Local Tipping and Maid Service - Home

[JAG107]

Has anyone ever ordered drive-thru, was then asked to go park around the corner and wait for an employee to bring out your order? Do you tip these people? Is that all that different from curbside carryout from say Chili's?
There are times when I see tip jars at fast food places, where I fill up my drink, and carry my tray or bag either to a table or out the door.
Other times, for example at the Dinosaur CS at AK, the CM's have offered to refill our drinks, bus our trays and get us anything else we might need (napkins, sauce, etc.) yet no tip is expected there. I will gladly tip those that go the extra effort to making our dining experience above average, but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth when the "karma" jar is left out when the only service being provided is my food being put in a bag and handed to me.
It's unfortunate that restaurants are required to report mandatory tips to the IRS, I think this is completely unfair, especially in a take-out situation. What is so difficult about having a separate register for carryout orders? The ones I've seen at Chili's HAVE a special register just for carryout orders, am I missing something there?

 

[bumbershoot]

OP, do NOT talk to my husband about you not being able to complain because she works. DH has been telling me for years that he wouldn't mind it at all if I hired a cleaning service, even though I'm at home with absolutely no plans to go back to working outside the home.

Don't have a maid. Can't afford one because we tip everyone...

As far as them being taxed on money that they don't receive, as an employee I would be contacting the IRS because the employer is filing false tax returns.

Bill

Wouldn't it be great if servers (in the states with "server minimum", and at the restaurants that do this) would do just that?




OP, if YOU quit your job and went to clean houses, and you spent 5 hours cleaning up *someone else's stuff*, how much would YOU want to be paid? (bet it's more than $140!)

 

[Dean]

what is a "basic" to go order? how does it differ from a non-basic to go order?

anyhow, someone has taken the time to put that order together. say they ordered a Tempura Shrimp dinner. and a prime rib dinner. with horseradish sauce. one soup, one salad. I put a few rolls in a paper bag. I put together a salad.(in the togo container, I go to my salad bar, put in lettuce,and dress it with the following: radishes, grated carrots:tomato cucumber, green pepper, onion. and put i n a cup of salad dressing, with a lid. and fill a to go container with soup, grab a packet of oyste crackers, . put the soup, salad and rools i none plastic bag. now, go to the kitchen and get the entrees from the cook. put some cocktail sauce in a little plastic cup with lid. same with sour cream for the baked potato oh, an a couple lemons (which I have cut, and now may have to cut more ).
and I take some horeseradhish and some sour cream and make up a little horseradish sauce, to put in a little plastic cup, with a lid (for the prime rib)

now, I took time out to take the order over the phone (love those people who want you to practically read the menu to you over the phone) . when the customer arrives, I take their credit card and run it.. or take their money and give them change. (this usually takes a couple trips)

and yes, this IS taking time away from my tables in the dining room.

however, in my opinion, a tip in the dining room is expected. a tip for carry out is appreciated, not expected. but it is definitely apppropriate. 10% is great! a couple bucks is appreciated, too!

When I say basic, I mean normal, nothing overly difficult or special. This should be most of the to go orders. As I suggested, this is a management issue. In your case, the owners are making money on those orders and should figure a way to cover that issue. Hopefully the overall situation is positive for you. The actual work itself is somewhat irrelevant in this situation, the question is who does it and how it's compensated. My opinion is that it is not the standard and therefore it's not appropriate. Since you say it's not expected, I'm assuming you agree that it's not the standard. My personal approach in general is that tipping situations or persons outside the standard is inappropriate. Larger picture, I believe the entire system should be scrapped and employer's should pay employees a market based rate.

ETA: Do you have other duties that are not compensated extra from tips like general restaurant cleanup, acting as cashier, food prep?

Wouldn't it be great if servers (in the states with "server minimum", and at the restaurants that do this) would do just that?

As I understand it, no one is taxed on money they don't receive. They have withholding assuming a 10% I believe and the employer has to make up the difference related to min wage if they don't make that much. My understanding is that IF they were over withheld at the end of the year and file taxes accordingly, they would get back any excess withholding.

 

[disneynutz]

Has anyone ever ordered drive-thru, was then asked to go park around the corner and wait for an employee to bring out your order? Do you tip these people? Is that all that different from curbside carryout from say Chili's?
There are times when I see tip jars at fast food places, where I fill up my drink, and carry my tray or bag either to a table or out the door.
Other times, for example at the Dinosaur CS at AK, the CM's have offered to refill our drinks, bus our trays and get us anything else we might need (napkins, sauce, etc.) yet no tip is expected there. I will gladly tip those that go the extra effort to making our dining experience above average, but it leaves a sour taste in my mouth when the "karma" jar is left out when the only service being provided is my food being put in a bag and handed to me.
It's unfortunate that restaurants are required to report mandatory tips to the IRS, I think this is completely unfair, especially in a take-out situation. What is so difficult about having a separate register for carryout orders? The ones I've seen at Chili's HAVE a special register just for carryout orders, am I missing something there?

Salted tip jars are successful because humans tend to follow others. They see the tip jar with money in it and they don't want to be the person not leaving a tip so they do.

Bill