I always tip at a sit-down restaurant. (My wife likes it and anyway I feel sorry for waitpersons and anyone else working in a restaurant.) I especially tipped when I was dating -- it seemed to impress women. I don't order in a lot but I try to tip when I do. (I think being a delivery driver is a perilous job, especially ta night in a strange neighborhood). On takeout, I tip only when the person has done something out of the ordinary. My wife has a broken elbow right now, and we go to a deli to pick up bagels and whitefish. My wife will ask that the bagels be sliced -- it's uncomfortable for her to do that -- , and I always tip for that.
OT: Tipping on take-out order
- Thread starter THERAC
- Start date
I worked for a moving company in college during the Summers. The amount of people that did not provide a tip were far and few in between.
My rules (as if any of you care):
Sit down restaurant.
Sit down restaurant.
- 15% for below average service
- 18% for expected good service
- 20% if I notice you comped me something on the bill.
- 10% at any buffet
- $1-2 for truly bad service (late)
- $3-4 for expected good service
- $5 if you amazed me with your speed.
- LOL! Never! And if I pay with a CC I make sure to either write "Pick Up" or draw a slash through the tip line so there can be no funny business. I worked as a server in a restaurant that did pickup. The hostess answered the phone and took the order, the guys in the kitchen did the rest and everyone in the process was minimum wage or better on the pay scale. It might be different in every place but I doubt it's much different. The people making $2.15 an hour shouldn't be involved in that process and if they are they are being taken advantage of. I remember flat out telling my manager I wouldn't do a lick of "side-work" if a busser was on duty making minimum wage or better and he was still getting a % of my tips. I literally laughed at him. Kept that job for 5 years.
I worked there in the late 90s. I did everything I could to get fired but they were desperate.
This was my experience working in a chain restaurant (where servers also frequently tip out to the host, bartenders, and bussers, anyway), but not when working in a small restaurant. When there is literally one person in the kitchen and 1-2 people working the front of the house, servers frequently double as host/seater and take/prepare the takeout orders.
Since I never order takeout from chains, I usually leave $1-2 tip when carrying out. I wouldn't tip on takeout orders from Applebee's.
All those people involved in your order are doing minimum wage or better. (Edit: If they're not they are being taken terrible advantage of.) They are not surviving on tips.
It's cool for anyone who wants to do it. It's your money. I just wouldn't look down my nose at someone who doesn't (not saying you do, just saying) because while the people who are getting the tip probably do really appreciate it, it's not the difference between a hamburger or cat food for dinner either.
Again, at a chain restaurant.
I frequently worked shifts at a small restaurant where I was the bartender, and there was one server and one guy in the kitchen. Not ever small restaurant has enough of a volume of customers on every shift to support a host or more staff.
I took the phone calls for takeout orders and put them into the kitchen, prepared the bags, and took payment from the customer when they came. When it was slow, this was no problem at all... when we had a rush, it took time away from the customers at the bar.
The small tips on takeout orders were appreciated, and I probably saw them about 20-25% of the time. I never expected them - but having done that job in that environment, I know that every bit helped at the end of the night.
Very glad I no longer need to work for tips. Now that I'm much more financially stable, a buck or two on takeout orders is more valuable to them than to me.
And, if it's a restaurant I visit frequently for takeout, tips are also about building a relationship.
Am I the only one at least mildly surprised at the purported generosity of the posters on this thread? It sounds like most posters are uniformly prodigious tippers. And more than a few people have said they can afford a few extra bucks and that it's not going to hurt the bottom line. It's really terrific to hear. I just expected a bunch of cheap grumpy bastards who grunt and grimace when they have to part with their spare change. After all, this a the forum of thousands of Rutgers fans, the majority of who won't spare $20 a month to contribute to the Big Ten Fund. And I'm not trying to tell you what to do with your money. Just genuinely surprised that people are okay to part with their money.
That's because the florists are criminals and up charge probably $15 for delivery already. Try ordering Pro Flowers $29.99 dozen roses and tell me what it really costs you in the end.
When I was a teenagers (30 years ago) I worked with my uncle who delivered office supplies to NYC businesses. As most delivery employees do we wanted to get in to the city as early as possible in the AM, finish our run, and beat afternoon rush hour out of the city. We always had this one delivery where the effing guy wouldn't just sign the bill of lading and let us drop the office supplies next to the closet. He had to make us wait until he was ready, get his key, unlock the door, stack the office supplies in all sorts of different shelves. What should have taken us 5 minutes to drop and move on took 30 minutes of kissing the customer's butt. For that he would give my uncle like $2. As far as I was concerned he could take his tip and stick it. Moral - giving a tip doesn't give license to make the service employee's life a *****.
I always tip the landscapers when they are guys who work for someone else. But I don't tip the guy who owns the business. He gets to set the price and he gets to keep the profit. If he wants an extra $20, he can just charge an extra $20.
To answer the OP's questions, I rarely tip when getting takeout in Manhattan; the point of doing so is to eat food in the comforts of my apartment and get some exercise walking over to pick it up. I do tip around 10% when picking up from Trattoria Belvedere italian restaurant nearby at least once every week or two, and they're very appreciative/include something extra in my order.
On the other hand, I tried take out from a new Japanese spot in midtown last night, and decided not to tip on a surprisingly overpriced bill ($51 for 2). When I get back to the apartment, the beef teriyaki was very poorly cooked (badly enough that I called back asking for that portion of the check to be refunded on my C.C.), and my girlfriend found a hair in the poorly made edamame that they included "on the house".
Generally, for servers making less than minimum wage, I'll tip 18-20% for good service, 15% for mediocre service, and maybe 10% for absolutely terrible service, but that's very rare.
For bartenders I'll similarly tip 10-15%, depending on where and what's ordered.
During the days of filling up at Exxon and 7-11 in central NJ, I would sometimes tip a dollar if the attendant was very attentive/prompt and careful in filling up my cars; my cousin worked many nights/weekends doing this and appreciated every little bit. At Costco where I may wait 10-15 minutes in line just to fill up during the day, no tip.
My dad and I do oil changes, tire rotations and other routine maintenance on our cars. But for more complex/labor-intensive engine and body repair work (which my dad did in the '90's as a mechanic), a tip is appreciated.
On the other hand, I tried take out from a new Japanese spot in midtown last night, and decided not to tip on a surprisingly overpriced bill ($51 for 2). When I get back to the apartment, the beef teriyaki was very poorly cooked (badly enough that I called back asking for that portion of the check to be refunded on my C.C.), and my girlfriend found a hair in the poorly made edamame that they included "on the house".
Generally, for servers making less than minimum wage, I'll tip 18-20% for good service, 15% for mediocre service, and maybe 10% for absolutely terrible service, but that's very rare.
For bartenders I'll similarly tip 10-15%, depending on where and what's ordered.
During the days of filling up at Exxon and 7-11 in central NJ, I would sometimes tip a dollar if the attendant was very attentive/prompt and careful in filling up my cars; my cousin worked many nights/weekends doing this and appreciated every little bit. At Costco where I may wait 10-15 minutes in line just to fill up during the day, no tip.
My dad and I do oil changes, tire rotations and other routine maintenance on our cars. But for more complex/labor-intensive engine and body repair work (which my dad did in the '90's as a mechanic), a tip is appreciated.
Why do people wait 10-15 minutes to fill up at Costco to save 2 cents a gallon vs other, faster, stations nearby?
My son works the takeout for a well known restaurant chain in Bridgewater, and quite often he is the only one staffing their takeout. He says he averages about $40-50 in tips per night (over the course of 5-7 hours), but that the majority of his customers do not tip.
The other night I saw that his employer gives their takeout staff a slip of paper each night documenting the employee time-in and time-out timestamps, as well as total sales and tips collected for the night. Comparing his tips to total takeout sales showed he saw tips less than 3% of total sales, which mirrors his and other anecdotes here.
Personally, I never felt obliged to tip takeout, but with two of my college aged children working in the food service industry, I may be more inclined to do so.
The other night I saw that his employer gives their takeout staff a slip of paper each night documenting the employee time-in and time-out timestamps, as well as total sales and tips collected for the night. Comparing his tips to total takeout sales showed he saw tips less than 3% of total sales, which mirrors his and other anecdotes here.
Personally, I never felt obliged to tip takeout, but with two of my college aged children working in the food service industry, I may be more inclined to do so.
So did I. Don't know about you but the working class was always the most generous, even when they did not have much. Execs, not so much.
Well, Costco executive members also get an extra 2% cash back, too. So, that's another ~5 cents a gallon of incentive.
I'm guessing the 10-15 min wait is the Costco on Rt 22, though - the one in Flemington very rarely has a line when I go.
You must not read this forum too often . Many rutgers fans live in million dollar neighborhoods, send their kids to only the best schools , drink the most expensive craft beers, and drive only the best cars . But we do struggle with the $20 donation to rutgers .
I think you have a good idea on what you're talking about landscapers and tips.
Guess the customers you know won't tip even if their landscaper does extra work beyond what they were being paid for and not add it to the bill.
Or tip them ( cold country hard to do, but warmer climates with year round landscape needs) at Christmas
because they have done a great job and seldom charge extra for doing a little extra at times.
You don't know any, but I know a few customers of a landscaper that do.
That said: your opinion probably fits better with the general public's tipping habit than mine.
But there are some that will tip, guess the landscapers you know don't have any of them as customers.
My landscaper has a few and some that never.
Hey, the ScarletNation can wipe their rear ends with Benjis - that's their business, not mine. But considering 4 of 5 ScarletNation members donate nothing to the B1G fund, I'm just pleasantly surprised that we are generous tippers. This is a good thing, right Plum?
not sure, but could a Christmas bonus be considered a tip if it wasn't part of an agreed salary structure?
I worked at a restaurant in Clark for 6 years or so, Occasionally I would pack a togo order and rarely ever get a tip. Fast forward to now - I get a take out Pizza order from MJs in Spotswood and don't leave a tip and the host murmered under his breathe "what no tip". The kid must have been between 18 and 20. Maybe its kids these days.
I have a hard time thinking take out orders deserve a tip, but if tip jar is there will tip if it's a real large order .
If sit down at fast food joint usually tip, especially if food is delivered instead of me ( number) being called to pick up order at counter.
Yes, and the great thing is we have figured it out now. If only rutgers put a tip jar on the way into the stadium. No more financial problems for rutgers .
The proliferation of tipping expectations for basic services is out of control in this country. If the owner needs to charge another dollar or two for the product to pay the help a reasonable wage than do it rather than expecting me to throw a dollar in for a $3 ice cream cone. Why do you think many prefer BYOB restaurants? Sounds like some here would add the cost of the wine that they bring into the tip amount. Tipping when picking up a pizza? LOL I don't think so. The rest of the world has the right idea in this area.
Hey the student athletes are paid via tuition, room & board. Their performance bonus is a bowl game. They should definitely get tips. Put out those plexiglas containers at all the stadium entrances...or take a cue from church and hand a basket around the stands.
Very rarely as landscapers do we get tipped. I know as owner I am not expecting one. One customer for about 10 years now has given a tip at seasons end. Some have in the past but have moved on or passed away. Most customers come out to talk with us through out the season so it's not the quality of work. Some come out and give us bottles of water. I guess they feel it's not necessary. I would never tip for a take out . Maybe once I did at Applebees when a girl came out and brought the bag to my car . $2 I believe. But going inside and picking up ...no.
I think you also used to be in snow plow business and was wondering if around Christmas time if any of the mom pop shops you plowed their driveway for customer parking and could be considered your regular customers ever gave you extra at Christmas time.?
Landscapers in cold country don't usally work at that job ( that I know of), so a Christmas (bonus) tip would be more out of the ordinary than as you say your landscape customers do, except for one.
For me it’s a $.50 - $1.25/gallon savings. I try to time a few stops to go along with needing gas because Costco is about 20 miles away from me. Last week I even saw some Bunnyranch hookers filling up. Unfortunately, they weren’t attractive.
If I'm picking up at a place I frequent enough, I'll gives the girls a lottery ticket instead of a few bucks. I do the same thing with the girl who cuts my hair and one of the gas station attendants in town. Could end up being a nice tip and they seem to enjoy it.
Not a chance. I've been at this for over 30 years. Gone are the days of lemonade and soda being offered.
Tips I guess go to the garbage man. Though if we do a one time landscape job for someone not a weekly customer one time we may get a tip. On our weekly lawn cuttings no. My nephew owns an irrigation company, His guys get tipped all the time on a one time installation job. At this point I'm happy to be paid in a timely matter not 60-90 days after the work is completed.
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