Baristas survive on tips. Luckily I work at a coffee shop that manages to bring in pretty good tips each week. I have worked at a coffee shop that had the highest customer volume in the area, yet managed to bring in the lowest tip averages. Many people I encounter outside of work often ask me how to know when to tip your barista. One friend in particular said that many times when he goes into a coffee shop the tip jar is nearly empty so he doesn't know if it is normal to tip. At my store we take out the money as it piles up because we don't want it to get STOLEN. Yes this does happen from time to time.
Generally, if you're just coming in to get coffee there is no need to tip. My personal opinion is that you should tip if you add some modifications, order many drinks at once, or if you are a regular (esp. if your barista has your drink memorized and it's ready when you walk in the door).
Many people seem to get confused about the little plastic box that sits next to the register. Mainly people thought of it as a take-a-penny/leave-a-penny jar, only it's filled with every coin imaginable and the occasional dollar bill. When a customer asked one of my fellow baristas if the tip jar was a take-a-penny/leave-a-penny jar the barista responded, "No. It's leave a penny. Period."
I got so fed up at the lack of tips at my former store that I constantly tried to think of creative ways to earn more tips. I was moved to act after a customer asked me what charity the money in the jar went to. "My bank account" and "Feed my Starving Baristas" were the responses that popped into my head. To clear up confusion, I wrote tips in plain letters on the jar, but was later scolded for soliciting tips. Hey, I was merely trying to let people know where the money went.
Many people deem it unnecessary to tip your barista. Let me ask you this then: When you go out to get a drink at the bar do you tip your bartender? Of course you do. So let me get this straight.... you tip your bartender (which you should) who provides you with a drink that makes your thoughts fuzzy and causes you to lose control of you actions. BUT...you won't tip your barista who provides you with a drink that clears your head and cause an increase in productivity? Think about it.
There are people who tell me they can't function without their coffee. Their drink of choice becomes ingrained into their daily routine. Which means when they are sitting up in their office, they come to a point where they can't stop thinking about their drink and they must have it before they continue working. This is part of the reason that people have morning and afternoon drinks. I used to solely work nights at my old store and knew many of the regulars drinks by heart. When I switched to mornings and saw the same customers I would make their drink once I saw them waiting in line. I was so proud to have it done and ready for them, but several times I was presented with the same response: "Oh, but that's my afternoon drink." Slap in the face.
My point is that if something is so necessary to your daily routine, why can't you pay an extra quarter or so for it? And yes, that extra change you have left over does make a difference, even if it is 10 cents or so. At one point the managers at my old store (the high volume one with dismal tips) did some math and figured out that if every customer gave us a quarter per drink ordered, our tips would quadruple. Ok so let's do some more math here. Say you order a drink that costs $4.00 (which a lot of people do). The standard tipping rate these days is 20% which would mean that you should tip 80 cents. All I'm asking for is 25 cents which is less than a third of what you should tip. Now when you go up to the bar and order a drink you probably lay down an extra dollar bill per drink, as you should. But shouldn't baristas get the same respect? Do you ever walk up to the bartender and order your drink like this: "Ummm ya, so I would like a medium 3 shots vodka, 2 pumps grenadine, half the sprite, 7 ice cubes vodka collins with 3 cherries." Ummm no. Your bartender would probably go "Are you kidding me?" But you come into my work everyday an expect that type of exactness without ever putting down a tip even though I smile and chat with you as I make it. Again I say, think about it.
There is a positive side to tipping. I have had people tip us merely to use our bathroom. I will also let you know that our best tippers aren't the rich businessmen, it's the bartenders at the bar across the street and the waitresses that work next door. It's the service industry people who know what it's like to serve people. I've got some great stories about the kindness I've seen from some customers and I hope to share them in the future. But now it's off to work for me.
Thanks for reading.
Many people seem to get confused about the little plastic box that sits next to the register. Mainly people thought of it as a take-a-penny/leave-a-penny jar, only it's filled with every coin imaginable and the occasional dollar bill. When a customer asked one of my fellow baristas if the tip jar was a take-a-penny/leave-a-penny jar the barista responded, "No. It's leave a penny. Period."
I got so fed up at the lack of tips at my former store that I constantly tried to think of creative ways to earn more tips. I was moved to act after a customer asked me what charity the money in the jar went to. "My bank account" and "Feed my Starving Baristas" were the responses that popped into my head. To clear up confusion, I wrote tips in plain letters on the jar, but was later scolded for soliciting tips. Hey, I was merely trying to let people know where the money went.
Many people deem it unnecessary to tip your barista. Let me ask you this then: When you go out to get a drink at the bar do you tip your bartender? Of course you do. So let me get this straight.... you tip your bartender (which you should) who provides you with a drink that makes your thoughts fuzzy and causes you to lose control of you actions. BUT...you won't tip your barista who provides you with a drink that clears your head and cause an increase in productivity? Think about it.
There are people who tell me they can't function without their coffee. Their drink of choice becomes ingrained into their daily routine. Which means when they are sitting up in their office, they come to a point where they can't stop thinking about their drink and they must have it before they continue working. This is part of the reason that people have morning and afternoon drinks. I used to solely work nights at my old store and knew many of the regulars drinks by heart. When I switched to mornings and saw the same customers I would make their drink once I saw them waiting in line. I was so proud to have it done and ready for them, but several times I was presented with the same response: "Oh, but that's my afternoon drink." Slap in the face.
My point is that if something is so necessary to your daily routine, why can't you pay an extra quarter or so for it? And yes, that extra change you have left over does make a difference, even if it is 10 cents or so. At one point the managers at my old store (the high volume one with dismal tips) did some math and figured out that if every customer gave us a quarter per drink ordered, our tips would quadruple. Ok so let's do some more math here. Say you order a drink that costs $4.00 (which a lot of people do). The standard tipping rate these days is 20% which would mean that you should tip 80 cents. All I'm asking for is 25 cents which is less than a third of what you should tip. Now when you go up to the bar and order a drink you probably lay down an extra dollar bill per drink, as you should. But shouldn't baristas get the same respect? Do you ever walk up to the bartender and order your drink like this: "Ummm ya, so I would like a medium 3 shots vodka, 2 pumps grenadine, half the sprite, 7 ice cubes vodka collins with 3 cherries." Ummm no. Your bartender would probably go "Are you kidding me?" But you come into my work everyday an expect that type of exactness without ever putting down a tip even though I smile and chat with you as I make it. Again I say, think about it.
There is a positive side to tipping. I have had people tip us merely to use our bathroom. I will also let you know that our best tippers aren't the rich businessmen, it's the bartenders at the bar across the street and the waitresses that work next door. It's the service industry people who know what it's like to serve people. I've got some great stories about the kindness I've seen from some customers and I hope to share them in the future. But now it's off to work for me.
Thanks for reading.
1 comment:
Eeee! I've always wondered about that!
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