What would you do? Tip jar etiquette
Just witnessed this interaction this morning between a customer and a barista at my local coffee shop. Customer is short for their overall order by $.50 and instead of putting something back or getting a smaller size they instead reach into the barista's tip jar to take out the necessary amount to make up for the short fall. When the barista commented, "Excuse Maam, those are our tips." The woman retorted, "You need to calm down." and proceeded to take the change and pay for her bill.
If you were the barista what would you do in this situation? Have you ever been a customer where you felt entitled to the tip jar to make up your bill's shortcoming? #foodservices #customerservice
As a former barista and then cafe owner, i always helped out people who were short from my tips. I found 95% of those people would be grateful and tip you more the next time. When i was the owner my staff knew that they could let it slide, or if it seemed like the person was having a bad day to just comp them the drink. But anytime someone would try to treat the tip jar as leave a penny take a penny without asking, they were told it was stealing and not to come back. This happens far more than people realize.
The barista would be in their rights to call the police or otherwise file criminal complaints (petty theft is still theft).
Would really like to see what would have happened if the same sequence had been witnessed by a police officer...
I would have taken a $0.50-worth sip of coffee from her drink and a huge bite of her scone!!! 😤 But seriously, what a jerk! I would have been so angry and taken back.
I have seen things where whatever the customer does, the management is OK with it. Afraid of losing that customer's and others business. Won't stand up and respect their workers. Happens all the time.
Shame on her!! People survive off their tips. My suggestion....get a different container where only money can be put in it and not taken out except by the employee(s). I myself would have taken the 50 cents, put it back in the tip jar, moved the jar out of her reach and informed her that she was 50 cents short still with a smile on my face.
I agree it is stealing. If I owned or managed that business, I would have taken the .50 cents out of my pocket and taken that woman to the side, telling her she was not welcome back.
That woman is a thief! If I had observed that, I would have proceeded to call her sorry butt out! The employees should move the jar back where dishonest customers cannot reach it. Finally, I would have NOT accepted the money from her as payment. I would have told her I would not be a party to a crime by receiving stolen funds.
I would've said ma'am do you have the exact amount? If not I can't complete your order, in the most polite way with a smile on my face. What a jerk
It's a shame when people take instead of asking. I hope I'd be courageous enough to say, "that's not your money, please put that back."
Taking from the tip jar is stealing. Unfortunately, the business owner probably wouldn't support the barista, which is also WRONG. Our society does not value labor.