We talked a lot about holiday tipping the other week, but I think this one is MUCH more interesting because it affects almost each and every one of us. Or at least the ones who enjoy splurging on take-out every now and then :) And I’ve heard pros and cons to both sides here (we’re talking take-out AT the restaurant, btw, not delivery), so I’m kinda curious to see what you all think…
Here’s the comment that prompted this post today (thx Linda!):
What about tipping for take-out? They seem like they want the full 20% and get angry if they don’t get it. How do other people handle this?
Well, I’m not sure how others handle it but I’ll tell you how we do! We handle it by NOT tipping! Haha… To me, it’s just the same if I drove through McDonald’s or Wendy’s – the food costs X amount of dollars, so you pay X amount of dollars, plain and simple. No one’s paying special attention to me, so why would it warrant a tip? I know it’s still polite and kind and warm and fuzzy to leave one anyways (and sometimes I do), but just seems all out of whack to me. Even if it is the “norm” (although we’ll see if it is or not when you all start leaving comments).
This is an instance where I honestly don’t feel bad about it at all. Plus, who would get the tips anyways? The cashier? The cook who just made it? Can’t be for the busboys or servers, right? Maybe it’s for everyone! A big warm family of workers getting some extra dough just cuz they were clever enough to leave a tip jar in front of you :) Haha…
Oh man, I’m feeling feisty now… I swear I love the restaurant industry. And I’m a really good tipper too, I promise! ;) I just gotta know what, exactly, I’m tipping for. Same reason I’m sure Linda up there is questioning it all too… or perhaps we all have it wrong? Mayyyyyybe, just maybe, none of these places ARE expecting tips? And we all just assume they do, and therefore get to acting strange when it comes to paying for our food that we make THEM feel uncomfortable and weird! We’re all over analyzing things! Haha…. oh man. Too much coffee in me right now. Ok, think it’s time to go. Your turn – How much do you tip for take-out?
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UPDATE: Forgot to mention — the only reason I go to restaurants for take-out is so I can avoid the tip! If the manager said I had to leave one, I’d never have gone to begin with. (kinda like Bed, Bath, and Beyond 20% off coupons – if we couldn’t use them, we’d never go!) So in this case – should I just not take my business at all there if I’m not dining in? Would you (anyone in the biz) rather I give my money to another establishment? A competitor?
(Sexy tip jar by bradleygee)
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I will tip the guy who brings it to my house, i.e. the pizza delivery guy, but there’s no way I’m tipping if I pick it up the same pizza myself. Ditto at the coffee house. If I’m buying my coffee at the counter, and you didn’t serve me at the table, forget it. What’s there to tip about? A tip is a little thank you for extra service. I cringe when I see the Tip option come up on the debit card machine too – it’s like they’re EXPECTING it. That kinda pisses me off.
I agree with u Sophie as I too get pissed wth the “How much do u want to tip?” Button on the Credit Card machine! I made the phone in order, drove to get it, and they rang it up to take my money. Seriously?!
I hate when they have a tip line on the credit card receipt for places I don’t plan to tip!
I got pizza the other day and I went to pick it up, on the receipt it has a line for tip… um… no, I picked it up because it was only 4 blocks and I didn’t want to tip the driver, thank you very much!
Even places where you stand in line, place your order they might have someone bring the food to your table but really? What of that deserves a tip? Those people are all being paid based on no tips, not paid like waiters. I don’t think so, no tip for them.
I don’t tip there either. And I also hate the way at buffets that they force the “waitress” to refill your drinks. They NEVER get your refills fast and it seems like a scam just to give them something to do so you feel like you have to leave them a tip. I mean seriously, what else is there job other than taking my plate away? I pay the cashier, I get my own food, napkins, silverware, plates – they are really nothing but a tip generating employee.
I’m a flat fee $2 tipper when it comes to take out, but only if it’s one of our regular haunts or we made a special request.
I am very generous in restaurants – usually around 20%. At coffee houses when they have the tip jar out, I may give my change if I’m in a good mood. For delivery guys, if I have a $20 and the pizza is, say $18.50, I tell them to keep the change – but I don’t tip with my credit card and I don’t give any more than rounding up to the next $5 if I’m paying cash.
No way am I tipping for take out. I tip the delivery guy because he drives it to my house. The whole reason I drive to the restaurant to pick it up myself is so I don’t have to tip.
Oh yeah – if I were going to the same place over and over again and were greeted with a hearty “J. Money!!!” like Norm from Cheers, then I shall tip you even @ take-out ;) Now you know my secret restaurants!
i tip at the post office and DMV after waiting in line for 30 minutes. i tip my bank for my mortgage and all utility bills.
however at take out i kindly suggest that the cashier tip me since i traveled there and had to wait in a short line.
Who do these people think I am, Jimmy “the Gent” Conway? Well his tips come with a little risk.
what???????? how can you not tip the poor guy who schlepped to your house because you were too lazy to drive to the sub shop? I don’t know anyone who delivers who doesn’t depend on the tips to make ends meet. it’s not like these places pay a decent wage to begin with…but when a middle aged man with a family brings you a pizza and hot wings and 2 liters of coke you spoiled little brat and you DON’T toss him a few bucks for his efforts how can you not be embarrassed? usually i tip between 2.50 and 5 dollars depending on the weather and the value of the food.
no i don’t tip when picking up. that’s just silly.
I will tip 15-20% at restaurants and maybe a dollar or two on a pizza delivery. The one thing I won’t do is tip for take-out or counter service. Like many who have commented on here, I do not like when “tip” shows up on a credit/debit card receipt. At places that are take-out, I actually cross that line out and then re-write the bill total below it to pay. Even if I’m a regular, I think it is not worth tipping them as they get paid at least minimum wage, unlike a waiter/waitress.
my bf and I are good generous tippers, I tip well because my mom was a hairstylist before retiring. I don’t tip for take-out. All they’re doing is giving food to you, not serving you like a waiter does, not constantly asking you if everything is well, not refilling drinks, etc.
I advise that Linda avoid feeling bad at not tipping for take-out. Its take-out dude. It just seems bad manners to me for anyone to be entitled for tips without doing any work. If that’s how Linda feels, she needs to speak to a manager or to quit going to the restaurant altogether.
I really don’t do take-out anymore but I can’t recall ever leaving a tip to someone for simply handing over my food. I definitely tip if I get something delivered, but not so much if the restaurant charges a delivery fee (which I view as being the built-in tip). Someone told me that Papa John’s actually charges something like $2.75 for a delivery fee which is way more than most people would tip anyway, but I haven’t gotten around to digging deeper to find out if it actually goes entirely to the driver.
This topic always makes me think of Steve Buscemi in the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs….
Perhaps I am a very naughty girl but I don’t tip at all for take out. For restaurants I see tips as something for the atmosphere and service of the server. I do tip for delivery though, even though I know most times there is a delivery fee built in to my bill. How much do I tip??? Depends on whether I know the person or not. 10% if I don’t know them, closer to 20% if I do. At the local dominos I know/taught all the delivery ppl so I am a little more generous.
OOPS — I don’t think it’s clear that I meant “Take-out AT the restaurant!!” Like, you walk in and you pick up your own food and pay. I def. think it’s appropriate to tip delivery!! Even if you don’t want to, you never know what “mark” they put to your account and do to your food in the future!! haha…. no joke, heard it on the radio once – they notice!!!
Okay, I do not tip for take out. I feel the same way you do. I drove up and picked it up, so that tip is mine. I will tip for the places that bring it to your car (just a buck or two) especially when it’s raining or cold.
As for the whole delivery issue, I do tip, but my tip amount went down when the pizza place started charging a $3 delivery fee. Now a $10 pizza costs $18 when you add delivery fee, tax and tip. Do the drivers get a cut of that or is it just an upcharge?
I do not tip for takeout.
The drivethrough takeout places confuse me a bit, so I usually give like 1-2 bucks.
The bar drives me crazier, b/c sometimes you grab your togo food from the bar, so basically the bartender is making that money – sometimes I tip, sometimes I dont.
Dude…the tip jar at the register annoys the crap out of me.
MOSTLY because servers make a servers wage because they earn tips.
Delivery drivers (at least at the Papa Johns I worked at) made less than the cashier workers per hour because we made tips.
The people at chipotle ring up your food and make a decent $/hour wage for it. They actually work LESS hard than the people who ring up your groceries at Walmart…
SO why do they need to be tipped?
Delivery drivers drive to your house so you don’t have to (I did it for 6 long years!). Cooks and servers prepare your food and serve it to you so you don’t have to. THEY DESERVE a GOOD TIP.
The rest of those people do nothing more than take your money. They don’t get a tip for that. At least not from me.
Damnit.
And to Steph above with the question about delivery charge.
The delivery charge usually only goes to the driver IN PART.
When I worked at Papa Johns the delivery charge was $2.50 but the drivers only got $1 of that per delivery they took.
So for 10 deliveries Papa Johns would charge $25, but the driver only got $10 of that. LAME.
And what’s worse is that because of that charge, most people TIP less thinking the driver is getting a piece of that. Fact of the matter is that with gas prices the way they are the $1 barely covers the cost of taking you that pizza in the first place.
That’s really LAME (and makes me mad at the Papa! I worked there too, but gas was super cheap and no delivery charge waaaay back then). I would feel better knowing the driver got the bigger slice of that for sure.
I don’t tip for takeout. I also have never experienced anyone getting angry over not tipping so I’m not sure what that person might have been speaking about that thought they expect 20%.
Okay, I’ll be the dissenting voice. As a former of employee of a few different casual restaurant chains, if I’m picking up to-go food, I will leave a 10% tip. I don’t have personal experience with Chinese food restaurants, and I always tip pizza delivery guys, but for casual dining restaurants? The person taking your order, ringing it in, making sure your food is packaged correctly and that any sides or special requests you’ve made are filled – I’ve been that person. Is it the same amount of work as waiting tables? No, but someone doing the job correctly is still putting effort into it, is most likely still only getting paid whatever the regular servers make, and sometimes has to tip out on the amount of their sales. I have no problem giving a 10% tip to the person making sure my order is right. And the person handling your order is usually the person who gets the tip.
I tip when I feel like it…but I do hate it when its a credit card slip. Grr…it makes me feel guiltier and I think I end up tipping more often. I need to not tip on those cause it’s mostly the cashiers who just punch buttons…working as a cashier at a grocery store is 10x harder! And I never got tips.
I don’t tip if I go pick up the food because I am a tight wad. We don’t get take out that often so no regular place.
I tip 10% minimum on take out orders. This because I worked in a restaurant with “curb-side” service during college and dreaded being placed in that station. I still only made the $2.78/hr that I would make bartending/serving. I don’t think to-go servers should be paid that wage… but that’s not the point.
When I worked there, our POS system would automatically claim 10% of our sales as tips. Being on curbside often cost me more from my paycheck than I would bring home on those nights.
Friday night to-go service is tedious and can sometimes be more difficult than dealing with dine-in customers; The server has to ensure all food items are there, boxing up, sauces, flat-ware, special orders, fight with cooks & man the phone; all so that you can enjoy your rib platter at home :)
I say, TIP ‘EM!
I never tip at the counter. Ok..it’s possible I may on a rare occasion throw my change in..but very rarely…I save that for my change jar at home. :-)
For delivery…I always tip and my tips increase as the weather conditions get worse.
I usually tip if I’m grabbing it from the bar or if it looks like somebody had to do some extra work to put my order together. Sometimes 20% – almost always 15-20% if it’s a place I visit semi-regularly.
That said, I kind of hate doing it.
I rarely tip for takeout, and usually if I do, it’s just the change I got (if I use cash). I’m a really good tipper at restaurants. One time, I accidentally (interesting story) tipped a waiter $25, and was wondering why he was being so nice. When I realized it (it was the restaurant in a hotel I was staying at) first I was upset that he didn’t correct it. Then I remembered that he brought up he had just moved (to Fort Worth) and was only getting paid something like $3-$5/hour. So I actually felt good to have put some extra cash in his pocket
This common tipping dilemma drives me crazy! I’m usually a very generous tipper, but the whole point of a tip to me is to reward someone for providing a service. While putting together a carry-out order could be considered a service, I suppose, who actually gets the tip?
I worked at a casual restaurant chain in college and one of my jobs as an expediter was to put together carry-out orders. But if patrons ever gave a tip on those orders, I never saw it. In this scenario, if there were tips, the bartender – who did nothing but grab the order and ring the customer up – got them. Just another reason why not to tip in this situation – the person who did the work may not even be getting the tips!
I tip the sushi chefs whether we eat-in or take-out, but otherwise I don’t tip for take-out!
I don’t tip takeout. Delivery, yes.
Regular bills, yes unless the service was REALLY bad and then it’s depending on how bad it is with how little of a tip I’ll leave.
Luckily, I’ve never had to leave less than 10% yet.
Step aside people, let the resident waitress weigh in:
This post irks me because even the comments highlight how strongly people don’t understand the inner workings of restaurant life.
I tip 20%. Why? Because it’s not a throwaway sale. When you purchase food to-go, that amount is usually in the total food sales for the evening. The sales belong to whomever ordered it from the kitchen. The person who ordered it from the kitchen, whether it’s a server, bartender, or chain restaurant Carside to Go person, has to tip out their support staff (bussers, food runners, hosts) from their total sales. SOMETIMES but very rarely, to-go sales are separate and not included. But 90% of the time they are not.
So even though you think it doesn’t really matter, it does. If you don’t tip, you’re costing that server money because he or she still has to tip their support on the cost of your food regardless of your zero tip.
@Clare, if I could “LIKE” your post, I so would.
I guess I’m the lone non-waitress take-out tipper here. To be fair, I don’t often order take-out, go out to restaurants, etc. – so perhaps my willingness to tip comes from the fact that I just don’t spend much on non-grocery food, so it’s not a big deal to me.
There is a thai restaurant I really like in my town, so whenever I go there – whether it’s eating in or taking out – I always leave a very generous tip (sometimes upwards of 30%). It is a small business, and every single co-owner works nearly around the clock. They are always very friendly, and they give free food away quite often (e.g., one time I ordered veggie dumplings and they only had 6 left instead of the usual order size of 8, so I got the 6 for free).
I also wanted to point out to those who get irked by the tip line on credit/debit card receipts – they do not have a separate terminal for people who eat in vs. people who take out food. Personally, I think it’s strange when there isn’t a line for tipping.
If you hate tipping so much, maybe you should just make your own food.
I try to tip whenever I can just because I think everyone could use a tip every now and again whether they are a restaurant server or a delivery person. I figure its the nice thing to do. But I do agree that you shouldn’t make people feel guilty about it. I doubt if most people that fail to tip are just stingy a-holes. They probably just can’t afford it.
For me, ‘take-out’ means McDonalds,et ali, and of course I don’t tip there. They probably make as much as I do. If I go to a restaurant and get a meal ‘to go’, I will tip. Not as much as if I were there to sit down and have someone hovering, but I would still tip. Delivery people get more tips than anyone, since my boyfriend was a driver for a while, and since he was technically a contractor, he was only paid $6 an hour, plus 90 cents per delivery.
20% for 5 minutes of service? 10% would be more like it. Clare, I would quit a restaurant that would expect me to tip out based on total sales, because not everyone tips let alone on to-go orders.
TOTALLY FORGOT about my other reasoning here against tipping at pick-up (Sorry Clare – but you know I love you ;)) – and that is, I’d NEVER go to the restaurant in the first place if I knew I had to pay extra!
Sooo….. the question then really becomes, as a business owner or employee of such, would you NOT want my business if you knew I weren’t going to tip? Knowing that’s the only reason I’m frequenting your place and picking it up? Cuz there are a billion other places (namely fast food) that you could hit up instead that more or less serves the same purpose. So to me, it’s kinda like shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond – the only reason I’m there to begin with is to use my 20% off coupons!! If I weren’t allowed to use them, I’d take my business elsewhere.
Damn. Should have thrown this out there earlier ;)
@Clare-I just don’t agree with you. There shouldn’t be tips for take out. I do tip delivery people, but that’s different, they’re driving to your home, etc. One time a delivery guy forgot my side of ranch dressing, went back to Domino’s and brought me back the side of ranch. I tipped him $10.
I will eat in and order take out from the same restaurants, when we eat in we tip, when we take out then we don’t. I don’t think its wrong, because takeout people are doing minimal work. Also its too much pressure to ask customers to support the serving staff through their tips. Its not the customer’s fault that the tips have to be socialized and shared.
That’s the restaurants managers fault for not paying his staff a minimum wage or a reasonable wage. I’m not going to feel guilty or to be pushed into giving tips for the serving staff for 2 minutes of takeout. Its not my fault that a restaurant is too cheap to pay its servers a good wage. I don’t think its fair for customers to do that, to subsidize another living persons wage. Although I realize its what I do when I tip when I eat in a restaurant.
I work in customer service, I do get paid minimum wage. Its not like I’m some rich person, because I obviously am not. My mom herself used to be a hairstylist, so its not like I’m going to hate tipping. I support tipping. But its just too much to ask customers to support an entire staff of restaurants.
I also think if people like you or I didn’t accept those types of jobs at all, managers would have to force their hand and offer more pay for these types of jobs. So people would take them but at a higher pay.
In healthcare, technology, those fields offer more because its hard to find qualified workers for those jobs. Its easy to find people to work customer service, so businesses don’t feel obligated to raise those wages.
I’m not trying to hurt you Clare but I just don’t agree with you. I don’t think this makes me an evil person. I would never go to a restaurant where the staff would feel entitled to tips. I understand if they expect if they serve me, or if we come with a group, or if they deliver. But not for takeout.
Man, I’m glad I don’t live in the US. Do you guys REALLY have to tip when paying bills???! That’s a crock!
Thankfully, the tipping sitch here in Australia is much more simple – I do tip delivery drivers (because they are often paid nearly nothing and have to supply their own car and petrol), and waitresses if the service was good (because good service should be encouraged, but no more than 10%), otherwise, there’s no need because people make a living wage here no matter what they do.
I found it strange when I was in the US that I was expected to tip my hairdresser! Don’t they get a living wage too? And what if you think she only did a mediocre job? Are you still expected to tip? And when did expectations rise to 20%? When you come from a place where tipping is unusual, it’s actually a disincentive to travel there. Because you don’t want to offend, but you also don’t want to feel like you’re being ripped off (which I definitely would if I had to tip to pay a freakin’ bill!).
The disadvantage of not having a tipping economy like in the US is that service can be a bit lacklustre in restaurants and cafes. I’m sure Americans coming here must think the service is really bad compared to what you get over there.
No tip, baby! And yes, I’m a good tipper too . . . but not when I freaking drive to a restaurant, walk in, pay for my food, pick it up and walk out. What am I tipping for in that case?
I’m a fan of the restaurant industry – some of the best folks I know are in it. But come on now, raise up!
In general if the service is beyond my normal one (extra food , genuine conversation, etc)I’ll leave a tip. If it’s the same old,same old, nothing special then I won’t leave a tip. It’s about the hustle!
J. Money trying to throw me a curveball with the new question! If I was a restaurant OWNER, sure I’d want you to come in because I would stand to benefit having you return again if you like the food. But as the server? Nope. For example: I tip 2.5% of my food sales to the kitchen. So if you order two entrees as takeout that totals $28 and leave no tip, I still have to pay the kitchen $0.70. I can’t say, “Sorry, they didn’t leave anything.” Sure that’s a really tiny amount but if I have several takeout customers throughout the night (which most people do) and they don’t tip, it quickly adds up. It really hurts when it’s a big order and it’s a slow evening for sit-down customers because the tips I DO make in the restaurant get chipped away at by customers who all feel the same way as people commenting on this post.
Lots of interesting comments and I can really respect where everyone is coming from. I’m definitely not taking any of this personally because I’ve heard it all before. That said, the reality is that servers at restaurants DO tip out on their sales. Do some restaurants let their staff tip the rest of the staff based on their tips only? Sure, but not many. I’ve worked in a dozen restaurants and this is the case in all of them. Saying that restaurants should pay servers a higher wage is a statewide issue and kind of a moot point. Servers’ income are tips. That’s the way life goes. Is it entitled to expect it? Maybe. But so is expecting someone to prepare your food, put it in containers, put it in a bag, make you change or run your card, only to cost THEM money at the end of the night because you don’t feel like what they did warrants any extra money at all because you picked it up. If you’re trying to cut corners, why aren’t you cooking at home? Everyone is allowed their own opinion and I don’t expect to sway any of the readers here that are zero tippers for takeout but it’s something to think about. If you’re wondering what the average server is thinking, this is it. I promise. I tip 20% on takeout because I’m in “the industry” and know what a thankless job working with food can be. That’s pretty unusual though. Consider leaving at least a couple bucks. Consider it. That’s all I’m asking. :)
And no hard feelings, J. Money. You know I can’t stay mad at you.
I used to work in a restaurant, and for a while my job was specifically to take care of to-go orders. I was much like a waitress for those customers, making sure their food came out looking nice and was sent home with them looking nice. I went out of my way to make sure they had whatever condiments, etc they might need or want, and I took that special individual care of them. I did get paid $8 an hour, so I didn’t feel like a tip was necessary, but I definitely appreciated it when I got one, even if it was only a buck or two. I *NEVER* expected a 15% or 20% tip, or even a tip at all, but I admit to being bummed when I had large orders that I spent a lot of time and effort into making just right and didn’t get one.
Clare brings up good points as well. I was just thinking of my job as a to-go person, but I also did several to-go orders as a server at the same restaurant and would have to tip out based on my sales totals, not my sales totals minus to-go orders. And when I was working as a server, I only made $2.13 an hour plus tips. So for every sale I made that I didn’t get a tip on (if I remember correctly, gift cards were the ONLY exception), I was getting dinged on my $2.13 an hour and/or other tips to cover the increased tips I’d have to give out at the end of my shift.
TIPS – To insure proper service. That is what tips stands for.
I tip delivery service, wait persons while I’m eating in restaurants. I round up occasionally on hairdresses.
But I drive to a restaurant for take out because I don’t want or can’t afford to tip. Most of the restaurants I worked as a waitress in kept the TO GO tickets separate as not included in the sales because even the management KNEW people don’t tip for pickup.
I don’t tip for take out either! I thought tipping is for the server who is bringing the food to the customer, refilling water, conversing with the customer etc.
I also sometimes get take out instead of dining in to avoid the tip. I typically tip 20% for dine in but it’s not always feasible, hence take out!
I think the restaurant industry is getting greedy and needs to start paying servers a living wage and incorporate it into the cost of food.
I also don’t tip when I order food at the counter, pick it up there or someone brings it to me one time. There’s no follow up and that’s the same as fast food pretty much.
I did some research. According to the U.S. Department of Labor , the employer in a tipping occupation must make up your difference if you don’t make the required minimum wage with $2.13/hour pay and tips.
http://www.dol.gov/dol/topic/wages/wagestips.htm
“A tipped employee engages in an occupation in which he or she customarily and regularly receives more than $30 per month in tips. An employer of a tipped employee is only required to pay $2.13 per hour in direct wages if that amount combined with the tips received at least equals the federal minimum wage.
If the employee’s tips combined with the employer’s direct wages of at least $2.13 per hour do not equal the federal minimum hourly wage, the employer must make up the difference. Many states, however, require higher direct wage amounts for tipped employees.”
And that’s the U.S. Government saying that.
I still don’t feel like I should tip at restaurants for takeout. I don’t feel that I need to tip for takeout because a server is merely doing their job by putting food in boxes. They’re doing their jobs and not going the extra mile. If a person spends years working in a restaurant then at some point they should get an education. As a server it wouldn’t be hard to get grants, scholarships, and maybe some reasonable sized loans.
I hate to be blunt but an education is the way out of minimum wage jobs. They box food up at McDonald’s and boxing stuff up has nothing to do with the quality of food and table service. Does a server at an expensive restaurant box food up better than a McDonald’s employee? You say you give out condiments, but they also do that at a drive through.
P.S. To reiterate I don’t hate tipping. I would happily tip the servers here if I dined in at their restaurants and they provided decent service. Most servers imo do a good job, so I usually end up tipping the majority of the time. Its usually rare to come across a bad server. I guess I’ve been lucky that way.
:)
But I’m still against tipping for takeout.
I did some research and apparently Clare is a professional, that wrote for Budgets are Sexy previously, she says that waitressing is a 2nd part time job for her currently. She’s a college graduate & a professional.
https://budgetsaresexy.com/2010/10/side-hustle-series-im-a-restaurant-server/
“Serving tables (and a few student loans) paid for my undergraduate education. It was typical to earn more than $100 in any four hour shift and I worked three to five times per week. If I worked lunch and dinner, I would stroll out of the restaurant $200 wealthier.”
So was that after or before tipping out the rest of the staff before she got off?
Somehow I just don’t feel bad for Clare working as a server especially since she is a college graduate and is doing serving as a 2nd job. She does claim that she made $100 at least on a shift. So it makes me believe that she and other servers feel way too entitled to be tipped for takeout.
I’m a college student and I make $8.50/hour. She made more in college as a server than I do at my current 8.50 job. Anyway I really don’t have much to say to that. When you can’t agree with someone, you just have to agree to disagree.
This is a bit of a tough one for me. I never know what to do so I tend to go with however I’m feeling on the day: sometimes I give a dollar or so and sometimes nothing. I can’t see why people would tip the same as they would if they ate in the restaurant. That just seems silly.
@suze2000> – That’s interesting about Australia! I can believe that. And I think you’re right in that we (Americans) would go nutty waiting for slower service too ;) If I had to choose one, I’d pick to pay the tip instead of wait an additional 15-30 mins for the check. Last night I waited 45 MINUTES at a bar and STILL didn’t get the check!!! One of my friends ended up covering for me cuz I couldn’t take it anymore and had to leave (was already late to where I was going). If I’m on vacation though, which I would be if in Australia, then i say whatever flows ;)
@Jaime – I like that you did all this research :) So passionate! Thanks for sharing all your findings with us – really really cool to read.
@Clare – Good thing you don’t own a restaurant ;) I would be livid if my employees told people to just not come in then if they weren’t going to tip. Customers are your bread and butter, baby!! If it’s all about the extra money – convince the owners to raise the prices up a few bucks and take it right from there. Then everyone would get their extra money, AND a whole bunch more from the jokesters who’d still continue tipping on top of the raised amount. Win-Win, right? Don’t hate me :)
For the record, I never have and never will discuss a tip with a guest. I’m grateful for the tips I do get. All I’m saying is that you’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant worker who doesn’t mind a zero tip on takeout. Jaime, my intention was never to make anyone feel bad for me or other servers, just see that my (unpopular) opinion is based on the fact that tips are our income. But we can disagree, no hard feelings.
C
“The person taking your order, ringing it in, making sure your food is packaged correctly and that any sides or special requests you’ve made are filled – I’ve been that person.”
That person is doing the SAME or LESS WORK than a fast food cashier does though. Why don’t you tip “FAIRLY” that if we can’t tip a Wendy’s cashier that LITERALLY put together my burger in front of me, filled a cup with mayo, filled a cup with mustard, and filled my cup with ice & drink, then WHY should we tip someone else for doing the same things, but not tip the Wendy’s cashier that did that, huh?
It’s just not fair to tip one, but not the other. It’s not our fault as customers your EMPLOYER wants to be unfair to you by paying you less for the same or less amount of work you can get at a fast food restaurant, is it? Why tip 10%?
I know a place I get take-out once in a while, she NEVER has checked the food even the first time I was there(so she wouldn’t have known I didn’t tip for take-out).
Also, 90% of the times, the orders are WRONG. I said many of times “no pickles”, but they put the pickles on the plate. I mean how STUPID are you to if you have instructions “no pickles” to serve it to me on the side, you know? She didn’t look in the bag even.
McDonald’s cashiers work harder than an Applebee’s bartender doing a to-go order for example, because they don’t have an ALL-IN-ONE utensil/saltnpepper packet bag. They have to go to separate boxes for a fork and a knife. Then if I order hotcakes, they have to get the butters out of one box and the syrup out of another box.
“sometimes has to tip out on the amount of their sales.”
That has ZERO to do with the customer and the customer shouldn’t pay someone just because the worker has to pay someone else. That’s retarded to worry about that when you are getting the SAME OR LESS SERVICE that a fast food cashier gives you.
The only fast food place I have tipped at is Sonic, because they DELIVER the food to your car or table if you are eating outside.
I do agree with tipping for a to-go order if it’s car-side-to-go at the most $2, because it’s being DELIVERED to your car(sometimes in the rain, heat, cold, etc. weather), but to pick it up inside is just like getting the food at a fast food place.
When you order to-go over the phone, that’s just like the customer being there in person and when the customer picks the food up, they weren’t even PHYSICALLY THERE to RECEIVE any service of any kind. Putting in the order, handing you a bag, ringing you up, then giving you your change or credit card receipt is NOT TIPPABLE service anywhere else, so WHY tip when you can’t be FAIR to ALL? I go to Walmart, they don’t get a tip for bagging my groceries, even some that put it in the basket for you, and you get change or a credit card receipt or computer screen you sign.
BE FAIR is what I am saying.
I will NEVER tip for take-out and NEVER have, because it’s UNFAIR to do so. IT IS, no matter what way you look at it, it’s UNFAIR of the CUSTOMER to pay one person, but not the other. It doesn’t matter if fast food cashiers made $2.13/hr for example, I’d still treat workers fairly by tipping fairly. WHY don’t you? Why do you choose to tip for the same or less work and sometimes cashiers at these fast food places have MORE work?
I did to-go orders sometimes when I was counter help at a donut shop/diner. Some people decided to pick the food up in drive-thru even. Do you honestly think I deserved a tip for FAST FOOD SERVICE? It was work, but no one in their right mind should tip you for that since those people don’t get tips. It is only fair and morally right to not tip for a to-go order.
Clare
“I tip 2.5% of my food sales to the kitchen. So if you order two entrees as takeout that totals $28 and leave no tip, I still have to pay the kitchen $0.70. I can’t say, “Sorry, they didn’t leave anything.” Sure that’s a really tiny amount but if I have several takeout customers throughout the night (which most people do) and they don’t tip, it quickly adds up. It really hurts when it’s a big order and it’s a slow evening for sit-down customers because the tips I DO make in the restaurant get chipped away at by customers who all feel the same way as people commenting on this post.”
You have a choice to go get a fast food cashier job. You want that pay, go get it. NO ONE IS MAKING YOU STAY THERE!!
While it’s not fair you have to tip out others, it’s not fair you should get a tip, but that Wendy’s cashier that put together my burger GETS NO TIP. It’s not fair for US to pay YOU. Get what I am saying?
Just because your employer is unfair doesn’t mean WE have to be. ALL people should get paid the same that does the same exact or less work. If you don’t, then go get another job.
It’s YOUR ISSUE if you have to tip out, NOT the customer’s issue. A lot of people call in their order, so they aren’t even there to physically receive any service of any kind. The people that are making your food is the kitchen staff members. This isn’t like a bartender that they are making for example, a margarita for me. This is the KITCHEN STAFF making the food. Even if the to-go server or bartender had to make a side salad, the Wendy’s cashier put together my burger. I SAW, she put mayonnaise, onions, and lettuce, which is how I order my burgers. She put mayo in a cup for me. She put mustard in another cup. She also filled my cup with ice and dr. pepper. She rung me up, gave me my change or credit card receipt. So for all of that, she got ZERO. It’s your issue if your employer isn’t paying you and making you pay out money to others. That’s not our issue as customers. We are receiving the *SAME* or *LESS* work being done so WHY should you get a tip? It’s just not fair and you KNOW that is truly the GOD’S TRUTH!!
Most to-go orders aren’t even with drinks in general even.
For example, at a nightclub, if I am standing up(meaning not sitting at the bar) ordering a beer, I won’t tip for that. If I am getting it BROUGHT to me while I am sitting I will, but not if I am the person standing just as if I ordered a root beer at a McDonald’s in the mall where they don’t have self-serve soft drink areas. Especially, I wouldn’t in that situation that I am standing ordering tip for a bottled beer. Flipping a cap is MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LESS work than a cashier at a fast food place does to fill a cup with ice and drink. If I was to get a draft beer standing, it’s less work than to put ice and root beer in a cup at let’s say McDonald’s in the mall.
So in other words, I tip fairly for the AMOUNT OF WORK AND SERVICE that was provided. Is it the same or less? If it is, WHY tip? Don’t give me that you get paid less and you have to tip out, because NO ONE CARES except for you unfair people that tip. That is NOT OUR ISSUE THAT YOUR EMPLOYER IS UNFAIR. NOT OUR ISSUE!!
If it’s the same or less work, there’s NO REASON in this entire world to be unfair to one worker vs. another by not tipping one, but tipping the other. If you aren’t paid enough from your employer, there’s the door. Go find another job if you aren’t satisfied. It’s not fair to tip one but not the other. It’s just NOT and you KNOW IT!!
Jamie
“One time a delivery guy forgot my side of ranch dressing, went back to Domino’s and brought me back the side of ranch. I tipped him $10.”
I would have stiffed the driver and HAVE over that. If the driver is too lazy to LOOK inside the box and ruining my meal, NO TIP FOR SURE!! That wasn’t an easy fix. The driver had to go all the way back. If he was a SMART driver, he’d keep an ice chest or a cup that you can keep in the freezer that has that blue stuff that keeps food cold to put some condiments in for such a situation instead of going ALL the way back for a ranch.
You tipping him only ENCOURAGED him not to check the boxes BEFORE leaving and not to bring some with him as I just suggested. You are the type of customer WHY this happens so often.
I tip for delivery if my order is right, not if it’s wrong. So my meal time should suffer, because they were not responsible enough to bring extras in case they forgot something simple like that?
Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but most of the time, it’s the lazy ass drivers that don’t look in the box and check the order. Sometimes it is the order takers, but a good way to know is if the order is correct on the box and you got charged correctly, then it’s the driver’s fault.
Ordering online is cool, because there’s no order taker to mess up your order. I find it works better.
Springs I get what you’re saying. Yep perhaps I was too generous with that tip, I just appreciate that he went back. 90% of my online orders turn out to be accurate, drive through is 50/50 on orders. My bf and I have started to check our drive through orders before driving off.
Sometimes delivery people get offended if you check the boxes before you pay them. As a paying customer I need to verify what I ordered. Trust, but verify (although I do find this term self-contradictory).
My only issue is that I am tipping before I taste the food. You can’t take the tip back when you realize you have the wrong order or the food is bad. It’s similar with counter restaurants where you order, pay and than the food is brought to your table. The other day I ordered and paid (including a 20% tip) and sat down. My food got lost, I had to go back up to the busy counter and see what happened. They apologize for the mistake. I didn’t take my tip back buy I should have!
Jamie
“I just appreciate that he went back.”
You don’t get it, it’s HIS JOB to either him or another driver go back. I have had another driver usually bring the sauces when they were forgotten(Papa John’s cheese sauces). I don’t care WHO brings it, just bring it.
I don’t appreciate that someone came to my house for that. I PAID for the food and the original driver RUINED my dining experience at home that we had the pizza in the oven, because it wasn’t like they could just show up in 2 minutes. It was like a 10-15 minute or more wait. I like to dip the pizza in the cheese sauces. THAT is the ONLY WAY I really enjoy Papa John’s pizza.
I am OWED that someone come to my house to fix the order.
I will never see it in your way of thinking. I can’t stand when something simple as that that the driver isn’t responsible enough to carry a bunch to each house he delivers to in case of a mistake like that. Usually, it’s truly the driver that doesn’t check the boxes.
While I understand we all forget, by being a RESPONSIBLE delivery driver to carry some extra sauces in your car, you won’t have that issue ever. You forget something, the driver can simply go to his car and get it. THAT is a responsible delivery driver does. One that doesn’t, isn’t a good delivery driver, because even if you are good at getting orders correctly to the customers most of the time, we all forget and make mistakes, so the best thing to do is be more responsible for IN CASE of a mistake as simple as that.
“Sometimes delivery people get offended if you check the boxes before you pay them. As a paying customer I need to verify what I ordered.”
If they get offended, they know when THEY get orders to-go or fast food or delivery, they want THEIR order right, so I don’t care if they would get offended or not. They have to act like it’s THEIR food.
Molly on Money
“The other day I ordered and paid (including a 20% tip) and sat down.”
I never pay the tip until I see how the service goes, except for once I did. Once, I did pay a delivery pizza driver over the phone a tip on my credit card. That’s one of the times I would have completely stiffed him, because he didn’t apologize and he also missed 5 entire cheese sauces, so honestly that wasn’t a mistake. It was on the box I was charged, so this was pure laziness on the driver who knew he had his tip already, so he didn’t have to EARN anything. I sure NEVER, EVER did that again. NO ONE misses 5 cheese sauces and it’s a real mistake, NO WAY!!
Even if you go let’s say to a buffet you pay beforehand. You just leave the tip on the table AFTER you get your service, not before. I would suggest bringing some cash for this if you always pay with a credit card to make things easier.
I used to work in the restaurant industry, and the place I worked for took 4% of your food total and put it in a “tip pool” for the kitchen staff and others who didn’t get tips, rather than taking a percentage of the tips. That meant if a tip wasn’t left, a tip to the kitchen came out of my own pocket. It was a terribly unfair way for them to run a business, but I know that it does happen. That being said, even though I’ve been stiffed by an unscrupulous manager in the past, I’m aware that it isn’t the customer’s responsibility to pay the wait staff’s wages. If I eat in a restaurant with wait staff, I tip. If I get take out from the same restaurant, I don’t tip. I don’t tip in fast food restaurants or coffee shops either. The only exception I’ll make to that is when the person behind the till is obviously putting in extra effort to make the experience positive (joking with me, chatting while I wait for my food, etc…). I think a lot of places have just discovered that if you put out a tip jar, or make someone say no to tipping on a debit transaction, most people will put in a nominal tip regardless of whether or not one is required.
Thanks for the post J. Money, I enjoyed the read.
Exactly! These were basically my thoughts when talking to my DH about the same thing. We do not tip fast food or even when we go to Panera so why are we going to tip when we have take-out Chinese (this is the only time we do take-out).
Hey Cassie good post, I really like your attitude. Your post wasn’t entitled nor snobby either.
Tipping makes people feisty? Never! ;)
If you can’t afford to tip 20%, then you shouldn’t go out to eat. I don’t order take-out because I don’t want to deal with the trash/clean up. That’s why i go to restaurants, because I don’t want to cook and deal with the clean up. Plus it stays warmer. If the bar is packed nad I don’t want to deal with it, then I’ll get take out and I’ll leave the same tip I would have left otherwise, shoot at the places around here, they let you have free sodas on to-go orders while you are waiting….thats worth something to me?
hmm… well I’ll disagree with you on that “shouldn’t go out to eat” part, but I will say that yeah – free refills while you wait is awesome! I’d make an exception for that :)
TJ
“If you can’t afford to tip 20%, then you shouldn’t go out to eat.”
This discussion is mainly on TO-GO ORDERS, NOT eating out.
“I’ll leave the same tip I would have left otherwise, shoot at the places around here, they let you have free sodas on to-go orders while you are waiting….thats worth something to me?”
Do you realize you are in a way PAYING for the soft drinks you get by tipping on a to-go order?
Instead of giving the money to the restaurant where it truly BELONGS, the person ringing you up is UNDERRINGING items by STEALING from the restaurant and being UNFAIR to other customers, because I seriously DOUBT that they are paying for the soft drinks out of your tip.
So basically you are TRULY PAYING for those soft drinks by tipping the to-go order employee, whether it’s a bartender or a to-go server. So it’s not free really, is it?
So if you are paying the full 20% for a to-go order, do you realize you are TIPPING in a UNFAIR manner by paying those people, yet the fast food cashiers at Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, etc. don’t get a tip for doing sometimes the SAME OR LESS WORK?
Why do you want to treat employees that do the same or less work differently? I just want to know why you want to be unfair?
J. Money
“well I’ll disagree with you on that “shouldn’t go out to eat” part, but I will say that yeah – free refills while you wait is awesome!”
I would pay a dollar or two if that happened, but then, I am in a way, paying for the soft drink or just about, so it’s really not free, is it?
Haha, no. But I’d rather consider the extra money paid a “tip” over paying for the drink. I like “Free” – it makes me feel better. I have no problem spending money when it’s making me feel better, within reason, of course ;)
“Do you realize you are in a way PAYING for the soft drinks you get by tipping on a to-go order?”
Sorry, no. This is standard procedure for this restaurant, regardless of if folks tip or not. Most don’t tip, I would assume.
“So if you are paying the full 20% for a to-go order, do you realize you are TIPPING in a UNFAIR manner by paying those people, yet the fast food cashiers at Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC, etc. don’t get a tip for doing sometimes the SAME OR LESS WORK?”
If they want to work somewhere else, they have the freedom to look. If I was in food service I’d probably pick fast food over the others because you give away so much via tip (and tax on non-tips)
I think it’s all retarded and we should abolish tipping and restaurants should jack up all their prices and pay their employees what they are worth…but that’s never going to happen.
I’d also get rid of free refills, like in Europe! That would promote better health ;)
TJ
“I think it’s all retarded and we should abolish tipping and restaurants should jack up all their prices and pay their employees what they are worth…but that’s never going to happen.”
I 100% disagree, because as far as when you are getting DINE-IN service, it would suck. Why would a server care if your food was anywhere near correct or you had your zillion refills or that you had everything you needed if they knew NO MATTER WHAT they’d get paid 20% from a service charge such as they have I have heard in New York?
I think service would be terrible if they didn’t have tipping when you dined in.
What INCENTIVE would there be to have a customer like me that has modifications with their order or a customer like my husband that can drink 4 or 5 refills of soft drink? What incentive would they have to do the job correctly?
If I gave you a $20 bill to do nothing vs. to work for it, which one would you pick? The one that gives you less work of course, right?
What does the server have to go the extra mile for a picky eater, a person with an allergy, a person that likes many refills of free refillable drinks and/or bread without anymore money to be made vs. another table that will still be paying a 20% service charge, but they order EXACTLY “AS IS” from the menu as well as don’t need any refills?
Do you think the server is going to give a care at all about the needier tables? I serious here. I am all for leaving tipping for DINE-IN customers, NOT to-go orders. To-go orders should be treated as if it was fast food you were picking up. The only time I would ever pay a tip for a to-go order is:
A. If it was an extremely large order such as $100 or more.
B. If they deliver it to my car or house
C. If they give me something for free(then I am truly paying for it or part of it, but you get my drift).
Otherwise, there’s not a real reason to tip for a to-go order that you go inside to pick up.
So my point is, if there wasn’t tipping, service would be just like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or Burger King where your food is wrong a lot at times. There would be no incentive to try hard just as those workers feel like. They want to make tips too just like the regular restaurants.
I don’t feel they should jack up the prices. There would be NO INCENTIVE to do their best. Service is bad already I find, but it would be 10 million times worst if there was no tipping. Plus, customers can do what they wanted really. In other words, they can abolish it one day, but customers will still try to sneak servers and bartenders tips regardless. In other words, it will never happen, because people are just tip happy today. I cannot believe people tip at Quizno’s, Starbucks(when now they have McDonald’s iced coffees for example), Domino’s for a pick up order when in the 80’s and earlier, no one ever did a such thing to have a tip jar for picking up your own pizza, etc.
You can’t see if they get rid of tipping how POOR service will really be for dine in customers?
“What INCENTIVE would there be to have a customer like me that has modifications with their order or a customer like my husband that can drink 4 or 5 refills of soft drink? What incentive would they have to do the job correctly?”
Pride. Work ethic. The desire to do well at their job. Plenty of workers still feel this way. I do, even though I work for tips. I’ve had a service job that didn’t include them and I worked just as hard because it was important to me. You keep hinting at some horrendous restaurant experiences and I get the feeling that this history is your absolute truth and no one is allowed to challenge it. It makes it rather difficult to have a productive conversation, especially with this many people.
Tipping is personal. J. Money doesn’t tip on takeout and that’s his personal choice. Everyone is allowed to decide whether they do or do not – do see the title of this blog post? It’s really not up to you to deem what is unfair or fair by juxtaposing the restaurant and fast food industries. The wages aren’t the same. But it IS up to you to decide who deserves your money. That’s the beauty of it.
Clare
“It’s really not up to you to deem what is unfair or fair by juxtaposing the restaurant and fast food industries.”
Actually, it is, because it’s MY MONEY as the customer that would be paying some wages that aren’t met through the restaurant’s employer.
It’s not fair. This isn’t an opinion, it’s FACT that for the same or less work, one person shouldn’t get tipped if they other is. It should be either BOTH types of employees get tipped or BOTH don’t get to make tips for the same or less work. It is a fact that it isn’t fair that I can’t tip that Wendy’s cashier that truly put together my burger together, filled my cup with ice & drink, got a kiddie cup with some mayo in it, and then got a kiddie cup with some mustard in it for NO TIP, but if I go to Applebee’s let’s say get a pasta dish, that’s LESS WORK, so WHY would that person deserve a tip if I go pick it up inside, huh? Even if I get a burger with condiments, I still get condiments at Wendy’s and don’t get to tip that cashier for getting them. I can’t say always that cashier gets them, but A LOT of times they have or have had to go to the kitchen area(like in McDonald’s) to give a cup to get some tartar sauce or special sauce(for the Big Mac).
“The wages aren’t the same.”
You don’t seem to get that what your employer pays has ZERO to do with tipping. I doesn’t matter if the fast food cashier got $2.13/hr and the to-go server at Chili’s got $7.25/hr that it would be the opposite way, if I couldn’t tip one, it’s NOT FAIR to tip the other. YOU KNOW that is the GOD’S TRUTH that it isn’t fair.
The wages aren’t the same, well talk to your employer or go get another type of job. That is NOT the customer’s issue if your employer wants to be a cheapskate.
I tip FAIRLY. If I can’t tip one, I won’t tip the other for the SAME OR LESS amount of WORK and EFFORT the both types of employees put into their job. I am only talking about when you pick up your food inside of course.
What you make per hour has ZERO to do with the amount of service you provided me.
If you flip a cap off a beer let’s say at a nightclub, WOW, I got service, right? NOT!! That’s not service to tip for. That’s less work than a McDonald’s cashier in the mall gives me filling up a cup with ice and coke for NO TIP.
I tip fairly, WHY don’t you? Why don’t you see that it’s not the customer’s issue if you aren’t paid the wage that the others are for the same type of job or even less work even?
I don’t care if both employees got ZERO per hour, if we can’t tip one, I won’t tip the other, plain and simple.
Clare
“‘Pride. Work ethic. The desire to do well at their job. Plenty of workers still feel this way.”
Most people don’t and are lazy. You know that’s the truth. Most are already to lazy to verify ONE plate of food BEFORE bringing it to your table or even bother to write down things you ask for. You and I are a rare kind that has a good work ethic.
“You don’t seem to get that what your employer pays has ZERO to do with tipping.”
Except that it does. I would never work for only $2.13 per hour. Servers work for such a low hourly rate because the tips DO more than make up for the terrible paycheck. I don’t want another job. I’m really happy with it! We just disagree, it’s simple.
Claire
“Except that it does. I would never work for only $2.13 per hour. Servers work for such a low hourly rate because the tips DO more than make up for the terrible paycheck. I don’t want another job. I’m really happy with it! We just disagree, it’s simple.”
The CUSTOMER doesn’t care is what I am saying. It doesn’t matter to the CUSTOMER and it SHOULDN’T since your are doing the same type of job or even less work even, so you shouldn’t get a tip since they don’t.
Do you understand?
It’s just not fair if the customer pays you, but not the Wendy’s cashier for example for doing at times MORE WORK than you did. WHY do you feel it’s fair that a CUSTOMER has to pay the rest of your wages? It’s not OUR JOB to. I am only talking about to-go orders that you pick up inside just to make sure you understand that I do tip for delivery and when I dine in.
It doesn’t matter TO US CUSTOMERS! Get what I am saying? I don’t give a rat’s ass if you make 10 cents an hour if you are doing the same or less work that a fast food cashier does. What you get paid per hour has to do with YOU and YOUR EMPLOYER, NOT THE INNOCENT customer. If you tip for when you pick up a to-go order, you are tipping in a unfair manner, do you realize that or not?
If you don’t tip for take-out, by definition you’re not a good tipper.
As a customer, I care about service workers and I want them to make a good wage. Whether I’m there for take-out or an eleven course meal at a Michelen star restaurant.
But then again, my religion requires me to care about all people. Even ones who don’t care about me.
What’s your religion?
Mary Sue (REVISED)
“If you don’t tip for take-out, by definition you’re not a good tipper.”
NO, that’s not true. If anything, if you tip for take-out, you are an UNFAIR tipper, because the fast food cashiers at places like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell, etc. do the same or sometimes even MORE work than the servers or bartenders do for to-go orders that you pick up inside.
If you can’t tip at those fast food restaurants I mentioned, then YOU aren’t a good tipper or a FAIR tipper, because you should either tip ALL or NONE for doing the SAME JOB, sometimes even less work.
“As a customer, I care about service workers and I want them to make a good wage.”
But the fast food cashiers at the restaurants I just mentioned above DESERVE tips too if you are giving the to-go servers and bartenders tips.
Why don’t you care about them? Why should it matter if one makes less than the other if you are RECEIVING the same amount or even less service?
“But then again, my religion requires me to care about all people. Even ones who don’t care about me.”
I always thought any religion wanted you to be FAIR to all. Isn’t that right?
From my experience (working at Wendy’s for 2 years) cashiers and staff at those chains ARE NOT ALLOWED to accept tips, and if it’s seen by a manager, it can cause you to lose your job. Those places pay at least min wage, and usually more.
Other take out places, chinese restaurants etc, I would be willing to tip 10%, because they still did make my food, place my order, and so on. And a lot of restaurant servers don’t make the standard min wage.
Counter tipping: I used to work as a barista at a drive-up coffee hut, and anyone that’s ever worked and made espresso knows that it’s not as easy as just pouring a cup of coffee.
Regardless, I remember what it’s like working those places, and I remember that even a little bit of a tip can make someone’s day. I’m probably more generous than my budget says I ought to be, but I consider the good to outweigh the bad.
Heather
“Other take out places, chinese restaurants etc, I would be willing to tip 10%, because they still did make my food, place my order, and so on. And a lot of restaurant servers don’t make the standard min wage.”
WHY should it matter to the CUSTOMER what they make per hour for the SAME EXACT JOB BEING DONE?
If I am getting my order taken, my food put in a container, then in a bag, then rung up, then give me change and I am picking it up INSIDE MYSELF, it’s the SAME OR LESS service you can get at a Wendy’s. The cashiers sometimes actually put together your food. I know, I have had it happen before. If I can’t tip them for doing the same or less work, I won’t be unfair like you to tip for the same service anywhere else.
WHY aren’t you a “FAIR” tipper, huh?
WHY should you care what their EMPLOYER pays per hour if you can’t tip the Wendy’s cashier for example? The employer is the one being unfair in their pay. The CUSTOMER, HOWEVER, SHOULD BE FAIR WHEN THEY PAY PEOPLE!! You can control how FAIR you are tipping or not. By tipping for a to-go order you pick up inside, you are tipping UNFAIRLY, because Wendy’s cashiers deserve tips too NO MATTER HOW MUCH they get paid per hour, they want tips too, but aren’t allowed to take them. Just because a place allows tipping doesn’t mean those workers DESERVE a tip MORE than a Wendy’s cashier did to put together my burger, fill a cup with mayo, filled a cup with mustard, and filled my cup with ice as well as drink.
You should be tipping on an EQUAL level. WHY do you want to PAY people UNFAIRLY? You are just as bad as the non-fast food restaurant employer that pays their workers less than minimum wage for to-go orders. The employers are being unfair, why you want to be unfair as well by tipping them, but the ones that sometimes even do MORE WORK don’t get a tip just because they aren’t allowed to accept tips, huh? They took the job KNOWING what their pay was per hour. If they don’t like it, they can work at WENDY’S, get what I am saying or what?
“Counter tipping: I used to work as a barista at a drive-up coffee hut, and anyone that’s ever worked and made espresso knows that it’s not as easy as just pouring a cup of coffee.”
Now-a-days though they have McDonald’s iced coffee drinks and frappuccinos for no tip. So doing the same work should receive the same pay. Do you realize in 2004, my sister-in-law worked at Starbucks already starting at $6.50/hr? They are getting their wage already just as the rest of the counter service you receive at the fast food restaurants. I am mentioning this, because you seem to care about what people make per hour.
“Regardless, I remember what it’s like working those places, and I remember that even a little bit of a tip can make someone’s day.”
That’s why BE FAIR when you tip. Don’t tip for to-go orders you pick up inside. Don’t tip the coffee barrister at Starbucks. BE FAIR!! Just because the employer of a non-fast food restaurant wants to pay a low wage doesn’t mean YOU have tip unfairly. Think about that….
Okay, I think that’s enough for now :) Although I admire your passion!
I do takeout in a restaurant that is primarily dine in. I think what a lot of people fail to realize is that your takeout person is paying taxes on their sales assuming that people are tipping them off of their order. I pay taxes on money I don’t always make- and no you may not tip a store clerk but that clerk’s hourly wage is not decided assuming that a person will tip them. Is a 20% tip needed on takeout? No. If your order is ready when it’s supposed to be and your service is good- some token of appreciation is nice (although laying down a quarter is probably worse than no tip unless you are putting it in a jar). I know all my regular’s names whether they tip or not (probably 100 people) but the ones who get highest priority in a rush? The ones who help pay my bills. I always give good service but the people who get great service are the ones that act appreciative for the amount of work that actually goes in to preparing their order. I don’t expect a tip but I do appreciate it, and even if you don’t tip- be respectful, I have to be.
***This is a reminder that if you curse at someone and/or bash them, your post will be deleted. Feel free to be as fired up as you wish, but ya gotta keep it respectable up in here***
(This is not at you RestauChick – it was the comment after you I just deleted ;))
My two cents (or four, based on the length of this) for what its worth. I always tip my expected 20% and usually tip 10% or more on take out. 98% of the time, this is begrudgingly.
For the life of me, I cannot seem to figure out why the food industry holds us hostage for supplementing the salary of it’s workforce. In the past, “tips” (i.e., they are called “tips” for a reason), were not an EXPECTED part of one’s salary. They were a little something extra to say “thanks for the hard work and going the extra mile”.
Now it is demanded and even regulated to a certain extent (an AUTOMATIC 18% on parties of 6 or more??). You can certainly expect jeers and dirty looks if you don’t tip appropriately, and you’d better be prepared not to come back to that restaurant.
I hate the argument “Well, you’d get bad service otherwise”. Really? I’ve worked minimum wage jobs for years with no tip EVER, lived in a crappy apartment while charging a cheap pair of retreaded tires for my car because that’s all I could afford after my meals of Top Ramen and Kool-Aid and I NEVER, gave poor service because I didn’t get a tip. During this time, I had friends that were servers that averaged more than double my hourly wage with their tips. The self riteousness of it all kills me. Do a good job because its your job and it is what you were hired to do, not because of what that line says on the CC slip.
Now, I know about the whole “servers wage thing” and I understand. But really, I would rather servers be paid more, the restaurant could charge me more for my food and then I could forgo the uncomfortable feeling at the end of the meal of “how much do we tip?”. After all, I do not think that because I ordered an expensive bottle of wine vs. a cheap bottle, that the server deserves more…why? Because they still only opened one bottle, and only had to pour the wine for two people. The workload didn’t change because I spent more money per item!
I am kind to my server, respectful of their work and appreciate how busy they are. I say please and thank you, try not to bother them uneccesarily or make complicated demands. NOW, if I (or my party), are particularly “needy” and the server is kind and overly accomodating than absolutely, they went above and beyond their “usual” duties and I tip with a smile and usually WELL above the “20%”.
But 98% of the time I get the service I expect, no better, no worse and it angers me that I am expected to tip on top of the bill because someone said so.
YES!!!
“Do a good job because its your job and it is what you were hired to do, not because of what that line says on the CC slip.” – AGREE. The best workers are the best because they do as damn good of a job as possible, every single time. Whether they’re upset/sad/sick/whatev. If you’re a great worker, you do it cuz you’re proud of your work. You don’t give $hitty service for bad tips/etc. (not that we tip before anyways, which I’ve blogged about too actually :))
Also — totally agree with this too: “I do not think that because I ordered an expensive bottle of wine vs. a cheap bottle, that the server deserves more” — it’s very true — SAME WORK for $1Mill dollar bottle vs $5.00 bottle, though the clientele would def. be different ;)
Either way, really enjoyed reading this. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Wow. Reading some of these comments is infuriating. These people have clearly never worked in the service industry. I understand the concept of pick up and the distaste of feeling obligated to tip as you have indeed not been served, however the thing people don’t realize is that when you call in that order the server rings it in and has to tip out on it from their total sales. So yes, I understand that they didn’t kiss your ass and bring you things for an hour of dining experience but they are paying out of their own pocket every time someone doesn’t tip. It COSTS them money to serve you. Regardless of what you leave the fact of the matter is at most establishments the server is tipping out 5% on their total sales. Not tips. Their actual sales. If someone comes in and orders $60 worth of takeout and doesn’t tip it’s the server who takes the hit.
It costs workers money to take your order over the phone? I always thought the owners or managers were the ones taking the orders while the servers were the ones serving. That’s pretty jacked up if servers have to “tip out” by taking orders on the phone. Or the internet for that matter as now tons of places allow that. I’m sure it varies depending on the establishment?