at the end of a shift or night?" Let's hear from some Starbucks employees who read this blog. ALSO: What do employees and customers think is a reasonable tip for a drink order? FINALLY: I'll be honest -- I never tip when I use my Starbucks card (which is almost all the time). Starbucks workers: What do you think of the Starbucks cards? Are they hurting your tips? Chime in.

Comments

[Kay]

I love that people (customers) here are complaining about the cost, GO fuckin' somewhere else. Also, it's not our (barista) fault that the coffee costs so much, so don't take it out on us.

Boo-hoo, McDonald's/other fast food restraunts don't get tipped. Have them put out tip jars. Baristas didn't decide to put out tip jars, so don't act like it's murder that they are there.

Don't put money in if you don't want to but shut the fuck up and quit complaining of their existence.

We work hard like everyone else works hard, and we have a tip jar, them's the facts. Don't compare us to other places/jobs who don't. We are qualified to do our jobs, and we work hard at them.

Normally, I would be a little more classy about my response, but with the level of vitrol aimed at the freakin' baristas, who really are the go-betweens between the "pretentious" company, and the customers I thought this was warranted.

[sokr09]

Lets all just make out, and then eat some chicken and dumplings.

[Brian]

I'm a shift supervisor at my store, and have worked for starbucks for 4 plus years so (uhem!) excuse me while i put in my 2 cents...

You people are so insane... Rude and obnoxious and mostly arrogant and fortunately for me, you haven't researched your facts ONE bit. What kind of people are you??? Bitching about the fact you don't have to tip? Of course you don't.. it's AMERICA... tip if you want or don't if you don't want to, other than that, take your damned coffee and SHUT UP.

Starbucks uses filtered water... triple filtered, actually, so whoever up above said "evian is tap water. really." obviously doesn't know what they're talking about. Starbucks puts a ton of money into its filtration systems within its stores. If you don't believe me, ask your local SBUX manager.

Also... tipping is such an individual thing, but when people say "what do you deserve to get a tip???" and calling us "lazy baristas"... I put this to you: Howsabout YOU get a job at Starbucks and YOU see what its like... we're not lazy, by any means... At my store we do like $3,000-$5,000 per day in sales. That's a lot of coffee. We also spend half the day cleaning and Starbucks has STRICT standards for cleanliness and they even make us fill out duty rosters and have mgmt check our work. In any case, it is good manners to always tip if there is a tip jar sitting out in a service environment. If you don't, that's fine... It's you call... We'll survive.

Go read a manners book or a book on tipping. Go get a job in the service industry and see how you feel at the end of the week when your tips are under $1.00 per hour worked. Sure, Starbucks has a wonderful Total Pay Package, but also part of that package is the tip system, and every Starbucks store (besides most licensed stores, ie. Target, Barnes & Noble Cafes) have tip jars there for this very reason.

Whoever above said "don't correct me if i say i want a big coffee, that's pretentious!" i would like to say... THE REASON WE CALL IT BACK OUT DIFFERENTLY IS TO EXPEDITE THE MAKING OF YOUR STUPID ASS COMPLICATED DRINK... SO SHUT UP. Starbucks has standards and ways that we call out drinks to the bar person. We must call it out a certain way or it might slow down the making of your oh-so-precious-8-dollar-latte. So deal with it or go to McDonalds and see how you like it.

I mean... get a life, ppl. Stop being so hippocritical and selfish. If you don't want to tip, then don't. Just don't throw it back up in our face if you don't. That's just rude.

-B-

[George]

The bottom line is, our federal government has passed a bill, called the tip credit, which allows employers an ability to reduce the wages of any employee who receives tips. You see, while Starbucks wants consumers to think that these tip jars are being put out to help out the workers, the bottom line is that the money placed into these jars can be utilized to reduce Starbucks staffing costs. When Starbucks staffing costs are reduced, Starbucks will see more revenues for themselves. While Starbucks might not currently be reducing their workers wages, it is only a matter of time until they seize the finacial benefit our government has handed them.

Because our government has allowed businesses an ability to reduce their workers wages if customers choose to tip them, businesses are now soliciting tips from the public with tip jars. Soon, many other businesses will follow suit and start putting out tip jars to "help their workers". You see, tip jars equate to lower staffing costs, which in turn, equate to higher profits for the business.

The problem is not that consumers shouldn't be tipping, it's their constitutional right to tip, the problem is, our fedral govenment should not be perpetuating such fraud on the consumer. When employers are allowed to reduce the wages of a tipped workers simply because customers tipped him, the finacial benefit of the consumer's tip, is tranferred from that which is intended solely for the benedit of the worker, to that which will finacially benefit the employer.

Consumers are not tipping so that business owners can reduce their staffing costs and increase their own incomes.

Unfortuantely, employer required tip pooling accomplishes the same injustice. Businesses who mandate that the consumer's tip must be pooled and shared among staff members are doing so simply so that they can utilize the consumer's tip to fund their staffing costs. Just as the federal tip credit blatantly allows employers an ability to finacially benefit themselves to the consumer's tip, an allowance that employers may mandate that all tips be shared also allows employers an ability to finacially benefit themselves to the consumer's tip. You see, when employers are errantly allowed the ability to force their workers to share tips, the tips becomes income to pay the business's staffing costs. Employers are currently including and will continue to include as many workers into their tip pools as they possibly can, for every worker that is included in an employer mandated tip pool is a worker who can be paid $2.12 an hour.

The tip credit must be repealed on the grounds that it is fraud on the consumer. Consumers are not tipping so that our federal government can give our tips over to business owners. Employer required tip pooling must be prohibited on the grounds that it is not anly an infringement on the personal freedoms of the public but an infringement on the consumer's constitutional rights. Why should employers be allowed to share the consumer's tip when consumer's have every right and ability to share their tip themselves? Tips are the consumer's property to share, not business owner's or our federal government's

[Question]

I have a question for StarBucks's employees who think they should be tipped and those customers who do tip them:

Do You tip at fast-food establishments?

I'm just curious. Because it is the same concept, and we all know McDonalds workers are paid less than Starbucks employees.

So why not tip them too?

One of our friendly starbucks employees said we should stop being hypocrits, well is it not hypocritical to tip at one counter and not the other?

[nick]

how many times have you been to McD's and they asked how your kid's school play went?

how many times have you been to BK and been offered a meal on the house because you forgot your wallet at home?

you can only compare us in the barest sense.

so just ask yourself if the level of service at your fast food joint, or the level of interest in your life is equal and you will have your answer...

(and not just interest, but genuine caring?)

[christy]

I actually work at a hotel that serves Starbucks. I have been there since our little store opened... I don't understand why some people on this board are so upset about tipping. If you think the drinks are so expensive, don't go into the shop. Also, I know that over the course of the year, I have grown to know my customers and what they like. I know most by name and usually have their drink just about ready before they come in. We aren't high volume...but I think knowing the customer, a positive attitude and friendliness deserves a penny in the jar. Some of you have compared it to workers at McDonalds... Yes, they have a hard job... but how many of those people have smiles on their faces and know what you want? How many of them get your order right every time? How many of them ask about your family or what you did on the weekend? How many of them will not charge you for extras or give you a freebie? (I give free espresso shots, extra syrup etc. without charging occasionally...even though I'm supposed to...) A barista is basically a morning bartender in my opinion... and sometimes we have to deal with crabby, picky people... I personally don't care if they tip or not... I always treat them the same and have seen non-tippers come around to tippers after seeing that I am consistant and pleasant for them to deal with. It has nothing to do with the price of coffee-it's all about customer service. Just because Starbucks or whomever selling their coffee charges an outrageous price for their beverages, it doesn't mean that I see that money on my paycheck! Your small tip (even a penny...they add up) helps me do my laundry, get a quick lunch after being on my feet all day, something small to put toward my savings since my whole paycheck goes to bills... What is wrong with that? No one says you have to but the tip jar is there for those who choose to...and just as I am tipped, I make sure to tip others who serve me...even if they are just ringing me up or serve me something small. If they have a great attitude, are helpful, have a smile on their face...they deserve it! It's rare to find good quality customer service anymore...so I think it deserves to be rewarded.

I've have lived in the same town for more than 20 years. The same grocery store, movie rental, resturaunt and Starbucks. Will the bitter crabby ladies at the grocery store gossip between themselves and have to look at the receipt to remember my name. The kid at the video store is just trying to figure out ABC... to put the vidoes back in the right spot. The girls at my every Sunday breakfest resturant never seems to remember who I am. But a my local Starbucks not only do they know my name they know my kids name and they ask about them. They even know my car and sometimes my latte is already to go. Starbucks is differant than fast food, I know my baristas and they know me.
I went to a bar with a couple of friend and I ordered a beer, $1.75 and I tipped a $1.25 I pulled out $3.00. The bartender has no idea who I am but I tipped her because that is what you are supposed to do.

[Tony]

Tip jars where there should not be tip jars leads to tip jars everywhere. Then the tip that the Starbucks employee gets are now used by the barista to drop something in the McDonalds tip jar. In the end, by being part of the tip jar pushers, you give others the idea of putting out a tip jar (should teachers get tips?) to which you are supposed to contribute. In the end, by pushing tip jars, your tips will end up going in someone else's tip jar (where there shouldn't be one!).

[416barista]

Do I expect a tip?? no
Is a tip nice?? yes
will I give someone who doesn't tip bad service?? absolutly not becuase thats just wrong!!!

And to all those comparing us to McD's and other fast food places......ouch!!! I have a relationship with customers. They come in, we chat about things. Maybe it's different at my store. I work in a small neighbourhood so we have lots of regulars and few customers who just "happen to pass by". We know the majority of our customes by name and their drink is usually on the bar before they even order. Thats what sets us apart.

[barista c]

George, there is no way that Starbucks could reduce our wages due to tips. The starting wages vary by region and district, but not much. Tips however, range wildly from store to store. Some stores get 25 cents an hour in tips and some stores get 5 dollars an hour in tips. It would add a lot of confusion to pay baristas at one store five dollar less than at the other. And tips very wildly from week to week. Would we get paid more by Starbucks during dead times of the year, and less during busy holiday times? Also people transfer from store to store all the time. If a barista tranferred to a high tipping store, would their pay rate go down? What if a barista covered a shift at a low tipping store. Would they keep their high pay rate for the day?