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.

All this talk of baristas reminds me of my mum years ago going into a big chain coffee shop for the first time and seeing it on the back of the staffs tops and saying "Oh look they must all be students, an awful lot of them are studying law aren't they?"

I can't believe all these posters saying it doesn't matter and they probably do it to relieve the stress etc
Tips should go to workers, not to go towards a refund, or help balance the books or to prevent too many refunds going through the till etc
If the person on the till is incompetent enough to charge for cream before realising there wasn't any they should be the one to explain why so many refunds were put through that day and not take it from the tips.
Even if each staff member only got say £2 tips end of each day it doesn't matter that too should go to them. Bet the wages are rubbish anyway.

Pompom42

Thank you. I was beginning to think I was going mad that people think it's ok for staff to do this.

I will no longer tip now. Fear mongering staff into using their tips to balance their tills is not on.