{"id":6943,"date":"2022-04-21T08:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T13:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/freshcup.com\/?p=6943"},"modified":"2022-08-17T23:36:25","modified_gmt":"2022-08-18T04:36:25","slug":"the-tipping-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/the-tipping-point\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tipping Point: Are We Ready to Move Beyond the Tipping Model?"},"content":{"rendered":"

[P]int in hand, I joined my friends at their table at the Lescar, one of Sheffield\u2019s many traditional pubs. Unsure of the business transaction I just concluded, I posed a question to the table. \u201cWhat\u2019s a good tip here?\u201d After sharing a good laugh at the clueless American, one friend said, \u201cAnything!\u201d \u201cSo a quid [a dollar fifty] is a decent tip?\u201d I asked. Eyes got round as one friend said, \u201cMate. You just made his week.\u201d<\/p>\n

The experience turned out to be educational for both parties. The idea that service industry workers could make a steady salary and live off their base pay was novel to me. For my English friends, the concept that customers should provide a large portion, if not the majority, of a server\u2019s take-home wages was as foreign as American football.<\/p>\n

As American coffee professionals have embraced European cup sizes and roasting styles, perhaps it should come as no surprise that some leading coffee thinkers are now questioning the way baristas earn income.<\/p>\n

Should baristas the United States be able to earn their living through standard wages alone, or is the reliance on customer generosity a practice to keep around?<\/p>\n

Does Tipping Inspire Better Service?<\/h2>\n

Alex Bernson, former editor of the popular website Barista Hustle<\/a>, says, \u201cIn a nutshell, I don\u2019t think your ability to pay rent should be dependent on a stranger\u2019s review of your job performance.\u201d Although Bernson concedes most baristas like leaving a shift with extra cash in their pocket, he says, \u201cIt\u2019s an unreliable source of income.\u201d Given the unreliability of tips, Bernson believes baristas should be paid a set, liveable wage by their employers.<\/p>\n

The conventional wisdom behind tipping is that it incentivizes better service through the promise of financial reward. Customers tip when they receive service that meets their criteria, giving even more for an exceptional experience. Some have even posited that tipping inspires some sort of more personal connection<\/a> between barista and customer.<\/p>\n

Bernson, however, doubts that logic. \u201cI think there are other ways to incentivize good service,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Although Bernson concedes most baristas like leaving a shift with extra cash in their pocket, he says, \u201cIt\u2019s an unreliable source of income.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Robbie Melton, manager of coffee quality at Nashville\u2019s Barista Parlor<\/a>, agrees. Tipping \u201cis not really my motivator for working harder,\u201d says Melton. \u201cIt\u2019s the customer\u2019s experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

In our pandemic era, holding tips over baristas’ heads to leverage a better customer experience may actually have the opposite effect as staff grow tired of feeling as if their professional value is fully dependent on how a customer feels (and tips) on any particular day. It’s this type of resentment that’s helping to drive the Great Resignation<\/a> among all corners of foodservice.<\/p>\n

The Dark Side of Tipping<\/h2>\n

Since 2010, a slew of studies have been conducted that point toward the same general conclusion: tipping culture has a racism problem<\/a>. One glaring analysis from Eater showed that in restaurant settings:<\/p>\n