Quote:
Originally posted by filtherton
The flipside of the barista generalization: I don't know if any of you actually have ever been a barista, but it isn't all standing around filling cups with drip coffee. To make good lattes, takes a certain amount of skill and also puts one at the mercy of any number of repetitive motion injuries. It also requires the barista to actually care about the quality of the beverages they make. It can be frustrating, sweaty work. Couple this with the fact that the average american replaces his/her knowledge of coffee with an over aggressive sense of self importance and you have a moderately to incredibly shitty job. You don't know bad coffee until you go to a coffeeshop employing baristas who don't care about the customers. Starbucks employees do get paid better, but far from a livable wage. On a tangent, why do people tip bartenders yet question the tipping of baristas? Don't bartenders essentially just stand there and put liquid into a cup?
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You've been a barista how long?
Bartenders vs baristas.
Speaking in geralizations, at Starbucks, I'm not going to belly up to the bar and camp there for a few hours, I am going to take my coffee and go, at a bar, I'm going to be there for a little while, a tip ensures that I'll get served promptly and I won't be ignored.
Going into Starbucks, yes, they generally know my drink order by now, and that's efficient, but doesn't mean I can jump the line I still have to wait. Triple espressos aren't that difficult. If I could pack my espresso maker in my suitcase i would. I tip the bartender well enough, he/she's anticipating what I want.
I'm also a cheapskate at times, when I bartended, I was allowed to give away stuff to regulars, I gave away free drinks to the big tippers. In bars I go to I get free drinks occassionally, and the bartender gets rewarded accordingly. I do tip at Starbucks, I have never gotten anything free from the baristas, not even an extra shot.