Woman ‘dumbstruck’ by barista’s response to 73p tip on coffee | Weird | News
The woman left a cash tip in the jar on the counter at her local coffee shop but couldn’t get over the barista’s response (stock image) (Image: SDI Productions via Getty Images)
A woman left a cash tip for a barista after purchasing a beverage at her neighbourhood coffee shop, where staff know her by name, but one employee’s reaction left her “dumbstruck”. Tipping remains a contentious subject, with supporters and critics firmly divided.
In Britain, tips are welcomed though not expected. Minimum wage legislation is enforced and establishments must pay staff the complete amount, meaning customers aren’t pressured to supplement employees’ earnings as they are in America.
Tipping is a cornerstone of American culture, yet across numerous online platforms, people are expressing their exasperation with mounting pressure to tip, even in businesses where it wouldn’t traditionally be anticipated.
One American woman purchased a coffee totalling $5 (£3.66) and placed a $1 note (73p) – 20% of her bill – in the tip jar, only to be left speechless when the barista noticed additional cash in her wallet then “loudly” and sarcastically said: “Oh wow! A whole dollar… that’s SO generous! Thank you SO much.”
On Reddit, in a post titled “Tipping 20% wasn’t good enough,” the woman wrote: “I have never been that dumbstruck before. The sarcasm was so unreal I was convinced she was going to spit in my drink or something.
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“But for real, why should she be entitled to more than a dollar for my $5 coffee? Why should she even get an extra cent matter of fact? She’s performing her job which is to make a drink. There’s clearly no good service there.”
She further commented: “If we are going to tip at coffee shops it should be customary that they receive the tip AFTER we get the drink and not before. Service is so bad [right now].”
The comments section was inundated with opinions. One person said: “Should have picked that dollar back.”
Another concurred: “Should have cancelled the order and demanded a refund.”
A third commented: “I would have asked for the manager and said watch this while I retrieve my tip due to your rude employee.”
The original poster replied: “I wanted to and didn’t have the balls lol.”
To which, another user retorted: “And there you have it. That’s why servers get away with this cr*p. If they were called out like this and publicly humiliated, they would be more inclined to keep their sarcasm to themselves and might even learn some gratitude.”
One Reddit user confessed: “Sadly, I’ve become that person, and call them out. I’m sick of the greediness. I used to be a very generous tipper. Not anymore.”
Another added: “A person serving in a coffee shop isn’t really a ‘server’ from my point of view. There is normal pay wage and server/bartender wage.
“If they are getting paid normal wages like most coffee shops and fast food places you are under no obligation to tip them. They fact they think they should be tipped for handing customers a coffee is nuts.”
One person, who claimed to be a former barista and expressed disappointment with the staff member’s attitude, stated: “I don’t even recognise this culture anymore.”
Another said: “We could just stop tipping. The cost of serving the customer is baked into the price of food and beverages. Enough.”
In the US, tipping is generally optional but it is anticipated for professions such as waitstaff, bartending, taxi driving and hotel staff who all earn a low base wage supplemented by tips. To make ends meet, these workers often depend on tips from patrons.
The tipping amount usually varies based on the service, but 20% is often viewed as the gold standard in restaurants, while $1 (73p) per drink at a bar and $2-5 (£1.47-£3.66) per day for hotel housekeeping is typically expected.
