‘I’m not tipping you for handing me an ice water’: Starbucks customer says barista expected tip for water and a cake pop
An Oklahoma-based Starbucks customer expressed her opinion about being confronted with a tip screen in the drive-thru line, assessing that she shouldn't be expected to give a tip for a simple order.
The TikTok video in question documenting the outrage came from creator Mrs. KD, who bills herself as "the blunt blonde" in clips chronicling her life. This video, posted to TikTok on Wednesday, gathered more than 352,800 views and 52,000 likes in the first three days since going up.
She begins by saying, "Things that absolutely chap my ass ... people that expect to be tipped for everything."
She says she got a "sweet craving" and went to Starbucks for a cake pop and a venti-sized ice water. She says she wanted to hand her card to the Starbucks employee to process the transaction.
"She refused to take my card," Mrs. KD says about the Starbucks employee. "And she shoved the thing in my car for me to enter my card, and the very first screen was a touchscreen. And I pushed no tip, and she looked at it and looked at me."
She then goes on to say, "I'm sorry, I am not tipping you for handing me a ice water and a cake pop that you must get in surplus that you take out of the bag and then put in an individual bag and hand to me. You didn't do sh*t!"
She goes on to point out what services she did deem to be worthy of tips. "I take me and my husband and our five kids to a restaurant," she says, starting a hypothetical, "and that server is running her ass off, getting us ketchup and extra napkins, and my son dropped this fork, and she's replacing his fork and refilling some people's drinks, ... I'm going to tip the sh*t out of her!"
Similarly, she notes, "I go get my hair done. It takes three hours, and some chick's standing behind me on her feet all day long and working on my hair for three hours, I'm going to tip her. I go get a massage and someone's using their body and massaging on me for 75 minutes, I'm going to tip you."
She even admits that if it's a simple coffee drink at a Starbucks or Dutch Bros, and the person serving her is "super sweet and loving and kind," she'll typically give what she describes as "a little bit of a tip."
"But these people thinking that we need to tip for absolutely everything is mind-blowing," she concludes.
@kd81322 The tipping is out of control! ???????? #isaidwhatisaid #thebluntblonde ♬ original sound - ✙ ????????????.???????? ✙
She did find some kindred spirits in the comments who believe that tipping culture has gotten out of control.
"It’s like when I go pick up a pizza… and they ask on the screen for a tip!" one observed. "Um, no, I drove and got my pizza! You didn’t deliver it."
Another boasted, "I make direct eye contact when I press no tip."
Someone else said, "They have to earn their tip. Before I tip." That comment got a round of clapping emoji from the creator.
One person pointed out, "I'm a bartender and also a server, when people are getting asked to tip everywhere it’s taking away from us. It’s not fair."
That opened up a conversation about whether bartenders are more deserving than baristas of tips, which led to the person originally posting the comment saying, "Well over half of my income is based on tips. Being a barista and a bartender are nothing alike."
She then had to spell it out further to someone responding, adding, "I make $6 a hour. Drive thru workers and baristas etc make $14 and up."
But then a Starbucks worker came into the conversation and noted, "I work for Starbucks and it’s the company that made tipping a thing. We physically cannot take your card. I always tell them no pressure because I get hourly I don’t expect tips."
In a follow-up video, the creator marvels at her comments section, noting "this is all just for humor."
@kd81322 Yall………. If you only knew how ridiculous you sound when you go off on me because you take things so literal ???? just know my family and I thank you for all the activity on my page and videos ????#thebluntblonde ♬ original sound - j ????
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok comment and Starbucks via email.
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