digg

Join DiggAbout

Discover the best of the web!
Learn more about Digg by taking the tour.

See the original image at news.bbc.co.uk

Starbucks must pay $100m in tips

news.bbc.co.uk — A US judge has ordered Starbucks to repay its California coffee-makers more than $100m in tips that were paid to shift supervisors.

Bury
show profanity settings
expand all
  • dtele, on 03/21/2008, -17/+3Thats a lot of coffees
    • serif69, on 03/21/2008, -0/+24Not at Starbucks it isn't
    • chanop, on 03/21/2008, -2/+15that's 5 cups of coffee
      • Charun, on 03/21/2008, -17/+2Starbucks is expensive hahaha, good one.
        But the article is about tips not the price off coffee. So are you really saying that 5 people each left a $20 million tip?
        • Slizzo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+14Why yes, that's exactly what he's saying...
        • Aneurhythmia, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3That sounds about right for 15% or so.
      • edwartica, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Don't forget to leave a tip.
  • sstephenson, on 03/21/2008, -3/+54Obviously you haven't seen what Starbucks charges for a coffee.
    • green67, on 03/21/2008, -5/+3And they still suck,even more so now.
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -5/+2Yeah, Starbucks has the worse coffee there is.
        • FortyCaliber, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1UNless you like poorly pulled espresso and burnt drip.
  • getrdone656, on 03/21/2008, -4/+7College Fund my ass!
  • gcnaddict, on 03/21/2008, -8/+152So every time I tipped the hot barista, part of that tip went to that ugly dick of a manager?

    That's depressing on so many levels.
    • turpenine, on 03/21/2008, -1/+17the coffee shop where I work (boston stoker) doesn't allow tips at all, and if you suggest we take the money we have to donate it to charity. the charity is coffee kids which helps support the children of coffee growers. We buy all fair trade coffee anyways but what does it hurt to support the makers of starbucks coffee?
      • accelleron, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2This seems like a very conscious thing to do, but not a very good business decision: employees are definitely motivated to work harder by the prospect of extra money, be it a fat bonus at the end of the year, or a couple of bucks in tips. Your boss is effectively taking that motivation away from the workers, which will ultimately make him both work harder to get the right employees and pay them more to keep them working hard. Is this a statement your boss is trying to make, or just a PR stunt?
    • tsunamisteve, on 03/21/2008, -21/+11What's more depressing is the Ethiopian (and other) coffee farmers who are STARVING because of unfair subsidy and trade regulations. Tipping Starbucks is like giving Pres. Bush a cup of oil as a reward for invading Iraq.
      • didiman, on 03/21/2008, -9/+3You're pathetic, get a life.
      • DonKarnage25, on 03/21/2008, -6/+3Your analogy was funny. You're being dugg down because the neocons secretly support Ethiopian coffee farmer slaves.
      • onwardknave, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1Yes, but doesn't Starbucks offer health insurance to all their employees? Still, you're right about the Ethiopian growers... I don't buy from them partly for that reason, and partly because I think their coffee isn't particularly good for the prices they charge.
      • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -1/+9I don't get why nobody understand economics. People that are "starving coffee farmers" are HAPPY to be coffee farmers. If they didn't have that option they'd starve even quicker. Every job on the planet is NOT equal. When you live in a 3rd world country, your wages are lower. But just because their wages are lower, doesn't mean we are doing them a great injustice. They would NOT be better off if we did not support them by paying them. I'm sure you'll counter with "well pay them more". That simply doesn't work. They are willing to work for x$, and we are willing to pay them x$. It's is a voluntary agreement. Nothing is wrong with voluntary agreements. If they don't want to go along with us, they don't have to. Same thing happened during the United States industrial age. Really poor working conditions. When the country catches up economically, they will have better working conditions. Everyone has to start at the bottom and work up. The problem most countries face is completely corrupt governments with insane laws, downright stealing of most of the citizens profits, downright creation of govt monopolies to make sure there's no chance for competition.
    • centran, on 03/21/2008, -1/+10No, it went to the shift supervisor who still has to make your coffee but instead of just mindlessly preparing your coffee they get the added benefit/amusement of being able to very slightly boss their fellow employees.
      • Harelin, on 03/21/2008, -2/+3I see you conveniently left out the fact that they get paid more than their fellow employees.
        • KMye, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4I was a poor bastard shift supervisor in a couple Starbucks in SF in the past. At that time, we got paid about $1.50-$2.5 an hour more than a barista, depending on both's time with the company, while tips were generally $2-$4 an hour, depending on the store. In my unfortunately considerable experience, 90% of the shifts sups generally worked 200-300% harder, by necessity, than the average barista, and spent almost as much time on a register/making drinks. If mangers/assistant managers had been taking a cut of the tips, this lawsuit would make sense, but for attacking shifts, this is absolutely insane.
    • SLockhart, on 03/21/2008, -4/+1No, what's depressing is your snobbish attitude.
    • Abomonog, on 03/22/2008, -1/+1No, all of the money went to the manager. That's what this lawsuit is about. Starbuck thinks that managers should keep the money that the baristas earned in tips.
      • Ignignokt01, on 03/24/2008, -0/+2as a starbucks barista, you're hugely misunderstanding the situation

        this is about the supervisors, who are just regular 'baristas' like me who get paid just a tiny bit more for more responsibility and a slightly larger workload, and experience of course, but who do all the things we do (make your drinks,take your orders, suck your dick, etc.). They deserve the tips just as much as we do. Starbucks isn't cheating anybody out of what they deserve, this whole lawsuit was a bunch of balogne
  • bgrah449, on 03/21/2008, -6/+137"Wait, what are you doing? Why are you taking my tips?"
    "This was a team effort! We both helped, so we share the tips."
    "I made the coffee at that machine, by myself."
    "And I supervised you. Team effort. Give me your tips or you're fired."
    • blakeage, on 03/21/2008, -2/+13Those poor kids probably get squat for tips in the first place, let alone after giving up some for the boss. I hardly ever tip them. Hard to fork over another dollar after paying 4 for something that should cost about $1.50.
      • mustafya, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2The starbucks across from the bank I worked at would bring by their tips once a week to get them consolidated so they could split it up among the 6 employees. They averaged well over 600 dollars a week in tips. So that is an additional 100 bucks a person for people that were already making 10 dollars an hour.
        • Abomonog, on 03/22/2008, -0/+1And you gave the manager a nice $600 dollar a week bonus. He kept it all as per Starbucks policy.
      • obrysii, on 03/21/2008, -4/+3I don't get tips for working my ass off to find people the stuff they need for their projects at the hardware store I work at - why should people who get to stand around and make drinks get a tip?
        • 10lbhammer, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4first of all, you probably get paid a lot more than a barista. especially a barista at starbucks.
        • accelleron, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Arguable. A rep at a mom-n-pop hardware store is lucky to make $8-9 an hour. Maybe it's a bit higher for the major chains, but probably not by much. Don't assume that no tips = good pay.
    • tankiller, on 03/21/2008, -5/+5tough *****, thats the way every job in the world works be it fast food or programming. theirs aways going to be someone at the top making more for doing less. no one ever said the world was fair.
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6We're talking about tips here. Tips have nothing to do with the salary or income. Legally, even your employer cannot touch your tips I'm sure.
      • pauleric, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3GRX isn't quite right (tips are supposed to be reported as income), but tankiller, you're just way off. Employers can pay *below* minimum wage and the waiter is supposed to make it up in tips. I am unaware of any programming job where this is legal. What's going on here is Starbucks is just too damn cheap to pay a decent wage, so they figure they'll extend the concept of tips up the management ladder. Sure they say they'll appeal, but they'll lose, there are very strict laws on doing stuff like that.
      • Abomonog, on 03/22/2008, -0/+1So you think it's OK for the management to steal employees tips?
      • TheMonkeyJoe, on 03/23/2008, -0/+0"theirs aways going to be someone at the top making more for doing less."

        In this case, it's someone slightly above the bottom taking an even share of the tips to make a tiny bit more money for doing a decent amount more work.
    • busket, on 03/21/2008, -1/+5I think someone doesn't understand the differences between a starbucks barista and a starbucks shift supervisor.
    • dood, on 03/21/2008, -1/+8I think you may have missed the point bgrah449. Starbucks supervisors aren't just sitting in a back room doing supervisory stuff. They're up front taking orders and serving drinks as well. This was a non-trivial question (which is why it went to trial).
    • jamesdew, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4i'm a little confused here and not sure if I agree with this or not. If starbucks have a policy where all staff pool tips and supervisors also serve drinks as regular staff do AND if the tips are shared EQUALLY among all staff and supervisors then I do not see why this is unfair.
      However the artice doesnt seem to specify this.
      Also I would like to know that since they are no longer allowed to continue with this policy can supervisors now keep tips they are given directly? Or do they have to give them to the tip pool for the other staff?
      • FortyCaliber, on 03/21/2008, -1/+4I can't speak for all states, but in California, All gratuities earned for working are property of the staff who earned them and NOT any managerial staff. The line here is grayed, though, as a "Shift Supervisor MIGHT be managerial but MIGHT be normal staff with some responsibility.
        I worked as a "Shift Supervisor" for a small local coffee startup (which tanked in my town.) but I was only $9.25 over the normal $8.00. I served, made coffee, cleaned, and pretty much did everything the plebs did only I was allowed to sign the checkout sheet at the end of the night.
        • KMye, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1It's the same deal at Starbucks, at least in California.
    • TheMonkeyJoe, on 03/23/2008, -0/+0"Wait, what are you doing? Why are you taking my tips?"
      "Well, let's see. I made just as many drinks as you did today...
      "I did just as many cleaning tasks as you did today...
      "I greeted and served just as many customers as you did today...
      "I even made things right with that customer that you really ticked off earlier...
      "On top of that, I made sure you and all your fellow employees got your breaks and got to leave on time...
      "I even completed some orders and paperwork too..."
      "Well, I'm one Barista and after I no longer work for the company, I'm going to have a bunch of lawyers come and sue for the tips you're stealing!"
      "... *sigh*..."
  • FloorModel, on 03/21/2008, -9/+97I have a tip for Star Bucks manangers and supervisors... if your crew's working in fast speed and there're 10 customers in line(s), don't stand there scratching your back on the wall and frowning in what you think is a concerned manner... jump in and help them out. You're not that important especially when you think our business isn't.
    • TremorX, on 03/21/2008, -3/+15Dugg down for this? Digg must be a popular meeting place for Starbucks Mangement.
    • serif69, on 03/21/2008, -2/+40The manager at my local Starbucks is like that. I can't count the number of times he's jumped out of a meeting because the line was getting long. He started taking people's orders to speed up the process. He knows people's usual drinks and some of their names, and seems to impress upon the staff to do the same. I never really liked Starbucks that much until I started going to this one. Now I'm addicted.
      • TimDigg, on 03/21/2008, -1/+6Starbucks is cool in that its a MEGA-CORP thats tries to have that small coffee shop flavor...they do it very well....

        Very few starbucks seems to look alike, all totally different layouts, designs, signage etc etc

        The starbucks here in DC are cool in that they blended into the existed architecture and design on the city...feels like a part of DC, for example there is one in an old rowhome
        • texpundit, on 03/21/2008, -2/+2Yeah...but the one at Chinatown is rather cramped. At least the one at Dupont has plenty of room. It only gets bad when there's a rush.
        • diggdallas, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1dugg down for using "plenty"
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3It's sad that's not what every manager is taught to do, common courtesy.
      • pagno, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Thats a rarity, a manager that gives a damn. I just dont understand why every barista that works there has to speak in an effeminate voice. Is that company policy?
        • FortyCaliber, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1It's like a "phone voice." people are less likely to be pushy upon someone who seems effeminate. It bugs me though... and it bugs me when people give a courtesy giggle at ***** that was neither interesting nor funny.
    • MammasMilk, on 03/21/2008, -0/+9That's good advise for ANY manager at any coffee joint, restaurant, etc. I know the managers at my local Starbucks help when things get busy. As well, the owner of the restaurant I worked at 10 years ago would jump in a help out where ever it was needed if things got too crazy. I'm thankful I haven't had to really work with the jerk-off manager that thinks it's their job to stand around and bark orders
      • popfrogs, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6Well this works on many levels. On the first level, you're putting extra hands to work, so work gets done that much quicker. This creates higher sales and better customer satisfaction. On the second level, the manager's underlings see that he's a hands-on guy that will jump in and help when things get hectic, so they get a feeling of solidarity and being on a team. This also leads to more respect for the manager, so when he asks people nicely to do things for him (for Starbucks essentially), they do it without complaining.
        A hands-off boss is generally criticized by his employees as lazy and good for nothing. If you're in a boss/manager position, the best way to earn respect is to roll up your sleeves and get dirty once in awhile.
    • IznastY, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2I worked at a starbucks about 6 years ago. the manager we had at the time was great with helping us out when it was getting busy. More managers should be like that
    • KMye, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Unfortunately, many SB managers are like that. The thing you probably haven't realized is that one of the two fastest working people in that crew during that rush is almost certainly the shift supervisor.
  • Ganja420, on 03/21/2008, -25/+8My friend used to run and take the tip jar out of the window whe we were like 15... he'd get like 30-50$. then they started to put nails nailed upside down i the tip jar, so if u tried to stick your hand in the jar and run off with the money you'd get cut
    • petebot, on 03/21/2008, -0/+30Dugg up for the ingenious people who put the nails in the tip jar to cut thieves...
    • MammasMilk, on 03/21/2008, -0/+17your "friend" did that? What a dick. Cool solution though
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -3/+2Not a bad way to earn money... well, until you have to actually find a job. ;)
    • KMartSheriff, on 03/21/2008, -1/+7I hope so much that one day you get a job involving a tip jar, only to have some kid come steal your tip money.
      • Ganja420, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I'm a server and i didn't do it, a friend did and it eventually caught up to him
  • Accolade1, on 03/21/2008, -8/+6Even this won't save their coffee.
    • robertmf, on 03/21/2008, -3/+1Ditto on that. I switched to the smaller Saxby's with roasting out of high-altitude Colorado.
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Zaxby's!? Where do you live? They got awesome food here.
    • lovedunks, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Dunkin Donuts FTW!
      • pauleric, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3But Dunkin' Donuts doesn't have a logo with a two-finned mermaid with her legs spread...err, tail fins spread up in the air ready for some hot lovin'.
  • fupher, on 03/21/2008, -4/+119How about we start paying them normal wages and stop the tipping madness.
    • Kaitsu, on 03/21/2008, -6/+5Most pleasant that don't have to deal with that where I come from. I dread going abroad where I'd probably get spit on every single dish I order or at the very least some evil eyes when I'm not sure on the tipping etiquette.
    • Squaros, on 03/21/2008, -1/+14Lets put an end to all of this gratuitous behavior!
    • windmarble, on 03/21/2008, -1/+2If i could digg your comment multiple times I would!
    • elevatedms, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I like the word "coercion" better than "madness", especially when they have the tip line enabled on your debit/credit card receipt at fast food/carry-out joints. Instead of raising the prices on their menu items, owners coerce you into thinking you're supposed to tip. Both corporate and "mom and pop" places are bad about this. Mom and pops have an advantage due to the fact that they're playing the "support your local business" card...I really hate the ones that have the tip jar labeled "Retirement Fund".
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Wouldn't having a false charity be considered illegal, eg. something fraudulent?
        • cutething, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1If it's labeled "retirement fund" it's pretty obvious what the tips are going to, isn't it?
    • popfrogs, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5Their wages are decent and the benefits packages they provide are better than most corporate professional jobs. My friend worked there part time because he's epileptic and they covered 100% of his meds, even at 20hrs per week.
    • texpundit, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I dunno about barristas, but in restaurants and bars, most bartenders and waitstaff would rather take the current situation than go to a higher hourly wage with no tips. They make more now than they would with a "living wage," especially if they are really skilled and have good attitudes.
    • rubberfactory, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2i made seven dollars an hour at starbucks. starbucks baristas don't need tips. they arent working for tips like servers and bartenders. it's just a gimmick to get more money.
  • slapded, on 03/21/2008, -4/+45I'll take a double Ristretto Venti Nonfat Organic Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino Extra Hot with Foam and Whipped Cream Upside Down Double Blended
    • bgrah449, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5make sure to tip
    • gcnaddict, on 03/21/2008, -1/+18The sad thing is that you can actually order that.
      • knetworx, on 03/21/2008, -0/+15Otherwise known as a large hot chocolate with whipped cream.
      • SLockhart, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1The really sad thing is that people order stuff like that and have no idea how douchebaggy they look.
    • publiclurker, on 03/21/2008, -1/+0#8, no nutmeg right?
    • SydneyHopper, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1And $100m in tips please
    • homah, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1I'll have a vanilla... one of those vanilla ***** things. You know, whatever you want, some vanilla ***** latte cappa thing. Whatever you got.
    • bbqsalad, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4That probably feels nice coming out a few hours later...
    • multifingered, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2would you like fries with that?
    • Vector713, on 03/21/2008, -0/+14Um... the frappucinos are cold. So you must be referring to a latte. However, lattes aren't blended. So you must be referring to a frappucino.

      congratulations, by ordering that you've torn a hole in the universe. Good job.
      • DonKarnage25, on 03/21/2008, -0/+10Congratulations. You know way too much about coffee.
    • bulletproofx, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1I'll take a double Ristretto Venti Nonfat Organic Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino Extra Hot with Foam and Whipped Cream Upside Down Double Blended

      Sir, we no longer make the Chocolate Brownie Frappuccino, as you can see from our menu. It was replaced by Java Chip, which tastes just as good. I'd be happy to make that for you; however, we can't steam the Frappuccino mix, so making it extra hot or with foam is ... well ... impossible.
    • mbourgon, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I'll have a half double decaffeinated half-caf, with a twist of lemon.
  • martinherrera, on 03/21/2008, -10/+35honestly guys, i don't see a need to tip a starbucks employee for anything. I've worked in the service industry alot and don't consider what they do "tip worthy"
    • slapded, on 03/21/2008, -10/+5guess you havent been to the starbucks outside las vegas... wait that was the bunny ranch. doh
    • therealkdog, on 03/21/2008, -3/+28I agree, they are hourly employees, They are not waiters.
    • bgrah449, on 03/21/2008, -1/+34You've convinced me, Mr. Pink. Give me my dollar back.
    • ConceptualTrap, on 03/21/2008, -10/+7Considering the hourly wage of a barista, those tips essentially buy them food...the same food that they must throw out at the end of the night because employees aren't allowed to take home leftovers.

      I know, personally, at my store we make roughly 7.50 an hour. Considering that the average rent in my city for a single one bedroom studio apt (ie. a closet) runs at about 600-700$ not counting heat and electricity, you try figuring out how to survive off that.

      Even with roommates, paying 400 a month it's still ridiculously tight. If I wasn't an employee of Starbucks I couldn't afford their coffee. Now THAT's sad.
      • airburst, on 03/21/2008, -4/+11How is it my responsibility to support you because you can't get a job that pays a decent wage?
      • KSUdesigner, on 03/21/2008, -3/+117.50 * 40 = 300 per week
        x 4 weeks = 1200 per month
        - 400 rent = 800 per month

        You can't survive on 800 per month? I think you need to readjust your priorities and get on a budget, I spend way less than that every month, including utilities.
        • JoeVet, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4Try that and include taxes. I'd be quite well off if I could spend my full salary without taxes.
          • AlanLivingston, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3That's why he multiplied 300 per week by 4 to get the monthly wage instead of 4-1/3. On average, there's 4-1/3 weeks in a month.
      • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5Yeah I'm crying tears that you can't afford to buy starbucks coffee (hint: that's a LUXURY)
    • NJank, on 03/21/2008, -1/+9I worked in the service industry. Unless I'm paid a wage that assumes I make tips, I should not expect to receive tips. If every once in a while it happens, great, that was something special. But not to be expected. The minimum wage for 'tip earning' employees is deliberately set lower to account for the tips, and those tips must be claimed for yearly income tax.

      http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/tipped.h ...
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -1/+4That's just wrong... I cannot see how tips can be taxable. (Then again, I don't believe in a legal Income Tax either...) Oh well.
  • cpiazza, on 03/21/2008, -2/+22can I PLEASE just have a small coffee?
    • cyrix, on 03/21/2008, -1/+15Sir, we've been over this, we don't offer small. We have Tall, Venti, and Grande.
      • TheDreadDiggerD, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6Okay, I'll have a Short Coffee.
        • popfrogs, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Funny thread, but there actually is a short size you can buy if you ask for it by name. They don't advertise it and it's kinda hidden under the counter.
      • KingGorilla, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1s-m-a....
        t-a-l.....
        • igyigyigy, on 03/22/2008, -0/+1I see you've played knifey-spoony before.
    • greyrat, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5Yes you may. Just be sure to call it a "Short", not a "Small" which they will consider a "Tall". Back in the good old days -- before they realized they had to cater to all American super-sizing -- they had two sizes: Short, which is the kiddie-sized cup you almost never see, and Tall which it the Tall that is traditionally the smallest size now. So, if you say "Short" instead of "Small" you'll get what you want. Blame America, not Starbuck's for that little twist in logic.
      • JoeVet, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6Short, Tall, Venti, and Grande are not traditional American drink sizes. Blame that silliness squarely on Starbucks marketers.
      • texpundit, on 03/21/2008, -1/+9No.. I'll blame Starbucks because the assholes decided to be fancy instead of having Small, Medium, Large and Xtra Large.

        How ***** hard is that?
        • AlanLivingston, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2And all of yuppified coffee snobdom decided on a definition for skinny, too. Does Bux go along with the conventional wisdom? Of course not.
        • drewbe121212, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1its definitely not any fun!
    • ordig, on 03/21/2008, -3/+10Me: I'll have a 16oz coffee.
      Them: what size?

      *facepalm*
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -2/+1Yeah, amazing how many people don't know a 160z means *gasp* a 16 OUNCE!
    • orangetiki, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1Actually I do say small, medium, or fill it up (my tumbler, as to not waste more paper cups) amazingly enough the girls don't say otherwise, but then again I do go to a mom-corporate store
  • mal1964, on 03/21/2008, -11/+11I'm with the Internal Revenue Service Office. We just want to remind you tips are considered earned income and must be claimed and on your W2 form
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -2/+4I just want to remind the IRS that if it wasn't for the still-unconstitutionally/illegally-ratified 16th amendment, your asses would be dead now. Besides, there is no real way to account for one's tips period, without draconian measures anyways.

      LONG LIVE THE TAX-REVOLUTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      • mal1964, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2 "there is no real way to account for one's tips period" On average around 70% of the time the tip is charged on a credit card,
      • NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I never thought Wesley Snipes would be one of my heroes after watching Passenger57, but he's awesome!
        • mal1964, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1You must have a lot of heroes, Do you visit them on weekends?
          • NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Read up about his tax fights, whole nother side to him I never knew of.
          • mal1964, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1No offense but i could care less about his other side. Some of his movies i enjoy to watch, that's all i need to know about him.
    • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1TAXES ARE THEFT! You are a tool of evil.
    • SLockhart, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1and i would like to remind you that I DON"T consider tips to be earned income.
      • mal1964, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1You don't have to, But it is and that's a fact.
  • iNONYMOUS, on 03/21/2008, -4/+16If I'm going to Tip anyone for pouring my coffee, you have to go above and beyond. Be really nice to me (even if you're faking) tell me how great my new glasses look or how you think my "DIGG ME" T-shirt is really cool. Then and only then will you get EXTRA money, for doing your job.
  • GroundLifter, on 03/21/2008, -2/+7From what I understand the poor folk at Dunking Donuts get none of the tip money. It all goes to the managers. Funny thing you'll never hear about it because a lot of those places are run by families unlike Starbucks.
    • jcroweall7, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1It's true for some stores and it's untrue for others. The one I work at lets us get tips, while my friend works at another where they ask customers to donate to charity instead. I don't know what the policy is on a corporate level.
    • barf314, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3Funny that Dunkin' Donuts thinks the word "Latte" is English.
    • KMartSheriff, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Yes but no one goes to Dunkin Donuts.
      • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1yes they do
      • dmadzak, on 03/21/2008, -1/+2You're kidding right. At the lower income Chicago suburbs these places are packed. You must only hang with rich snobs.
  • mcduck, on 03/21/2008, -2/+11Iv worked as Barista, and at the place i worked at we put all the tips in a bowl that all the employees shared. Sure, the barista serves the coffe, but there is alot of other people working in the background, cleaning cups and washing/filling up machines. Even the supervisor got his share (becuse he did help out every time there was a queue, or we wanted a break).
    • JoeVet, on 03/21/2008, -2/+2Any supervisor who steals tips from his employee is a scumbag as well as a thief. Your supervisor wasn't helping to get a fair share of the tips, he was helping to ensure his business and his profits continued to grow. Stealing tips was just an extra bonus.
    • positron, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1Communist.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I don't give a damn what the manager says, s/he has no right to touch anyone's tips. As a matter of fact, the tips given to you belong to you and you alone, not anyone else. (Now, sure, they can keep all employees from accepting tips, but that's another matter altogether.)
      • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1not that simple. Managers are doing the same work that employees are doing a lot of the time (taking orders, making coffee, etc). Why shouldn't they get some of the tips when the customer directly tips the manager.
  • bgrah449, on 03/21/2008, -8/+35I don't tip. I don't believe in it. I want my coffee refilled six times.
  • jessestorm, on 03/21/2008, -3/+2If this is where my money was going, I want it back!
  • willisan, on 03/21/2008, -2/+41 I don't tip because society says I gotta. I tip when somebody deserves a tip. When somebody really puts forth an effort, they deserve a little something extra. But this tipping automatically, that *****'s for the birds. As far as I'm concerned, they're just doin their job.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -2/+3I agree. It's a rather oxymoronic statement to enforce tipping. Kinda like, "we're peaceful, and we're going to kill you to prove it." Do your job, you get paid by your employer; do more than what you're worth and sure I'll tip. Afterall, tipping is not paying someone anything but giving them it.
      • bgrah449, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1willisan was facetiously quoting a cop-killing professional thief from a movie. You just come off like a dick.
        • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1not necessarily facetiously. Tipping IS a joke. There's no rhyme or reason to who should get tipped or who shouldn't. Then people feel guilty like "oh they aren't making enough money if you don't tip them well." There's plenty of jobs that get paid LESS than waiters/waitresses that don't get tipped. The whole culture of tipping is around guilt. That's wrong.
        • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1bgrah, whether or not I come off as being a dick has nothing to do with the facts. Enforcing/automatic tipping is nothing more than an illogical/oxymoronic fallacy.
    • willisan, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwqtaKRS3IE
  • BeforeSputnik, on 03/21/2008, -12/+5Paraphrase: Managers, in California, are not allowed to take a share of the tips, but they have been. The cashiers/coffee-makers are suing to get that share of the tips back.
    Opinion: If the managers are doing their job, they should be effecting all the factors that go into patrons leaving a tip. I think they should share in the tips - ergo, this lawsuit is crap.
    • olbap, on 03/21/2008, -0/+10I'd agree with you if the managers made the same amount in pay as the workers doing the actual work.
    • cubicledrone, on 03/21/2008, -2/+4Unfortunately the Legislature and the Judge both disagree. The managers aren't doing their job. They're too busy reaching into their employee's pay envelopes and stuffing their own pockets. Further proving that all managers are idiots. Enjoy your coffee.
    • JoeVet, on 03/21/2008, -0/+8The idea of a tip is to reward an underpaid employee for good service. It is not to enrich a salaried supervisor who reaps the lions share of profits from an establishment. Tips should not be part of the profit model for any business owner.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Wrong... tipping someone = giving them; it is not a payment of services, but rather giving them for doing more than their job entails. The Judge and Legislature are right in this case.
  • Maver1c, on 03/21/2008, -0/+14There's no way Starbucks can afford this! Heck, there's only like 15 of them in my zip code.
  • Shaman760, on 03/21/2008, -4/+4I stopped going to McStarbucks awhile ago. The burnt plastic smell from their convection ovens cooking those little breakfast sandwiches was pretty awful.
    • mashw, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3Oh *****! McStarbucks! Don't edit, I gotta show people this, it's genius.
  • Listor, on 03/21/2008, -7/+9Tips are really important to Starbucks employee's my little bro works there and makes practically nothing, im floored at how little starbucks will pay there employees considering the amount they charge for the coffee. Next time you geta cup of coffee from starbucks realize that the employee's make nothing and really count on a tip.
    • XBunnyRacer, on 03/21/2008, -4/+12That's their problem.. Tell them to get and education and get a better job.
      • KMye, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Over half the people, including myself when I worked in coffee, were doing it while they were in school...
    • britblogger, on 03/21/2008, -3/+11tell your little bro to get another ***** job that pays real money then.
    • duke, on 03/21/2008, -1/+7specifics? Otherwise, I simply assume that you're exaggerating out of self-interest
    • duke, on 03/21/2008, -0/+10From what I've read, they're actually paid pretty well and have a surprising level of benefits for hourly wage earners in a service industry.
      • KMartSheriff, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Starbucks is one of the best chains to work for. From what I hear you get benefits up the wazoo. A friend of mine used to work at one at said it was a very good job, even if the pay wasn't amazing.
    • centran, on 03/21/2008, -1/+8Tell you brother to go work for a retail store. Then he will get the same pay, treated like *****, and not get medical benefits for only working a minimum of 20 hours instead of full time.
      Or better yet tell him to go work as a waiter where his salary DEPENDS on tips as he will only make $2.13/hr(federal min wage w/tip)
      • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2I've worked for a retail store, and they don't treat you any better or worse than anywhere else. Now why any business would offer benefits for not working full-time is beyond me. Besides, he said his brother depends on the tips... take it or live it.
    • briguymaine, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3no love to Lister, or his brother, here.
  • bearsinthesea, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3Can someone tell me more about how starbucks works?
    For instance, it seems to me in an operation as small as a starbucks, the manager might be working the counter and making drinks. They could be an employee that happens to get the manager title for that shift. Is that true? If there is only one employee working, are they the 'manager'?
    • CandiLain, on 03/21/2008, -0/+8First of all, Managers never see any tips at all, they may be making drinks, but they're doing this to help speed things along behind the bar so that more customers may be served in a timely manner; they're concerned with the customer service. The only people who actually get tips are Shift Supervisors (in most states, at least) and Baristas.
      The supervisors are the ones in question here on the tipping issue. Here's the deal though: because the Shuft Supervisors have 'Supervisor' in their title they are being denied the tips. Supervisors are not Salaried employees and they only make slightly more than the Barista does, they're just expected to work more hours a week than a barista is (baristas, in my experience, primarily worked part-time while Supervisors were expected to pull at least 36 hours a week). Through out the day, at all times, there must be either a Shift Supervisor or Store Manager in the store. These titles are not just assigned for the day: Supervisors under go extra training to handle store issues but are not able to preform all of the tasks that the Store Manager does.
      Supervisors are responsible for handling the small managerial tasks that the Manager can't always do, like ordering products, deposits and making sure the store runs smoothly. And now, because California is demanding that Supervisors be denied tips, chances are that the Baristas (with fewer responsibilities and less training) will be making more hourly than the suprevisors.
      • bearsinthesea, on 03/25/2008, -0/+1Thanks, I couldn't make that out from the article, and it sure looked like something was missing.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1They would have to be. A manager (or assistant manager) must always be on-duty.
    • mal1964, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Shift Supervisors while behind the line or helping other hourly employees, should get a piece of the pie. If they work 8 hours, 2 doing manager duties and 6 helping the crew when the tips are split figure them out hourly to divide.
  • bicyclethief, on 03/21/2008, -0/+8Tip? I'll give'm the whole thing!
  • faskippy, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6Well, after the attorney's get their cut, each employee may see .50.
  • AvidPreatorian, on 03/21/2008, -3/+8I love Starbucks and no, I don't care for the image that comes with it.. Delicious.
    • digitallysick, on 03/21/2008, -3/+7Me to, we will get dugg down for this
    • popfrogs, on 03/21/2008, -2/+3Pretty original...obviously a *****-ton of people love Starbucks or they would have gone out of business long ago.
      • AvidPreatorian, on 03/22/2008, -0/+1your rebuttal point is clear

        /oh ya, sarcam
  • digitallysick, on 03/21/2008, -6/+3Good, those guys work hard and they deserve the tips, not the managers. If your a manager, and you want a tip, jump in and start working.
  • exomni, on 03/21/2008, -7/+2$8 for a cup of coffee and the tip isn't included? Pathetic. This is abject worker exploitation at its worst. Do these "baristas" get paid at a with-tip rate?
    • barf314, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4wtf are you ordering? Do they put Amedei in a diamond-studded cup and mix it with gold or something?
    • JoeVet, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3The same drinks cost me 80 cents in Italy and they were much better there too.
    • KMartSheriff, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4Oh please. You're probably a Starbucks regular.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Amen... Starbucks coffee isn't even worth $2...
    • bulletproofx, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1What are you ordering that's coming to $8...? Also, no, we're not paid at a with-tip rate. Unless they've changed it, starting pay is $7.75, which used to be nice but is now around standard minimum wage. Tips are just an added bonus.
  • henderson, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1Hello? I need the biggest tip mug you have.
  • bloodmoney, on 03/21/2008, -0/+30Everybody wants a ***** tip these days. Even my tattoo artist who is charging me $150 an hour....wants a ***** tip.
    • LoveYouSomeEric, on 03/21/2008, -9/+1and he should get one
    • lisaawesome, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5I have NEVER understood why people who do tattoos and piercings should get tips. I appreciate their work but I know they are making bank with the prices they charge and do not need those tips to make money like a waiter would.
    • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5Tipping culture is BS. It's built around guilt. There's no rhyme or reason to who "deserves" tips.
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2I cleaned up dog ***** and garbage out of city parks for a few summers, I made 10 an hour in rich neighboorhoods, I never got tipped, and didn't expect to. I don't understand tipping at all. I do it because it's expected and I don't want to get my food spit in next time.
      • lisaawesome, on 03/23/2008, -0/+1Sounds like you deserved that tip more than any tattoo artist!
  • RememberAmerica, on 03/21/2008, -8/+1this is another good reason why not to support Starbucks, its Bush's presidency on a smaller scale.

    I.e. your money goes to the federal reserve/your boss and you get left $10 shy of a twenty-sack. What has the world come to :|
    • KMartSheriff, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Hold on while I get my tin-foil hat to understand what you just said.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1Hardly, this is pure socialism...
  • kahakauai, on 03/21/2008, -6/+2with about 114000 employees, thats $8.77 per person lol
    • zantos420, on 03/21/2008, -0/+8you mean $877.19 per person genius (100,000,000 / 114,000 = 877.192)
    • SchatzePage, on 03/21/2008, -0/+5Actually it's $877 per person. I think you missed a few zeroes in $100,000,000.00.
    • positron, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3.You math good not skills
  • JoeVet, on 03/21/2008, -3/+3The idea of a tip is to thank and compensate underpaid employees. If supervisors are underpaid they have no one to blame but themselves. They have no right stealing from their employees. I don't know why there needs to be a supervisor for pouring coffee anyways.
    • CandiLain, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1At Starbucks, However, the company allows tipping as a way for the customer to show their appreciation for the Baristas. It is completely optional and is by no means a way to compensate for underpayment. Starbucks pays competitive wages to their Baristas. Ask one, they'll agree.
      • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1b/c the employees that work there are idiots and NEED to be supervised so they actually do their job.
        • CandiLain, on 03/22/2008, -0/+1uh, every food industry store has got to have some sort of manager on duty at all times. Regardless of the intelligence level of the baristas, it's more of a cash control issue than anything...
  • Trav1289, on 03/21/2008, -3/+7Here is a Tip for you. Stay in school.
    • technoredneck, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3And another: don't buy overpriced yuppie coffee and whine about how expensive it is.
  • subscriber, on 03/21/2008, -1/+6Tipping is great because a company can pay their employees less and expect the customers to make up for it. It's a way to have you voluntarily raise the price you pay for the product, while keeping the company's costs lower!

    The best part is, those customers who tip well actually feel better about themselves, while those who don't tip feel like they're smarter than those who do.
    • el_taco, on 03/21/2008, -0/+4Now you have the damn pizza places charging a delivery charge. That comes out of the tip I used to give.
    • GRX3000, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1I feel better about myself when I don't tip someone that doesn't deserve it than tipping someone cause they need it.
  • LordCracknBerry, on 03/21/2008, -1/+3Here's my tip: buy low, sell high.
    • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1most overrated nonsensical advice for investing there is. Nobody that hears the advice and applies it, does it correctly. Here's why: nobody can time the market except probably the top .5% of investors (people that have full time jobs working for some elite firm).
  • cyclades, on 03/21/2008, -4/+5When I tip the person serving me - I'm tipping THE PERSON SERVING ME. Supervisors and managers taking the cash is not short of ***** theft.
    • limeaid, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1this is normal though - waitresses often share tips with bartenders who you have no direct contact with but indeed make your drink
      waiter or waitress is just the mule
      • JerTheBear, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2And at places I've worked in the past, cooks, busboys, even dishwashers shared in the tips. The only place where I didn't see tip sharing was when I delivered pizza, but that was because the drivers weren't compensated for gas or mileage on their vehicles. That's why I always tip around 20% for pizza delivery.
  • britblogger, on 03/21/2008, -8/+3here's your tip - get a real ***** job.
  • Ebeach, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6When I was a barista, managers ran the store and purposely had nothing to do with tips. Supervisors, however, are baristas who run shifts and work harder on the floor than anyone. It seems the court did not make a distinction between the 2. What an odd state law.
    • clyde2801, on 03/21/2008, -2/+1What an odd state. Doesn't help that they have a governor who speaks English as a second language.
      • NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1and a legislature so corrupt it rivals russia.
  • dives425, on 03/21/2008, -0/+20I'm confused...
    Baristas = tips
    Fast Food Workers = no tips
    Hotel Maids = tips
    Customer Service Reps = no tips

    Is there a big rule book somewhere?
  • tallbuilding, on 03/21/2008, -6/+2Buried...
    Previously posted here:
    http://digg.com/business_finance/Starbucks_Shaftin ...
    • kylere, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3Sorry, but you are not part of thje select group of crossdigging losers that control the front page.
  • lukelucas, on 03/21/2008, -1/+28as a current (but not for much longer, as i've gotten a "real" job) employee, i'm going to say this is *****. i am a Shift Supervisor, and i personally bust my ass every shift i work. obviously those commenting on "supervisors" at Starbucks have no real clue what they do. we're in a weird middle in between barista and management. we're not salaried by any means, we don't make the schedules, but we run shifts. and as part of that, we work (or, are SUPPOSED to) work just as a normal barista.

    i've worked at two stores now and have never done less work than i expected my crew to do. often times, i do more. digg me down all you want for defending my position and why we should get tips. Shift Supervisors are NOT MANAGERS. do i need to repeat that? WE ARE NOT MANAGERS. we don't get salary, we get paid on an hourly wage scale as a barista does.
    • CandiLain, on 03/21/2008, -0/+13Agreed. I used to work for Sbux and did so for nearly 3 years, a supervisor for 2 of those years, and yes, the Starbucks Supervisors are nothing more than glorified Baristas. We do all of the same Barista jobs as well as handling the small managerial tasks that the Manager can't always do, like ordering products, deposits and making sure the store runs smoothly. The pay gap between Baristas and Supervisors isn't that great either ($1.50-2, if I remember right) and we all split the tips evenly. Asst. Managers and Managers never even touched the tips when I worked there (not even to divide them!) because they made salary.
      I think that in the food service industry, specifically restaurants, this is fair for the supervisors/managers not to see any tips because they are on salary and the servers only see $3-4 hourly. For Starbucks however, this is a crock of *****! Just because there is "Supervisor" in the title, it devalues the positions to where, now Baristas will make more hourly than their Supervisors. I call shenanigans!
      • yacks, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6Maybe starbucks should retitle their supervisors then to Grande Baristas
        • CandiLain, on 03/22/2008, -0/+1lolz! love it!! Get Howard Schultz on the horn!
    • vidalsasoon, on 03/21/2008, -5/+0With that logic, everybody that busts their ass on the job should get a tip. If you bust your ass on the job, you should ask for a raise and get one.
      • TheMonkeyJoe, on 03/23/2008, -0/+1No, the logic was that the Shift Supervisors are busting their ass doing the same job that the Baristas are doing, only with more responsibility and accountability.
    • portilaj, on 03/21/2008, -0/+3I was shift-supervisor for a year in Chicago, and I think this is pretty messed up. Shifts make a little more money than Barista's, but not much. If I hadn't been making tips, then there would've been many times that the Barista's would've made more money than me.

      A Shift-Manager IS a Barista. They take orders, they make drinks, they mop the floor and clean the bathrooms and stock the back room and on TOP OF THAT they make sure everyone else is taking their breaks on time and help out with training and deal with any/all customer-service issues that come-up.

      Even as a Shift, I probably only worked 1 in 4 shifts on-duty. The rest of the time I was working as a Barista for the current shift on-duty.

      This is pretty messed up that CA would do that. Starbucks will have to give the shifts raises ( not a bad idea anyway ), or maybe they'll just cut all the Barista's salaries since now they're making more tips.
    • KMye, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2As an also former shift, everything said above is completely correct. Man, Lukelucas, that day you walk out that door for the last time is a ***** fantastic one, get on it. :)
      • lukelucas, on 03/22/2008, -0/+2hahaha. yeah, i look forward to it. only eleven days left.
  • prleet, on 03/21/2008, -7/+2I feel sad and ashamed for those who goto starf*cks for coffee. Literally, you are being f*cked. It amazes me that people can be that naive.
    • lukelucas, on 03/21/2008, -0/+6literally? i honestly can't remember the last time i went to a Starbucks and had someone ***** me for getting coffee. its certainly not a service i've ever offered.
    • KMartSheriff, on 03/21/2008, -0/+2Yeah yeah, and Sony is the devil, Microsoft is evil, yadda yadda... *rolls eyes*
    • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1how is it naive if you have discretionary income and like their coffee? Get a ***** clue. There's no "right" way to spend your money.
  • raybury, on 03/21/2008, -0/+8RTFA, the tips were shared by all -- including the shift supervisors who as best I can tell do participate in drink prep and customer service. But they are being classified in this lawsuit as managers under California's law which was written to handle situations where a restaurant manager is paid a salary while other workers are paid something below minimum wage by the restaurant and rely on tips to make up the difference to minimum wage (and often quite a bit more, depending on the restaurant and the clientele).

    The problem is that Starbucks is not set up like a typical restaurant. Baristas are well paid anyway, they are not subject to the pittance pay of waiters and waitresses. In all likelihood shift supervisors are paid a dollar or two more an hour, and that means that denying them a piece of the tip jar gives them less than employees with fewer responsibilities. This shift supervisor is not the salaried general manager stealing tips, this is the employee who is responsible for opening or closing, who does all the work other baristas do, being denied (going forward) an equitable share of the tips.

    Look for gaps in Starbucks "middle management" in California from now on.
  • bridow, on 03/21/2008, -6/+1san francisco baristas make 10/hr (in-n-out burger pays 12)
    10*40/hr * 4 weeks = 1600
    after tax thats 1200

    the average studio apartment is 1500 a month...ooops.
    • tankiller, on 03/21/2008, -1/+7get a room mate?
      go back to school and get your ged?
      goto night school and get a college degree?
      get a better job?
      live more far away and drive to work?

      plenty of options if you can't make the cut.
    • captZEEbo, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1If you have a terrible job don't live in cities with the HIGHEST costs of living. Seems pretty basic to me.
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1That's an easy one, don't be a barista for life, regardless of how much an apartment is in any town.
  • gcsmit6, on 03/21/2008, -1/+1medium regular please
  • tankiller, on 03/21/2008, -4/+1they should not be getting tips in the first place, if people that make over priced coffee can ask for tips, why can't i ask for tips when i sell you marked up pizza at pizza-hut? they get an hour wage, thats their tips...
  • alphonseragusa, on 03/21/2008, -1/+2What's the tip on 100 cups of coffee?
    • bulletproofx, on 03/21/2008, -0/+0My tip is the Coffee Traveler (http://sawasho.com/blog/archives/images/starbucks- ... -- a little more than 8 of these babies. And it would be wise to maybe tip someone off that you'll be wanting this a little bit beforehand, rather than during the morning rush since you'll need 8 of these ((8 x 5 minutes each to brew)/2 pods) = 20+ minutes for you & annoyed baristas.
      • TheMonkeyJoe, on 03/23/2008, -0/+0For 100 cups of coffee, you'd be better off ordering some 2 1/2 or 5 gallon cambro coffee containers. The coffee would stay hotter for a much longer time and be a heck of a lot easier to transport. The only downside is having to return those containers when you're done.
    • digitalb0y, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1The ultimate tip for 100 cups of Coffee is time slows down and you do not, as seen by Fry on Futurama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4sQD33AmlM
  • brbubba, on 03/21/2008, -0/+1What I want to know is who in the hell started calling Starbucks' employees baristas. That's like saying the waiter who poured my wine is a sommelier.
  • Fetching more discussions...
    Show 51 - 69 of 69 discussions
  •  

    Login or register to add a comment

    Create a new account or login to join in the conversation on Digg. You'll also be able to Digg stories to help promote things you like.


© Digg Inc. 2008 — Content posted by Digg users is dedicated to the public domain.
DIGG, DIGG IT, DUGG, DIGG THIS, Digg graphics, logos, designs, page headers, button icons, scripts, and other service names are the trademarks of Digg Inc.