Tipping question

heathbar10210 · February 2011

If you place a to go order at a sit down restaurant what is the norm for tipping if any for picking up a to go order? Hope that just made sense...lol!

schuette2 · February 2011

Just asked Zach, since he's a server at Chili's, and he said he usually gets between 10-15% on a good day/night, 5% or less on a bad. Apparently to-go orders rank the same as regular food.

Tisharp · February 2011

I might be horrible for this, but sometimes I tip and sometimes I don't. So, there's no consistancy for me. IF I have an extra $5, I'll put it in the tip jar. If I don't have ANY cash, I don't feel too bad about not tipping.

If I'm paying with my debit card, I might round up and add a dollar to the total.

hz80408 · February 2011

For a sit-down meal we usually tip 15-25% depending on service.

If we were to carry out, honestly, we don't tip. Maybe we should start? However, we rarely carry out...

maheard · February 2011

I am kinda hit or miss on this as well. Mike always tips but if I don't get decent service when picking up then I don't leave anything but if I do I leave 5-10%. I hope that makes sense.

nfp147 · February 2011

We tip pretty well when we're in a restaurant, but I don't tip for to go orders. Tipping is for service, not for someone handing me a bag.

Dyork · February 2011

For pick-up I usually tip 5-10%.

schuette2 · February 2011

Not meaning to hijack, but thanks to those of you that tip. Zach had 2 instances last week where a bill of $60-75 was left, and they didn't leave a tip. When you get paid $2.50 and hour, and tips are expected by management to pay their employees - well, it's one reason i have to work 2 jobs to help keep our heads above water financially. Usually he brings home decent tips, but this last week, apparently the love was not felt toward servers.

heathbar10210 · February 2011

My husband and I feel we are good tippers. We generally leave at least 10% even if the service was not all that great because we do realize that they earn a very low salary and depend on tips. And sometimes we feel that maybe the service was bad because of another customer and we all tend to have bad days so we look past it. Usually we tip 15-20% if we have good service.

However, when it comes to pick up orders I am a little hesitant to tip. I feel when we go to a restaurant to sit down a tip is expected because of the extra service of being waited on for a longer period of time. When we call in a to go order however I feel like a tip is not really expected (I could be wrong about this). There have been quite a few times we go to pick up our to go order and the manager cashes us out. I have at times left a very small tip, but I am hesitant to leave a tip because all they did was hand me a bag and ring up my order.

I hope I am not offending anyone by my thoughts. I just was wondering because I did a to go order recently and thought to myself I did not know what the norm for this was. Well...thanks for reading )

Tisharp · February 2011

TishaPayne:

I might be horrible for this, but sometimes I tip and sometimes I don't. So, there's no consistancy for me. IF I have an extra $5, I'll put it in the tip jar. If I don't have ANY cash, I don't feel too bad about not tipping.

If I'm paying with my debit card, I might round up and add a dollar to the total.

CRAP! I just reread this and realized it sounds like I meant I don't tip period. I meant that I don't always tip for TO-GO orders. I ALWAYS tip at least 20% for sit-down dinners!

ead1975 · February 2011

I always tip a minimum of 20% for a sit down meal, unless the service was absolutely horrendous. And even then, I'll usually tip something. I think only once did I not leave a tip at all, but that was an extreme case.

If we're getting take out from somewhere, I try to have a buck or two on-hand to throw in the tip jar. But if I don't, I have to admit that I don't stress about it if I don't. Our take-out is almost always pizza or subs, though; I can't think of a time when we got a full meal.

EmDizzle · February 2011

With carry out orders, there is usually a server or a runner (someone who gets paid almost solely on tips, not an hourly paid kitchen staffer), that needs to get everything packaged up for you. (I served through all of undergrad)

While it's not too much work, I know I would kind of get frustrated if it was a really busy friday night, and I spent time away from my tables, packaging up a carry-out order nicely only to not get a dime for it. 20% is not necessary, but maybe like 5-10%?

I usually try to give like $3 to $5 for a small order. Just a few dollars is all you need to say "thanks"

xoxpipahxox · February 2011

For sit-down, I tip at least 20%. For take-out, I usually toss a few bucks or so their way. The host/hostess often has to run to the kitchen to package up the food and then they will oftentimes have to do curb-side delivery (even in inclement weather). I feel they definitely deserve a tip, but they aren't doing as much leg work as a server, so I don't tip nearly as much. I used to be a hostess, and this is the way I view it, anyway!

pondering_gal · February 2011

For sit down, I always at least double the tax (which is 9.75% here). It they were really good, I'll do about 25%. If they were bad, 15%. I have never or would never leave zero tip...that's just wrong.

For pick ups, I hate to say I don't tip much if at all...maybe a couple bucks. But I don't pick up too often.

becca474 · February 2011

I tip 17-20% for sit down dinners, that's pretty typical of the area I live in.

As far as to-go orders, I don't tip for take out or pick up orders if I'm the one actually walking in, paying, and walking out and taking it to my car. I guess if it was curbside pick up I would probably round up to the nearest dollar or something, but I've never been in that situation.

ETA: I always tip - even if my food is cold, etc, because I know most of the time it's not the servers fault. The only time I have not tipped was a few years ago when the waitress ignored us (and we were the only table in the WHOLE RESTAURANT) and kept us waiting at each stage of the game, ignored my request to serve the pasta without chicken after saying she could (I'm a vegetarian), and when I ordered dessert they were out when she went to get it so she "substituted" another dessert for my order without telling me.

jena.n.ross · February 2011

EmDizzle:
With carry out orders, there is usually a server or a runner (someone who gets paid almost solely on tips, not an hourly paid kitchen staffer), that needs to get everything packaged up for you. (I served through all of undergrad)
While it's not too much work, I know I would kind of get frustrated if it was a really busy friday night, and I spent time away from my tables, packaging up a carry-out order nicely only to not get a dime for it. 20% is not necessary, but maybe like 5-10%?
I usually try to give like $3 to $5 for a small order. Just a few dollars is all you need to say "thanks"

All of this. The food doesn't order itself, package itself, check itself, and run itself out to your car/hand. It's usually done by someone who makes a living off tips because they're paid less than minimum wage (with the idea that tips will even it out). I always drop something, even if it's just a couple bucks (for a small order). I got to go at the Olive Garden a while ago, the food came to $14, and I left $3 for the to go person.

I think most people just don't think about it. But it's the same as any other restaurant service job - the food costs $xx because the person giving it to you makes less than minimum wage. If your server/to go person made minimum wage, the food would be more expensive. So you, the eater, would pay regardless. The restaurant is going to make its money one way or another, whether it's in food cost or wages. If you don't tip, you're not paying for the service you are receiving, and the person giving the service is not being compensated for it. The restaurant made their profit, so they're happy, the person who pays their bills with tips is not. I wouldn't leave 20% but they always get something, a few bucks or 10ish%, which ever is more.

The to-go person at my job gets $5/hr, plus tips. Minimum wage in this state is $7.75.

-On a related note: unless we're basically spat upon, we always leave at least 20%. Unless our tab comes to like $20. I feel that $4, even though it's 20% is not enough to leave and we'll leave more (at least $5).

-Second related note, if you're going to "camp" at a table for an extended amount of time, you need to "pay the rent" on the table. Most restaurants only allow their servers x# of tables (we get three, sometimes four). If you sit for two rounds (rounding up, assuming most people are in and out within an hour), you should tip for two rounds. Because otherwise you are essentially holding that table hostage and taking money away from your server. If I have three tables, and you sit at one for 2 and a half hours (trust me, it happens more often than you'd think), you're literally preventing me from making additional tips. I'm not anti-camper, Ross and I are campers, but I always pay the rent on the table, and we ask for someone who's going to be there for a while. Nothing sucks like being cut to go home, but having to sit around with your thumb up your ass because all your work is done and you're just waiting for one table to leave. And unless you pay someone else to clean the table, you're stuck.

**Disclaimer, this is by no means aimed at anyone in particular, just your average server gripes about people who don't understand.

chantico23 · February 2011

I do tip for carry out, but not 20% (unless they are especially helpful/kind). This may not be the case at everyone restaurant, but at the one that Matt manages his to-go person makes more than the other servers (during the hours that they are working to-go). I don't know if it is minimum wage...I'll have to ask. But I do know that they do not expect to make most of their wages that shift in tips. That said, they do still make a good part of their wages in tips so as long as they aren't rude/awful I will definitely tip them anywhere from 10-20% (where servers I'll tip 15-30% based on their service).

schuette2 · February 2011

jena.n.ross:
EmDizzle:

-Second related note, if you're going to "camp" at a table for an extended amount of time, you need to "pay the rent" on the table. Most restaurants only allow their servers x# of tables (we get three, sometimes four). If you sit for two rounds (rounding up, assuming most people are in and out within an hour), you should tip for two rounds. Because otherwise you are essentially holding that table hostage and taking money away from your server. If I have three tables, and you sit at one for 2 and a half hours (trust me, it happens more often than you'd think), you're literally preventing me from making additional tips. I'm not anti-camper, Ross and I are campers, but I always pay the rent on the table, and we ask for someone who's going to be there for a while. Nothing sucks like being cut to go home, but having to sit around with your thumb up your ass because all your work is done and you're just waiting for one table to leave. And unless you pay someone else to clean the table, you're stuck.
**Disclaimer, this is by no means aimed at anyone in particular, just your average server gripes about people who don't understand.

This! If it makes more money for him, I don't care, but you wouldn't believe the amount of times Zach's come home an hour or two late because someone came in and set up a mortgage at a table THEN DIDN'T TIP FOR $HIT! Not only am I worried because I can't get ahold of him, he makes hardly any money. Campers drive me crazy, and I'm about this close to start camping out myself - in the Chili's parking lot, and letting people know what time they f-ing close!

chantico23 · February 2011

Okay, got the full story from Matt. His to-go people make minimum wage (when they work to-go, still $2-something when waiting tables). It is not expected that you tip at to-go in the same way that it is expected when you are served at a table. However, it is nice, especially when they do something that exceeds your expectations. They often have regulars who come in to pick up to-go and they remember their orders, just the way they like it, etc. so they get tipped pretty well from that. So anyway, there it is. I think it's pretty standard practice that to-go will make a more reasonable wage, where a tip is good but they won't starve if you don't give it.

Tipping question

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