Starbucks customers are expressing their concerns with the coffee chain‘s new tipping system, as seen on Twitter, Reddit and elsewhere on social media. While tipping baristas at your Starbucks location is not mandatory, many coffee lovers are noting that they feel “pressured” to tip more with the “inescapable” new set-up.
Starbucks’ new tipping system requires customers to select the amount they would like to tip the cashier. https://t.co/VLA6K6LjTq
— FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) December 4, 2022
What Is Starbucks’ New Tipping System?
Back in May, the Seattle-based chain announced its new tipping methods, supposedly aiming to help customers “recognize their favorite baristas.” As reported by Fortune, Starbucks began testing out their new system in September, where customers who paid with debit or credit cards were able to give their barista a $1, $2 or custom tip.
This has been seen in more and more stores, and customers continue to explain why they aren’t happy with it. Whether Starbucks drinkers pay in-store or at the drive thru window, many are noting that they are now presented with the opportunity to either tip their barista or skip doing so— with the barista standing right there.
Do you think Starbucks is taking tip culture too far? https://t.co/wf5BN4DiEb
— Entrepreneur (@Entrepreneur) December 12, 2022
Starbucks Customer Reactions
One user described the system on Reddit, writing, “It works so well for in-store purchases but yeah having it in drive thru is so awkward I never know what to say.” Another Starbucks customer added on Twitter, “I went through the Starbucks Drive through and got one drink and they now start asking if you want to tip as soon as you pull your card out to pay while looking at you It’s so awkward…… just pay these people a better wage.”
Someone else chimed in on Twitter, “I’m really not trying to be rude bc I know customer service jobs are hard work but now they want tips at the drive-thru at my Starbucks when you pay with a card… you’re literally just handing it to me.” A Facebook user added, “People WILL call me cheap, but I rarely tip on to-go orders or grabbing a coffee…I do tip very well when I go to dinner, or use various services.” They continued, “I don’t really want to leave a 25% tip on a drive thru coffee order What are your thoughts?”
Others welcomed the system, noting on Twitter that they “love being able” to directly tip their barista, and the Starbucks Workers Union (SBWU) sat down with Fortune to discuss the significance of the new policy.
READ MORE: Starbucks Adds Employee Benefits—But There’s A Big Catch For Union Workers
In some Starbucks stores, customers paying with debit or credit cards can give the barista a $1, $2 or custom tip—prompting some strong feelings in the process. https://t.co/Z1XShFJjRX
— FORTUNE (@FortuneMagazine) December 6, 2022
Starbucks Workers Union (SBWU) Response
Speaking to Fortune, a spokesperson for the SBWU said, “Credit card tipping was one of the first demands that unionizing workers made in Buffalo, NY last fall when we launched our campaign.” They went on, “Only after we began putting pressure on Starbucks did the company announce its plans to implement credit card tipping.”
A spokesperson for Starbucks also told the outlet that employees at the company had been “awaiting a credit card tipping functionality,” which “adds to the existing wage and benefit system.” The company indicated that it had been planning some kind of new digital tipping system before any union activity began. “The system is similar to what you would see at other retailers and not unique to Starbucks,” the spokesperson added, continuing, “We have seen very positive feedback from both customers and partners (employees) when it comes to the tipping.”
Starbucks employees, as the publication notes, have been “the center of a unionization campaign” in the past year. Their movement has spread quickly across the US, as the company went from “no unions last December, to over 250 unionized stores” today.
