A TikTok creator, known as Consistent With Cléo, recently shared her experience at a Starbucks drive-thru, sparking a discussion about tipping etiquette for counter service workers. The video, which features Consistent With Cléo sitting in her car and holding a partially eaten Starbucks food item, poses the question “DRIVE THRU: TO TIP OR NOT TO TIP?” in on-screen text.
Consistent With Cléo recounted a recent visit to a Starbucks drive-thru where she described the employee as “nice, like, not super nice, but like nice.” She stated in the video that she has worked service jobs before, including a restaurant job, and understands that such work can be difficult. However, when it was time to pay, she said she pressed the “no tip” option.
She explained that she does not normally tip counter service workers, though she expressed uncertainty about tipping drive-thru employees. Consistent With Cléo clarified that she tips restaurant servers “very well, like very well, minimum 20%,” because she believes they make their living off of tips, unlike counter service workers who she said receive a wage.
Creator questions if service should be conditional on tipping
Consistent With Cléo claimed that after she selected the “no tip” button, the barista “stopped talking to me, like altogether.” She stated that she tried to engage the employee, saying “thank you so much,” but the barista “would not talk to me. She would barely look at me.”
The creator expressed that the interaction felt “kind of weird” and “icky.” She suggested that “the point of tipping is you get good service,” and questioned if service that is “conditional on if the person is tipping you” can still be considered good service.
Consistent With Cléo acknowledged that she “could be wrong” about her tipping practices and expressed openness to understanding if she is. She speculated that the barista “maybe she was having a bad day” or “struggling financially,” and that a tip “would have been really helpful for her.”
She concluded her video by stating that she “never knows” what the right approach is and that her thoughts were just her personal reflection. The video’s public caption asks, “Enlighten me!! #starbucks #drivethru #tipping.”
The video’s comments section showed a range of opinions on drive-thru tipping. One commenter, who identified as a Starbucks employee, wrote, “personally as a starbucks employee i’m grateful for whatever tips we receive but not necessary and i hate that i have to stick the pad out with a big tip question, it’s awkward and weird and feels pressuring.”
Another user shared a similar view to Consistent With Cléo, stating, “I personally don’t tip if I know a worker gets a wage like that. If it’s restaurant, delivery driver, etc then I will but esp in your case at Starbucks I don’t typically tip bc I know they get paid decently(as in not below minimum wage).”
Other commenters directly supported the choice not to tip, with one simply saying, “It’s a choice.” Another added, “I refuse to tip at Starbucks. There’s no reason to. 🤷🏼♀️”
A different Starbucks barista commented on their own approach, saying, “As a Starbucks barista I don’t even pay attention to if they tip or not. I definitely wouldn’t change my attitude based on it, it’s 100% a choice to tip.” Another commenter echoed this sentiment, asking, “It’s their job? Why tip?” A commenter claiming to be a Starbucks barista said she wouldn’t change her attitude based on tips, as a Starbucks barista handed a customer a cookie in place of her bacon gouda sandwich.
