Tipping Roasters

Platypus

I thought I’d try out Oddkins roasters but at checkout I was asked if I would like to give a voluntary tip for the roaster, either 5% , 10% or 15%. Any thoughts on this?
Call me a cynic but it did cross my mind that who ever is filling the bags might have two lines, one for those who had tipped and another for the “tight b*******” who hadn’t and these could get an extra Brucie bonus!

In my view a tip is offered after a service has been provided to show your satisfaction/appreciation not before you have even received the service ?

Im not averse to tipping but personally I would rather the “tip “ be included in the overall price and to be honest it put me right off so I never went ahead with the purchase.

HarveyMushman

Platypus In my view a tip is offered after a service has been provided to show your satisfaction/appreciation not before you have even received the service ?

Exactly this. I don’t mind tipping handsomely if service has been good (especially in this day and age) but tipping online when buying goods from a website? No thanks. Not to sound like a grinch but that would’ve been enough to put me off buying.

JahLaza

You based in the US?!

Platypus

JahLaza

No?, it gives address as Bristol and UK postage? I’m not familiar with them though.

Dark Arts also ask for a voluntary tip to show your appreciation.

JahLaza

Platypus I was joking, a little. I haven’t seen it yet with my roasters but some restaurants I’ve been to recently stipulate a tip amount before payment if using a card. One place newly opened recently in the town I live in, it was the first time I experienced this, next time I went there, they changed it and made it optional to give a tip

Platypus

It was more the tipping on line to a roaster I’ve never had dealings with.

If I visited a roaster in person regularly to collect beans and I appreciate the service then fair enough .

FadedFrontiers

That’s pretty ridiculous, hopefully not the sign of another industry trying to get away with underpaying their staff and putting the obligation on the consumer.

DavecUK

I always feel like tipping when I buy a can of baked beans or a carton of milk…..

Pompeyexile

What next tipping the checkout person at Tescos (other supermarkets are available) for adding up your shopping for you, or going on to Heinz’s website and contributing a tip to the person in the factory who chucked the chuffin beans in the cooker?!!!

Do me a favour!

So, are some organisations that produces coffee not paying their roasters a proper wage? Then they do not deserve to be in business.

InfamousTuba

The coffee industry does have a lot of pay issues, farmers should always be paid higher but I will put that to one side for this conversation.

Roasters are generally underpaid, as someone who has been an underpaid roaster before. They are making minimum wage (or slightly above) for a skilled role and a physically demanding job (70kg coffee sacks are heavy to move around)

But as far as tipping goes that is not something I understand for this, just increase the price by 5% and pay your staff more. People are happy paying more for something knowing that people are paid well.

One company that I really respect as far as pay is Imbibe coffee roasters who give away a good percentage of their profits to their staff and to charity:

https://imbibe.ie/story/

Adrianmsmith

InfamousTuba

Thay seems like a better approach

I for one do not mind paying more if i understand why.

One thing I do not understand in general is decaf.

It goes through all that process of having its caffeine, removed, washing, etc. On top of what I assume is the same techniques as would be used to make standard coffee, And then it is cheaper than standard coffee. How come?

Platypus

Adrianmsmith One thing I do not understand in general is decaf.

It goes through all that process of having its caffeine, removed, washing, etc. On top of what I assume is the same techniques as would be used to make standard coffee, And then it is cheaper than standard coffee. How come?

That’s a good point (especially when decaf tea seems to be more expensive than regular )but I’m sure the tide is turning re decafs. The quality and taste seems to be much better than a few years ago and I’m sure there’s more demand for decaf in the afternoon/evening particularly with peoples increased awareness about the importance of sleep etc . Ultimately , I suppose, an increased demand will raise the price but hopefully alongside improved quality & choices etc .

InfamousTuba

Decaf can be cheaper for a number of reasons, usually the quality of beans that are decaffeinated is lower. Also the scale of decaf production (especially swiss water) is very high, Brazil produces probably thousands of tonnes of decaf which means the price is lower than smaller batches. You also see a lot of decaf coffee that is mixed from several farms, there are a lot less single farm decafs which again reduces the price.

The market for high quality decaf is growing but it is still a very small percentage but hopefully it will keep growing and decaf quality will improve.