# Tip Jars?



## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

At the kiosk I work in we don't have a tip jar. We have a charity jar instead. Because of this I have only ever had one tip, from a guy who refused to take his change (about a quid), demanding I take it as a tip.

What do other people think about tip jars? Should a cafe have one? Or should charities like Macmillans and Coffee Kids get the money? Maybe some kind of comprimise?

Cheers,

Seamus


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

Barista's should be rewarded for their efforts and not charities in my opinion.

Tips are usually given for service and appreciation.

However, should a cafe or kiosk owner wish to donate to a charity of the managements choice then I see that this is a business decision. In many cases corporate and personal donations can be counted as tax relief and extra funds donated by central government. This has a greater overall benefit than small donations from the public (usually a few pennies here and there)

There are a number of coffee charities that get very little exposure that could benefit more from the coffee community as they usually have a very small marketing budget and prefer to spend more on helping the end beneficiary.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

Tips are something that me and the big guy have chatted about a lot at Coffee Aroma. As our prices all end in 7, normally 97p. or 47p. This results in a lot of coppers. At the minute we have a coffee kids and a macmillan box (snap seamus) for people to put coppers in.

I feel however that putting a tip box out wouldn't really damage the other two charities. I agree with Glenn in that a tip should be a reward to the baristas, who more often than not, work long hours, standing up, in cramped hot environments, for normally half the wage of the people we make coffees for, and to receive tips over a week, would make a large difference to me, and the guys who work for us.

However, I'm sure both charity boxes would still see all the coppers they normally get, just that every now and again, someone would slip a silver our way









Chris


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

The problem for us is that our prices are fairly forgiving in the change department. Our most basic prices are £1.80 and £2.10 for the coffees and soups, so people tend to keep their change. Having said that we have made £1000 in two years for macmillans.

To be honest though, and this is gonna sound fairly corny, I've never really been bothered about not having a tip jar. I'm happy enough to make fantastic coffee for people, then have the customers tell me what they think. This critique of my shots and milk I think is far more worthwhile than a bit of beer money at the end of the week. Having said that though, one of the guys I work with is a rich student, and therefore ALWAYS buys the drinks. I think I owe him about £30 now...hm...


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## ben_drury (Jun 18, 2008)

I just got tipped something stupidly small, £1 something by a wonderful woman, she had brought her family into the shop, husband and two children.

the kid was fantastic, only about 4 and was polite, didnt scream or cry and was thankful when i gave him his drink. i offered to heat the baby milk for the other child and she seemed taken back.

just her compliments alone on my service and quality of drinks was enough for me, but it was great to be tipped for a change,

i wouldnt want a tip box, i think if the customer holds the conviction that you deserve a tip they shouldnt have to be nudged or reminded by a box.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

ahh thats the thing though Ben, a lot of customers do want to tip us, and have shown an interest before, but if there's a queue, the barista is engaged, or the person willing to tip is shy, then it can be very hard to muster the courage to tip directly into the hand. Thus that person leaves the shop, feeling stupid, and ungrateful.

Now I'm not trying to turn this around into doing it for the customer, but its all things to think about


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## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

I came across this article tonight and am appalled that some employers would even consider using tips to form the minimum wage for employees.

This makes for interesting reading.


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## ben_drury (Jun 18, 2008)

I read a similar article in The Times a while back, it was shocking how much michelin star restaurant workers actually do for their money, and then denied their well earned tips.

Thanks for the link Glenn.


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## James Hoffmann (Jul 24, 2008)

Our future bar design very much has the tip jar in mind. I will expect a great deal of our baristas, and feel I should take any and every opportunity to reward them - including generating the maximum amount of tips possible.

It is a psychological thing for me as well - a tip in a coffee shop in the UK is a big deal. It is recognition of something outstanding. Most people don't expect outstanding and by the time they see it their change is usually safely tucked away in wallets, purses and deep vault-like pockets.

When is a customer more likely to tip:

a). They have ordered a drink and received their change

b). They have ordered their drink, waited, seen you pour a beautiful rosetta *for them* and you take their money and return their change.


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

We had a regular say jokingly we should have a tip jar today. Might bring it up with the boss. Don't think he'd mind like.

And on the subject of the Square Mile Bar, if you've ever got any jobs going...







lol


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

I agree entirely, its something that has been encouraged by the chains, most chains will see you pay before you receive your drink, which is a real shame. And its then one of those practices which has caught on.

It's something I touch on briefly in my thoughts on table vs. counter service in a coffee shop on my podcast. As it makes tips easier, and more comforting, for the shyer customers, still wanting to reward great service.

I don't think it's greedy in anyway, if anything service staff receive a low level of pay (totally understandable with the overheads in a coffee shop) and they (and me) do deserve the reward that comes with the hard work we put in.

Chris


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

Yeah, because we're not a big chain and work in a train station we tend to take five or six orders at once, so usually people watch us making their drink before they pay, and usually receive their drink first as well. And of course we're more than happy to talk to anyone who is unfortunate enough to hang around for more than a few seconds


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

Sounds nice working in a train station, a lot of very short covers and very few regulars!!


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

You'd be very surprised. We get twelve drink orders regularly, and most of our clientelle is made up of regulars. We're an outlying metro station, so we have loads of offices and three schools within easy walking distance. It's a good job though. The regulars are fantastic for the most part, and a good deal of them are really interested in coffee and what we do. Means that after a while they really see how difficult it is to do what we do as well as we do it, which is nice.


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## AntonyO (Aug 7, 2008)

Even though the topic has gotten a bit cold, I'd like to share my opinion on the tip-jars

Here in starbucks, we have a tipjar by the tills, you wait,pay,receive,go. This set up means that the only thing we'll get tipped on is quick customer service, nice friendly smiles, and maybe even a 'surface chat'[the usual 'been shopping?''hows your day been?''busy at work?'] this really just about strengthens what chris brought up;

Although, having said this, my store does tend to generate alot of tips, maybe £70-80a month? In comparisent to the amount the other starbucks store in my town earns, nearly 3x as much[and they're a year older than us]

And instead of our tips being shared between us, they go towards a night out, a nice meal down one of the resturants, or a night down the pub!!

Alot of the partners also tip ourselves [as we get 50% off food on shift] we end up with alot of coppers, which just get dumped straight in.. Maybe that's partly to do with it!! Haha.

Ant


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

That does sound like a nice idea! It does however show the issue with the way many stores are laid out, imagine if someone tipped, and received a bad drink, they may then feel hard done by, or even screwed around.

It seems again about the balance between speed and reducing the need for staff training, combined with bad idea's that have caught on.

Chris


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## SeamusMcFlurry (Jul 9, 2008)

Again, working in a train station (God, I'm sick of saying that...) we're limited to how we can set ourselves out, but we do get a lot of return buisness, which is enough of a tip in itself. Like I said earlier, who needs tip money when you've got a rich student buying everyone's drinks!


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## ross (Aug 6, 2008)

tipping in this country really doesn't work. people struggle to understand that they should be tipping for that 3 course meal they had, let alone that single drink someone made for them in 2/3 minutes.

we have absolutely no history of tipping (at least in the last century) and most people really see that the price for a cup of coffee includes the service.

it's one of the reasons that food and drink in this country went down the pan because it's not a viable option to work in food service forever because it doesn't pay your bills, i'd even argue to say it doesn't enable you to live comfortably.

if you look at american baristas can probably make $10-13 an hour with tips, in london i imagine you'd be looking at 7-8max.

i think even our currency doesn't help, again in the states the dollar bill is perfect for tipping but here i'd argue that £1 is probably too much so then you have to dig about with change and it becomes very awkward etc

i do tip when i feel someone is doing a good job and i would love to see tipping become more prominent with in the lower foodservice industries, but thanks to that stupid independent campaign i'm sure the world and his wife will probably never tip again.


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## adamfahn (Aug 8, 2008)

Ross, did you mean $10-$13 (i.e. USD) as that is £5-£6 POUNDS but you then go on to say in this country we earn more.


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## chrisweaver_barista (Jun 14, 2008)

It's sad how few people tip in England, in restaurants especially. I will always tip 10% unless I've had bad service, and wil often tip more. Most people my age wouldn't even consider it!

Chris


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## ross (Aug 6, 2008)

adam said:


> Ross, did you mean $10-$13 (i.e. USD) as that is £5-£6 POUNDS but you then go on to say in this country we earn more.


yeah but what they earn isn't really relative to the dollar/sterling exchange rate.


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