Tipping at Starbucks

Does everyone expect a tip now? It seems like more and more people are expecting a tip from me and with the economy being the way it is, I have no more money to give them. Just yesterday I went to three places where a tip was expected. The first was the hair salon to get my hair did. I've never really understood tipping the stylist. I think they get paid a pretty good hourly rate, don't they? But, what it really comes down to is fear. If I don't tip well, will they botch my haircut the next time around? Will I leave with a big chunk of hair missing from the back of my head? Will they shave the word "cheapskate" back there?

So then I go out the dinner at Centro. Some great food by the way. So here I see why we tip. The servers get paid a small hourly wage and depend on tips as part of the salary. But here's a question. Would I rather eat somewhere where I didn't have to tip and the food prices were higher? Or would I rather have the choice to tip based on how good the service was? I think I like to have the option of choosing what my server gets.

Then after dinner I had to stop and get an Iced Coffee at Starbucks. Now this is the place I don't understand tipping. The workers there don't get paid $3.25 an hour like a server. And for an Ice Coffee all they have to do is pour two liquids already made into a glass. Does this deserve a tip? No. But yet they place that little tip jar there and I feel like they give me a dirty look if I don't throw my extra change in there. But come on, you didn't do anything to deserve my hard earned money. I just paid $2.39 for my drink. Isn't that enough? The answer to this problem? Just use the drive-thru and pay with credit card. Then no extra cash or coin to give them. And no worries.

One thing I have decided from all these thoughts about tips. I think I will put a tip jar on my desk at work. Somebody has a question..... I expect a tip. Somebody needs me to solve their issue..... not getting done until I see something slipped into that tip jar. :)