Applebee's Car Side to Go - Tip or Not?

[Hey|Crazy|Beautiful]

Thanks for chiming in on this thread.
Could you clarify something for me? Do the curbside servers get the same very low hourly wage as the inside wait staff gets? The pay that is way below minimum wage and the tips make up most of the pay? Or do the curbside servers get at least minimum wage and the tips supplement it?

Thanks!

Well once my mom let me know that there was a thread about this, I really couldn't stop myself. lol

We do get paid minimum wage, however we don't have as many hours as the waitresses get. There are only certain hours for it (at least at my location) so I get about $21 a day whereas servers can come home with around $100 per night. What I make in a week is what they make in a day or so. So although our salary in paycheck IS better, we still struggle along. I would be a server however I'm only 18 and you must be 19. Tips are supposed to make up for our minimal hours and wage however they really don't. I have to pay bills and I'm barely making it. I owe my parents some money, actually.

 

[Karibeth19]

I know the problem my DH had at his old restaurant where they did a hefty to-go business was that even though the servers who worked to-go did get paid higher wages than those working the dining room, he had a hard time scheduling people to work to-go, because in the end, they did not make nearly the same money. (His restaurant did not have specific to-go servers; they just would schedule one or two regular servers a shift to work to-go.) Few of them wanted to work the counter because they knew they wouldn't make the kind of money they could make if they were serving tables. Even being paid a higher wage, it just doesn't even out for these poor kids if they don't get tips. Since it's my DH's business and I get to know his servers pretty well, this is an issue near to my heart. Please tip ALL your servers for good service!

 

[Kellydelly]

I figured the carside servers weren't making the same money as regular waitstaff! I used to be a hostess in a restaurant and had to take care of togo orders. So any tips I made doing that were just "gravy" on top of my regular pay. I don't think anyone should imply here that those carside servers are relying on tips like regular waiters. If you are making minimum wage then you are already getting paid to do the job. JMHO. I don't know if my husband tips or not when he gets food from these restaurants (he's always the one picking it up). I don't think it should be thought of as required. I sure wouldn't tip a full $5, maybe just a buck. If I want to pay a $5 or better tip I will go in and get waited on .

 

[disneychrista]

I agree if the To Go "servers" are paid full minimum wage then tipping shouldn't be thought of as required. If they do not getting enough hours to get by, then they need to look for another job, JMO.

 

[mrsmom]

Then you will get people who will serve you your food ,that you would rather not like it to be handled by.JMO
Kim

 

[Hygiene99]

Just another job ... you need to talk to Applebees and Have the job pay more.
Is my first thought. Union would be Great..



Ok so some think, tips on top of what you are paid would Be great..

So that would be money that Uncle Sam probably has no record of ?
If AppleBees is payying the rate for the job why would they keep track of money earned in the posistion costing them more ? Do They ? for taxes ?

What about all the Other people who work , at Jobs that pay that rate ?

do they recieve Tips also ? Kripsy Kreme ?


ok Just my .02

We always tip a couple of bucks.. just the way we are.. you almost Feel Obligated to do this why ? Society..

But also feel that if a Company wants to advertise a service for it customers that they should provide a decent wage for the employees that do the service. If it is an after thought not built in to the design of the Restaurants
then people have to go outside instead of a window.. either way they are paid the Rate.

AppleBees Guest relations Say's that It is not Required that you tip the Employee.

Peter

 

[BethR]

We will not allow this thread to turn into a debate.
I think that it is important for people to know the facts and then base their tipping habits upon those facts.
If the thread turns nasty, it will be closed.

Thank You.

 

[Kellydelly]

Well the subject of this thread is a debate, it started as one. Do you or do you not tip for curbside service and why or why not? I don't think it's getting nasty ? It's just a thread getting different people's opinions.

 

[BethR]

Has anyone used the Applebee's CarSide to Go option before? Do you tip the "server" or not? And if so...how much?

Actually, this was the OP and it was not worded as a debate.
I don't see anything that is particularly nasty YET, but I can see that it could head that way.
Just trying to be proactive and avoid any potential problems.

 

[HM]

I think this is a great thread.
I don't tip when I get food to-go, but I've never had to deal with a place where there is curbside. So, it's good to know the ins and outs of what they get paid and who might be doing that kind of job. I now know that I will give about a 10% tip (same as I pay for the pizza delivery guy/gal).

-HM

 

[Kellydelly]

You're right, it wasn't asked why or why not, just how much. But if we all just said yes or no this would be boring !

 

[patsal]

I don't tip when I get to go food, I don't tip at the McD. drive through, Many times the order is wrong when I get home anyway--why would I tip someone who is making minimum wage?

 

[BethR]

!

 

[umaangel00]

I dont' understand why you wouldn't tip. They are just like the waitstaff in the restaurant. They are doing you a service by coming to you. You tip the pizza delivery guy. This is the same thing. They bring the food to you.

 

[polkadotladybug]

Well - the difference between these curbside people and the pizza guy - is that the pizza guy drives it to my house and knocks on my door and I don't have to go out to get it. The curbside person merely walks it out after I drive there to get it. I have to personally call there (get placed on hold quite often), place my order, then drive there and get it.

I'm not contributing to the debate - but when comparing - it's more like apples and oranges - so it isn't a logical comparison to compare curbside people and the pizza guy (and waitresses for that matter).

 

[umaangel00]

yes you can compare them to waitresses since that is what they are. That is what they hired to do. I think it's not fair to not tip. No, it's not required. It never is. But you try living on what they make once and you will understand why tips are GREATLY appreciated.

 

[hambirg]

I have to chime in on this. If they're getting minimum wage then they aren't any different from all those people working the drive through at your local McD's, etc. Do you tip them? They have to put your order together, get your drinks, cook your fries, deal with the cooks, deal with nasty customers too. And they're doing alot more than 10 orders, sometimes as many as 180 an hour when it's busy. I always tip the pizza delivery guy. They're driving it to your house, usually in their own car. I think they get a mileage amount, but still, gas, insurance, life and limb. You get the picture.

 

[shirleyb]

I agree hambirg. I really don't see why this is a tipped position, no different from fast food drive through. If the To Go servers aren't making enough money, than the issue is that the chain (whether it's Applebee's or what have you) should be paying them more, because they're charging us the same price for the food, but we're not sitting in their restaurant using their space, requiring it to be cleaned, etc, so their costs are lower on the To Go food. Does that make any sense?

Like an earlier poster said, we (society) have dictated that everybody and their brother should get tipped anymore and the excuse is always that "they don't make very much money". Well, that goes for tons of untipped positions. The cashier at the convenience store doesn't make very much money, but we don't tip her. JMO.

 

[umaangel00]

Just for reference, the minimum fast food place pay their employee is 7/hr. I have worked them all. Also, minimum wage is either 5.15 or 5.75/hr. so you can see, it's a much worse position.

 

[hambirg]

Minimum wage in my state is $7.35. That's what the fast food workers start at, minimum wage.