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AIBU?

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Original poster

Using staff tips to refund customer.

78 replies

tryagainsardines · 08/08/2018 15:30

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.

OP posts:
MsBagelLady · 08/08/2018 16:58

melj1213 Supermarkets don't have tip jars and so, although i see your point I feel that this is different as it actually takes cash from the workers.

Charolais · 08/08/2018 16:59

I had a thought; fast food workers are sometimes called ‘Burger flippers’ here in the U.S, so maybe because they haven’t got a ‘fancy’ one word job title we could call them ‘Pinnas’ Pinna is flipper in Italian. It sounds much better than fast-food worker or burger flipper.

ImAIdoot · 08/08/2018 17:02

I suppose "solicita" or "dokta" if we're following a naming convention from barista

Charolais · 08/08/2018 17:02

In Subway they are called 'sandwich artists' and at KFC 'team members’ At Burger King and McDonalds there is not much art going on and ‘team member’ could be anything. Could be a football team or a Navy Seal team.

I’m going with ‘Pinnas’.

Charolais · 08/08/2018 17:03

‘Dokta' works for me.

melj1213 · 08/08/2018 17:05

But if they are just temporarily fudging the system the money isn't actually being taken from the workers Bagel, it's just being borrowed until the correct refund process can be actioned and the 90p can be returned to the tip jar.

It's like if one of our self scan machines jams and a customer is waiting for their change - the reset process can take a while so to save the customer waiting we take their change from our customer service desk till so they can go. Once the machine is reset and spits the money out from the original transaction, we use it to pay back the "loan" from the CSD till.

WhiteCoyote · 08/08/2018 17:06

90p here and there really is a non issue to the baristas. If we have a shortage on the till as can happen, someone accidentally gives out £10 change instead of £5, we take the missing fiver out of tips rather than face a surprise visit from head office to do a financial audit.

Yes it’s unethical we have to resort to that but at the same time it’s insurance for the company that we’re not fiddling them. Some people have never believed me when I say it’s impossible to steal from the company. It really is impossible lol.

None of us count the money as ours until we divvy it out every 3 months anyway. We don’t see it as taking from each other.

Charity boxes make no difference as staff can’t access them, only the charity workers can Smile

Original poster
tryagainsardines · 08/08/2018 17:13

Charity boxes make no difference as staff can’t access them, only the charity workers can
I referring specifically to the costa foundation charity box which is right next to the tip jar.

OP posts:
alleypalley · 08/08/2018 17:23

90p for cream! That’s outrageous!

But back to the OP in my business only a supervisor or above are able to do a refund so even if there wasn’t a queue behind you the server may still have had to wait until later when a supervisor could do the refund.

As for the mention of corrections, they are usually monitored to look out for theft as often a high % of corrections is an indicator of theft so I would also take dim view of someone abusing the tip jar to keep down their level of corrections.

Original poster
tryagainsardines · 08/08/2018 17:44

alleypalley

It was for two lots of cream :)

The thing is taking from the tip jar doesn't solve the problem. If a staff member is doing a high amount of refunds and they have to account for it, management would be able to pick up if there's a problem. They could put in place the correct procedure (warnings etc if appropriate) or implement more staff training.
I've worked tils before. Colleagues were pulled up if they used a supervises code or did any of the above mentioned things. It's lazy management.

OP posts:
Apehouse · 08/08/2018 19:17

I don’t really get the point of the tip jar, TBH, unless I am also supposed to tip travel agents, bank tellers and ice cream sellers.

NewGrandad · 08/08/2018 19:57

I'll be honest and admit I was having a bit of a wind up earlier. 'Twas the mood I was in.

Workers in MacDonald's are crew members (I know as I was one).

Apologies to anyone I offended.

possumgoddess · 08/08/2018 23:23

I can't get past 'marsh mellows' I know some people pronounce it that way (my lovely husband for one 😀) but surely it is never actually spelled that way?! (Head down just waiting for the flak.....)

JaniceBattersby · 08/08/2018 23:36

But WhiteCoyote you shouldn’t be made to feel so worried about head office audits being carried out for honest mistakes that you have to make refunds out of your own pocket, which is essentially what a tip jar is. Lots of 90ps add up.

If the refund system is so difficult it’s because your company has deliberately set it up that way. It’s their system that needs to change. You shouldn’t be paying for small mistakes you make at work.

Original poster
tryagainsardines · 09/08/2018 08:02

Sorry to disappoint, possumgoddess, it really was just a typo on my part...

OP posts:
Emilizz34 · 09/08/2018 08:40

To those saying that Barista is not a real job and just involves using a machine to make coffee. My dd is a student doctor but works part time as a waitress . Despite having done a barista course , she hates the days that she has to fill in for the barista . She says it’s more stressful than working in the hospital. There are some many variations to remember

Original poster
tryagainsardines · 09/08/2018 08:59

Emilizz34

Only one person said that and then apologised later on.

I think we can all agree that, like lots of customer facing jobs, there is a lot more going on behind the scenes.

OP posts:
ichifanny · 09/08/2018 09:02

It’s marshmallows not marshmellows I’ve been seeing that a lot recently .

Original poster
tryagainsardines · 09/08/2018 21:19

ichifanny

Does it really matter? I explained up thread it was a typo. Relax!

OP posts:
nervyuyt · 09/08/2018 22:09

I'm surprised anyone thinks this is a Costa policy. It's not. It's more likely the person who did the refund took it from the jar for quickness. Or maybe the jar was owe the till money anyway, that happens a lot due to change issues. Or maybe they genuinely couldn't be arsed, but be reassured the cba situ is not policy.

elephantoverthehill · 09/08/2018 22:15

newgrandad I think I might be with you on this one Grin

luckycat007 · 09/08/2018 22:20

Bit off topic. But they are SO stingy with those marshmallows!!!!

Hisnamesblaine · 09/08/2018 22:52

I had a egg and mushroom muffin today. I was charged 10p for my sachet of brown sauce. Robdogs!!!!

Sweetpea55 · 09/08/2018 23:04

Why do they need tipping?

Stefoscope · 09/08/2018 23:51

I've known HMRC to query till reports that show it being opened a lot of times in one day to issue refunds, so perhaps that's another reason they choose to correct all the day's errors in one go. They seem to be hot on this at the moment (at least with small businesses). So it's not necessarily just down to the company being intolerant. It's possible the staff have agreed to use the tips in this way and potentially stops them getting into trouble for the tills being out and being put on disciplinaries.

I once worked in a shop where the owner was so pedantic the till had to balance exactly to the penny each evening or he made us stay behind. Any time the till was up we'd keep the money in a kitty to make up for the days the till was slightly down. A couple of times a put a few pence from my own purse in as a valued getting home on time. It about balanced out in the end, kept my boss happy and me in a job. I can't imagine I'd be bothered enough to comment if I saw a barrista take money from the tip jar. But YANBU if it makes you not want to tip in future.