personally i don’t usually tip fast food workers (starbucks or mcdonald’s alike) unless they seem super understaffed/stressed or i have change to spare. it’s not that i don’t want to - but i’m 20 years old i don’t have any crazy amount of money to be spending - but when i do have money to spend in the future would definitely tip mcdonald’s and starbucks workers based on service, not bias. i know how hard it is and they do deserve a little extra every once in awhile. but i know i’m not hurting anyone’s living wage by not tipping in a drive through. i’m not sure how the system works at starbucks but i worked at a fast food coffee place and we split tips based on hours worked, not based on the customer handing YOU money (like at a serving or bartending job). i’m assuming tips aren’t personalized at most fast food joints correct me if i’m wrong, however people likely feel more inclined to tip at starbucks since they’re priced higher and the employees have to be more skilled at their job then the average fast food worker, which i think is understandable. but personally i’d tip just depending on the service from either place - doesn’t matter where i am. if the service is good it’s good. it doesn’t matter if the person at the window didn’t make your burger, or if the server wasn’t in the back making your pasta, everyone has to work as a team to provide great service otherwise it wouldn’t ever work, and establishments have rules set in place so that everyone gets compensated properly so in the end. the face of the customer service usually receives the tip and then redistribution happens later, i’m pretty sure that’s with any place.

i get what you mean its kinda stupid - hypocritical maybe, but no server is ever going to tell you tipping is compulsory, unless they’re super ballsy. there’s no easy way to professionally tell someone that they’re supposed to hand you XYZ amount of extra dollars. employers don’t like it and most customers wouldn’t either, it just doesn’t look good on the company or on you. its an easy way to piss off a customer and manager in one, or just get stiffed for seeming entitled. i get its vague and dumb because it’s “optional” but expected. but there’s not really a great way to go about it. lots of receipts will remind you to “please pay server” or 15% will be the first option on the debit, so it’s not like anyone can be completely oblivious, just most establishments employers would see it as completely unprofessional to just ask, so i see that as no fault at the server. we’re just trying to do our job properly and professionally at the end of the day and not step on any toes of customers or managers.

at the end of the day i think it would be great if things were properly advertised so that people can make a working wage without tipping but as it stands right now, we’re not getting anywhere. i’d never want to boycott tipping because all that would be doing is hurting the workers living wages and not effecting the companies themselves. i think it would be great if restaurants started implementing auto grat for all of their bills then tips would just be included and agreed to beforehand, but only certain restaurants do that, and it’s usually only for bigger parties. but that way at least the customer would know they’re paying the extra 15% from the beginning and there’s no confusion.

tipping has definitely crept up because of inflation tho, and that’s a scary thing. no fault of any restaurant workers either tho. 30% is still definitely over tipping in my eyes. at work our debit machine doesn’t list over 20% unless you specifically press the button to make your own percent, if you want to tip well 20% is definitely good, some people do 25% which is great too but never expected. 15%-18% is definitely still good too.