The Great Starbucks Tipping Debate
There's always been this debate about whether or not you should tip at Starbucks... I do. Usually a buck but sometimes just whatever change I can dig out of the bottom of my purse. I understand the whole debate: the theory of people who don't tip is that Starbucks pays more than minimum wage and their coffee is already over-priced. I tend to think of this as cheap-ass BS.
First off, if you're so concerned about the cost of your coffee why are you buying it anywhere other than a gas station? Or better yet - make your own coffee. (Shock!) And btw, Starbucks is not any more expensive than any other coffee shop I've ever been to.
The second argument is a little trickier. It's hard to argue this point without getting into politics and how minimum wage doesn't equal cost of living, etc. So the rumor is Starbucks employees do make more than minimum wage, I don't doubt it. Most restaurants - fast food or otherwise - do, it's the only way they can get employees. When I started at Bob Evans in high school they paid me $5.25 an hour, which was $1 more than minimum wage at the time ($4.25). When I got a second job at Mcd's a couple years later they started me at $6.50... $1.75 more than the just raised minimum wage (4.75). Since 1997 the minimum wage has been a whopping $5.15 an hour (which would bring your annual income @ 40 hr a week to $10,712 before taxes). So yes, they probably pay more than minimum wage at Starbucks but just think about this: how much money would you do that job for? It's $15 an hour for me. Seriously... have you ever seen how people treat service employees?
Another theory is that there is no "real" skill involved in pouring coffee - this is more or less true. But there is skill in not pouring the scolding hot coffee on the impatient prick who parked his Mercedes SUV in the fire lane and then yelled his order over the four people waiting before him. And as for specialty drinks, have you ever tried to make those yourself? It's just not the same, is it? Trust me, if I could figure out how to make an exact replica of a Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino at home, I would.
My point is: tip @ Starbucks. Not because you have to but because you're not an asshole. Meanwhile, here's why I started with this in the first place:
Tipping debate: How much should you tip for a cup of coffee?
And I love the tagline on Starbucks Gossip:
"Somebody has to monitor America's favorite drug dealer."
First off, if you're so concerned about the cost of your coffee why are you buying it anywhere other than a gas station? Or better yet - make your own coffee. (Shock!) And btw, Starbucks is not any more expensive than any other coffee shop I've ever been to.
The second argument is a little trickier. It's hard to argue this point without getting into politics and how minimum wage doesn't equal cost of living, etc. So the rumor is Starbucks employees do make more than minimum wage, I don't doubt it. Most restaurants - fast food or otherwise - do, it's the only way they can get employees. When I started at Bob Evans in high school they paid me $5.25 an hour, which was $1 more than minimum wage at the time ($4.25). When I got a second job at Mcd's a couple years later they started me at $6.50... $1.75 more than the just raised minimum wage (4.75). Since 1997 the minimum wage has been a whopping $5.15 an hour (which would bring your annual income @ 40 hr a week to $10,712 before taxes). So yes, they probably pay more than minimum wage at Starbucks but just think about this: how much money would you do that job for? It's $15 an hour for me. Seriously... have you ever seen how people treat service employees?
Another theory is that there is no "real" skill involved in pouring coffee - this is more or less true. But there is skill in not pouring the scolding hot coffee on the impatient prick who parked his Mercedes SUV in the fire lane and then yelled his order over the four people waiting before him. And as for specialty drinks, have you ever tried to make those yourself? It's just not the same, is it? Trust me, if I could figure out how to make an exact replica of a Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino at home, I would.
My point is: tip @ Starbucks. Not because you have to but because you're not an asshole. Meanwhile, here's why I started with this in the first place:
Tipping debate: How much should you tip for a cup of coffee?
And I love the tagline on Starbucks Gossip:
"Somebody has to monitor America's favorite drug dealer."
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