Do you tip for take out?

[lovesmurfs]

Yes I do, somebody had to pull the order together, make sure everything was correct and add all the silverware, condiments, etc. This is ususally a bartender or server that is pulled away from other customers to handle it. Some places have a dedicated "take out" server but I guarantee you in the US they aren't making minimum wage.

^^^This!

ETA: Okay, not pizza or fast food. Mostly for take out from restaurants that are normally sit-down.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

Curbside service - Yes.
Picking up Chinese or a pizza or something like that no I don't.

 

[luvmy3]

When I pick up my take out order I do not tip. I don't do take-out at restaurants that have curbside service, but I'd give a buck or something to them if I did.

 

[jenbarnwell]

Yes I do.....I work at a diner....the waitress puts the order together, makes sure everything is the way the customer wanted it, packs it up, adds napkins condiments, etc. Gets the soup, makes the salad, etc. Then the waitress adds up the check as well. We take the time out of serving our tables that do tip us. It is always nice when the person leaves a dollar or two.

 

[MIGrandma]

Nope....there was no "service" involved....just cooking, and the cook is paid decent wages. In Canada, anyway...

No "service" involved? I beg to differ with you. As a former waitress I say there is actually quite a bit of "service" involved, besides the cook preparing the order and putting it in a to-go box rather than on a plate to be served. It is the waitress who answers the phone and writes down the to-go order (or takes it in person at the counter when the person comes in to order). It is the waitress who makes the salads, gets the soup, packages up the desserts, etc. It is the waitress who checks the order when it's ready, she opens every box to make sure each order is correct, then she puts the boxes into the to-go bags. It is the waitress who gets the drinks, makes the milkshakes, puts in the condiments and plastic cutlery that are needed/requested. Then it is also the waitress who retrieves the order from the back when the customer comes in to get it, and rings them up on the cash register. All of this is definitely "service", and takes time away from customers in the restaurant who she is neglecting while she takes care of the to-go order (they might need drink refills, extra napkins, whatever and she can't get to their table because of dealing with the to-go order) so it is always, always appreciated when the customer tips on a to-go order.

Yes I do, somebody had to pull the order together, make sure everything was correct and add all the silverware, condiments, etc. This is ususally a bartender or server that is pulled away from other customers to handle it. Some places have a dedicated "take out" server but I guarantee you in the US they aren't making minimum wage.

 

[marcyinPA]

If I pick it up, no. If it is delivered to my home, yes.

 

[lspst8]

My DH and I only order Chinese and pizza as take-out food, and we don't tip. Our orders are really easy with no special requests or drink orders. I really wouldn't occur to me to tip when I'm the one doing the driving, walking into the restuarant, and walking the food back to my car, and driving myself home.

 

[TaraPA]

My DH and I only order Chinese and pizza as take-out food, and we don't tip. Our orders are really easy with no special requests or drink orders. I really wouldn't occur to me to tip when I'm the one doing the driving, walking into the restuarant, and walking the food back to my car, and driving myself home.

Ditto. I do, however, use the same family-owned local places for this type of take-out, and we use them almost weekly, so around the holidays I do leave $20 as a sort of gift/annual tip/thank you. We have a local Subway too, where the employees are mostly high school kids that we know, so I leave my change in the tip jar. But other than that, no, I normally do not tip for take-out when I'm going to pick it up.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

I don't ever tip when I go to a restaurant that is pick up. I don't usually, if ever, go to a place that does car delivery, but, I doubt I would tip for that as well. I also do not tip for buffet service or drive-through service either. I never ever ever tip at the donut place, and am insulted that they have a tip jar there begging for more money. I know they are earning more than minimum wage in our area.

Money is tight, and tipping is plain annoying. Mind you, if someone goes above and beyond, I am the first to contact the supervisor and praise the employee. Job security is worth a lot more than a couple of $ in the pocket.

 

[bicker]

One of the problems with tipping in this situation is that tips should be based on the quality of service provided, but with this service, you don't really know how well the server did any of the things that jenbarnwell mentioned above. It's a bit unfair, but I would guess that most people who tip in this situation tip based on how good the service was the last time they picked up take-out. And generally, it is going to be very hard for take-out service to compete with table service. No refilling of glasses. No clearing the plates off the table. No chance of having something fixed if the kitchen got it wrong. And so on. The service provided is such a small shadow of the service provided in the restaurant itself, that it is hard to justify more than a token.

 

[MIGrandma]

I don't ever tip when I go to a restaurant that is pick up. I don't usually, if ever, go to a place that does car delivery, but, I doubt I would tip for that as well. I also do not tip for buffet service or drive-through service either. I never ever ever tip at the donut place, and am insulted that they have a tip jar there begging for more money. I know they are earning more than minimum wage in our area.

Money is tight, and tipping is plain annoying. Mind you, if someone goes above and beyond, I am the first to contact the supervisor and praise the employee. Job security is worth a lot more than a couple of $ in the pocket.

I'm so grateful that my customers didn't feel as you do, in not tipping for buffet service. The last I read, suggested amounts for tipping was 10% for buffet, and 15 - 20% for sit down meal. The restaurant where I worked for several years has a daily buffet, but a menu as well. I would say 75% of the people get the buffet. I still brought their drinks to the table and kept them re-filled, brought them condiments and extra napkins, took away plates (sometimes many times during the meal for heavy eaters), and brought dessert if it was ordered, then gave them their bill. All the while making far less than minimum wage. Most people tipped at least the suggested 10%, but many (especially regulars) tipped well above that.

Tips are how I earned my living. My "paycheck" every two weeks barely covered taxes. And "contacting the supervisor to praise the employee" doesn't pay the bills, and I sure don't agree that "job security is worth more than a couple of $ in the pocket." If people are like you and don't tip, the server doesn't earn a living, so has to look elsewhere for a job. And yes, money is tight for many people but if you can afford to go out to eat you can afford to tip as well. If you can't afford it, go to a fast food restaurant (where they earn at least minimum wage) or cook for yourself at home.

 

[JennyDarling]

Full Service REstaurant-For me it depends on who you pay. If it's cashier, then no, I do not tip. If it is a bartender or server, then yes. Even then I don't tip the way I would for full table service. Usually a buck or 2. Maybe more if it's a big order.

Fast food-Nope.

Pizza Delivery--Always.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Tips are how I earned my living. My "paycheck" every two weeks barely covered taxes. And "contacting the supervisor to praise the employee" doesn't pay the bills, and I sure don't agree that "job security is worth more than a couple of $ in the pocket." If people are like you and don't tip, the server doesn't earn a living, so has to look elsewhere for a job. And yes, money is tight for many people but if you can afford to go out to eat you can afford to tip as well. If you can't afford it, go to a fast food restaurant (where they earn at least minimum wage) or cook for yourself at home.

As far as job security being worth more than a few dollars in your pocket, I wonder if you live in the same Michigan I live in? Job security is worth MUCH more than a few bucks from someone else in my pocket. See the "teach them to fish" parable.

As for your attitude of demanding that I tip what you think I should tip or not go out to eat at all, if I knew my waitress had that kind of an attitude toward me you can be absolutely sure that I wouldn't be spending my money there ever again - even when the economy turns around. And I'd be telling my friends that they may want to take their business elsewhere, too.

I consider that attitude towards customers to be pretty damn insulting. We all work hard for our money; I don't care who you are. If someone's going to get all ticked off and cop an attitude because I gave them (yes GAVE them - it's a gratuity not a right) 18% instead of 20% for what I suspect is probably mediocre service at best due to the entitlement thinking on their part, then I'm going to take my dollars elsewhere and that server won't have to worry about me tipping them ever again until their restaurant closes and they have to find a job at another one.

I'm gonna stop there before I say something really bad that earns me points.

 

[bicker]

I think there is a distinction to be made, here, though: Going to dinner at a restaurant incurs an obligation, in our society, to pay a share of the cost of service. Tipping is not optional; rather tipping is discretionary. You are to tip what the service provided is worth, vis a vis what is reasonable and customary. Sometimes a zero tip is justified. "Because I don't want to give someone money" is not justification, though.

Going to a full-service restaurant for what is essentially take-out is not necessarily covered by this obligation. Indeed, that's what we're discussing in this thread.

 

[powellrj]

I never tip at the pizza places or Chinese places that I get carry-out from because they are just carry-out places. If I get carry-out from Texas Roadhouse or Applebees or any of the other casual dinning places I will leave at least 10%.

I have to say I am surprised to see someone say they don't tip at a buffet. I always tip the same at a buffet as I do at a regular restaurant. At the buffets I go to, those people really work their tails off and many times I get better service than I do when I am eating in a traditional restaurant. I usually eat at a small town buffet every week because I work in that town once a week. They have a really nice little buffet with soup/salad bar and dessert for $5.29. I can't eat fast food for that price. I get such great service, they have my place set with my water w/lemon waiting on me when I walk in the door and always great me warmly. You better believe I tip them!!!

 

[ICF]

Yes I do, somebody had to pull the order together, make sure everything was correct and add all the silverware, condiments, etc.

Couldnt you say the same about the person at the fastfood drive-thru that checks your order, takes your money, fills your drink and ask you if you want condiments? I'm guessing nobody tips them.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

The past 2 times we have picked up Chinese food there was NOBODY eating inside the restaurant. I didn't tip because I didn't think it was necessary, and I was not taking anyone away from their duties with other patrons. Even if there would have been people eating at the tables I still wouldn't have tipped. I paid for the food - I assume prep is included in that price.

DH picks up pizza at least once a week, and he doesn't tip for that.

 

[powellrj]

Couldnt you say the same about the person at the fastfood drive-thru that checks your order, takes your money, fills your drink and ask you if you want condiments? I'm guessing nobody tips them.

The people at fast food places all make at least min wage while at several places I will get carry-out from the server who doesn't make min wage is preparing the order. Thats what I usually base my should I tip them or not choice on.

 

[bicker]

The people at fast food places all make at least min wage while at several places I will get carry-out from the server who doesn't make min wage is preparing the order.

It should be noted that all restaurant servers in the United States make at least minimum wage. If their tips don't amount to that much, their employer is required to make-up the difference. So all that is going on, in the case of restaurants, is leaving open the channel for patrons to contribute a share of the cost of service, the amount of their contribution subject to their discretion.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

It should be noted that all restaurant servers in the United States make at least minimum wage. If their tips don't amount to that much, their employer is required to make-up the difference. So all that is going on, in the case of restaurants, is leaving open the channel for patrons to contribute a share of the cost of service, the amount of their contribution subject to their discretion.

Is that new?