Using staff tips to refund customer.

[tryagainsardines]

Ok, so I went to my local Costa today and the man infront of me ordered two drinks with cream and marshmellows. The barrista explained they were out of cream, reached into the tip jar and handed the man 90p.
As I was next, I asked a different barrista if that was a tip jar and he said yes. I then explained that money was taken from there to refund a customer. I went on to say that I often tip or leave some small change, as I do in the charity box, too (which is right next to the tip jar). I said I wasn't happy that tips I and other people had left for staff would profit Costa/balance their tils.
He laughed at me and said that they did it all the time and it was only 90p.
Was I unreasonable to point out what they are doing was wrong? It didn't sit well with me.

Oh god Costs treat their staff like shite don't they.

That's awful! Customers who decide to tip shouldn't have to subsidise other customer's refunds. It should go to the staff only.

Why did the previous customer need a refund? I'm not familiar with Costa ordering procedures, but wouldn't the person taking the order say, "no cream" before accepting the order and payment?

I assume they took the money and then realised they were out of cream.

Marshmallows.

It was probably quicker and easier to grab the 90p from there, then enter it correctly through the till afterwards when there was no queue of customers. And he probably couldn't be bothered to explain himself to you, just wanted to quickly put things right with the man in front of you and carry on with serving.

It sounds like it was just something the staff do, rather than Costa policy. If they decide the best way for them to spend their tip is to help speed up service I guess that's up to them?

Sorry, just to clarify, barrista had completed a transaction and payment had been taken. Hence the need to do a refund, not steal from the tip jar!

Barrista? Do people who pour coffee need a fancy name?

newgrandad that is what they call themselves!

They've been called that for years though.

And they do more than pour coffee. [santa] Especially in a chain like Costa, you have to know 1000 different ways to make teas, coffees and all sorts. You become a hot and cold drinks expert! It's not a case of grinding some beans.

They presumably choose to do it that way to save themselves the faff of doing a refund. So they do benefit in a way.

Barrista? Do people who pour coffee need a fancy name?

They are called baristas, that's their job title. You know, like cleaner, teacher, welder - their job title describes what they do. It's funny that you think it's fancy!

They don't just pour it out of a kettle and splosh a milk in it. They do foam milk/have to make a range of drinks. Some are definitely better than others but no need to pour scorn on a job title, newgrandad.

I don't think that's right. Very unfair.

NewGrandad have you never heard the job title "barista" before?

jumps up and down

You guys... back to the AIBU!

I tip because I like the service at Costa and the barristas are nice. I don't expect any tip I give to go towards small refunds.

Is it not illegal? Wasn't there a loophole years ago where hospitality businesses were making up wages from the tips, increasing there own profit? They put a stop to that, and also all tips should go though the business/payroll to be taxed correctly.

Yes it's 90p, but if lots of people do this, then staff are missing out.

I don't tip in costa- thanks for proving me correct OP

Barista in high st coffee chain here - we do small refunds out of the tip jar as we get pulled up and bollocked by the area manager if we do too many refunds in a week’s banking.
Yes, we get personally blamed for refunds.

ShatnersBassoon

They are called baristas, that's their job title. You know, like cleaner, teacher, welder - their job title describes what they do.

It doesn't describe anything! They're coffee makers. They use a machine (doesn't look that complicated) to make coffee.

However, back on topic, their tips shouldn't be used to subsidise a company's mismanagement. Said as someone who never tips.

newgrandad would love it if the job was just “pouring coffee”. You’d be surprised at what we have to do behind the scenes...

Probably they have to go through a whole rigmarole of filling in a form with the customer's details etc, so the till balances and Costa know their staff haven't been nicking 90ps, and the staff think it really isn't worth the effort for 90p. So they would prefer to sub it out of their tips.

I can see why they do it - I suppose on the plus side your tip is saving them a bit of hassle...

Oh. Or what WhiteCoyote said...

Barista in high st coffee chain here - we do small refunds out of the tip jar as we get pulled up and bollocked by the area manager if we do too many refunds in a week’s banking.
Yes, we get personally blamed for refunds.

I was going to suggest this.

WhiteCoyote

Well that's rubbish. I feel for you.
I used to work in a well known dress store where we had to buy our uniform at a discount but it took us under minium wage. We challenged it and they changed the rules. Maybe things like this has to be challenged?