Dispensary Etiquette: Tip Your Budtenders!
This article is short and simple, but it’s also very important. As the title implies, I’m asking you to tip your budtenders when you purchase cannabis. Just a little something for you to consider the next time you visit your local dispensary… and then every time after that!
Why should you tip your budtender?
There are so many reasons.
Budtenders work to cultivate knowledge about the cannabis plant and its benefits. Ok, so there’s definitely a need to learn at least some product knowledge for any sales job. When I sold jewelry in college, you bet I had to learn the different types of chains, gold-plating standards, and gemstones. But when it comes to cannabis, budtenders have to be adept at speaking to a number of incredibly complex concepts, from the science of cannabis to how concentrates are extracted to what products usually work best for specific aches and pains. And while many budtenders are trained on the job, others do not receive much in-store training and therefore have to educate themselves on their own time.
Budtenders are committed to establishing relationships with their customer base. Budtenders, for the most part, see their local, frequently-visiting customers as their clientele. The budtender-customer relationship is akin to the relationship between bartender and bar “regular”. As such, budtenders will often go out of their way to personalize their customer’s experience, from remembering details about the person to making product recommendations that match the customer’s preferences. When I was a budtender, I worked in a dispensary with a large window at the front of the shop. When a customer pulled up and we recognized the car, my peers and I would immediately set aside products we knew the customer would like to see. Not too shabby, right?
Budtenders are paid at standard retail wages, often at or just above minimum wage. Despite the fact that budtenders are expected to maintain a high-degree of cannabis knowledge, budtenders are usually paid standard retail wages, at or slightly above minimum wage. Wage practices of course vary from city to city and state to state, but I think a good rule of thumb is to remember that most budtenders are getting paid about the same as the workers in the mall down the road. And, as anyone working in the service or retail industry understands, making ends meet with low-to-modest wages is not easy, particularly during this recent economic downturn. For context, the average budtender in WA will make $37,718/year and the average budtender in OR will make $35,175/year. We all know this makes renting an apartment in the NW challenging and owning a home, well… pretty damn near impossible (unless one is relying on other income streams).
Note: There are some budtenders who make more than the rates discussed above. Many dispensaries will reward budtenders who obtain continued cannabis education or provide significant value with higher wages. That said, gaining higher-level wages as a budtender could take someone years of service in the industry.
Budtenders are an essential part of the cannabis industry. Without budtenders, there would be no cannabis sales! Budtenders facilitate an important part of the seed-to-sale process, arguably one of the most important, because they are actually the people interfacing with the end-customer. Put another way, budtenders are the face of the cannabis industry for consumers. Therefore, the sustained consumer trust in the cannabis industry depends on the service of budtenders in every community. Also, if you love the legal cannabis market and want it to continue, tipping is a great way to put your dollar where your intentions are.
Maybe… Tip Some More
And, if your budtender goes above and beyond during your interaction? Tip them more! Drop a $10 once in a while, it is not going to kill you. In fact, you will probably just be ensuring that you receive exceptional service every time you step into the store in the future. Good energy compounds.
Leaving a large tip is also a great way to instill confidence in your budtender. It’s a way of communicating that you think they are doing a great job behind the bud bar. We all need recognition from time to time, and a little can go a long way. Your tip might be the bright spot in your budtender’s day.
Something about big tips… if you are going to leave a substantial tip for your budtender, make sure that the intentions behind your tip are benevolent and not self-serving in any way. If you’re dropping a big tip because you would, say, want to go on a date with that person, think... could this make them feel uncomfortable in any way? If you think that it could, or that your tip could be misconstrued as something other than a tip, consider a different course of action.
But, if you want to drop some money because you appreciated the great service and value what the budtender does, then tip away. Leave a fatty!
If you do leave a sizable tip the next time you shop for pot, consider this: after you go home and consume your cannabis, you can breathe a deep sigh and reflect how, in the spirit of the plant, you have done something good for another person. We need more of this kind of love and service right now.