Tipping Question - Part 37 (1 Viewer)

[Jason L.]

I know that these threads on tipping always get huge responses so here goes:

I used to deliver pizzas for a long time and the one thing that always bothered me was getting stiffed or a lousy tip - the rationale being that if you don't want to pay for the tip you can pick it up yourself.

Anyway, I sometimes get food to go at restaurants because I don't feel like paying for an overpriced soft drink and the tip.

I wanted to ask this:

1. Are you supposed to leave a tip when getting food to go at a restaurant?

2. While waiting at the bar for my food and I am asked if I want a drink. I assume that this is complementary, but sometimes it pisses me off that they charge for it when I really didn't want one in the first place.

 

[andrew markworthy]

Don't know the answer to point 2, but in answer to point 1, I always tip for the simple reason that you're likely to get your food a whole lot quicker ...

 

[MikeAlletto]

Why in the world would you think thats complementary? Thats a pretty bad assumption. If you don't want one then don't accept one.

I tip pizza delivery guys just because I want to tip them. If someone else doesn't then thats fine with me. But if delivery is free then that means free. If they charge for delivery I might not tip them though, but I've never had that happen.

 

[LarryDavenport]

1. No because, except for espresso, I will not tip if I have to stand at a counter to order and pick up my own food (same reason i don't tip at fastfood restaurants.

2. Not really a question, but why would you assume the drink was free? Now refills on soda-pop I would be pissed if they charged me again because 40 ounces of soda costs less than 10 cents worth of soda water and syrup.

I also delivered pizzas back in the late 80's and kind of miss it. Between, minumum wage ($3.75 an hour), tips and mileage I made almost a thousand bucks a week.

 

[Keith Mickunas]

I see a tip as paying for service. In most restaurants you get both food and service, i.e. a person bringing your food, refilling your drinks, attending to various needs, etc.. That's what the tip is for. So on your first question I say no, just handing over a bag of food isn't any real service, no more than getting it at a fast food place, or even a grocery store.

On your second question, I'd never assume it's complimentary. I'd ask for water if I didn't want to pay for anything, and I wouldn't tip.

 

[AllanN]

Im in the no-tip for pickup camp. If someone brings the food to my house, or to my table then ill tip. As for #2 I have never heard of free drinks while you wait.

 

[Kyle McKnight]

I agree, no tip for in-store pickup. Pizza delivery, even though the driver gets gas money per delivery, I always tip atleast two dollars.

If I'm offered a drink while I wait for my food that I'm picking up, I'd either ask for water, or say no thanks.

 

[Tim K]

If you were just standing at a bar, and a bartender asked you if you wanted a drink, would you think it would be complimentary? What else is a bartender going to say to a person standing at a bar? Would you like to purchase a drink? No. They say "what can I get you". Suppose you were sitting at the bar and ordered food to eat while sitting at the bar. Then the bartender asked you if you wanted a drink...would you assume that was complimentary? No, you would expect that drink to be put on the bill with your food. So why would it be any different for takeout? That's silly to me.

 

[AndyDL]

Wow, I'm surprised at all the "no" responses to # 1.

There is work involved with to-go orders, folks. Especially if you get it from the bar.

I'm a bartender at a mexican grill and I handle all the to-go orders, in addition to bar patrons, and individual tables.

To-go orders usually involves me leaving the bar to "tray up" or put the to-go order in some bags.

I'm not saying to leave a 20% tip here, but a buck or two is always very nice. I'll get quite a few customers who leave a buck or so, then on really big to-go orders they'll leave 15%.

THERE IS WORK INVOLVED.

 

[Matt Pelham]

As to question #1: Yes I'll tip, but not the normal 15%. I'll usually give $2-3 to the waitress/bartender regardless of how much the order comes to.

For question #2, I would never assume the "waiting drink" would be free. Hell, if it is free then I would order a cheap appetizer to go and then pound down 10 scotches for free!

 

[Tim K]

Never thought about that....from now on I will consider whether or not the bartender had to do any work for my take out. If so, I'll leave a buck or two. However, at the place we usually get take out from, the food is packaged in the kitchen and brought out front...all the bartender does is take the money. In that case, I won't leave a tip.

 

[Brian Perry]

I think it depends on what your pay structure is. In my opinion, the only people who really are "entitled" to (or can reasonably expect) tips are those such as waitstaff whose hourly pay is under minimum wage with the assumption that tips make up the rest. (Of course, bad service can and should lower the tip, even for them).

In any line of work there is "work involved." The cashier at McDonald's is working but doesn't expect a tip, right?

 

[MattBu]

AND YOU ARE BEING PAID FOR IT.

Waiters don't make enough money to cover the cost of minimum wage - thus tipping is needed to make sure they make a living wage. Anyone making over minimum wage shouldn't expect a tip, though I like tipping.

(Im a flat %20 kind of guy)

 

[Don Black]

I used to fall in the "no tip" camp for takeout but recently started tipping when I realized the amount of effort that actually was involved in preparing an order (not a heck of a lot but enough). So I always leave a few bucks now...

 

[Carl Miller]

I always tip when we order to go from Ruby Tuesday or the Outback. Both bring it out to the car and I figure the meal has to be boxed, bagged and brought to the car..by someone.

IMO, even if you go inside to pick up, it's still worth a tip. Someone there is doing the work, and that is in addition to their regular duties.

 

[DavidAM]

I don't tip when picking up an order to go. Like others said, they might have work involved to bag it up but you are already being paid to do that job.

I hate to change the subject a little, but how do you guys tip at a buffet place? If you go to a chinese buffet, do you tip as much as you would normally? Being that you have to go get your food, they aren't doing as much work, but then again, they still have to bring you drinks and clean your table. I usually tip regularly but know people that will leave a buck or two cause they feel they didn't do as much work.

 

[JustinCleveland]

AND THEY GET PAID FOR THAT WORK.

How much of the tip for a delivery driver makes it to the pocket of the guy who made the pizza? How much makes it back to the cook when I tip a waiter?

 

[Adam Barratt]

Tips are actually used to compensate for below minimum wage pay? So waiters aren't paid minimum wage? Isn't this a contradiction?

I've read several threads on tipping over the years, but I still don't understand quite how it works in the US. A quick rundown on how tipping and pay structure work together would be appreciated.

Adam

 

[Patrick Sun]

There are many places where waiters get paid around half of minimum wage, with the expectation that their tips will fill in the rest to make their net wage around minimum wage (or more). Even the tax code takes this into account (i.e., if you're not savvy enough to claim enough in tips to get to the minimum wage) and you can be flagged for an audit if you report less in tips than you took in as part of your employment at a restuarant to reflect earning the minimum wage. In other words: regardless of what a waiter earns in tips, they best at least claim to earn enough to make their average hourly wage (tips plus their waiter wage) at least the minimum wage.

The expectation of 15% of the total bill in tips is what allows the food serving industry gets around the minimum wage requirement in other occupations where the minimum wage is in effect. Earlier, when the minimum wage was $4.25/hour, waiters did make $2.13/hour plus tips. (I have no idea what the minimum wage is nowadays, perhaps it's around $4.65 or $5.25, dunno).

Personally, I tip $1 at buffets if a server has to take a drink order (as well as write up your food bill for the buffet).

 

[Tony Whalen]

GAH. Another tipping thread!

#1 - Depends on the situation. If it's a take-out counter, no, I probably wouldn't tip.

If it's a case of a waiter/server/bartender doing some work... I'll leave a buck or two.

#2 - To echo everyone else, why on earth would you assume a drink to be complimentary?