Tip Jar Conundrum

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Oh, I wholly agree. I mean, they've got ones now with Oreo crumbs in it! I mean, honestly, what the hell is that? I refuse to tip anyone who puts Oreo crumbs in my coffee.

Actually, seriously, what put me off of tipping anything more than like the pennies I get for change was two men in the Starbucks under my apartment:

1) One is creepy Charlie Manson type, who holds your coffee until you say "Thank you very much" - "thanks" is unacceptable, I've found.
2) The other consistently makes the wrong drink and then ARGUES WITH YOU when you say that's not what you wanted. "That's not what you goddamned said!" I'm like, ok, cowboy, if I meant "coconut latte whipped cream explosion", I'd have said that instead of "chai latte". I mean, they don't even sound similar.

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 13 April 2003 22:54 (twenty-one years ago) link

So I guess what I'm asking is, do you tip in coffee shops? And if so, how do you feel about it? And if not, why are you such an asshole?

Always. It's bad enough I waste my money on Starbucks when I do but I also feel compelled to tip for perpetuating this hideous abomination of cultural homogenization. In my guilt-ridden mind I am like the Oskar Schindler of Starbucks patrons viz:

Oskar Schindler: I could've tipped more. I could've tipped more if I just tried harder. I threw away so much money. You have no idea. If I just...
Barista: There is almost $1 in here as a result of what you did.
Oskar Schindler: I didn't do enough!
Barista: You did so much.
Oskar Schindler: This car. Why did I keep the car? Amon would've bought this car. 2000 tips right there. This magazine, 8 tips, This is gold! 8 tips he could've given me 8 people at least one. One tip. One tip I didn't make. One tip I could've made and I didn't!!

― felicity (felicity), Sunday, 13 April 2003 22:59 (twenty-one years ago) link

Thanks, I spit water all over my keyboard reading that!

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 13 April 2003 23:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

no problem

― felicity (felicity), Sunday, 13 April 2003 23:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

...don't forget to tip yr waitress?

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 13 April 2003 23:12 (twenty-one years ago) link

I'm here all decade. Try the veal.

― felicity (felicity), Sunday, 13 April 2003 23:14 (twenty-one years ago) link

I tip well at restaurants/bars/coffee places I frequent. I guess because I want the staff to know I'm on their side. Whatever that means.
What I find really confusing is tipping people I know.
Any rules for that?
(does the E in ILE stand for Etiquette today?)

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Monday, 14 April 2003 00:18 (twenty-one years ago) link

This thread has made me so glad I brew my coffee at home.

― teeny (teeny), Monday, 14 April 2003 01:06 (twenty-one years ago) link

It's made me even gladder I just drink tea.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 April 2003 01:23 (twenty-one years ago) link

Ned, you could move to Boston & drink at Tealuxe all the time, and fret over tipping the tea-baristas there.

― lyra (lyra), Monday, 14 April 2003 01:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

I don't know if this is a feasible answer.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 April 2003 02:34 (twenty-one years ago) link

Shut up and take the free money.

― jm (jtm), Monday, 14 April 2003 03:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

I think it really bothers my girlfriend that I don't tip in coffee shops (which has made her think that I'm a bad tipper in general even though I'm quite generous in restaurants and bars). My main rational is that it's more retail than food service, they're making a decent hourly wage. I worked retail all through high school and didn't make tips, so it's out of jealousy/spite really.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 14 April 2003 05:40 (twenty-one years ago) link

yeah 4real if you work in a locally owned non-chain restaurant you got it good enough already!! i only tip at popeyes and mcdonalds, like hey girl heres a whole lincoln for that shake

― st (simon_tr), Monday, 14 April 2003 05:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Dude, if I could afford to drink Starbucks coffee, I might begin to think about tipping but... Sorry. You have to have provided a service to get a tip. Like, actually bring stuff to my table. Standing behind a counter and making coffee is your JOB. Do I get a tip when I process my invoices? Fuck no. I fucking hate tipping. It's the nice thing about living in England is, it's not expected. Tipping is an added bonus when someone goes out of their way to do something extra and above and beyond for you. It is not a right. Grrrrrrrr. I'm cranky this morning.

― kate, Monday, 14 April 2003 07:10 (twenty-one years ago) link

I always tip at independently owned coffee shops in the US. I've worked at many a coffee shop, and I can tell you that if you were known as someone who tipped regularly you would get preferential service. Like, maybe a size upgrade, or when seeing you in line, we would call out, 'the usual', wait for assenting head nod, and make it whilst preparing drinks of the people in front of them in the line.

― marianna, Monday, 14 April 2003 09:50 (twenty-one years ago) link

Having worked in a pub for five years, if a barman is good, pours a decent pint, is friendly and I'm not short for cash, then yeah, I'll buy them one too. Most barpeople will take a quid off you and either have themselves a half or pocket the cash - either way I'm not fussed; financially it's a shitty job and every quid counts.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 14 April 2003 09:52 (twenty-one years ago) link

I usually leave the change when I buy stuff at cafe´s. I always tip 10-15% in restaurants in Australia. I only leave small tips in restaurants in Europe. In restaurants in South America I leave gigantic tips. It's all about relative economies, people.

― Andrew (enneff), Monday, 14 April 2003 10:27 (twenty-one years ago) link

horace, about tipping people you know. this is where 'tipping karma' has instant results. at my college town i worked with and hung out with restaurant employees. when we had each other as servers, big big tips were standard(25-30%). the other key is that when someone gives you free food, figure out the tip as if the cost of that free food was included in the bill(this should probably go for anyone, even if you don't know the server well).

living in london now, i'm still confused about tipping. my friends have snatched money i left for bartenders, saying i leave too much.

and i don't drink coffee, so i don't really have a policy about tipping in coffee shops.

― colette (a2lette), Monday, 14 April 2003 10:39 (twenty-one years ago) link

I never tip in Starbucks because I never drink in Starbucks.

― suzy (suzy), Monday, 14 April 2003 13:29 (twenty-one years ago) link

four years pass...

I just explained to a very old looking lady why I always buy a box of chocolates to give to the staff whenever I hit up my local 24/7 drugstore for random bullshit that I need at 2 in the AM or whatever:

"I see these people got a tip jar for servin' me some coffee in a paper cup from nine to five. y'all providin' me with who knows what all hours of the night and mornin' and no tip jar at all. so I figure I buy you some candy, everybody likes candy, least I can do, right?"

am I a bastard or just a dork?

― El Tomboto, Saturday, 26 January 2008 08:51 (sixteen years ago) link

seriously though for like two years in this neighborhood, every time I go to the 24/7 CVS for anything beyond a pack of camels, I buy a box of chocolates and give it to the staff. and I still haven't figured out whether that's patronizing or nice or what. in fact, fuck our society right in the ear for making me have to think about that, but I might as well ask the question

― El Tomboto, Saturday, 26 January 2008 08:54 (sixteen years ago) link

What kind of chocolates do you buy them?

Back when I worked in retail, you had to have a receipt attached to any item that you purchased for consumption in the store, so you might end up getting them in trouble.

But probably they think you're a good person. Folks appreciate having a regular who stands out and is nice to them.

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Saturday, 26 January 2008 11:46 (sixteen years ago) link

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