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.... It's a reasonable assumption that most Starbucks customers ordered the same favourite drinks and knew the taste, and most liked how the baristas made them, that's why they frequented the same shop time after time. Therefore, most customers do not need to wait until after the first taste to decide whether they should leave a tip.....
Disagree. Just because you get a decent latte (or whatever) one time, does NOT guarantee you that it will be as good or better the next time you go. Sometimes it's worse!!! I know, because it's happened - on more than one occasion. So YES, I do need to taste it before I tip. BTW, I go to many different Starbuck's in various locations so I don't have the opportunity to remember a specific barista. If I like my drink enough, I will make the effort (if I have time) to find a clearing and give a tip but otherwise, they would make more in tips if there was an 'extra' container at the end of the line as well.
1. I think it's hillarious that they're even called baristas. They're counter clerks. There's no shame in that. But really, that's all they are. Just like the soda jerk at the old fashioned soda fountain - he wasn't some fancy title guy. He was the guy who jerked the toggle on the soda fountain - ergo - the soda jerk.
2. Subway and other similar places started leaving tip containers because people kept trying to give them tips, and the staff would get in trouble if they were -seen- pocketing money behind the counter. So the container is there, if you are in the mood to leave your change for them, and they'll split it at the end of the shift. They get paid minimum wage already, so there's no expectation of a tip at all. It's just for the convenience of the customers who -want- to leave something.
3. Baristas get paid minimum wage (or higher) already, again - no need to tip them. However, if you want to leave your change from your $1.78 coffee, you're allowed, and they're allowed to accept it. In some places, tipping is expressly NOT allowed and the employees get in trouble if you do tip them. They're required to refuse.
In places where you are actually -served- - at a table, or a booth, or even at a stool at a counter - where you're going to be sticking around to consume your meal/drink, then it's customary to leave a tip. Not at a counter where you're just ordering, paying, taking your to-go order, and leaving.
1. I think it's hillarious that they're even called baristas. They're counter clerks. There's no shame in that. But really, that's all they are. Just like the soda jerk at the old fashioned soda fountain - he wasn't some fancy title guy. He was the guy who jerked the toggle on the soda fountain - ergo - the soda jerk.
2. Subway and other similar places started leaving tip containers because people kept trying to give them tips, and the staff would get in trouble if they were -seen- pocketing money behind the counter. So the container is there, if you are in the mood to leave your change for them, and they'll split it at the end of the shift. They get paid minimum wage already, so there's no expectation of a tip at all. It's just for the convenience of the customers who -want- to leave something.
3. Baristas get paid minimum wage (or higher) already, again - no need to tip them. However, if you want to leave your change from your $1.78 coffee, you're allowed, and they're allowed to accept it. In some places, tipping is expressly NOT allowed and the employees get in trouble if you do tip them. They're required to refuse.
In places where you are actually -served- - at a table, or a booth, or even at a stool at a counter - where you're going to be sticking around to consume your meal/drink, then it's customary to leave a tip. Not at a counter where you're just ordering, paying, taking your to-go order, and leaving.
Actually baristas are not just clerks. They are trained to make all the beverages and maintain all the equipment. They go beyond the tasks of handling sales. It's similar to something like a pharmacy technician or bartender. Barista is the Italian term for bartender and is often used for folks that tend coffeehouses. So the term is quite appropriate.
Starbucks has a tip-friendly policy. They neither encourage or discourage it.
Actually baristas are not just clerks. They are trained to make all the beverages and maintain all the equipment. They go beyond the tasks of handling sales. It's similar to something like a pharmacy technician or bartender. Barista is the Italian term for bartender and is often used for folks that tend coffeehouses. So the term is quite appropriate.
Starbucks has a tip-friendly policy. They neither encourage or discourage it.
Soda jerks not only served regular fountain drinks, they made floats, egg creams, malteds, shakes, etc. (There are tricks to making great egg creams, btw.) They also cleaned up after closing and maintained the equipment.
To me they're all counter clerks. They would have to do something way above and beyond before I would tip them.
Baristas are nothing at all like pharmacy techs. Not even remotely close.
The use of the word "barista" is new to American culture, and became popularized when Starbucks monster-trucked their way into society with their over-roasted over-priced "gourmet" coffee. When I worked in an actual coffeehouse (one that roasted the coffee on premise in the basement), we were called barbacks; because we worked behind the bar. All coffee was served mellior style (the fashionable current name for this is French Press), except the espresso, which was served out of the espresso machine, and a capucchino topped with ONLY real actual steamed milk and milk froth, no skinny lates, no half-caps, no moca-locas with a twist, none of that nonsense; steamed milk, and your choice of cocoa powder or cinnamon. Espresso was served black, with a twist of lemon rind. Fruit juices came from a manual juice press, made (usually) by me. The whipped cream was made in a huge mixing bowl, with a big Sunbeam mixer, from whipping cream and sugar. Except the chocolate whipped cream, which was made with whipping cream, sugar, and cocoa powder. I made that too. And I cleaned the machines when I was done with them. And I made the sandwiches, and I served customers at the bar, and I reloaded the espresso machine when it ran low (we did small-batch roasting and small-batch prep).
I wasn't a "barista." I was a barback, or counter clerk, depending on who was referring to me from one moment to the other. Counter clerks do EVERYTHING that needs to be done behind the counter. Yes, if it were a pharmacy, we'd be pharmacy techs. And if it were a pig trough, we'd be pig feeders. If it were a library, we'd be librarians. If it were a horse stable, we'd be stablehands. Not equestrian nutrition specialists.
Barista is a pretentious overly fancy label for a rather unfancy job. Sort of like my current position as "associate." I'm just a cashier, but they pretend that by giving us fancy titles, we'll forget that we're earning minimum wage
The use of the word "barista" is new to American culture, and became popularized when Starbucks monster-trucked their way into society with their over-roasted over-priced "gourmet" coffee. When I worked in an actual coffeehouse (one that roasted the coffee on premise in the basement), we were called barbacks; because we worked behind the bar. All coffee was served mellior style (the fashionable current name for this is French Press), except the espresso, which was served out of the espresso machine, and a capucchino topped with ONLY real actual steamed milk and milk froth, no skinny lates, no half-caps, no moca-locas with a twist, none of that nonsense; steamed milk, and your choice of cocoa powder or cinnamon. Espresso was served black, with a twist of lemon rind. Fruit juices came from a manual juice press, made (usually) by me. The whipped cream was made in a huge mixing bowl, with a big Sunbeam mixer, from whipping cream and sugar. Except the chocolate whipped cream, which was made with whipping cream, sugar, and cocoa powder. I made that too. And I cleaned the machines when I was done with them. And I made the sandwiches, and I served customers at the bar, and I reloaded the espresso machine when it ran low (we did small-batch roasting and small-batch prep).
I wasn't a "barista." I was a barback, or counter clerk, depending on who was referring to me from one moment to the other. Counter clerks do EVERYTHING that needs to be done behind the counter. Yes, if it were a pharmacy, we'd be pharmacy techs. And if it were a pig trough, we'd be pig feeders. If it were a library, we'd be librarians. If it were a horse stable, we'd be stablehands. Not equestrian nutrition specialists.
Barista is a pretentious overly fancy label for a rather unfancy job. Sort of like my current position as "associate." I'm just a cashier, but they pretend that by giving us fancy titles, we'll forget that we're earning minimum wage
I get the point you're making and I agree with you 100%. However, perhaps a clerk at the pharmacy window may be called a pharmacy clerk and be similar to a barista. However, in most, if not all states, pharmacy techs must be licensed. Baristas are not. They are not even remotely similar.
Well in a sense these coffee makers are the new soda jerks and serve those too health conscious (and self conscious) to get an honest milk shake a "coffee" full of milk, chocolate, sugar and topped with whipped cream.
Tipping is waaaaaay overdone in the US, and it's at the point where the Starbucks and Subway near me have tip jars at the counter. People have come to expect a tip for doing any sort of job whatsoever, and it's had a terrible effect on work ethic and customer service.
The tip jar is one thing and I feel no pressure what so ever to contributing to it, and I usually don't. I also don't think that when employees put out a tip jar that they expect a tip. It is there is you want to.
As for the barrista question. If I am asking for my coffee to be prepared in a specific off the menu way, then I'm not shy tipping. If its just a regular off the menu item... forget about the tip. It ain't happen'in.
Bartenders get a minium $1.00 tip even for just opening a beer (I don't drink beer from a bottle). Generally speaking I run a tab and rarely don't order food so I wind up tipping on the total bill.
The use of the word "barista" is new to American culture, and became popularized when Starbucks monster-trucked their way into society with their over-roasted over-priced "gourmet" coffee. When I worked in an actual coffeehouse (one that roasted the coffee on premise in the basement), we were called barbacks; because we worked behind the bar. All coffee was served mellior style (the fashionable current name for this is French Press), except the espresso, which was served out of the espresso machine, and a capucchino topped with ONLY real actual steamed milk and milk froth, no skinny lates, no half-caps, no moca-locas with a twist, none of that nonsense; steamed milk, and your choice of cocoa powder or cinnamon. Espresso was served black, with a twist of lemon rind. Fruit juices came from a manual juice press, made (usually) by me. The whipped cream was made in a huge mixing bowl, with a big Sunbeam mixer, from whipping cream and sugar. Except the chocolate whipped cream, which was made with whipping cream, sugar, and cocoa powder. I made that too. And I cleaned the machines when I was done with them. And I made the sandwiches, and I served customers at the bar, and I reloaded the espresso machine when it ran low (we did small-batch roasting and small-batch prep).
I wasn't a "barista." I was a barback, or counter clerk, depending on who was referring to me from one moment to the other. Counter clerks do EVERYTHING that needs to be done behind the counter. Yes, if it were a pharmacy, we'd be pharmacy techs. And if it were a pig trough, we'd be pig feeders. If it were a library, we'd be librarians. If it were a horse stable, we'd be stablehands. Not equestrian nutrition specialists.
Barista is a pretentious overly fancy label for a rather unfancy job. Sort of like my current position as "associate." I'm just a cashier, but they pretend that by giving us fancy titles, we'll forget that we're earning minimum wage
Barista is not a fancy label. It's just "bartender" in Italian. You're making it to be fancier than it is. For the record, "Nacho Grande" is not a fancy term of large nachos either. It's just "large nachos" in Spanish.
Also, Starbucks retail employees are not your typical minimum wage earners. They earn $9/hr on average and (if they average 20 hours/week) they have health and dental coverage, vision care, life and disability insurance, paid time off, a retirement savings plan, stock options and a discounted stock purchase plan, adoption assistance, domestic partner benefits, emergency financial aid, tuition reimbursement and a free pound of coffee every week.
Do they need to be tipped? Probably not. But they aren't like the person checking you out at Walmart or asking you if you want fries with that.
Baristas are nothing at all like pharmacy techs. Not even remotely close.
I was a pharmacy tech during college summer breaks. There wasn't any specialized training other than the ability to read and count. You open a bottle of pills, you count, you put the label on and attach product info.
So no, baristas are nothing like pharmacy techs.
A bad barista is basically a button pusher with no interest in evolving beyond counter clerk.
A great barista, however, is actually a fairly accomplished food professional with a keen understanding of chemistry and physics as they apply to heat, fluid dynamics and even biology as the age and type of beans in an espresso blend are a moving target each day, reacting to oxygen, humidity, light. Many also know a thing or two about botany from visiting farmers at origin.
Last edited by sskink; 02-27-2013 at 05:56 PM..
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