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

[Ashley]

And exactly who's begging?

[MixMan Stan]

I want to preface this by stating that I do not believe *ANYONE*, regardless of their profession, deserves tips if their service is lousy. If I am not treated well, I do not tip, and that's that.

HOWEVER...

It is rediculous to compare Starbucks to McDonalds. I have worked in fast food service, and my wife has worded as a Barista for Starbucks, and in no way shape or form was my job easier than hers.

Here's the bottom line. If ya'll think that Starbucks employees don't work hard to make your customized cup of coffee the exact way you want it, and THAT kind of service doesn't deserve a tip, then why do you even go there? Don't. They don't like you anyway.

Make your tripple shot venti mocha with caramel at home.

Oh that's right- I forgot, you're a lazy son of a beetch.

Peace out ya'll.

[emily]

I work at one of the most well- known theme parks in the world. Granted, I don't serve food, however on daily basis I am cussed at, swung at, yelled at and berated because some fat ass soccer mom's kid had to wait for 30 minutes to board a ride. You pour a cup of coffee...where is my tip?

put out a tip jar.

[Linds]

This absolutly makes me sick. I work for Starbucks and the fact that people have nothing better to do than bitch about if we get tipped or not. To let you know I work for a Canadian store (YEAH CANADA) the Tim Hortons up the road pays 12.00 dollars an hour to start plus benefits and living allowance they also have a tip jar for literally pouring coffee into a cup!

I work on a manual bar, for those of you that have visited a starbucks or work for us know that on an automatic machine your milk stops steaming at 165 degrees and your shots pour into a cup for you as well.

I do all this myself. Let me tell you its hard work. I know it doesn't sound like much but when you have 15 Venti drinks with 6 different types of milk 12 syrups with or without whip.

Here's the best part Baristas in our district get paid 8.50 an hour. Now for all you hard asses that are saying "I'm not tipping for a god damn cup of coffee" or "Baristas don't go out of there way for me" Learning your name or drink is going out of the way, then when the line ups out the door we can start your drink when we see you in line. From my point of you we work just as hard as anyone in the service industry.

I just thought that you bitter people would like to maybe go into the same starbucks more than once and say that starbucks baristas don't work hard.

[Megan]

"I've just read a few more of these things and my blood pressure is going up.... I'm giving up coffee altogether. Those Starbucks bitches should go to school so they can get a better job... one that doesn't rely on loose change tips from bastards like me. Lemme tell from experience... these jobs suck. I've worked jobs like these growing up and they sucked then too. My advice... bust your ass now and learn a good trade... then bust that tip jar... you won't need it"
A good 70-80% of Starbucks employee's are infact college students, trying to get through school and work a job as well. I could care less if you tip, I do my job as I was trained. I have many regulars that know me and I know them as well as their drink, they don't tip, but do i treat them any differently than the average joe who tips $2? No, because I like my job, I like people, and overall, I'm not a bitch about it. You don't get a job at Starbucks expecting the tips to pay the rent. I live in the Pacific Northwest, and ask anyone of the barista's in my store or many of my friends in the other stores in town, and you're going to get the same damn service whether or not you throw a dime my way. I look at it this way, If you're service was good, if I a made any part of your day better with talking with you or being friendly, if you don't feel like you spent too much already on coffee, if you have spare change, if you order 10 drinks to go, so on and so forth, then tip. If you don't want to and hate starbucks then don't tip. I also agree with the person that made the comment "Hate the corporation, not the employees" We did not get a job at Starbucks just to piss you off about how expensive the coffee is. I got a job at Starbucks to put myself throught college, get a "real" job, and not have to be around asshole customer's that bitch and moan about coffee for the rest of my life.

[Adri]

If I ever see any one of you bastards in my Starbucks I won't just spit in your latte, I will jump over the counter and throttle you. Where do you get the nerve to say that Starbucks employees have attitudes? I dare you to put on an apron and work one day behind the counter. Maybe then you’ll have a better appreciation for how hard we work and the kind of crap that we put up with on a daily basis. You come in and you order your mile long pain in my ass drink. Then you complain about how long you’re waiting when you see that the line is a mile long and everyone else has been waiting just as long as you have. We only have two hands just like everyone else. If you’re in such a rush, then buy a coffee maker and do it yourself. One less asshole I have to deal with in the morning. And as if all of this isn’t enough, you don’t even have the courtesy to get off your f*cking cell phone long enough to say thank you or even to make eye contact. How would you feel about being condescended to on a daily basis and not being able to do anything about it. Now don’t get me wrong. I love my job. Most customers aren’t like that. In fact, I’ve formed friendships with a few of our regular customers. But there are enough asshole in the world to make Starbucks a particularly difficult place to work. Leaving a tip has very little to do with the money. As pointed out earlier, most baristas only get between $40-$60 a week in tips. It’s simply a way to let us know that we are appreciated.

[Liam]

I think so many people here are bang out of order.

If you object to people tipping, then don't tip. But I'm sorry, it is hard work. I've worked in many places, and only when I was a support manager for Pizza Hut did I work as hard as I do now. And I get paid around average for this country. Trying to keep behind the bar clean during a rush is a formidable task.

Oh, and why do people always say about having worked in service, but now they have a REAL job? Is service not a real job? Do I pretend to work, and they pretend to pay me? No. I get up in the morning, don my uniform, go to work and slave my ass off for eight hours, and get paid for it. Sounds like a real job to me. And hey - it keeps me fit, better than being stuck behind a crappy desk all day.

And about that comment about learning a trade and getting a real job? I'm working at Starbucks to pay my way through university, when I hope to become either an english language teacher in China, or a translator for the EU (because within two years I can say I'm fluent in four languages). Now don't you DARE tell me to go to school and get a real job. Because I will smack you in the teeth. Then hand you your *grunt*... I'm sorry, coffee. I just like to speak the way you do. Have a crappy day.

True we are paid more than minimum wage, but I would hardly call $7 starting wage a high income... (I'm a Pomona College student who works part time at Starbucks; for those of you who don't know, that's one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation so i'm more than a hot piece of ass with no brains.) starbuck's coffees are expensive because we pay 75% more than other companies pay for them(near fair trade price). That means, we are paying to keep the poor farmers in the third world countries in business. As their government doesn't care for them, that someone is doing something is a good thing we would agree? point being, we workers have no control over the price rasises. also keep in mind, that yes while we are paid to work, in the end of the day there are difficulties that people on the other side of the counter can't see. We take pretty much anything you throw at us smiling, then we go back and cry our hearts out bc we got yelled at by a customer. We will be busy and get a huge line where every customer orders 5+ drinks. everyone will complain to us, saying that we are slow, but never think of the fact that, we are trying hard. We aren't asking for a huge tip. If you feel satisfied with your visit, if we remembered your name or drink, let us keep the occasional change. If you come in wiht a $100+ order without calling in before, you have stressed people out and should feel like you need to tip, after all when was the last time you went to a reastraunt, spent that much money, and didn't tip? I'm not saying it's necessary, but having been with the compay for almost two years now, I can say as much as I love going to work, meeting new people, sharing my knowledge of coffee, knowing I can handle the store like none other, it still doesn't pay me enough for my effort. keep in mind, while you are enjoying your coffee, relaxing, i'm standing, cleaning, making drinks, apologizing to offended customers, and making that happy wonderful starbucks atmosphere happen. . . it's not easy and even a genuine thank you/smile/hug will make my day

[Munkey]

If you dont like starbucks coffee, then take your buisness elsewhere.

If you dont like to tip hard working employees who go above and beyond their job description, then dont. But dont raise a stink over it. You just make yourself sound cheap.

Once upon a time a grumpy old man came into our store. he was fuming about something or other and just wanted coffee. despite his foul attitude we served him smiling and happy. he came back many times still bantering about the price. One day on break I sat down with him and chatted. it took some warming up but finally he started to talk. we didnt talk about anything profound, the weather, traffic, what have you, but he came back the next day for his coffee. Repeat smiling service was once again given to him, despite his foul mood. Its been a few months now and he keeps returning, but the bantering stops. Yesterday, I asked him how his sick son is doing and to his reply, Much better. I thanked him for his patronage and told him to have a nice day. He dropped the 13 some cents change into my tip jar. That's the story of the hardest 13 cents i've ever made, but I value that 13 cents (split amongst 10 other baristas, so i see about a penny of it) more than ever. it isnt the money, it's the gesture.

One day I had a few rotton kids come in the store, order a bunch of frappuccino's near closing.
their friends were hellions, and tore up the patio. One kid came up (about 15) and dropped a 5 in the jar. He appologized for his friends rude behavior and thanked us for staying open 5 minutes extra to feed their craving.

What's the matter with people these days? If you dont like something, that's your deal. It's your constitutional right to voice your displeasure, but a mature, tactful adult will keep such a "perposterous" thing such as this on a miniscule level. Sometimes, i think those

TEENAGERS

are more mature than some of the adult patrons, most of which dont even pick up after themselves. More kids and teens do. I watch and observe.

I completly agree Munkey!!! And Starbucks Baristas do go above and behond their job decriptions. I truly think most Baristas don't care about tipping because they like there jobs and their customers and just having a good conversation with them is enough of a tip. Maybe you idiots that don't work for starbucks should find out more about our corporation and how we treat each other and our clients.
For you Megan I'd like to know what gives you the right to say that starbucks employees should go to school and get trained in a trade? obviously if your working for the corporation maybe you should take your own advice!! And please do give up coffee cause starbucks obviously isn't a good enough job for you

[Megan]

I wasn't saying starbucks employee's should go get a real job. I was offended because a person ahead of me in this debate said that. That is why it is in quotes. I didn't say this. I was quoting people telling me to go to school to get a "real" job. If you took the time to read the rest of my replie you would realize I was offended by another's remark, i wasn't making it. I was just saying a lot of Starbucks employees are going to school, some are not, all the same we are working for the company as our JOB, good lord, no need to get offended at me.

[Megan]

Oh and p.s I am "taking my own advice" (quoting you, in case you get confused again). I'm in school studying to be a teacher, but all the same I'm working at Starbucks for the time being.

[Baristadinating]

People people people. I am a barista (soon to be shift). I went to college. I graduated with a bachelors. I went to a "real job" in a "real office" with "real paychecks". I absolutely hated it. I got paid more, but I sat under florescent lights in a cubicle with the most horribly unhappy people I have ever met. I applied to starbucks, of my own will imagine that, and even though I gave up half my salary, starbucks is a breath of fresh air. Now because I do have a degree, I am moving up quickly and *gasp* someday I may work at coporate starbucks (a "real job" oh my!), thank god I can finally please all the people who are resentful of us starbucks baristas for serving them coffee with a smile.

By the way, someone made a great point earlier, you tip a bartender 50 cents to $1 for opening your bud light. Wow that was difficult. I don't care if you tip me, I honestly just love to serve my customers and make them happy. But if you are so opposed to tipping, maybe you should stop buying 3-4 dollar beverages (lattes, macchiatos, mochas, cause coffees are at the most only 1.86) and go save money to buy your kids food.

[PJ]

i HAVE A QUESTION WHEN EATING AT A RESTURAUNT , A APRTY OF TWO , oNE RECIEVES BAD SHELLFISH AND UNFORTUNATLY RETURNS THE PLATE DUE TO ITS FOUL TASTE AND SMELL, IF ONLY THE SHELLFISH IS COMP SHOULD YOU TIP AS THOUGH YOU EAT IT , RATHER THA TIP ON THE BILL OF JUST THE ONE MEAL AND DRINKS , EVEN THOUGH YOUR ILL

[Beanbarista]

ok yeah wtf!!! good point you give a bartender a tip for opeing your beer? ok yeah that makes since, oh and might i add? um what are they doing to go up and beyond and make your day better? hhmmmm getting you drunk ? making you make bad choices, possibly going out and hurting or even better killing someone!! oh yup i really better tip them!!! ok so if anyone get my drift, honestly why should you tip then and not me? really? what are they doing for you?

thanks beanbarista

[BaristaIND]

wow this debate has been going on since august of 2004... its feb. of 2006. you may or may not have 'wasted' your 2 cents of tip but you sure have wasted energy....

-a barista concerned about the health of internet junkies :) oh wait i am one... just stop posting about this debate!

[imabarrista]

So, any truth to the rumor that we are getting a 'tip' button for credit card customers?

A partner from SF came in for his markout and told us that SF is going to be a test market.

Any news?

[imabarrista]

The same partner came in today. He is returning to SF tomorrow and promised to email me details.

Keep tuned.

[imabarrista]

So, the SFO barrista says that the tip button for gift card customers starts in his store in June.

Has anyone else heard anything?

[Workingformyboys]

I have something to say to just about everyone here (who's posted in the last 3 months anyways-to bored with the same crap to keep reading).

First off....Yes, baristas only average $7.00 an hour. You were informed of how much the job pays, so quit complaining.

Second....Who cares if someone tips or not? OK, so the first three cars in the DT don't tip, but the next car does. Cool...whatever. Do you really care? No. You just politely thank them and tell them to have a good day. Just like you did to the first 3 cars. Why? Because thats your job. The reason Starbucks is so successful is because of those customers who just can't live without their Caramel Macchiatos and Vanilla Lattes, and prefer to have them handed by a friendly face...not poored out of a machine that improperly refers to a latte as a cappuccino-or honestly, whatever you can call that crap.

And Three(and this is to the non-Starbucks employees)...Starbucks baristas do bust their butts from morning to night. You may think that the only thing in our job description is to froth milk, pore shots and drizzle some caramel on your drink, but it is so much more than that. We constantly clean, wipe down the bars and tables. We mop up the drink that your little one just knocked off the table, and at the same time, ask the barista on bar to make another one, free of charge, without having to ask what it was 90% of the time, and then walk it out to you with a smile on our face. We're the ones that make sure that your pastries are served on clean plates with clean forks and then sweep the crumbs off the floor from the people who don't know how to eat over their plates and have no regard for the mess they are making or for the people that have to clean it up. We're the ones that clean the bathrooms everynight (why can't guys just aim straight and in the bowl...huge mystery to me) and mop the floors. We're the ones that ensure that the milk in your latte and in the carafes is fresh. We're the ones that are constantly making whip cream and mocha and UBB and Frappuccino, so you, as a customer, can get what you ordered, how you ordered it, in a timely matter. And as previously stated by other partner's, we are the one's that remember your drink and your name, while you're standing 4 people back in line and have your drink started before you even order. And may I add, you're standing behind approximately two people that don't know what they want, therefore, holding up the line?.

Do I think that every customer should tip for these reasons. No. Why? Because it is a customers personal preference to or not. I just want you all to know that we aren't lazy people with an unreal job. I recently took a pedometer to work with me and in a 4 hour shift, I walked over a mile and a half. How much do you walk at your desk job a day?

Oh, and by the way......Atleast when you pay $4.00 for a drink, you know its fresh and made to order, unlike that rubbery 2 hour old french fry you're holding and that cheeseburger your about to bite into that you specifically asked for no pickles on, which, as everyone knows if they've ever had a fastfood burger, is undoubtedly the first think you get a mouth full of. Enjoy your pickles!!!!

Oh, one more thing. This is a special note to CC, who referred to Starbucks as a monster. The reason I work for Starbucks? To insure my 3 little boys with a decent policy that I can afford-oh, and to reap the benefits of the stock they generously gave me for just being a loyal employee in 4 years. If you think SBUX is such a monster, why don't you go work for another major corporation that offers crappy insurance policies and after you have a major illness and are $13000 in debt for what your crappy policy that you pay over $400 a month for won't cover you, if after that you still think SBUX is a monster, then we'll talk. Otherwise shut up and quit. I don't think with your attitude that your proper Starbucks Partner material.

[Matt]

If anyone thinks starbuck's employee's don't go above and beyond their job description... has never worked there... for one, yes its pouring coffe and frothing milk... but its doing that PROPERY and TIMELY while having rude pompous men and women glare and you impatiently and without thanks.

Secondly, many starbucks employees including myself will remake drinks if they aren't perfect, round yoru change up so you arent carrying pennies, hand off drinks to you so you can find a seat and not have to stand... get you free water or hot water.. contrary to popular belief, when its busy, we dont have time nor do we have to get youw ater.. but we do... theres taps in the bathrooms hobos... or you coudl BUY A BOTTLE... people who don;t tip for coffee are obviously too cheap or too poor to do so... tipping ensures that employees follow starbuck's just say yes policy .. think of thsat next time your drink isn't up to par and you'd like a remake... or the next time you have something you really enjoyed and your barista was the one who took all the time to make that decaf grande 4 shot non fat half sweet easy foam no whip mocha BITCHES!

[????]

I personally don't tip. Not because I am cheap, but because why should I tip everyone? There are tip jars everywhere (dry cleaners, ice cream, car wash)...If i tipped everyone I would spend an extra $15+ a day. I don't get tipped at my job, so why does everyone else?

[Barista]

I'm amazed at some of the posts I'm reading. I'm 35 years old and decided to change careers by going back 2 school. I took employment with Starbucks because I needed some kind of income and a flexible schedule. Mind you I've gone from making around $34 a hour to 1/5 of that. For someone to say how hard can the job be is pretty insulting. Sometimes when I'm working drive thru on a Saturday morning with back to back customers for 7 hours straight and I get some guy who's ordering 6 drinks bitching at me because he's spouting the drinks off at 100 miles an hour and I'm trying to punch in every modification to the drinks so that his order is completely right I want to stop everything and ask him to come in and just try to do my job for 5 minutes. It certainly isn't rocket science but it is a tough job. Like I said, I've made $70,000 a year at an office job but now I make $12,740 standing up all day running around making drinks, doing dishes, mopping, stocking, cleaning bathrooms. Because I've seen both sides I would never underestimate how hard any job is. We don't expect tips but they are nice and yes we are paid as tipped employees. The tips are shown on our paychecks. And it isn't our fault the drink prices are so high. We just work there. Trust me if I could set the prices, I would. You would be amazed at how hard we work. I'm extremely polite to every customer regardless if I get it back because that's how I was raised and I think customer service has gone down the toilet. You also have to keep in mind that a lot of these employees are students or young adults trying to find there way in the world so every little bit helps. I know it's not your fault but I'm sure you were trying to find your way sometime in your early adult life. I tip well and always have especially when I see young adults working hard. I hope people will do that for my children when they're in college and working as a waiter/waitress for the extra spending money they need to make it.

[Bob]

The first scene in Reservoir Dogs wasn't in a McDonald's; it was in a diner.

And checkers (even baggers) make significantly more than Starbucks employees.

[margaret]

I am training to be a barrista and my coach is pretty nice it's been an excellent experience for me!

[jlynne]

in response to all of the debate about whether or not to tip at Starbucks, here's some info. for you.
1-Sbux charges higher prices to pay for health-care for all of its employees(co. spends more in healthcare than in buying its beans). The prices are not set to rip of the common man.
2-as in any tipping situation it should be on the service and the product.
3-i don't know who made the comment about the "vente" which is actually spelled "venti" but it stands for twenty in Italian.
I think people need to do a little research about what they are talking about instead of being jerks.

[Pequod]

I have read several comments where one compares baristas to waiters as if waiters deserve their tip more. They claim that waiters do far more than baristas or fast food workers. What do waiters do differently?
1. First, they take your order. Yes, simple, so do baristas.
2. They are expected to remember numerous orders. At Starbucks, remembering customers drinks and names is something baristas are actually required to do. I could name hundreds of customers and the drinks that they get.
3. They place the order and carry it to the table. What?? They don't even have the make the damn stuff.
4. They refill your drinks. No comment.
5. They bring you the bill. Gosh, that has got to be difficult.
6. They clear the table and start over. Wow, they put everything into a tub and bring it to the sink so that someone else can wash them. Baristas actually wash the dishes.
I seriously doubt that anyone could say it is harder to be a waiter. Unless you think it is difficult to carry things around and wash a few tables. Obviously there is more to Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King etc. than using a register and making your food.
Tipping should always be optional. Some of you that complain the most sound pathetically cheap and poor.

[indybarista]

well, a few points of clarification:

way up there at the top someone said something about ditching corporate coffee and going to peets. well, peets is corporate too- and trying pretty hard to be just like starbucks- take it from a former employee who watched the standards drop quickly as we went public.

I don't expect tips, and I try to say "thank you" if I see someone put something in the tip jar. but seriously, even our most complicated drink is still just coffee. and even though I work hard to give you something you like, it's still just coffee.

our tips are pooled, and our manager reports them as part of our income- taxes are taken out of our paycheck for them. kinda lame, but really, it's the right thing to do.

while "venti" may actually mean 20, machiatio means "marked" and is traditionally served as espresso and a dollop of foam, not a 20 oz drink with a crapload of caramel and vanilla in it. I don't know how many times I have had to explain this to people who want a caramel latte, but ask for a caramel machiato- so starbucks does, indeed, just make stuff up sometimes.

I don't hate starbucks, I just don't go there. they have great friendly service, but their coffee is crap, and their coffee knowledge is minimal. they know as much as they are taught, but much like I learned after leaving peets, coroporate coffee keeps their people away from real excellence because they need a consistant product, and there's no way that many employees at that many stores can be consistantly excellent. starbucks is consistantly mediocre coffee at best, but has excellent customer service- it just depends what you're looking for in a coffeeshop.

[KGS]

Well here it goes

Tips, ah, i usually pay tips to round off the change in my pocket, so if i do have cash on me and i dont use a plastic card, i pay tip, to get rid of my change. It doesnt really matter what the drink is or how long it takes to make it.
and generally if i get more of a personalized and better service then i would pay more tips. i pay it just because i know whoever it is working this job, probably is tight on money, i mean 8 or 9 bucks an hour, thats poverty.

[coffeeguy :)]

Even if it is a 3.00 cup of coffee it doesn't hurt to throw a quarter in the jar if the barista makes you smile.

That simple. If the people at Macdonalds could put a smile on my face and had a tip jar I'd do the same thing there too.

No one expects anyone to tip 100% of the time but honestly I don't care what job you do if you do it well and it's easy for me to tip you I'll do so.

If you think otherwise odds are you havn't worked customer service. Which is cool. it happens. Just don't tell someone that they are worth crap and don't deserve a tip because their job is so simple etc etc.

[Vanessa]

I was enticed to post my own message after reading all the hub bub about tipping. Here is my 2 cents.....If I get a friendly smile and my coffee is great I might tip or might not. It's my call. I don't let a jar or employee's comments make me tip or not. It's my decision to tip. I tip if the service was spectacular..meaning a smile and comment "How's your day going" and here's the kicker..I love it when they give me info I don't know like stacking my carmel macciachto..or sampling something. The extra mile might get a tip. I figure they are doing there job, as I do mine and I don't get tipped for doing a job well done on a daily basis. But I am not against doing it as long as the service is "spectacular". I appreciate their hard work, but really don't we all work hard at our jobs? There's an old song.."you can dance if you want to" well my motto...YOU CAN TIP IF YOU WANT TO...oops..I think I have given more then my 2 cents...oh well enjoy the extra cents!!!!!!!!

[Billy Chase]

I will say that I personaly dont give a DAMN if you tip me or not, Hell I dont make my life out of tips I am ,like most of you pointed out, payed quite a bit more then what is required by law. HOWEVER keep in mind that while in Texas it is 5.50 in new York I believe its around 9. Either way what the hell ever get over it, dont freakin tip if you dont want to stop bitching... one thing though if you think the price is so rediculous, think about what we do with our money seeing as how we support most of the place that we get our coffe from. Either way rather you tip us or not it still comes out of our paychecks as though you did... So at the end of the week weather or not I have tips im still being charged as thoguh I do.

[Billy Chase]

I will say that I personaly dont give a DAMN if you tip me or not, Hell I dont make my life out of tips I am ,like most of you pointed out, payed quite a bit more then what is required by law. HOWEVER keep in mind that while in Texas it is 5.50 in new York I believe its around 9. Either way what the hell ever get over it, dont freakin tip if you dont want to stop bitching... one thing though if you think the price is so rediculous, think about what we do with our money seeing as how we support most of the place that we get our coffe from. Either way rather you tip us or not it still comes out of our paychecks as though you did... So at the end of the week weather or not I have tips im still being charged as thoguh I do.

[guillaume]

Tips are a nice way of showing your appreciation (job well done, nice try, whatever..) but seriously i cant appreciate tips from arrogant bastards and (excuse my french) bitches. Tips actually mean very little to me, i'm a Pre Dental student and usually only work less than 20 hrs/week, therefore, my tips are usually about 10 dollars a week, so clearly its not about making my salary better. I enjoy working at starbucks, I love the fact that i've memorized dozens of cars-customers-their orders-names... so when i see them coming on drive thru i can pull a "You're early today Tom, want you single grande nonfat mocha or you're feeling adventurous?" and we both enjoy it equally. The conversations we have at the window is equivalent to the tip. oh and those of you saying "ITS JUST COFFEE", try telling that to people snapping at us daily on drive thru "this doesnt taste like 8 splendas, more like 6 splendas". MY POINT IS, DONT TIP IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO, BUT AT LEAST TAKE THE TIME TO SINCERELY THANK YOUR BARISTA, ASK HOW THEY'RE DOING, some of us actually dont mind making new friends, and a barista friend always has yoru back, it's like your dr phill/oprah on drive thru. YOU GET A COFFEE!!! YOU GET A COFFEE!! EVERY BODY GETS A COFFEE!!!!"
thanks for putting up with this lenghty post lol, but we seemed to have lost the whole appreciation aspect.

[no comment]

I worked in a bagel/sandwich shop when I was a kid, and on my first day someone threw a few coins in a tip container by the register after I buttered him a bagel. I was actually kind of embarassed. I guess my pride kind made me feel like I didn't need his spare change - I had a job. It was kind of awkward that the tip container was right there, directly under our hands as I passed them their change, like they were obligated to drop something in. I don't really like being on the either the receiving end or giving end of these tip containers. It's just awkward.

[Erica]

i am a partner at a starbucks. and i have worked numerous jobs at mom and pop restaurants, at big chain restaurants, in the theatre industry, and at other fast food stores. starbucks is not an "easy" job. i enjoy it. but tips are nice. not an expectation, but a bonus.

[Theolaxor]

Yeah its nice to get an extra $25 every week!

I like how this debate ended off. Let's just all agree to tip by service quality. :)

[Newbiebarista]

I can't believe how big of cheap @$$es some of you are! I probably served one of you the other day: A man comes in and asks for two espresso machiatos, I'm about to make them, and then he sees someone walking with a cup of (in his words) "cold coffee".... "wait you sell COLD coffee? Not hot, but cold?" I inform him that yes we do, and explain the basics of the varieties we have, (ie. fraps, are blended and can be plain coffee or have a variety of flavours added. Shaken iced coffee is just cold double strength coffee mixed with water to dilute and ice, and iced espresso drinks, are pretty much any hot drink but in a cold format, over ice, not blended)
He is intrigued and orders two iced coffees (not the shaken kind... people are waay too cheap to pay for that, they jsut want a cup of ice with drip poured on top... pretty much a cup of piss, but whatever) He tells me he will be outside on the patio and to bring them to him when they are ready (which is pretty much 15 seconds later, but it was just too long for him to wait) SO i bring the drinks out, his wife sees them, and almost starts crying.. "Nooo.. i want one of those...." (pointing at girl at next table with frap)
I offer to make her one, and she shouts "yes! NOW!!!" (i should mention that we were very busy at this point) I oblige, and am about to head back in, when her husband asks me to bring out some sugar packets and some cream in a piccolo cup for him. I tell him certsinly, and head back in to do what they ask.
I come out with everything, and the woman is upset because her drink is only a mezzo (the original size of the $1.96 coffee ordered) and the girl next to her has a venti with whipped cream and caramel sauce, and why wasn't hers like this. this is what she wants. I explain that hers is a plain coffee and that the other girl has a caramel frap, would she like me to make one of those for her instead? "YES NOW!!!" So I do, I bring it out to her, i clear her husbands stuff. They try to order some muffins and pastries that they saw inside, could I bring them out to them? I tell them that unfortunately I don't know the total price but if they came inside I would gladly help them right away (this invovles skipping about 8 people in line) They say no, and get very upset. The wife takes all of three sips of her venti caramel frap with extra whip and caramel, says "I'm not thirsty anymore, lets go" and they leave.
Total tip: $0.00
Total Value of Beverages Served: $14.14
Total Price Payed: $3.92
Total Time I spent helping them: 25 minutes

Oh and my "favorite" thing... people (inevitably women) who order venti all foam soy cappucinos at "rushour" yeah you try and get 17 oz of foam from soy milk! And then try and do it in under 1-2 min HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA THAT"S F-ING HILLARIOUS......

[J Price]

Do I tip at Starbucks...? No! Why? Because it just isn't the kind of service you tip for. You cannot compare yourself to a server either. They get paid around $2.75 per hour (in Michigan at least). Tips are their lives. Starbucks employees make a better wage. A tip is a bonus for you. Not mandatory! I refuse to tip at a place that lines us up in herds to recieve coffee. Now when I go to my local coffee shop where there is personalized service and it is more like a bar/cafe. Yes, I do tip. They chat with me while they make my drink instead of taking my order and shoving me over into the recieving line. This is a tipping situation.

[Newbiebarista]

"Now when I go to my local coffee shop where there is personalized service and it is more like a bar/cafe. Yes, I do tip. They chat with me while they make my drink instead of taking my order and shoving me over into the recieving line. This is a tipping situation."

This should be the situation at Starbucks too. I've only been on the floor for three weeks now, and I already know 25% of our regular customers' names and what their drinks are. We talk to them, have conversations even if its busy. This is the service that Starbucks HQ expects, and it is what we give.
If you spent even a day behind the bar, you'd start to tip.

[Jules]

I've read almost this entire thread, and was a little surprised with some perceptions on this whole issue. I do work at starbucks, not because it was my first choice, but because I'm on my own, putting myself through school, and the other job I work after classes is every evening. I'm not exactly some uber middle-class yuppie who's lazy and considers my job easy. I work really hard every morning shift, I try to give the best service I can even when people are intolerable, and remember regular customers orders. But I competely understand why some people don't tip. We ARE already getting paid. I don't want people to feel obligated to tip me just because the jar is there..if they want to that's really nice but to tell you the truth it doesn't make much difference. I would still be working two jobs with or without the extra cash. I never really would have chosen to work where I do, but when you're on your own you take what you can get. That said, while I can understand where the point is coming from, I think it's wrong to bitch us all out for having a tip jar when we as employees have no real control over it being there. Every store has one and if I were to ask my manager to get rid of it I would get an earfull. I personally never went into starbucks much before I started working there, and I do think a lot of things are over priced, but if you like the product, but just not the tip jar, get over it and don't blame the lowly barista for it being there...especially when most of us never pressure people for tips at all.
And..if you just hate starbucks in general what are you whining about? If you don't go in why would you bother complaining about something that doesn't directly effect your life at all?

[Newbiebarista]

Hell, this website has a "tip jar" no one complains about that

[Annie]

This whole thing is ridiculous. I work at starbucks. i could care less if you tipped or not.

you people think our jobs are so easy? you couldn't make your own drink if you tried.

give us some credit. my store makes $7/h and around $1.50/h tips. not as good as most places, but im not bitching. just tip if you want. if not, i really dont care.

[Dan]

I'd like to offer a hearty "thank you" for the baristas. I appreciate what you do. Customers should remember that you do not set the prices.
For those of you who think Starbucks is over-priced, why do you go there? I'm sure there's some other place you can get your beverages.
I am a "regular" at the Starbuck's with a drive-thru (That's another topic) in Okemos and I always tip $1.00. I figure if I'm spending $4.00 for a latte, I might as well spend $5.00 and show some gratitude.

One final observation, it's usually people who really cannot afford to tip that do tip because they know what it's like. Anyone driving a car that stickers over 30K, whether leased or purchased, or that lives in a $300K or more house should tip or go somewhere else!

[Boston Starbucks Rebel]

Believe me there are more ways than one when it comes to tipping. My customers tip me very generously and I don't have to share and wouldn't want to share their "tips."

[SBUXPrincess]

Hi. I am a salaried partner at Starbucks. Upper management does NOT get a share of the tips. Tips are for the hourly partners who make a little more than min. wage. The tips ARE reported on their income taxes. In fact, they are taxed on every paycheck for tips made (unlike waitstaff, and delivery drivers).

*Did you know that tipping originated in coffee houses in Italy? Not at a restaurant, not in a bar or pub, but in coffee houses?? We are only carying-on the tradition. You tip a bartender when you go out for the evening right? For each drink? Right? And nobody forces you.. right? We are the same way. We are doing you a service, and making you a drink. If you are just getting "drip coffee," you don't have to tip. We don't really expect that. However, if you are getting an espresso or blended drink, it's a nice little bonus to be tipped.

Anyone who EXPECTS a tip shouldn't be working at Starbucks. We treat you well, and we should pass that onto our customers. That's what we are about.

[baristateya]

i can't believe that someone's tips average about 1.50 an hour! That is wayyy more than us. I am the tip proportionner at my store and we sometimes get .45cents an hour the highest I have done so far was .79 cents an hour. erhg

does anyone know how much tips average in the Clearwater Florida area?