Tipping at Sonic?

[Figment22]

I usually leave whatever the change is and a dollar.

This is what I usually do if I park and have a car hop deliver the food to my car. Usually I just use the drive-through. Then I don't tip. I figure if someone's bringing the food out to me that deserves a small tip.

 

[JadenLayne]

We don't have a drive through here, I've actually never seen one with a drive through, neat!

 

[powellrj]

I would usually tip with my change, but when I went last week my reciept had a suggested tip on it. That was the first time I had ever seen that. I had already paid with the credit card machine, so I didn't tip on that trip.

 

[Ariel Mae]

My parent's tip the same as they do at any restraunt where there's service.

Ten percent to fifteen percent, I wager.

That said, I think Sonic is fairly well priced.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You have to tip with cash only so sometimes I don't, if I have no cash on hand.

 

[rt2dz]

We usually tip at sonic. It's just $.75-$1. They get paid minimum wage so I don't feel horrible about when they don't get tipped. HOWEVER, I tip because they do bring it to me and I do usually leave trash at the side. Even when leaving I get rid of all the extra garbage before pulling out. And there are times when I do have to make them run back and get this or that or fix that.

However, this is a plastic world (even when paying cash--debit/check cards) and I don't always have cash on me. There is no way to leave a tip by cc, so if no cash on me, then no tip. And no guilt.

Oh, for pp who said Sonic is more costly than other fast food places, I find the exact opposite to be true. I spend less at Sonic than BK, Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, etc (don't eat McDonald's).

 

[BabyPiglet]

I pay with a debit card in the little slider thing so I don't tip. And they really don't do anything for me besides bringing my food.

 

[bookgirl]

I ususally give them whatever coins are left from change. I do not tip at drive through. Sonic is not the best food in the world but they do have the best drinks. Nothing beats sonic ice and landfills may be full but you can't beat styrophome cups.

Also I think they are reasonably priced compared to chick fill a or Johnies, or A and W. But Mcds is the price king but they have lousy drinks (expecially now that they are using the automated machines with melty ice and the compressed gas makes the soda taste funny) and they've already switched our fry oil to the 0transfat and that just sucks. So I'll stick to sonic thank you, plus they have diet dr pepper and sprite zero.

 

[camreesmom]

Sonic definitely has the best drinks. I love the ice and don't have to worry if the cup is going to hold up all day. I don't tip there though. I pay with the cc thingy now too and there's not an option to tip on there. The servers must hate that. However, before the cc thing was in place, it never failed that every time I tipped the server, SOMETHING would be wrong with our order and I would be ticked. We don't have a drive thru here either. A friend used to work there and she said she could always tell when someone was from out of town because they would tip and the locals never would tip.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I sure do. They're providing a service, and it certainly makes me comfortable.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

I don't- and I'm a tipper in general. I just don't see why you'd tip at a fast food place. Walking the food out to your car isn't that much harder than walking it to the drive-thru window.

 

[rie'smom]

I tip 20% for car service but nothing for drive through.

 

[bookgirl]

I don't- and I'm a tipper in general. I just don't see why you'd tip at a fast food place. Walking the food out to your car isn't that much harder than walking it to the drive-thru window.

Except when windchills are in the single digits or the heat index is 100+. Both of which happen here, so yeah I give them the coins if they come to my car. Although I will admit to sometimes using the auto pay with a debit or gift card then I give them like 50 cents from my change stash (the ashtray).

 

[Ciao Mickey]

Are you or aren't you 'supposed' to tip at Sonic? When I ask people around here, some do and some don't.

I don't; my reasons:
- (This is an assumption on my part) The carhops don't make any less than they do at other fast food places.
- Sonic food is already slightly more expensive than other fast-food places
- Drinks are a lot more expensive - their base cost is more, and you don't get free refills.

So, do you tip, and if so, how much? Do you tip based on a percentage? What if you just stop in for a drink?

(For those who don't have a Sonic nearby, it's a drive-in fast food place with a bunch of stores in the mid south, and spreading out to the coasts.)

We don't have Sonics around here. But if what you are saying is that the food is delivered to you by someone then I would tip.

If it's like a Wendy's where you go up to the counter and order and pick-up your food then I do not tip.

 

[Becky2005]

Unfortunatly, we don't have any up here...Just A & W's and they are SOOOOO much better foodwise (insert heavy sarcasism...) .

I never tipped at Sonic at home, up here they seem to expect it at A&W... I do , but it's just kinda weird...

You tip at A&W? Is it a drive-in type place? Do they still HAVE those? I'm assuming Sonic is like that? All I'm picturing is Dog & Suds that we had a very long time ago. The only A&W's we have here are just like Burger King, McDonalds, etc... I would never even *think* to tip there. The only thing they have at ours is to ring a bell on the way out if you are happy.

I've never been to a Sonic, do you eat in your car when they deliver your food? Or is it they come to the car, deliver your food & you leave? If you actually ate in your car while there (i.e. think Fred Flinstone with a tray attached to his car) then I would tip. IF it's just order & go, I don't think I would.

 

[CottontailCurl]

Most of the servers at our Sonic are on roller skates, one of them thinks she's Kristi Yamaguchi. If you show up at the bumper of a car, twirl around two or three times with a tray loaded with food held high above your head, ya gets a tip from us! I've even been known to park at the farthest space from the building because there's more space there, she does more, make her earn her keep! She can also do the Hamil Camel there (Ok, I made that up, but the rest is true!)

Before I started eating low carbs I loved their BLT's lots of B, fresh L and T, I don't like a BLT with a couple pieces of wimpy L and 2 teeny tiny B's. I don't drink Coke but always got their Cherry Coke - so good! LemonBerry slush with real fruit at the bottom of the cup is good, too.

 

[sha_lyn]

I've never been to a Sonic, do you eat in your car when they deliver your food? Or is it they come to the car, deliver your food & you leave? If you actually ate in your car while there (i.e. think Fred Flinstone with a tray attached to his car) then I would tip. IF it's just order & go, I don't think I would.

You can eat at the car or leave either one. They also have a drive through and oudoor seating. at the outdoor seating you order from an order board at your table the same as you would at drive through or the parking spaces.
I tip is we are at a table or parked. I don't tip if we go through drive through.

 

[JennaTX]

Why would you tip at Sonic? It is a fast food restaurant.

Yes I get that they have people who bring the food to your car, but that is Sonic's choice to set up their fast food restaurants that way.

 

[sha_lyn]

yes it is fast food, but it is not counter service. You do not go up to a counter, order, wait for your food, and carry it to the table yourself.
IMHO the type of service is what matters when tipping, not the type of food.

 

[JennaTX]

yes it is fast food, but it is not counter service. You do not go up to a counter, order, wait for your food, and carry it to the table yourself.
IMHO the type of service is what matters when tipping, not the type of food.

Yep, I know what Sonic is, I go there often. But they are fast food. They decided not to make it "counter service" not me.

And I really don't think that I am getting service by someone walking a paper bag with hamburgers in it to my car.