The moment of truth comes when they flip around the touchscreen at checkout.
To tip or not to tip?
That is the question.
Its early morning, and you just placed acoffeeorder at your local coffee shop.
Maybe the barista asked about your weekend or wished you a good day.
Its a friendly interaction.
Suddenly, the experience turns transactional and forced.
Do you leave a tip?
If so, how much?
Will the barista judge you?
Or do you just throw a buck in the tip jar if one exists?
You ponder that its too early to have to answer these questions.
Or maybe Im just deeper in the coffee community now, so I hear more about it.
And people sure do talk about it.
Caffeine is integral to Americans daily rituals, so why dont more people tip baristas?
I know everybody talks about [how] Starbucks pays their baristas so well.
They make the equivalent of $22 an hour, and they have benefits.
The smaller the coffee shop, the less likely they are to be able to fairly compensate for people.
However, its a rare business model.
Same with a craft cocktail.
People are like, Oh, its just a cup of coffee.
[A tip doesnt cost] that much, she said.
But sometimes, they dont want to tip on a drip coffee.
The screen prompts the customer to tip a certain dollar amount or percentage or not tip at all.
You basically are telling a customer, Dont walk away yet, Humpert said about the technology.
You still need to do stuff.
Im still working on that.
You must pay for this genuine experience, he told HuffPost.
And I think that is a challenge for both the barista and the customer.
I guess there shouldnt be any obligation across the board unless its genuine.
They can tip if they want, she said.
I feel like thats their business.
Im going to walk away and start their drink.
That way, Im not staring at the screen watching them do it.
I understand why you wouldnt tip because its your money.
If its good, youre going to tip more.
If its not as good, youre going to tip less.
Now that more people rely on tips, you just should do it anyway.
Like Humpert, Sepulveda suggested tipping a dollar a drink unless the customer spends a lot of money.
Catalina also suggested a dollar tip.
I understand that you usually dont have as much money to give a big tip, Catalina said.
Its different wherever you go.
Some people tip $2 on their drip coffee, and some people tip 50 cents.
Its not based on how Im feeling.
Its more of how much I can pay that day, depending on my expenses.
I would argue that coffee is a more essential part of your daily goings-on than alcohol, Humpert said.
Plus, the first interaction people might have in the morning is with their neighborhood barista.
You really feel like you need it.
And if its bad, youre never going to forget that experience.
Youre not going back to that coffee shop again.
So the stakes are much higher.
Sepulveda sees tipping as a cultural issue rather than a right or wrong one.
Consumers must comprehend what goes into making their lattes and cold brews and tip appropriately.
I think the act is what counts, Catalina said.
Im not going to be like, Oh, they only tipped 50 cents.
I think it should be a regular thing that people do.This post was previously published onHuffPost.
