Posted on 03/14/2014 9:58:03 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
Starbucks has modified its mobile phone app so that US customers can add tips for baristas to their bill. Is it normal to tip in coffee shops in the US - and could it catch on in the UK, asks Tom Geoghegan?
The old distinction between table service that we tip and counter service that we don't disappeared 10-20 years ago, says John McCarty, a business professor at The College of New Jersey, who co-authored a study on tipping for the Association of Consumer Research. Jars for tips appeared in small sandwich shops first, about two decades ago, then spread to chain coffee shops like Starbucks, he says. Nowadays, lots of coffee customers in the US tip although it's not yet as widespread as it is in restaurants.
"Many people tip automatically and don't think through how much it affects the quality of service they get, or the rationality of it," says McCarty. So while a waiter in a top restaurant can greatly improve your dining experience over two hours, or sour it, it's harder to see how someone making your coffee can exercise the same influence. Nonetheless, McCarty himself tips 20% at his local Dunkin' Donuts.
Tipping for coffee is now more the norm than the exception, says Martin O'Neill, head of nutrition and dietetics at Auburn University, Alabama. He believes baristas in his local Mama Mocha's earn their tips due to their talent and exceptional service. "These people work very hard and putting a bit of extra cash into their pockets is not a bad thing," he says.
But unlike many table waiters, baristas at a firm like Starbucks earn above the federal minimum wage. One Starbucks barista in Wisconsin told the Toronto Globe that nearly all customers gave tips, providing an extra $1.50-$2 to her hourly pay of $9.05.
Despite the fact that many British Starbucks counters do have jars for tips, a Starbucks spokeswoman said there were currently no plans to bring digital tipping to the UK because fewer customers leave tips. Tipping is generally viewed with some anxiety and confusion by British visitors to the US - ironic, given that it travelled to the US from Europe in the late 1800s.
British etiquette expert Simon Fanshawe can't see it catching on. "For counter service, I can't quite see the rationale," he says. "I think it would be regarded by the British, in a rather snobby way, as a bit too American."
I’m a greedy bastid who doesn’t go to those kinds of places. If I do order anything its delivery pizza and I always tip them well.
> Tipping for coffee is now more the norm than the exception
Not for me.
No it doesn’t. I worked for McD, 45 seconds start to finish for a dozen burgers or half a dozen big macs. And that’s doing it without layers, and a single set of equipment, during crunch time there’s gaps in there to get the next set up in 30 seconds, in the day I could send up over 100 burgers in the 5 minutes I’ve seen baristas take on orders.
Odd, really - I seldom tip at Starbucks or Tullys but frequently at the numerous indie places. No particular reason behind it except that the corporate places aren’t quite as hand-to-mouth as the smaller shops.
In general I wouldn’t tip for counter service, but will definitely tip if it means better future service like you describe if I’m a regular, at the table or behind the counter.
I can see doing that if you are at the same place every morning if you get your supersized double-whipped, extra frothy, honey-sweetened double mocha espresso latte frappucino something-or-other with extra cinnamon and a shot of caramel. Coffee black, not so much.
I actually had a pleasant experience, meaning “down to earth” barista, last year. I was early for a train to San Diego, so I walked across the street to Starbucks, and asked for a large, black coffee. “You want a venti drip Americano?” he replied. “I don’t know the terms, just a large black coffee, please”, was my answer. He looked around, nervously, and then in a low voice, he said “I understand, sir, but if I don’t speak in ‘Starbucks’, I get in trouble”. I tipped the kid a buck for a $3.00 cup ;)
No but the McDs drive thru could become the norm, instead of Fivebucks
Heh, Heh, you’re thinking of cow tipping!
Tipping baristas is right up there with getting hit up for a charitable contribution at the grocery checkout.
To either I would say, “I give through my church”.
That made me laugh. Thanks!
IF I ever would go to a Starbuck's for their crappy coffee...
And IF the coffee slingers (I refuse to use that B word) would lose the oh-so-superior attitude...I might....MIGHT think about tipping.
The way the food industry is evolving there’s layers of counter service. We used to always think of it in the McDs fashion, very fast, no personal interaction, mass produced premade products changing hands. But a lot of it isn’t really like that anymore, many places that are “counter” are cooking to order just like the more “non-counter” places, with a much higher product quality. Though of course it’s still possible to get that quick black coffee order from the new fancy counter. It’s not quite black and white anymore. I probably tip more often than I should, but by the same token I’m making good money so a couple buck here or there doesn’t impact my life, and I did time in food service and know just how bad that work can suck, and a couple bucks can actually make their day better.
I never go anywhere that has a barista, whatever that is.
One of my more amusing times at McDs was the day we realized the House charity box had gotten completely filled up but in the months (maybe even years) it took to fill up we’d lost both keys (the one to keep it on the counter and the one to keep it closed). We had a fun time trying to pick those locks in between customers on a slow afternoon.
Because they get paid by the hour; if it takes longer to make your drink, they already get paid more.
Would you tip the kid at McDonalds when you order a burger "hold this" or "extra that"?
It's your buck; tip 'em if ya want.
I won't.
I tip bartenders, not baristas.
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