Starbucks must pay $105M in tip lawsuit

Starbucks Corp., the largest U.S. coffee-shop chain, must pay $105 million in penalties because the company's supervisors in California take a share of servers' tips, a state judge ruled.

[Paul in Saint Paul]

Sorry, but at $5 a pop for a coffee, there isn't going to be any tip.

[johnny]

good thats for greed and not supporting our troops overseas also....

[JJs]

I agree and disagree. What I do agree on is that when you go to a restaurant, bar, barber, or anywhere you receive a "service" the expectation is that you tip. If you are going to complain that you are spending $4-5 on your coffee then DON'T GO THERE! It's just that simple. I also agree with the writer who complained about the "Starbucks speak." I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE!!! Small, Medium, or Large...not venti, grande, or whatever the other one is. Good grief...

As a former Caribou employee during my college years, there was never a time that a supervisor got our tips. That was the reason they, as a supervisor were paid more than we were...

While I will still go to Caribou while at work, my prime choice is the small town coffee joints like "Nesting Grounds" in Wyoming, "Kodiak Coffee" in Forest Lake, and "Sacred Grounds" in Stacy.

[Meh]

ITS STILL BOB TO EM wrote:

STARBUCKS - TRUELY THE #1 EVIL EMPIRE IN THE WORLD.
I WENT THERE ONCE AND ALMOST PUNCHED THE ANNOYING GAY WAITER BECAUSE HE WAS SO ANNOYING. HE KEPT ARGUING WITH ME BECAUSE I KEPT ASKING FOR A LARGE AND HIS GOAL IN LIFE WAS TO HAVE ME ASK FOR IT IN "STARBUCK SPEAK".
HE KEPT ASKING - "DO YOU WANT THE ****" AND I WOULD ANSWER- IS IT THE LARGE? THEN YES" AND HE KEPT "RAIN MAN"-ING ME WITH "THAT WOULD BE THE **** " AND ONCE AGAIN I WOULD SAY" I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU CALL IT IN YOUR WORLD- I JUST WANT A LARGE ESPRESSO" FINALLY I STARTED FOR THE DOOR & HE GAVE IN & I GOT MY LARGE ESPRESSO. NEVER AGAIN. I HAVE YET TO RETURN TO ANY STARBUCKS.
I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BOYCOTT THE "WAL*MARTS" OF COFFEE SHOPS. THERE ARE MANY GOOD INDEPENDENTLY OWNED PLACES TO GET YOUR "CAFFEINE FIX" & THEY USUALLY HAVE BETTER HOMEMADE GOODIES,TOO.
(**** IT WAS SO LONG AGO I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE STARBUCK WORD FOR LARGE)

Dude - the keyboard has a caps lock key on the left. Use it. Makes the posts a lot easier to read.

[420 DuDe]

Meh wrote:

<quoted text>
Dude - the keyboard has a caps lock key on the left. Use it. Makes the posts a lot easier to read.

Yes I must agree!! Also reading this hurts my brain -(Caps lock) turn it off!...Well the smell of coffee is excellent pour me cup of that java!!!

[Diane 1]

Paul in Saint Paul wrote:

Sorry, but at $5 a pop for a coffee, there isn't going to be any tip.

It's not the server's fault the fancy drinks cost a lot. Does that mean you only tip in cheap restaurants, not in expensive ones? Tips should be based on quality of service - if you think the coffee is too expensive, don't go there!

I agree that Starbucks is kind of an evil empire, although I still sometimes go there. But if you don't order the fussy little fancy drinks, it only costs about $1.60 for a coffee....plus a tip. Much cheaper, and much lower in calories than the big gut bombs...

[John Q]

Starbucks: Home of the Latte Liberal.

[Red Ryder]

Dunn Bros. is much better any way.

[Coffee drinker]

John Q wrote:

Starbucks: Home of the Latte Liberal.

Wow, now even coffee is political? And here I thought there might be some topics about which people wouldn't immediately turn it into political mudslinging - I guess not. Reminds me of the restaurant review a few weeks back, where someone started saying that certain restaurants were "liberal" or "conservative." Pathetic.

I wonder - what about those who just drink their coffee black, like me? Are they liberal or conservative?

[Red Ryder]

Coffee drinker wrote:

<quoted text>

I wonder - what about those who just drink their coffee black, like me? Are they liberal or conservative?

that's racist.

[John Q]

Coffee drinker wrote:

<quoted text>
I wonder - what about those who just drink their coffee black, like me? Are they liberal or conservative?

I'm a conservative and I drink my coffee black. So obviously, you're not telling the truth.

[jw in the grove]

its african not black, dont upset the pc

[michael P]

John Q wrote:

Starbucks: Home of the Latte Liberal.

no- Starbucks is Conservative because they screwed their fellow employees out of these TIP s

[Tip or No Tip]

I don't feel a server behind a counter should get a tip, do you tip at Mcdonald's? McDonald's now serves high end coffee (BTW they are killing Starbucks bottom line). A bartender behind a counter I tip if they provide good conversation and service.

I think the U.S. has become tip crazy - you see a tip jar everywhere you go! Just say no to tips, if a business can't afford to pay employees a decent salary - people will quit working for them.

[Genos Cheesesteaks]

I only tip if they call large, "large", not "grande".

Last I checked, we speak English.

[johnny]

dang- it's only 1.09 at super america, and if you have SA card then it could be free....i like SA..

[Paul in Saint Paul]

Diane 1 wrote:

<quoted text>
It's not the server's fault the fancy drinks cost a lot. Does that mean you only tip in cheap restaurants, not in expensive ones? Tips should be based on quality of service - if you think the coffee is too expensive, don't go there!
I agree that Starbucks is kind of an evil empire, although I still sometimes go there. But if you don't order the fussy little fancy drinks, it only costs about $1.60 for a coffee....plus a tip. Much cheaper, and much lower in calories than the big gut bombs...

When I go to any restaurant I can make the assumption that I will have been there a minimum of 30 minutes and possibly up to two hours. Yes that does depend on where I go, which does happen to be the 'cheaper' as well as the expensive ones. When I go in for a coffe, I have one person at the register take my order. That takes 20 seconds from start to finish. In the meantime, someone else has pushed a button and started my coffee selection. The price of my selection is irrelivant inasmuch as it takes, approximately, thirty more seconds to prepare my cup. So after spending $5 on a coffee that arguably costs them (Starbucks, Dunn or Caribou)$1.50 at most including ingredients, labor and overhead they have just pocketed $3.50. I actually find it insulting to see a cup placed at the register of these places. I compare that to a beggar handing out a pencil and wanting change put in a cup. The additional tip, once again in my opinion, should not happen in a case like this. If the employees have to rely on extra tips for a cup of coffee to suppliment their income a more viable solution would be for these companies to take a percentage of the daily gross and divide it equally between the employees (managers excluded) and exclude the 'begging cup'. Does this apply in a restaurant setting. The answer is no. First of all you have many more employees (ten,twenty, thirty etc.) preparing that meal. Also, wait staff is generallly paid a sub-minimum wage and does heavily rely on their tips for a days pay. That's where the difference lies between the two settings. The single waiter/waitress will get an extremely large tip from me, to be quite honest, more so if he/she kisses my butt and give exemplory service to me. I can even forgo the food quality sometimes if the wait person is bending over backwards to give me the service. Back to a coffee shop setting. That person behind the counter is not relying on a tip. They are being paid an hourly wage. They don't even have to smile (although they should) when I am waited on. And I'm sure this has indeed happened to many people at their selected coffee shop. So regardless of the service I receive, They will make a larger wage than the waiter/waitress in a restaurant. That's the difference between the two settings.
Anyway, I respect your opinion andI hope you'll respect mine. Thanks.

[Coffee drinker]

John Q wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm a conservative and I drink my coffee black. So obviously, you're not telling the truth.

My question isn't telling the truth? Huh? I didn't state my political affiliation. Whatever.

[Tina]

ITS STILL BOB TO EM wrote:

STARBUCKS - TRUELY THE #1 EVIL EMPIRE IN THE WORLD.
I WENT THERE ONCE AND ALMOST PUNCHED THE ANNOYING GAY WAITER BECAUSE HE WAS SO ANNOYING. HE KEPT ARGUING WITH ME BECAUSE I KEPT ASKING FOR A LARGE AND HIS GOAL IN LIFE WAS TO HAVE ME ASK FOR IT IN "STARBUCK SPEAK".
HE KEPT ASKING - "DO YOU WANT THE ****" AND I WOULD ANSWER- IS IT THE LARGE? THEN YES" AND HE KEPT "RAIN MAN"-ING ME WITH "THAT WOULD BE THE **** " AND ONCE AGAIN I WOULD SAY" I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU CALL IT IN YOUR WORLD- I JUST WANT A LARGE ESPRESSO" FINALLY I STARTED FOR THE DOOR & HE GAVE IN & I GOT MY LARGE ESPRESSO. NEVER AGAIN. I HAVE YET TO RETURN TO ANY STARBUCKS.
I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD BOYCOTT THE "WAL*MARTS" OF COFFEE SHOPS. THERE ARE MANY GOOD INDEPENDENTLY OWNED PLACES TO GET YOUR "CAFFEINE FIX" & THEY USUALLY HAVE BETTER HOMEMADE GOODIES,TOO.
(**** IT WAS SO LONG AGO I HAVE FORGOTTEN THE STARBUCK WORD FOR LARGE)

Espresso is served according to shot, not size. Large espresso makes absolutely no sense. Maybe you should think twice before getting so angry at someone who is just trying to serve you.

[J Adams]

The coffee always tastes burnt. The hot chocolate is good but can you coffee servers leave your attitudes at the door. I just want my drink. Carrying on a conversation with other people while serving a customer is very rude.