Tipping Question

[dioxide45]

We do carry out lunches quite often with my small team of seven people at work. I always question, should one be tipping on carry our at restaurants? If we get delivery we always tip but never really know for sure with pickup carry out. I am sure there is a lot of work going in to preparing and packaging up our carry out order. It is usually the server staff that assist when picking up. These are orders usually at full service restaurants. What do others do?

 

[vacationhopeful]

I (and my construction crew) tip now that cell phones have made it possible to order before coming in to pick up. The simpler the order (w/o deducts & addons) and the earlier the order, the less we tip .. generally about $1 per sandwich if it includes drinks and fries. If it is just a sandwich, about $.50 each. If I wait on an early order, tip goes down. If I beg when ordering to get faster service and it is ready, bigger tip. We tend to stay in one area for 4-6 weeks at a time and order almost always from the same place ... variety is not the spice of life for these guys as most even order the same sandwich every day.
When I travel, they go to McDs ... as I don't to eat or pickup there ...

 

[Eric in McLean]

I also don't know whether and how much to tip for counter service. It seems less reasonable to tip for carry-out, but I still end up tipping at times (just inconsistently).

 

[stevedmatt]

If it is someone in the wait staff, I would surely tip them, as they only make a couple dollars an hour. If this is a counter person making at least minimum wage, I tip if and only if I receive good, friendly service. I hate the jars on the counters of local sandwich and pizza shops that say "TIPS" on them. This is begging for a tip in my opinion.

In a totally unrelated story from my wedding: I noticed the bartender had a jar on the bar for tips. I went to the MC at the catering hall and had it removed. It was a full service, prepaid and pretipped bar as well as waitstaff. It just seemed to me that they were milking my friends and family after I spent good money for them to have a good time and not feel obligated to reach into their pocket for a dollar or two every time they got a drink.

 

[ScoopKona]

I hate the jars on the counters of local sandwich and pizza shops that say "TIPS" on them. This is begging for a tip in my opinion.

I don't begrudge them -- I think most people under tip as a rule. And without the jar few would think to tip at all.

Table service for me means 20% minimum. The wait staff (in most states at least) is taxed on a "presumed" percentage of 15%. They don't make squat in hourly, and there are far too many people out there who seem to take offense at every little thing, as an excuse to leave a marginal tip.

I always get great service when I dine out. (I think getting great service has much to do with the customer's attitude as the staff's.) So, I usually tip around 25%.

Drinks - At least $1 per draft beer. More for more elaborate preparations. At a busy, upscale place, I'll tip five dollars for a drink if it takes 10 minutes to make. The bartender could have poured 20 beers in that amount of time.

Counter service - If it involves making a panini, or something else that requires skill, care, etc., I'll drop a few bucks in the jar (per order). If I'm going to tip the counter person, I do so BEFORE he or she starts my order. Often I'll get an extra slice of proscuitto that way.

If the counter service is more on the order of "scooping some gelato," I'll tip a buck if the person has a genuine smile.

Anything else depends on the situation. Was the cabbie nice? Did he give me helpful advice that only a local cabbie could give? In that case I round up to the nearest bill (unless the fare is 19.96 -- I'm not leaving a cabbie a four-cent tip.)

How I tip is just as important to me as how much I tip. I've seen some people throw money in the jar as if they were being robbed at gunpoint. How is that any better than not tipping at all?

The only person I won't tip is the guy in the men's room who wants to help with my personal grooming. I hate that. It creeps me out.

 

[stevedmatt]

I don't begrudge them -- I think most people under tip as a rule. And without the jar few would think to tip at all.

Table service for me means 20% minimum. The wait staff (in most states at least) is taxed on a "presumed" percentage of 15%. They don't make squat in hourly, and there are far too many people out there who seem to take offense at every little thing, as an excuse to leave a marginal tip.

I always get great service when I dine out. (I think getting great service has much to do with the customer's attitude as the staff's.) So, I usually tip around 25%.

Drinks - At least $1 per draft beer. More for more elaborate preparations. At a busy, upscale place, I'll tip five dollars for a drink if it takes 10 minutes to make. The bartender could have poured 20 beers in that amount of time.

Counter service - If it involves making a panini, or something else that requires skill, care, etc., I'll drop a few bucks in the jar (per order). If I'm going to tip the counter person, I do so BEFORE he or she starts my order. Often I'll get an extra slice of proscuitto that way.

If the counter service is more on the order of "scooping some gelato," I'll tip a buck if the person has a genuine smile.

Anything else depends on the situation. Was the cabbie nice? Did he give me helpful advice that only a local cabbie could give? In that case I round up to the nearest bill (unless the fare is 19.96 -- I'm not leaving a cabbie a four-cent tip.)

How I tip is just as important to me as how much I tip. I've seen some people throw money in the jar as if they were being robbed at gunpoint. How is that any better than not tipping at all?

The only person I won't tip is the guy in the men's room who wants to help with my personal grooming. I hate that. It creeps me out.

When I say counter person, I mean the person who takes the order and hands it to a cook. Then they take your cash and hand you a bag. If there was a jar at the counter that said "Cook's Tips", I would be more likely to put a couple bucks in it. They are the ones making maybe $2 an hour more than the counter person for working by a 600 oven all day. And the girl at the counter doesn't care how you put the money in the jar, as long as you do.

I consider myself a good tipper. I agree with your 20% rule for wait staffers. My normal is 25%. I had horrible service a couple months ago and tipped 15%. I always give the ice cream girl a $1 tip per item. And bartenders usually get 25% of the total tab (I usually run a tab at the bar).

So, what is the drink that takes 10 minutes to make? If I order any drink and it takes 10 minutes to get it, the tip will surely be less than if it came out quicker.

 

[ScoopKona]

When I say counter person, I mean the person who takes the order and hands it to a cook. Then they take your cash and hand you a bag.

At the places I tend to buy lunch (which is not really that often), the counter person takes the food from the cook on a plate. She then transfers it to a styrofoam container and takes my money.

She is almost always a server, who could have been waiting on her tables but is instead helping me. So I tip her.

I would have to be confronted with the basest cash register monkey (like in the movie "Clerks") to not leave a tip.


PS -- A good mint julip takes several minutes to make. A proper Guiness takes a few minutes to pour. If the bartender gets a workout mashing my mint leaves or pours me a perfect pint, I'm going to give him a little extra for the effort.

PPS -- (Edit) And yes, servers really do care about how people put the money in the jar. I've seen dismissive snobs throw the money in the jar like that scene where the Corleone mobsters throw money at the guy who's camera they just smashed. (Early in Godfather I.) It hurts the server's feelings -- they won't show it because they're professionals. But it still hurts their feelings. After the Corleone tipper leaves with his bag, I'll say something like, "Wow, what a jerk." And the server will tell me stories about people who are much, much, worse.

 

[Moosie]

Recently while at a Chillis at an off time and by myself I pondered this while watching a few orders being picked up. When the manager stopped by to check on me I asked the question about the habits of picked up orders and tipping.

He said when an order is phomed in it is usually taken by a server who then when it is ready, checks it out for accuracy, packs it up and brings it to the customer.

He said some people tip others don't, as a matter of fact last week we had an order that totaled $250.00, and no tip was given.

I almost never do take out, but when I do it is usually a take out only like a small Chinese place, I'll put in a dollar or two.

There is an on going post over on Chowhound about all kinds of tipping. If by chance you visit there you'll see my above post there too.

 

[wackymother]

The only person I won't tip is the guy in the men's room who wants to help with my personal grooming. I hate that. It creeps me out.

I ALWAYS tip the ladies' room attendant! She's in A BATHROOM for several hours an evening, making sure it stays clean and pleasant. A bathroom! Who deserves a tip more than she does?

Mind you, the ladies' room lady has never offered me help with my personal grooming, beyond giving me a hand towel...