Tipping question for self-serve places

[MrsDoubtfire]

I know - "not another tipping debate", but honestly, I'm not too sure what to do in this circumstance...

Recently in my city and surrounding towns, a few self-serve yogurt places have been popping up: Orange Leaf, Yogurt City, FroyoWorld - I think there is even a Pinkberry in Providence. I have taken DD14 to two of them so far - the Orange Leaf one and Yogurt city, and I have a Groupon for FroyoWorld, but haven't been there yet.

These places are self-serve with various flavors of frozen yogurt, and then a topping bar of all sorts of goodies from fruit, to boba balls, to hot fudge, to gummy worms, etc. You are the person who chooses the flavor, you place how much you want in the cup (which are provided for you to take), you put the toppings of choice on, and bring it to the cashier - you even place it on a scale to be weighed as the price is X-cents per ounce. Then you pay the cashier, who then gives you change. You take your yogurt cup off of the scale, grab a spoon, and off you go - unless you wish to sit in the place and eat it there. At each place I went to, there was a tip jar on the counter. The first place that I went to, I believe I left whatever loose change I was given as change after paying for our yogurt. The next place - I didn't leave a "tip" since I was not sure why I should. What was the service that I should tip for? The cashier surely receives an hourly wage. Perhaps he also needs to clean up and restock the topping bar, but he is getting paid to do that also.

Has anyone here been to any of these self-serve yogurt places ? And if so, do you leave tips at them?

 

[angierae]

I see those as no different than a tip jar at a coffee place, which means that I will sometimes throw money in them but usually not, since I am generally using a debit card and don't have any cash anyway. Totally optional.

 

[Pigeon]

I don't tip at that type of place. I think this trend of everyone expecting a tip for everything is sort of silly. A waitress, a delivery person, a hairstylist, sure. A check out clerk, no.

What do they do at a froyo place that is any different from the counter person at McDonalds? I don't tip the person who rings up my pizza when I pick it up myself at the pizza place, either.

 

[MrsDoubtfire]

I see those as no different than a tip jar at a coffee place, which means that I will sometimes throw money in them but usually not, since I am generally using a debit card and don't have any cash anyway. Totally optional.

Yes, I get this but at least at a coffee place, there is usually someone pouring my coffee for me, and adding cream and sugar. Some of the coffee shops in my area have the tip jars, others do not. I usually use my debit card also, which generally means no change for tips. I'm thinking these yogurt place employees can't possibly be making a lot of tip money

 

[shoney]

I don't think you have to tip..maybe the loose change.

We did have ice cream last summer at a touristy place here on Long Island. Each register girl had her own tip jar with a little bio about what she was studying and where. We thought it was cute so we tipped!

 

[MSSANDRA]

Generally I do not tip as these places with a few exceptions. Sweet Frogs has a really nice allergy policy and ours is very good with DS allergy so I do tip VERY well there. I, however, hand it to the girl that helps us. I do not know if they have to share the tip jar or not...I hope not. DH will sometime tip if he and I go to our local cold stone ice cream place just because they sing and play it up well.

 

[mm1971]

I know - "not another tipping debate", but honestly, I'm not too sure what to do in this circumstance...

Recently in my city and surrounding towns, a few self-serve yogurt places have been popping up: Orange Leaf, Yogurt City, FroyoWorld - I think there is even a Pinkberry in Providence. I have taken DD14 to two of them so far - the Orange Leaf one and Yogurt city, and I have a Groupon for FroyoWorld, but haven't been there yet.

These places are self-serve with various flavors of frozen yogurt, and then a topping bar of all sorts of goodies from fruit, to boba balls, to hot fudge, to gummy worms, etc. You are the person who chooses the flavor, you place how much you want in the cup (which are provided for you to take), you put the toppings of choice on, and bring it to the cashier - you even place it on a scale to be weighed as the price is X-cents per ounce. Then you pay the cashier, who then gives you change. You take your yogurt cup off of the scale, grab a spoon, and off you go - unless you wish to sit in the place and eat it there. At each place I went to, there was a tip jar on the counter. The first place that I went to, I believe I left whatever loose change I was given as change after paying for our yogurt. The next place - I didn't leave a "tip" since I was not sure why I should. What was the service that I should tip for? The cashier surely receives an hourly wage. Perhaps he also needs to clean up and restock the topping bar, but he is getting paid to do that also.

Has anyone here been to any of these self-serve yogurt places ? And if so, do you leave tips at them?

I don't tip at any of these places. As to the yogurt bar question.......Do you really need to tip someone just to take your money? For some reason, tipping jars have shown up everywhere. We tip for good service at sit down restaurants or if we feel someone goes above and beyond to help in some way. I still can't believe people tip the guy at Dunkin Donuts for grabbing a donut off the shelf or pouring coffee into a cup. Just another example of how society is changing.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

I don't tip at those places. I normally pay with a debit card, and I don't think any of the local ones have a tip line on the credit slip, which indicates to me that they don't expect tipping.

 

[bpesch]

I don't tip at a place that the only thing the employee does is ring up your purchase.

 

[scrapquitler]

I know - "not another tipping debate", but honestly, I'm not too sure what to do in this circumstance...

Recently in my city and surrounding towns, a few self-serve yogurt places have been popping up: Orange Leaf, Yogurt City, FroyoWorld - I think there is even a Pinkberry in Providence. I have taken DD14 to two of them so far - the Orange Leaf one and Yogurt city, and I have a Groupon for FroyoWorld, but haven't been there yet.

These places are self-serve with various flavors of frozen yogurt, and then a topping bar of all sorts of goodies from fruit, to boba balls, to hot fudge, to gummy worms, etc. You are the person who chooses the flavor, you place how much you want in the cup (which are provided for you to take), you put the toppings of choice on, and bring it to the cashier - you even place it on a scale to be weighed as the price is X-cents per ounce. Then you pay the cashier, who then gives you change. You take your yogurt cup off of the scale, grab a spoon, and off you go - unless you wish to sit in the place and eat it there. At each place I went to, there was a tip jar on the counter. The first place that I went to, I believe I left whatever loose change I was given as change after paying for our yogurt. The next place - I didn't leave a "tip" since I was not sure why I should. What was the service that I should tip for? The cashier surely receives an hourly wage. Perhaps he also needs to clean up and restock the topping bar, but he is getting paid to do that also.

Has anyone here been to any of these self-serve yogurt places ? And if so, do you leave tips at them?

They wouldn't get a tip from me. I'm doing all the work. All they are doing is taking my money.

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

B]Yes, I get this but at least at a coffee place, there is usually someone pouring my coffee for me, and adding cream and sugar. [/B]Some of the coffee shops in my area have the tip jars, others do not. I usually use my debit card also, which generally means no change for tips. I'm thinking these yogurt place employees can't possibly be making a lot of tip money

Do you also tip the folks at McDonald's when you get coffee there?
They pour coffee too but I would never tip anyone at McDonalds.

I really can't see how it is any different.
Just my $0.02...

I have often been tempted to tip the wonderful employees at
Chik-Fil-A who come by my table to ask how I am enjoying my meal
and offer to get me a free refill
and then do so with such a lovely smile on their faces.
But when I offered they refused to take a tip

And that is why I keep going back to Chik-Fil-A~
Great food, impeccable kind service, even when they are super busy, which seems to be all the time.

 

[ShiPooOwner]

Never been to one (wish we had them here though) but if I went to one, I wouldn't tip.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

No, I don't tip when I go out for frozen yogurt.

 

[Eureka]

We have a Sweet Frog, which is the same thing. I've only been there a few times but from what I can see, the only thing the employee does for me is to weigh my cup and take my payment. I don't tip for that; that's what they are getting paid to do. We are generous tippers at sit-down restaurants, and I also tip housekeeping, my hair stylist, etc. But to me, there's not much extraordinary you can do to make my yogurt experience any better, you know?

 

[ICF]

Why would you tip anyone in this situation? A fast-food worker (who isn't getting tipped) does more work on your order then a worker at these places.

As you mentioned (and I've been to an Orange Leaf), the only thing a worker is really doing on your order is taking the money. You got the cup, filled it up, added toppings and sat in on the scale.

No Tip for them.

 

[MrsDoubtfire]

Do you also tip the folks at McDonald's when you get coffee there?
They pour coffee too but I would never tip anyone at McDonalds.

I really can't see how it is any different.
Just my $0.02...

I have never purchased a coffee at McD's, but I have purchased a soda, and did not leave a tip. Of course nowadays, the cashier usually gives me a cup and I fill it myself. With this thought in mind re: the coffee shops, I don't think I am leaving any tip at those places anymore. Tipping is so out of control. My sister is a waitress, and a very good one at that. She deserves the good tips that she receives, when she gets them. Sadly in this society, there are many people who stiff her, and a few who have walked out on the whole bill.


After reading these responses, I'm not ever going to feel like I'm doing something wrong when I take my change, pocket it, and thank the cashier for their service (taking my money and giving me the change), and leave zero in the tip jar.

 

[danceintherain]

Have you ever cleaned out a soft serve ice cream machine? It sucks.

That said, I rarely tip at those kinds of places, unless someone actually went above and beyond or I have extra change that I don't want to deal with.
I don't think they expect to get tipped very much.

 

[Pigeon]

Have you ever cleaned out a soft serve ice cream machine? It sucks.

That said, I rarely tip at those kinds of places, unless someone actually went above and beyond or I have extra change that I don't want to deal with.
I don't think they expect to get tipped very much.

I'm sure it does. But it sucks just as much to clean out the soft serve machine at McD's (or wipe down the tables or any of the other disgusting tasks). So that's not a good reason that the froyo people get tipped.

 

[pixiewings71]

We have froyo places, they work the same as the OP describes, we do not tip normally but sometimes, if I pay cash and have some small change (under 50 cents usually) I drop that into the "tip cup" just so I don't have to carry it around.

 

[sksjasams]

Have you ever cleaned out a soft serve ice cream machine? It sucks.

Actually, I have, when I was working in college. And it's not bad, especially compared to cleaning a restaurant grill or fryer.

But that's beside the point.

No, I don't tip at those types of places. If I were the manager or owner, I would not even allow a tip jar. I think it looks tacky. And it makes some customers uncomfortable. You would never see a tip jar at McDonalds, or at a dept store like Macy's, for example, where the clerk rings up your purchase.