Woman Is Flabbergasted By Starbucks Barista Who Put Her Change Directly Into The Tip Jar, And People Start Questioning Tip Culture Once More
Starbucks has clearly been aware of the fact that more and more people are using their phones to pay for their orders. That means less tips for the baristas, a problem which Starbucks hopes to solve by launching its digital tipping option via the app.
Yet, some coffee aficionados still pay in cash, and content creator Lily Kate Holbert was no exception. The woman recently shared an incident she had at a Starbucks on her TikTok channel @recycledboyfriend, claiming the employee didn’t give her cash back and took the leftover cash as a tip.
In a video that since has been watched a whopping 241.9k times, Holbert explained how she “literally just had a Starbucks barista tip herself” in a bizarre moment that left the internet scratching their heads.
TikToker Lily Kate Holbert recently shared an incident at Starbucks when an employee took her leftover cash as a tip
Image credits: recycledboyfriend
Holbert told the story in a video on her TikTok channel that has been viewed more than 240k times
@recycledboyfriend Go off then queen #starbucks #barista #foodservice #tips ♬ original sound – RBF CLUB
Some people pointed out that Holbert should have told something in that situation
Other people thought it may have been an accident
This person said she had a similar experience
Can't get my head around the amount of people that think a tip is a given right. If you just got me my drink, you are being paid to do that, give me my change. Do something above and beyond, I will tip you.
Service people EXPECT upwards of 20% and they throw shame all over the place if people don't. Saying things like if you can't afford a 25% tip then you can't afford to do this, that and anything else. Why is it my responsibility to supplement your income for your job choice? Because it isn't. I am not tipping a coffee person. I am not tipping takeaway. I will tip at a restaurant, BUT it is dependent on the service I was provided. I don't not tip there, but, it is not a given amount, no matter what is printed on the bottom of the receipt for suggested amounts - which always start at 18%. TBH I haven't gone to a restaurant since 2019 due to covid, and I don't miss that aspect at all.
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" And People Start Questioning Tip Culture Once More" Nope I don't : no tipping in my country !
Same in my country. I will tip some if you did an ok service, but your job is to deliver food - why should i tip?? Becouse it is unvritten rule? Becouse you are doing your job?? I do not and will not understand it
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And a tip is given voluntarily, no one is entitled to a tip for sloppy service no matter how bad the wages are. That is a problem with the employer and not the responsibility of the customer. One poor excuse for a 'waiter' ran yelling all across the parking lot after us complaining with his grubby little hand out because his 'service' merited not a tip but a reprimand and I had given neither.
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Your paying for it one way or the other. You think Starbucks is going to increase wages without increasing the cost for your drink? Just follow the social contract and don't be a cheap wad...
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Same thing happened to me at a bar full of people. I usually tip a buck whenever I order a beer but, the bartender just put 5 buck into his tip jar. I told him I wanted my change back. He gave it back . People told me they couldn’t believe I did that. I will decide if and how much I’ll tip.
That’s pretty ballsy of the bartender to do that. But then I won’t go to bars where a beer costs $9!
Load More Replies... As a Brit, this is so weird to me. People telling her she should be tipping if she can afford Starbucks is wild. Tips are not a given or should be expected, they are for above and beyond service. America needs to pay their staff more so you don't have to rely on tips. Starbucks (and every other major chain that's in other countries) manage it outside of the USA, so why can't they manage it there? It's not like these companies are making a loss over here because they pay staff enough to not have to rely on tips? It's just greedy of the companies and honestly if you all stopped accepting it, they'd have to change!
The point is they don't and consumers don't care. Why should hospitality workers best the brunt of changing a screwed system? Everyone should be advocating for people to be paid properly. Bear in mind the same people who whinge about this sort of thing also complain that people don't want to work when workers rightly decide not to work in hospitality.
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What I'm wondering is why are we tipping Starbucks baristas? Or any other fast food joint? Tipping feels like it's out of control. It bugs me when get hit up for a tip for something so simple as handing me a bag. For me, tipping on food is reserved for sit down restaurants, or other events where you are being served over a course of time (such as catered events or bars), or where I request a custom order (think a 7 ingredient Starbucks coffee (just an example. I never do this)) or where someone goes above and beyond to help me out or gives me something for free. Vegas servers/ bartenders bringing me/ making me a free drink for example. What i refuse to tip for is a drive thru handing me my order or when I order take out that I pick up. What's next? Tipping the cashier at a gas station for handing me warmed slice of pizza?
I agree. It's gotten so crazy. I didn't mind tipping for things like that at the beginning of the pandemic because I know so many people lost wages and I did not. Now it's expected everywhere when the business owner should be paying employees properly.
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Living wage ! Please pay living wage. Workers shouldn't have to rely on tips for their survival.
Yeah some restaurants only pay $2.13 an hour and they rely on tips. Then there are places like Starbucks and sonic where they get paid a normal pay and if you tip it is on you. But it is nit expected like at restaurants.
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I worked as a waiter in college and I worked hard for my tips because my pay was $2.83/hr. That was 17 years ago and that is still the minimum wage for servers. That's the kind of money servers make without tips. I know it's c**p, but it's how it is. I tip my servers and always consider it in the cost of eating in a dining room. According to Google, Starbucks employees make an average of $14/hr as the wage increases keep coming. How do they deserve the same kind of consideration for making me a drink at that pay as a person who spent the past hour waiting on me for peanuts?
Starbucks is lumped in with the fast food franchises that pay min wage or a bit higher. A Starbucks barista cannot just refuse to give change to the customer. It's considered theft. It's not "revenge tipping", it's not giving the customer a message for next time. It's plain theft.
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Nah, give me my money. Muscle memory, hell. I can tell by the jar that y’all aren’t being tipped that often for that excuse to work. This is a scam. If you say something then they’ll try to guilt you about it.
Muscle memory doesn't keep you from noticing the mistake, especially when pointed out. I've done mistakes before. My mom calls it "autopilot". You just make the correction and say sorry for making the error. The only time the customer would the jerk in that case would be if the employee rectified the mistake, apologized and the customer lays into them for not being 100% perfect all the time. Then people can tell the customer they're being an entitled brat. But the barista trying to force a tip like that is theft.
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Unless I'm sitting down at a restaurant being served, I don't tip. Sorry but I'm not tipping you to pour a pre-made drink into a cup or hand me a pre-made sandwich. BS!
A lot of places in Australia are asking for tips and I'm like bro, you make $30 an hour....
Will never understand tipping culture in the US. I think it's more warranted in restaurants with a server being at your beck and call and getting constant drinks and quick service and making your dining experience pleasant but tipping a barista or barman? I mean they are literally just standing there doing their job. It's like 'oh here, have an extra five dollars for just doing your job that you are also paid for'. Weird.
In some states servers make $2.13 an hour and it's perfectly legal if they get tips.
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Muscle memory my a*s! This is a good way to never have to tip at that coffee shop again!
I was also confused by this. So she pays in cash because cash is like not even spending real money (umm yes is), then she gets change (coins?) which she actually turns into real money (so cash?) 😆. Where I am from, cash is real money, coins are real money and we don't tip anyone. Easy 😅.
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I'm more focused on the "if I pay in cash then it didn't happen, the money didn't go away."
She says that she doesn't want the change and then does a whole, barely literate rant about how she does want the change. Oh and change IS literal cash, you don't need to 'turn it in' 🤦
In 2022 people do actually refuse to take coins. It's true. It's the reason coinstar has made so much money and banks have actually put in a coin counting service. It's actually been like that since the late '90s but it's gotten worse in the last 10 years.
Load More Replies... What the barista did was theft. Tips at Starbucks are actually pooled and doled out to the baristas that worked the most hours. Doesn't matter if their performance sucked or were star team members. So, the fact this barista just decided to "tip" herself was either a guess that she would benefit, or she's been dipping into the tip jar on her own. If this ever happens to you, probably best not to confront the employee. Instead get the number for the manager and alert them of the discrepancy. It may be small change to someone, but it could mean someone else won't have enough change for the bus or the parking meter, or some other reason someone is paying in cash, or the person really accounts for every coin in their budget. Theft is theft. Sorry, not sorry. A tip is a voluntary gratuity.
If I go into a restaurant, or call for take out,and go in myself, place an order, wait on a hard bench, take it out myself, I am NOT tipping.
I drink my coffee black. You pur hit coffee in a cup and hand it to me. Why am I tipping you? I don't tip at McDonald's. Dunkin Donuts tries that same thing. Pay your staff more.
I hate tipping. It really needs to go away. And it is getting worse! Constant barrage, I am sick of it.
Imagine making less than minimum wage while waiting hand and foot on largely aloof or meanspirited customers... and you having to tip has got you bothered...
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Having been a Starbucks manager… I can tell you for a fact, the baristas are not underpaid. Lol They get as many free drinks as they want on shift AS WELL as a free meal and a huge discount on purchases and a free pound of coffee beans each WEEK… the tipping culture is truly getting out of hand and the self entitlement of people is getting worse and worse each day. Maybe she should have asked for her change instead of making a TikTok. But I guess some people need the attention and thrive off drama.
This didn't make me question anything. Tips are not a right or obligation. If anything it made me ask why take a job that makes you depend so much more on tips over the paycheck itself? You're getting mad at strangers for not tipping you, but accepting your boss paying you in pennies. Get mad at your boss for not paying you enough, not us.
Clearly you have not gotten fired in the service industry before. To blame the workers is blaming the people with the least options, instead of all people holding companies to a higher standard. Strength in numbers, hence labor strikes and walk outs
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Lame. So don't have enough heart to stand up for yourself in public but can run to the car and make a tiktok complaining and whining about being ripped off and victimized. Losers.
"Yet, some coffee aficionados still pay in cash, and content creator Lily Kate Holbert was no exception." no exception to the "some"? 😂 😂
tip culture is so fucken stupid and the excuse is always the same we rely on your tips to make a livable wage, well then quit your job or form a walk out with all the other servers until they pay you better you fucken idiots the problem is the entitlement they have for just brining you what you ordered like I'm already paying what they charged and you still want more on top of that just cause you took my order
I can never understand the American "Tip Culture",but then,I'm Australian and we pay a livable minimum wage.
Where do people get off assuming that the customer will not mind? I would've stood there until they gave me my change back. If they say anything Abt it, tell them they don't get 1 4 assuming they could do that. It is ur decision. If they give u a problem speak 2 manager & explain. If that tends 2 b a problem, I would write 2 Corporate & leave a very bad review, after u explain the situation. Name the clerk, name the manager, & b specific with naming the location, if it's not already on ur receipt. Then I would go somewhere else, another Starbucks, & get my coffee there.
A lot of people keep their change and use it for different reasons. I know a salesman that travels frequently. Between his travel miles and change his family collects during the year they are able to go places they would never be able to afford.
...technically that's theft...caffeine slingers aren't waitpersons, as evidenced by their hourly rate...i usually toss change in their tip cup cause why not?..but if the cashier does it i'm asking for it back and giving it to the homeless guy outside...or the janitor...i believe in tipping lots of my fellow working joes but standing behind a register doesn't qualify as such...
tbf it was probably 30 cents u don't need to complain on TikTok. ask for it back or get over it. (not to sound rude she's just being childish)
And this comment of yous, @Rene, contributes to the point of this story in exactly what way?
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Waaay back in the 80s, I went to Montreal with my bf, my family owned a restaurant at home. But I was on a week holiday. Went to a restaurant/bar, drink orders were payed for separately from food, with 2 different servers. So, the change from our first round was sitting on the table, to be spent on 2nd drinks or whatever. Drink server rushes by and scoops the money off the table. My bf complained to the food server, other girl gave it back with the sourest look I'd ever seen. We were going to tip them both anyways, it just seemed rude and presumptuous.
Tipping is getting out of hand. Especially at drive-thrus. Expecting tips for doing a job they are paid for.
So people are always telling me keep the change or keep such and such amount. I’m not. I literal hand them all of it back. And let them hand me it or put it in the tip jar themselves. Just so there’s no inconsistency. And it’s on camera because the last thing I want to do is have someone say I stole anything from them. No thanks . This girl idk but she fkd up whether she did it on accident or on purpose 😬
I had a clerk add a tip on my credit card. Needless to say, I don't go to that coffee shop anymore.
I would have told her to reach her hand into the tip jar and give me my damn change. She is not entitled to help herself to MY MONEY!
I can’t get my head around that Americans made tips an essential part of wages instead of the nice little bit of extra to thank good service it is supposed to be.
Especially in this way overpriced shops like this i would never tip. They make enough money to give their employees a fair wage. If they can't stand for themselfes that's their problem.
This was a one-off, not part of an ongoing problem; I'm inclined to think it was a mistake. I also think there's a lot of people in the comments that haven't worked in the service industry. I have a level of respect and rapport because I'm a conscientious tipper (and I agree that needing to do it is b******t, but screwing the worker isn't going to change that) so that I've been winked at and given my order the rare time I've forgotten my wallet. I had a cab driver take time from their day to bring me a laptop I hadn't even realized I'd lost yet, and bartenders that know me well enough to not let me get roofied. Not for any cynical reasons hopefully, but tipping here in America is more a sign of respect now days. I respect the worker for doing their job and having to endure Karens all day and I express my appreciation for their skills when so many people treat them with contempt. It's not a big deal to tip $1 or so and if it is, don't feel guilty about it, just tip when you can.
Absolutely agree. I find it sad that people are more okay with paying a 90% upcharge on a product or service without questioning, that goes to people in suits than giving a service based tip to someone who doesn't have a salary. Oh the humanity
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Tipping is a choice and that's sad no different than stealing as much as topping culture is a thing in America your not entitled to someone's change without they're way so
So. If I can afford a $5 coffee, with a 35 cent tip, I should just never show up until I can afford a 5$ coffee with a 50% tip. I'm not coming. So, you lost 35 cents. And you did that all day long.
Could have been outta habit and just genuinely a mental slip. But I do know some people do this out of entertainment. I used to work in a bar and I always took people the change(even if it was just a quarter). One girl I worked with always threw it in her tip jar. It was so wrong. I understand the frustration. I always save my change and then cash it in and put it in my savings. It's a good way to save money.
The next time this server waited on me, I would have exact change for the bill ready. Then I'd leave whatever tip I felt was appropriate. Doing this one or twice should suffice.
why are we tipping baristas, stop tipping they won't fall under tipped wage and the company will actually have to pay them a correct wage.
Uh why would paying with a phone result in less tipping? I don’t buy it. Rarely do I tip in Starbucks unless it’s a large order. They’re not waiting on you just handing out your coffee. Do you tip at McDonald’s? Bet you don’t.
No needs to Tip. If you want todo so... if you don't then just don't. No one is obligated to Tip. Every one saying it's a must has issues! No one's telling me what to do!
Who is saying tip the barista??? They make the $15 hour pay the can get the tip of I give it to them.
And honestly it should be illegal for companies to pay such a miniscule wage.. you know as a waitress making 3.14 an hour my checks were $128 bucks every two weeks.. on slow nights I made 20 or 30 bucks in tips but on the weekends I made $150 200 bucks a night at least.. but that c**p doesn't go far... employers need to start paying at least $15 an hour the cost of living is so high it's hard for anybody to make it nowadays... I think if we all banded together like they used to back in the 60s and '70s we can change things but we're all too comfortable on our phones, streaming c**p on our TVs, or playing video games... nobody wants to go do a sit in or a protest nobody wants to get out of their comfort zone there's enough of us that if we banded together we can get the wages fixed we can all walk out of our jobs all at the same time and everybody boycott and go on strike, then something would change but I don't see that happening.. if we could all band together we could change things
Yeah like it's not our fault you chose to get a job that pays $4 an hour and relies on tips I've been a waitress it sucks but also you chose that why not go get a job that pays a livable wage like you know Target pays $15 an hour Walmart 17 for stockers... You're not entitled to a tip. Especially when you do a s***** job... Dude I get workers that are so rude and don't even do their jobs at all like my food's all screwed up and they get attitude when I ask him you know to fix it because I'm the one paying for it they are not that makes me not want to tip people.. the generation is just so entitled to thinks that everyone owes them something we don't know you c**p go out work your butt off and earn your own like I do
I'm not old, only 31. Less than a decade ago, I too worked drive thru jobs. We were lucky to get someone's change, maximum, of once a week. This whole tipping thing is out of control. The entitlement is overwhelming. Sure I tipped during the lock down, when NO ONE else were working other than service jobs. BTW: I have type 1 diabetes. Coffee is about the only treat I can get myself without a jab. I dont need to be pressured to spend more money. Coffee is already $7 for 20 oz (they charge more to substitute sugar free items)
I knew these comments would be DRIPPING privilege, y'all did not disappoint.
I'm so confused by this. I've worked in retail for years and I can say--whether it was muscle memory or a (weird) power move, all the customer had to do was ask for her receipt and her change. If there was any pushback, you know it was on purpose or the barista was embarrassed and trying to make things go away. Ask for your change and receipt. If that can't be done, ask for a manager. Explain what happened, get your silly change, and boom. Done and done. I know it's surprising, what happened, but I don't see how the customer was struck stupid by it. This is easily remedied.
Well, on the one hand, if companies paid their employees more, they'd probably charge more for food. I hear most restaurants barely profit as is. On the other hand, this is the first time I've heard you're supposed to(?) tip a Starbucks barista.
Heh. Muscle memory. It's funny like that. I think all servers should go on strike until they get tips *and* min wage but that's just a funny thought
I tip 10% and only at full service restaurants and I don't have any concern about the server's opinion. And if the server has had just a frown or sour look on their face the whole time I will tip exactly 0%.
Wow you sound like a fun person to go out to eat with! Reminds me of a date who didn’t tip so I had to run back and leave a tip for him.
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Personally, I think the story was just made by an entitled little girl just for views. However, I understand about tip culture in different countries and how different they may be. When visiting different countries, you respect their culture, regardless of their views, ridiculous or not. If you go to a country that tips, tip them, period. If you go to Japan and they ask you to take off your shoes prior to entering a home, you do it, etc. The world today is starting to lose respect and manners nowadays and we need to start getting better. Those service people get taxed highly on their tips, whether they be a Starbucks barista or a waiter at a 5 star restaurant, it's all the same. Knowing that they're not getting paid appropriately should make it a non issue about tipping, it's not their fault. I'm sure 9 times out of 10 is just a muscle memory thing and her change was like $.40 or well under a dollar. And I'll bet 99% of the customers just walk away or say keep the change anyway.
This conversation needs to be split up in US and non-US commenters, really. US: service workers do not earn a living wage and are taxed for tips, even those not received. Horrible but real. So, tip your server (and try to change the minimum legal wage) Non-US industrialized countries: mostly, tipping only in case of great service or not at all. Depends on the country, touristy areas ofc. E.g. in the Netherlands, ‘rounding up’ is common: if the bill is 29 euro, you round up to 30. If you like.
If the change was coins, who cares? Unless she was planing on not tipping or tipping more. But, if it was several bills of dollars, is understandable to wonder about it. The best action in this situation is to remind the barista to ask if it is okay to add the change to the tip jar.
It's change probably 30 cents. Get over yourself with like , like,like. "I collect change and turn it into real money" WTF broke a*s make your own damn coffee
Okay so a couple of things. 1) correction on the article; the video has only been viewed 41k times, not over 240k. 2) whether the barista did or didn't do it out of muscle memory, this is a pretty awkward situation. It feels weird and petty to ask for your change back in my opinion, which is probably why she didn't. 3) Tip culture enables a failed system for corporate chains. Unfortunately, failing to tip also means not supporting the young people attempting to earn something resembling a living. Damned if you do, damned if you don't 🤷🏾♀️ I don't live in a country where tipping is the norm so I can choose to tip for services rendered depending on their quality.
It happens far too frequently. People feel entitled to the change and more. Starbucks pays well, make no mistake they should NOT be begging for money, and that is what a tip jar is - same as a panhandler on the side of the road with a cardboard sign and cup.
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would you feel the same way if the cashier at the market pocketed the money? Or the gas station attendant?
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It's not the amount, it's the principle. I tip well when I'm out because I've been in food service all of my life. But if you assume MY change is yours you are wrong.
Load More Replies... Can't get my head around the amount of people that think a tip is a given right. If you just got me my drink, you are being paid to do that, give me my change. Do something above and beyond, I will tip you.
Service people EXPECT upwards of 20% and they throw shame all over the place if people don't. Saying things like if you can't afford a 25% tip then you can't afford to do this, that and anything else. Why is it my responsibility to supplement your income for your job choice? Because it isn't. I am not tipping a coffee person. I am not tipping takeaway. I will tip at a restaurant, BUT it is dependent on the service I was provided. I don't not tip there, but, it is not a given amount, no matter what is printed on the bottom of the receipt for suggested amounts - which always start at 18%. TBH I haven't gone to a restaurant since 2019 due to covid, and I don't miss that aspect at all.
Load More Replies... " And People Start Questioning Tip Culture Once More" Nope I don't : no tipping in my country !
Same in my country. I will tip some if you did an ok service, but your job is to deliver food - why should i tip?? Becouse it is unvritten rule? Becouse you are doing your job?? I do not and will not understand it
Load More Replies... And a tip is given voluntarily, no one is entitled to a tip for sloppy service no matter how bad the wages are. That is a problem with the employer and not the responsibility of the customer. One poor excuse for a 'waiter' ran yelling all across the parking lot after us complaining with his grubby little hand out because his 'service' merited not a tip but a reprimand and I had given neither.
Load More Replies... Your paying for it one way or the other. You think Starbucks is going to increase wages without increasing the cost for your drink? Just follow the social contract and don't be a cheap wad...
Load More Replies... Same thing happened to me at a bar full of people. I usually tip a buck whenever I order a beer but, the bartender just put 5 buck into his tip jar. I told him I wanted my change back. He gave it back . People told me they couldn’t believe I did that. I will decide if and how much I’ll tip.
That’s pretty ballsy of the bartender to do that. But then I won’t go to bars where a beer costs $9!
Load More Replies... As a Brit, this is so weird to me. People telling her she should be tipping if she can afford Starbucks is wild. Tips are not a given or should be expected, they are for above and beyond service. America needs to pay their staff more so you don't have to rely on tips. Starbucks (and every other major chain that's in other countries) manage it outside of the USA, so why can't they manage it there? It's not like these companies are making a loss over here because they pay staff enough to not have to rely on tips? It's just greedy of the companies and honestly if you all stopped accepting it, they'd have to change!
The point is they don't and consumers don't care. Why should hospitality workers best the brunt of changing a screwed system? Everyone should be advocating for people to be paid properly. Bear in mind the same people who whinge about this sort of thing also complain that people don't want to work when workers rightly decide not to work in hospitality.
Load More Replies... What I'm wondering is why are we tipping Starbucks baristas? Or any other fast food joint? Tipping feels like it's out of control. It bugs me when get hit up for a tip for something so simple as handing me a bag. For me, tipping on food is reserved for sit down restaurants, or other events where you are being served over a course of time (such as catered events or bars), or where I request a custom order (think a 7 ingredient Starbucks coffee (just an example. I never do this)) or where someone goes above and beyond to help me out or gives me something for free. Vegas servers/ bartenders bringing me/ making me a free drink for example. What i refuse to tip for is a drive thru handing me my order or when I order take out that I pick up. What's next? Tipping the cashier at a gas station for handing me warmed slice of pizza?
I agree. It's gotten so crazy. I didn't mind tipping for things like that at the beginning of the pandemic because I know so many people lost wages and I did not. Now it's expected everywhere when the business owner should be paying employees properly.
Load More Replies... Living wage ! Please pay living wage. Workers shouldn't have to rely on tips for their survival.
Yeah some restaurants only pay $2.13 an hour and they rely on tips. Then there are places like Starbucks and sonic where they get paid a normal pay and if you tip it is on you. But it is nit expected like at restaurants.
Load More Replies... I worked as a waiter in college and I worked hard for my tips because my pay was $2.83/hr. That was 17 years ago and that is still the minimum wage for servers. That's the kind of money servers make without tips. I know it's c**p, but it's how it is. I tip my servers and always consider it in the cost of eating in a dining room. According to Google, Starbucks employees make an average of $14/hr as the wage increases keep coming. How do they deserve the same kind of consideration for making me a drink at that pay as a person who spent the past hour waiting on me for peanuts?
Starbucks is lumped in with the fast food franchises that pay min wage or a bit higher. A Starbucks barista cannot just refuse to give change to the customer. It's considered theft. It's not "revenge tipping", it's not giving the customer a message for next time. It's plain theft.
Load More Replies... Nah, give me my money. Muscle memory, hell. I can tell by the jar that y’all aren’t being tipped that often for that excuse to work. This is a scam. If you say something then they’ll try to guilt you about it.
Muscle memory doesn't keep you from noticing the mistake, especially when pointed out. I've done mistakes before. My mom calls it "autopilot". You just make the correction and say sorry for making the error. The only time the customer would the jerk in that case would be if the employee rectified the mistake, apologized and the customer lays into them for not being 100% perfect all the time. Then people can tell the customer they're being an entitled brat. But the barista trying to force a tip like that is theft.
Load More Replies... Unless I'm sitting down at a restaurant being served, I don't tip. Sorry but I'm not tipping you to pour a pre-made drink into a cup or hand me a pre-made sandwich. BS!
A lot of places in Australia are asking for tips and I'm like bro, you make $30 an hour....
Will never understand tipping culture in the US. I think it's more warranted in restaurants with a server being at your beck and call and getting constant drinks and quick service and making your dining experience pleasant but tipping a barista or barman? I mean they are literally just standing there doing their job. It's like 'oh here, have an extra five dollars for just doing your job that you are also paid for'. Weird.
In some states servers make $2.13 an hour and it's perfectly legal if they get tips.
Load More Replies... Muscle memory my a*s! This is a good way to never have to tip at that coffee shop again!
I was also confused by this. So she pays in cash because cash is like not even spending real money (umm yes is), then she gets change (coins?) which she actually turns into real money (so cash?) 😆. Where I am from, cash is real money, coins are real money and we don't tip anyone. Easy 😅.
Load More Replies... I'm more focused on the "if I pay in cash then it didn't happen, the money didn't go away."
She says that she doesn't want the change and then does a whole, barely literate rant about how she does want the change. Oh and change IS literal cash, you don't need to 'turn it in' 🤦
In 2022 people do actually refuse to take coins. It's true. It's the reason coinstar has made so much money and banks have actually put in a coin counting service. It's actually been like that since the late '90s but it's gotten worse in the last 10 years.
Load More Replies... What the barista did was theft. Tips at Starbucks are actually pooled and doled out to the baristas that worked the most hours. Doesn't matter if their performance sucked or were star team members. So, the fact this barista just decided to "tip" herself was either a guess that she would benefit, or she's been dipping into the tip jar on her own. If this ever happens to you, probably best not to confront the employee. Instead get the number for the manager and alert them of the discrepancy. It may be small change to someone, but it could mean someone else won't have enough change for the bus or the parking meter, or some other reason someone is paying in cash, or the person really accounts for every coin in their budget. Theft is theft. Sorry, not sorry. A tip is a voluntary gratuity.
If I go into a restaurant, or call for take out,and go in myself, place an order, wait on a hard bench, take it out myself, I am NOT tipping.
I drink my coffee black. You pur hit coffee in a cup and hand it to me. Why am I tipping you? I don't tip at McDonald's. Dunkin Donuts tries that same thing. Pay your staff more.
I hate tipping. It really needs to go away. And it is getting worse! Constant barrage, I am sick of it.
Imagine making less than minimum wage while waiting hand and foot on largely aloof or meanspirited customers... and you having to tip has got you bothered...
Load More Replies... Having been a Starbucks manager… I can tell you for a fact, the baristas are not underpaid. Lol They get as many free drinks as they want on shift AS WELL as a free meal and a huge discount on purchases and a free pound of coffee beans each WEEK… the tipping culture is truly getting out of hand and the self entitlement of people is getting worse and worse each day. Maybe she should have asked for her change instead of making a TikTok. But I guess some people need the attention and thrive off drama.
This didn't make me question anything. Tips are not a right or obligation. If anything it made me ask why take a job that makes you depend so much more on tips over the paycheck itself? You're getting mad at strangers for not tipping you, but accepting your boss paying you in pennies. Get mad at your boss for not paying you enough, not us.
Clearly you have not gotten fired in the service industry before. To blame the workers is blaming the people with the least options, instead of all people holding companies to a higher standard. Strength in numbers, hence labor strikes and walk outs
Load More Replies... Lame. So don't have enough heart to stand up for yourself in public but can run to the car and make a tiktok complaining and whining about being ripped off and victimized. Losers.
"Yet, some coffee aficionados still pay in cash, and content creator Lily Kate Holbert was no exception." no exception to the "some"? 😂 😂
tip culture is so fucken stupid and the excuse is always the same we rely on your tips to make a livable wage, well then quit your job or form a walk out with all the other servers until they pay you better you fucken idiots the problem is the entitlement they have for just brining you what you ordered like I'm already paying what they charged and you still want more on top of that just cause you took my order
I can never understand the American "Tip Culture",but then,I'm Australian and we pay a livable minimum wage.
Where do people get off assuming that the customer will not mind? I would've stood there until they gave me my change back. If they say anything Abt it, tell them they don't get 1 4 assuming they could do that. It is ur decision. If they give u a problem speak 2 manager & explain. If that tends 2 b a problem, I would write 2 Corporate & leave a very bad review, after u explain the situation. Name the clerk, name the manager, & b specific with naming the location, if it's not already on ur receipt. Then I would go somewhere else, another Starbucks, & get my coffee there.
A lot of people keep their change and use it for different reasons. I know a salesman that travels frequently. Between his travel miles and change his family collects during the year they are able to go places they would never be able to afford.
...technically that's theft...caffeine slingers aren't waitpersons, as evidenced by their hourly rate...i usually toss change in their tip cup cause why not?..but if the cashier does it i'm asking for it back and giving it to the homeless guy outside...or the janitor...i believe in tipping lots of my fellow working joes but standing behind a register doesn't qualify as such...
tbf it was probably 30 cents u don't need to complain on TikTok. ask for it back or get over it. (not to sound rude she's just being childish)
And this comment of yous, @Rene, contributes to the point of this story in exactly what way?
Load More Replies... Waaay back in the 80s, I went to Montreal with my bf, my family owned a restaurant at home. But I was on a week holiday. Went to a restaurant/bar, drink orders were payed for separately from food, with 2 different servers. So, the change from our first round was sitting on the table, to be spent on 2nd drinks or whatever. Drink server rushes by and scoops the money off the table. My bf complained to the food server, other girl gave it back with the sourest look I'd ever seen. We were going to tip them both anyways, it just seemed rude and presumptuous.
Tipping is getting out of hand. Especially at drive-thrus. Expecting tips for doing a job they are paid for.
So people are always telling me keep the change or keep such and such amount. I’m not. I literal hand them all of it back. And let them hand me it or put it in the tip jar themselves. Just so there’s no inconsistency. And it’s on camera because the last thing I want to do is have someone say I stole anything from them. No thanks . This girl idk but she fkd up whether she did it on accident or on purpose 😬
I had a clerk add a tip on my credit card. Needless to say, I don't go to that coffee shop anymore.
I would have told her to reach her hand into the tip jar and give me my damn change. She is not entitled to help herself to MY MONEY!
I can’t get my head around that Americans made tips an essential part of wages instead of the nice little bit of extra to thank good service it is supposed to be.
Especially in this way overpriced shops like this i would never tip. They make enough money to give their employees a fair wage. If they can't stand for themselfes that's their problem.
This was a one-off, not part of an ongoing problem; I'm inclined to think it was a mistake. I also think there's a lot of people in the comments that haven't worked in the service industry. I have a level of respect and rapport because I'm a conscientious tipper (and I agree that needing to do it is b******t, but screwing the worker isn't going to change that) so that I've been winked at and given my order the rare time I've forgotten my wallet. I had a cab driver take time from their day to bring me a laptop I hadn't even realized I'd lost yet, and bartenders that know me well enough to not let me get roofied. Not for any cynical reasons hopefully, but tipping here in America is more a sign of respect now days. I respect the worker for doing their job and having to endure Karens all day and I express my appreciation for their skills when so many people treat them with contempt. It's not a big deal to tip $1 or so and if it is, don't feel guilty about it, just tip when you can.
Absolutely agree. I find it sad that people are more okay with paying a 90% upcharge on a product or service without questioning, that goes to people in suits than giving a service based tip to someone who doesn't have a salary. Oh the humanity
Load More Replies... Tipping is a choice and that's sad no different than stealing as much as topping culture is a thing in America your not entitled to someone's change without they're way so
So. If I can afford a $5 coffee, with a 35 cent tip, I should just never show up until I can afford a 5$ coffee with a 50% tip. I'm not coming. So, you lost 35 cents. And you did that all day long.
Could have been outta habit and just genuinely a mental slip. But I do know some people do this out of entertainment. I used to work in a bar and I always took people the change(even if it was just a quarter). One girl I worked with always threw it in her tip jar. It was so wrong. I understand the frustration. I always save my change and then cash it in and put it in my savings. It's a good way to save money.
The next time this server waited on me, I would have exact change for the bill ready. Then I'd leave whatever tip I felt was appropriate. Doing this one or twice should suffice.
why are we tipping baristas, stop tipping they won't fall under tipped wage and the company will actually have to pay them a correct wage.
Uh why would paying with a phone result in less tipping? I don’t buy it. Rarely do I tip in Starbucks unless it’s a large order. They’re not waiting on you just handing out your coffee. Do you tip at McDonald’s? Bet you don’t.
No needs to Tip. If you want todo so... if you don't then just don't. No one is obligated to Tip. Every one saying it's a must has issues! No one's telling me what to do!
Who is saying tip the barista??? They make the $15 hour pay the can get the tip of I give it to them.
And honestly it should be illegal for companies to pay such a miniscule wage.. you know as a waitress making 3.14 an hour my checks were $128 bucks every two weeks.. on slow nights I made 20 or 30 bucks in tips but on the weekends I made $150 200 bucks a night at least.. but that c**p doesn't go far... employers need to start paying at least $15 an hour the cost of living is so high it's hard for anybody to make it nowadays... I think if we all banded together like they used to back in the 60s and '70s we can change things but we're all too comfortable on our phones, streaming c**p on our TVs, or playing video games... nobody wants to go do a sit in or a protest nobody wants to get out of their comfort zone there's enough of us that if we banded together we can get the wages fixed we can all walk out of our jobs all at the same time and everybody boycott and go on strike, then something would change but I don't see that happening.. if we could all band together we could change things
Yeah like it's not our fault you chose to get a job that pays $4 an hour and relies on tips I've been a waitress it sucks but also you chose that why not go get a job that pays a livable wage like you know Target pays $15 an hour Walmart 17 for stockers... You're not entitled to a tip. Especially when you do a s***** job... Dude I get workers that are so rude and don't even do their jobs at all like my food's all screwed up and they get attitude when I ask him you know to fix it because I'm the one paying for it they are not that makes me not want to tip people.. the generation is just so entitled to thinks that everyone owes them something we don't know you c**p go out work your butt off and earn your own like I do
I'm not old, only 31. Less than a decade ago, I too worked drive thru jobs. We were lucky to get someone's change, maximum, of once a week. This whole tipping thing is out of control. The entitlement is overwhelming. Sure I tipped during the lock down, when NO ONE else were working other than service jobs. BTW: I have type 1 diabetes. Coffee is about the only treat I can get myself without a jab. I dont need to be pressured to spend more money. Coffee is already $7 for 20 oz (they charge more to substitute sugar free items)
I knew these comments would be DRIPPING privilege, y'all did not disappoint.
I'm so confused by this. I've worked in retail for years and I can say--whether it was muscle memory or a (weird) power move, all the customer had to do was ask for her receipt and her change. If there was any pushback, you know it was on purpose or the barista was embarrassed and trying to make things go away. Ask for your change and receipt. If that can't be done, ask for a manager. Explain what happened, get your silly change, and boom. Done and done. I know it's surprising, what happened, but I don't see how the customer was struck stupid by it. This is easily remedied.
Well, on the one hand, if companies paid their employees more, they'd probably charge more for food. I hear most restaurants barely profit as is. On the other hand, this is the first time I've heard you're supposed to(?) tip a Starbucks barista.
Heh. Muscle memory. It's funny like that. I think all servers should go on strike until they get tips *and* min wage but that's just a funny thought
I tip 10% and only at full service restaurants and I don't have any concern about the server's opinion. And if the server has had just a frown or sour look on their face the whole time I will tip exactly 0%.
Wow you sound like a fun person to go out to eat with! Reminds me of a date who didn’t tip so I had to run back and leave a tip for him.
Load More Replies... Personally, I think the story was just made by an entitled little girl just for views. However, I understand about tip culture in different countries and how different they may be. When visiting different countries, you respect their culture, regardless of their views, ridiculous or not. If you go to a country that tips, tip them, period. If you go to Japan and they ask you to take off your shoes prior to entering a home, you do it, etc. The world today is starting to lose respect and manners nowadays and we need to start getting better. Those service people get taxed highly on their tips, whether they be a Starbucks barista or a waiter at a 5 star restaurant, it's all the same. Knowing that they're not getting paid appropriately should make it a non issue about tipping, it's not their fault. I'm sure 9 times out of 10 is just a muscle memory thing and her change was like $.40 or well under a dollar. And I'll bet 99% of the customers just walk away or say keep the change anyway.
This conversation needs to be split up in US and non-US commenters, really. US: service workers do not earn a living wage and are taxed for tips, even those not received. Horrible but real. So, tip your server (and try to change the minimum legal wage) Non-US industrialized countries: mostly, tipping only in case of great service or not at all. Depends on the country, touristy areas ofc. E.g. in the Netherlands, ‘rounding up’ is common: if the bill is 29 euro, you round up to 30. If you like.
If the change was coins, who cares? Unless she was planing on not tipping or tipping more. But, if it was several bills of dollars, is understandable to wonder about it. The best action in this situation is to remind the barista to ask if it is okay to add the change to the tip jar.
It's change probably 30 cents. Get over yourself with like , like,like. "I collect change and turn it into real money" WTF broke a*s make your own damn coffee
Okay so a couple of things. 1) correction on the article; the video has only been viewed 41k times, not over 240k. 2) whether the barista did or didn't do it out of muscle memory, this is a pretty awkward situation. It feels weird and petty to ask for your change back in my opinion, which is probably why she didn't. 3) Tip culture enables a failed system for corporate chains. Unfortunately, failing to tip also means not supporting the young people attempting to earn something resembling a living. Damned if you do, damned if you don't 🤷🏾♀️ I don't live in a country where tipping is the norm so I can choose to tip for services rendered depending on their quality.
It happens far too frequently. People feel entitled to the change and more. Starbucks pays well, make no mistake they should NOT be begging for money, and that is what a tip jar is - same as a panhandler on the side of the road with a cardboard sign and cup.
Load More Replies... would you feel the same way if the cashier at the market pocketed the money? Or the gas station attendant?
Load More Replies... It's not the amount, it's the principle. I tip well when I'm out because I've been in food service all of my life. But if you assume MY change is yours you are wrong.
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