How muh do you tip at the commissary?

[iheartdisney]

Every time a tipping thread opens up in the budget board, I wonder if I am tipping the baggers enough. So I figured I'd ask other military shoppers, before releasing it into the wild of the budget board! :rotfl2: :rotfl2:
I usually tip $5.00 per trip, except if I run through the express lane, then its usually $1.00 or if there is enough hange, and the order is small enough...
What do you normally tip?

[lovemygoofy]

I hate tipping at the commissary. I won't lie I tip more to the old people and the young high school kids. I tip somewhere between 3.00-5.00.

One time though, the bag lady(yes that was I call her because I dont know what the real name is:rotfl: ) was trying to put the groceries in the trunnk and it came down on her in the middle of her forehead. OMG my husband and I just looked at each other. I felt so awful trying to find if she was okay and stuff and she was bleeding some. Needless to say we tipped her $20 that day. We are easily guilted.:confused:

[Michelle67]

It's been a long time since I could get on base to shop, but I think $3-$5 sounds fair. :confused3

[Goofyzgurl]

It's been a long time since I could get on base to shop, but I think $3-$5 sounds fair. :confused3

That's what I usually do too. $1 at the express lane.

[GJM]

I will usually tip $5 - when we go we really stock up since we are not that close to the base. We are usually helping them put the stuff in the car.

[missred75]

Wow. I'm a cheap skate, then! Oops! I usually tip $2. We've only been Army for under 2 years, so I asked someone else & they told me $2. Maybe I should do $5??? Hmmm... something to think about.

[GJM]

When I use to go shopping weekly I would probably tip about $2 -

I only tip $5 now because when I do go I stock up on so much stuff that I have tons of bags, but we do help the bagger with all of stuff.

[trip]

I only go about every 3-4 weeks so I have a lot to bag. I usually tip at least $5 but it depends on how much I spend/the weather/and how much cash I have with me. (I use my credit card for miles in the commissary ;))

[Piglet4Ever]

Dh and I tip $2 or $3 usually and DH helps load up the car so we think that's fair. If we go through express lane we usually put a couple bucks in the tip basket.

[Momma Rabbit]

I normally tip $5.00 -$8.00 depending on my total. When I go into the commissary for just a few things, I use self check-out so I don't have to deal with tipping.

[ClarabelleCowFan]

$3 to $5 depending on whether or not we have them take our order out to the car. Most of the time DH takes the cart outside and loads the truck then returns the cart to the store.

We used to hit the Commissary once a week but have tried to stretch that to once every other week.

Our Commissary just added self check-out and I will use that if we happen to just run in for a few things.

[tomthebarncat]

That is my tip calculation. I have only not tipped once and that was because the teenage bagger girl never stopped talking on her cell phone the entire time she was bagging and loading my groceries. She was moving at a snails pace and my ice cream was melting. When it came time to get her tip, she then stopped talking and held out her hand. I told her here is your tip! I suggested that she concentrate on her job and leave the cell phone for emergencies. She walked away shaking her head and still talking on her cell phone. The old retirees living in Germany are notoriously cheap and think a quarter is too much and often stiff the baggers. I only go once every other month as I find it easier and cheaper to buy most of my groceries on the German economy.

[my*jck*luv]

We usually do our grocery shopping every 2 weeks and tip $5. I'm the same way as some of you, the older ones I tip more. I don't know about any of your areas but it seems like the prices at the commissary have gone up so now we do most of our shopping at Sam's. Same w/ gas prices on post, they are sometimes more than off post. (Sorry to go off topic a bit)

[iheartdisney]

We usually do our grocery shopping every 2 weeks and tip $5. I'm the same way as some of you, the older ones I tip more. I don't know about any of your areas but it seems like the prices at the commissary have gone up so now we do most of our shopping at Sam's. Same w/ gas prices on post, they are sometimes more than off post. (Sorry to go off topic a bit)

I'm doing the same thing! Sams gas is .15 less than on base! I'll get most everything at Sams, and then go to the commissary for dairy and things that don't come in bulk! It seems like everything in the commissary has gone up 50 cents. Add to that the "surcharge" and its not so much of a savings for most things anymore.

[PrincessSuzanne]

Oh how I miss shopping at the Commissary :sad: I usually tipped between $5 and $10 depending on how much stuff I bought. Most of the time at the first of the month, they would have the huge truckload sales and we would have several cases of stuff besides bagged groceries, so I would usually tip more then.

Suzanne

[pixiepower1971]

Wow! Some of you really tip a alot! Most people I know tip no more then $5(and many times only $3)...no matter how large their trip is.

I look at it this way. They spend no more then 15 minutes with me. They can get 4 "runs" in an hour. At $5 a "run" they are making $20 an hour! Not bad for unskilled labor!

[Disney8704]

OK I guess we are REALLY cheap but we tip ZERO. Why? Well when we ever do shop at the commisary once every million years ;) we always just take the bags and load them up in the car ourselves. Why make someone work to put bags in your car when you can do it yourself? We never shop there, always shop at super walmart. I hate the commisary. Its to dark and gloomy and everyone looks depressed like someone just died. It really brings you down when you walk in there. At least at the commisary here. Also they never have much of a variety, and the prices arent much cheaper then walmarts. And then that awful surcharge! Till this day I still dont understand why they need to charge a surcharge. The comissary is supposed to be the cheapest place to buy food. Not come out even or pay more then walmart or your local grocery store.

[GJM]

I will help bring the bags to the car because we usually have so much stuff. But I would probably still tip because they are bagging for me, and I hate to bag!

I am the opposite, I get depressed walking into Walmart because I hate that store, it is always a mess. I love shopping at the commissary, we have a great variety, better then Walmart and I feel like I get better prices on most stuff at the commissary, you just really need to know the prices. I don't buy meat at the commissary.

Don't they charge a surcharge because you aren't charged tax, I could be wrong on that.

[Disney8704]

Do you tip other people who bag your items at other stores?

Surcharge Collections represents a third major source of funding. Surcharge Collections is a trust fund primarily funded by a five percent surcharge applied to patron sales at the checkout counter. This fund was established by law so that authorized patrons share responsibility for overall costs of the commissary system, including store information technology and the commissary construction program. This fund also receives revenue from prompt payment discounts, the sale of used cardboard and equipment, and services provided to others."

I will help bring the bags to the car because we usually have so much stuff. But I would probably still tip because they are bagging for me, and I hate to bag!

I am the opposite, I get depressed walking into Walmart because I hate that store, it is always a mess. I love shopping at the commissary, we have a great variety, better then Walmart and I feel like I get better prices on most stuff at the commissary, you just really need to know the prices. I don't buy meat at the commissary.

Don't they charge a surcharge because you aren't charged tax, I could be wrong on that.

[iheartdisney]

OK I guess we are REALLY cheap but we tip ZERO. Why? Well when we ever do shop at the commisary once every million years ;) we always just take the bags and load them up in the car ourselves. Why make someone work to put bags in your car when you can do it yourself? We never shop there, always shop at super walmart. I hate the commisary. Its to dark and gloomy and everyone looks depressed like someone just died. It really brings you down when you walk in there. At least at the commisary here. Also they never have much of a variety, and the prices arent much cheaper then walmarts. And then that awful surcharge! Till this day I still dont understand why they need to charge a surcharge. The comissary is supposed to be the cheapest place to buy food. Not come out even or pay more then walmart or your local grocery store.

I make someone take my bags to the car becasue it is their job. It is one of the "perks" of shopping there. I have three kids, and it is great to have them loaded and ready to go while the bagger loads the grocery is worth the $5 I tip.
I am opposite of you, as I HATE Walmart. I'll drive 3 miles out of the way and drive to Target if I need to. Walmart is so dirty, messy, and I feel like I'm going to get mugged going in there. Half the shelves are empty, and not one person in there has ever had training in Customer Service.
I do most of my groccery shopping at Sams Club, and what they don't carry, I'll go to the Commisary for.

[GJM]

If you go food shopping in NJ - you pretty much bag your own stuff. But living in SC they always have someone to bag, and if I could I probably would tip, but they are not allowed tips, plus they are getting paid by the store.

The baggers in the commissary do not get paid, just with tips.

The surcharge doesn't bother me, it is probably about what I would pay in taxes shopping in a food store.

I hate that the nearest commissary is 2 hours away!

Walmart is so dirty, messy, and I feel like I'm going to get mugged going in there. Half the shelves are empty, and not one person in there has ever had training in Customer Service.

I so agree with this! This is how my Walmart is, plus they are always stocking the shelves in the middle of the day.

[Doodlebug939]

I live in New Orleans and our baggers do not take the groceries to your vehicle unless you ask them too. So I usually tip $1-$2 depending on how much we buy. To be truthful they really dont do too much. Our commissary is DECA and I went to the website to figure out the surcharge and here is what I found.

"Surcharge is applied to the total value of each commissary purchase because the Congress has mandated collection of surcharge (currently 5 percent) to pay for commissary construction, equipment and maintenance.

All surcharge dollars collected are returned to commissary patrons in the form of continually improved commissary facilities." Go figure I had no idea.:confused3

[JB111107]

I usually tip 2-3 but I also help load the bags into the car.

Be thankful you have a DECA commissary. AAFES ran ours until March of this year and let me tell you the change was instantaneous and noticeable. Not only that, but if they don't have a product you want, if you bring them a UPC and product information they will order it for you.

AAFES had the same surcharge as DECA does, but they were much higher than walmart on most things. I save probably at least 15% with the things I buy on base vs walmart or target, but I also pay attention to what prices things are and get the stuff that is cheaper at one place and so on. (Target is in walking distance of our house so that makes it easy, and Walmart is only 1.5 miles away)

For us..milk, bread, meat are ALWAYS much cheaper on base. other things vary depending on what is on sale/special. We stock up a bit when they have case lot sales. With 3 kids and one on the way we go through alot of food :)