Take-out tipping?

[Mikeyboy 27133]

Here's a non-hobby related (yet still service related) question that I was hoping for some opinions on. I know it doesn't really relate to the site, but I figure I might get a good cross section of opinions.

 

Lately I have eating a lot of take-out food. I'm not just talking about the pizza joint, etc., but actual restaurants like the local Italian, Thai or Sushi place. What are the normal expectations regarding tipping when you pick up your food. I have no problem with tipping well for good service when I actually eat in the restaurant. Someone waits on me, brings my food, pours my wine, and ensures my every comfort. In fact, I often tip better than the norm. Hey I'm Canadian. I once showed my extreme displeasure with the service by only tipping 15% to the penny. Take that!

 

Somehow it seems excessive to me to be expected to tip by the same standards when all they have done hand you your bag and rung you

through. I don't want to seem cheap, but 15-20% on bill that can be upwards of one or two hundred bucks (if I'm picking up for a group of people) seems like a lot since they haven't really done much.

 

So, what is the normal expectation? Tip as if you were eating there? Tip a few token bucks? I'm just never sure what the expectation is at that awkward point when the Visa machine asks "Add Tip?"

 

Thoughts?

[Nicolette Vaughn 294340]

People who work in service industries work very hard and put up with a lot of crap. Been there, done that. Usually you can tell when someone is a hard worker and being able to keep on top of things while being friendly and polite. I will usually stick a toonie in the tip jar such as one of those frozen yogurt places.

 

I always tip when I feel it's warranted even if it's just at one of those take out places. If it's at a restaurant and the server was very good, I will tip above what is expected of the 15% if they have made my experience that much better. Only 15% if they were okay.

[roamingguy 300292]

Here's a non-hobby related (yet still service related) question that I was hoping for some opinions on. I know it doesn't really relate to the site, but I figure I might get a good cross section of opinions.

 

Lately I have eating a lot of take-out food. I'm not just talking about the pizza joint, etc., but actual restaurants like the local Italian, Thai or Sushi place. What are the normal expectations regarding tipping when you pick up your food. I have no problem with tipping well for good service when I actually eat in the restaurant. Someone waits on me, brings my food, pours my wine, and ensures my every comfort. In fact, I often tip better than the norm. Hey I'm Canadian. I once showed my extreme displeasure with the service by only tipping 15% to the penny. Take that!

 

Somehow it seems excessive to me to be expected to tip by the same standards when all they have done hand you your bag and rung you

through. I don't want to seem cheap, but 15-20% on bill that can be upwards of one or two hundred bucks (if I'm picking up for a group of people) seems like a lot since they haven't really done much.

 

So, what is the normal expectation? Tip as if you were eating there? Tip a few token bucks? I'm just never sure what the expectation is at that awkward point when the Visa machine asks "Add Tip?"

 

Thoughts?

 

Well the place I get my take out (well two places)...not many in small town Ontario LOL I thrown change (talking loonies and toonies here) in a jar that is set on a counter. Now the one place, usually $2.00. The other, a pizzeria/Italian Greek restaurant/takeout. The takeout is right by the kitchen. A pizza place, well with ovens going, literally the kitchen take out section hotter than hell. I put $5.00 in the jar. Working in that hot an environment, you may not think they are doing much, but well I wouldn't work in that hot an environment, no matter what.

Actually only once I never tipped. Went for breakfast one morning (I treated, 4 people, approx. $20/person) Waiter was surly slow taking the order, NEVER offered coffee, had to ask, a couple times, and he NEVER brought any. Slow bringing the bill when we were done, when he brought the bill he asked then if we would like a coffee. No!!! And no tip for him either. After breakfast, first stop Timmies But that was god awful service, the worst ever

 

RG

[Triple HHH 12345]

If I have take out it is usually Chinese Food, normally it's one of two people who wait on me, they are both very friendly, food is always good, I usually tip 3 to 5 dollars, both always say thanks, not sure how much this happens, they always greet me with a smile with great service so the tip is well worth it.

[Cleo Catra 178382]

The standard for take-out and delivery is 10%

[jay gatsby 1170]

My thoughts on tipping in general in the restaurant industry will rouse the ire of many here (and yes, I did work in a restaurant when I was much younger).

 

The way I see it, we are subsidizing the salaries of wait staff when we tip. Sure, you can say we tip because we receive good service but that's not the point in this case. A waiter's job is to bring out the food to you, to refill your cup of coffee, to clear away the plates, to advise you which dishes are best for your palette, etc. Well, they are paid an hourly wage to do that so why should we have to tip?

 

We tip because of two reasons: 1.) we are used to tipping regardless of the level of service received, and 2.) we are afraid of being beaten senseless by throngs of angry wait staff if we don't tip.

 

Tipping has gotten to the point in which people do it automatically. Sure, if service is bad they will tip a bit less but they still tip.

 

The way I see it is, we are tipping them to do something that is their job to do anyway. The way I see it is, we should tip for service that is exemplary and that which goes ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

 

Tip the waiter who runs across the street to the store to purchase a pack of crayons and paper for your kids to stay busy; tip the waiter who walks you to your car carrying an umbrella because it's raining and you don't have an umbrella. Those actions are ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

 

Leave a tip because the waiter brought you your food? Oh, pleeeeeease.

 

I'm not trying to offend anyone by saying these things but in my mind, that is not what tipping is about. I shouldn't have to subsidize the poor hourly wage of a waiter because the restaurant can't pay more than minimum wage.

 

When I was in university I worked in a men's suit store and I remember the instance of one customer's sleeve length adjustment was too short and the tailor was gone on holidays and the customer needed his jacket the next day. What I did was well above and beyond the call of duty. I took apart the sleeves myself and lengthened them myself and sewed them back myself. I phoned the customer to let him know it's all done and that I did it myself. He came in, tried it on (it was perfect), said thanks, and left with his jacket.

 

He didn't offer anything for my trouble nor for my going above and beyond the call of duty. No tip. No gratuity. No $5 to spend on a cup of coffee and a donut at Tim Hortons. He took my action (doing the sleeves myself) as part of my duties.

 

Well, excuse me, that's NOT part of my job description. My duties are to sell (to earn my commission) and many other things but SEWING and TAILORING are not my job. That is the TAILOR'S. I only did so because I thought it was the right thing to do.

 

Don't get me wrong, folks: sewing the sleeves requires far more skill than just bringing out plates of food from the kitchen. In this case, my actions were far more worthy of a tip than the actions of a waiter.

[Andee 220524]

My thoughts on tipping in general in the restaurant industry will rouse the ire of many here (and yes, I did work in a restaurant when I was much younger).

 

The way I see it, we are subsidizing the salaries of wait staff when we tip. Sure, you can say we tip because we receive good service but that's not the point in this case. A waiter's job is to bring out the food to you, to refill your cup of coffee, to clear away the plates, to advise you which dishes are best for your palette, etc. Well, they are paid an hourly wage to do that so why should we have to tip?

 

We tip because of two reasons: 1.) we are used to tipping regardless of the level of service received, and 2.) we are afraid of being beaten senseless by throngs of angry wait staff if we don't tip.

 

Tipping has gotten to the point in which people do it automatically. Sure, if service is bad they will tip a bit less but they still tip.

 

The way I see it is, we are tipping them to do something that is their job to do anyway. The way I see it is, we should tip for service that is exemplary and that which goes ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

 

Tip the waiter who runs across the street to the store to purchase a pack of crayons and paper for your kids to stay busy; tip the waiter who walks you to your car carrying an umbrella because it's raining and you don't have an umbrella. Those actions are ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

 

Leave a tip because the waiter brought you your food? Oh, pleeeeeease.

 

I'm not trying to offend anyone by saying these things but in my mind, that is not what tipping is about. I shouldn't have to subsidize the poor hourly wage of a waiter because the restaurant can't pay more than minimum wage.

 

When I was in university I worked in a men's suit store and I remember the instace of one customer's sleeve length adjustment was too short and the tailor was gone on holidays and the customer needed his jacket the next day. What I did was well above and beyond the call of duty. I took apart the sleeves myself and lengthened them myself and sewed them back myself. I phoned the customer to let him know it's all done and that I did it myself. He came in, tried it on (it was perfect), said thanks, and left with his jacket.

 

He didn't offer anything for my trouble nor for my going above and beyond the call of duty. No tip. No gratuity. No $5 to spend on a cup of coffee and a donut at Tim Hortons. He took my action (doing the sleeves myself) as part of my duties.

 

Well, excuse me, that's NOT part of my job description. My duties are to sell (to earn my commission) and many other things but SEWING and TAILORING are not my job. That is the TAILOR'S. I only did so because I thought it was the right thing to do.

 

Don't get me wrong, folks: sewing the sleeves requires far more skill than just bringing out plates of food from the kitchen. In this case, my actions were far more worthy of a tip than the actions of a waiter.

 

All I can say is "wow".

[50 Shades Raven 31380]

Tipping is a minefield at best.

 

Some places participate in 'tip-splitting' which means everyone gets a share on the shift when you ordered your food.

 

Some places do not.

I don't think its fair to tip the person that brought your take out order to you, when indeed it was the person taking the order; the person actually making the order; the person responsible for making sure the order is complete and to the customers wishes are the people that SHOULD be worthy of a tip.

 

Having worked in this field years ago, tipping was a big part of the earnings, and at least I was fortunate enough to work for a place that did this.

Working in a hot kitchen that is 20 degrees higher than the rest of the place with no air conditioning to speak of, executing the order with speed and accuracy, and making sure it was done to the customers liking, THAT warrants a share of the tips as far as I'm concerned.

 

Why should servers alone receive all the tips? After all, all that they do is take the order and collect your cash, not much to that!

 

I generally tip 10-15% to place that tip shares, even at the drive thru I give the change and about $2.

[piano8950 32577]

A google search on this very topic will yield a number of different results. What I've seen from the first 6 hits - 4 mention no tips, 1 mention tipping as if you ate their (15-20%), and 1 mentions tipping 0 to 10% (10% if there is a bit of extra service involved like curb side delivery or a large order). There is far from a universal unspoken agreement of tipping on this matter.

Here is the one that mentioned 0-10%

 

Personally, if I'm paying by cash, I'll round up to the closest five. If by credit/debit, I don't tip for take out (or maybe a dollar or two).

[waterat 20911]

We tip because of two reasons: 1.) we are used to tipping regardless of the level of service received, and 2.) we are afraid of being beaten senseless by throngs of angry wait staff if we don't tip.

3.) She displays nice cleavage or his package comes to a lady's attention

 

I shouldn't have to subsidize the poor hourly wage of a waiter because the restaurant can't pay more than minimum wage.

 

True, you shouldn't have to, but tips being part of the wage is firmly entrenched. Restaurants that start paying their staff better wages certainly risk their already low profit margins and become less competitive.

 

When working down in the states an American patron was settling his bill with the DDG barmaid as I was taking my seat at the bar - she thanked him for his very generous tip and he explained to her the difference between Canoes and Canucks: Canoes tip. My Canadian colleague and I who were staying at that hotel for the next six weeks of our contract did our best to dispel this vile accusation...lol

 

Jay: I expect, like me, you're a Canuck.

 

Here's a must listen:

[Winnipegcub 21293]

I'm with Cleo. About 10% for take out. Maybe a little more getting close to 15% for delivery or buffet. Then 15-20% for full sit down service. Now I go up and down from those amounts based on the overall service. But that's generally my range. It is amazing when you do drop a big tip. Remember once while travelling for fun I went to casino. Won a couple hundred bucks. Next night went to a usual restaurant I go to. Sat at bar and ordered same pizza I usually got and couple beers. Once finished my pizza and ordered another beer the server said, "How was it?" I said "as great as always and I'll have another beer". Then I thought for a moment reached into my pocket and grabbed a $100 bill. When server came by I said; "Please take this to the kitchen and give it to the guys in the back." The head cook came out and was so amazed. The Regional Manager for the chain happened to be in the restaurant and came by too. I finished my third beer and asked for my bill. The server said; You have no bill tonight. And you're welcome to stay as long as you like. WOW!

[Guest *Ste***cque**]

I generally tip 10% for take out and hope that the tips get shared.

 

When I dine in a nice restaurant(which is often) I usually tip 20% on the before tax amount. I notice though when I pay on some debit/credit machines it "conveniently" prompts whether I wish to tip 15, 20 or 25% on the full amount of the bill, after tax! Ridiculous! The tax portion is not related to the service and to me is like charging HST on top of a tax.

 

I sometimes do tip more than 20% but I can't remember the last time I tipped less than 15% at a sit down restaurant. If the service was slow or they got my order wrong I think about it but then I relent and give my usual 20%. The problem may not have been the servers fault and in the end I think I'm lucky enough to be here eating a great meal, be grateful and be generous.

[LeeRichards 177238]

My thoughts on tipping in general in the restaurant industry will rouse the ire of many here (and yes, I did work in a restaurant when I was much younger).

 

The way I see it, we are subsidizing the salaries of wait staff when we tip. Sure, you can say we tip because we receive good service but that's not the point in this case. A waiter's job is to bring out the food to you, to refill your cup of coffee, to clear away the plates, to advise you which dishes are best for your palette, etc. Well, they are paid an hourly wage to do that so why should we have to tip?

 

We tip because of two reasons: 1.) we are used to tipping regardless of the level of service received, and 2.) we are afraid of being beaten senseless by throngs of angry wait staff if we don't tip.

 

Tipping has gotten to the point in which people do it automatically. Sure, if service is bad they will tip a bit less but they still tip.

 

The way I see it is, we are tipping them to do something that is their job to do anyway. The way I see it is, we should tip for service that is exemplary and that which goes ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

 

Tip the waiter who runs across the street to the store to purchase a pack of crayons and paper for your kids to stay busy; tip the waiter who walks you to your car carrying an umbrella because it's raining and you don't have an umbrella. Those actions are ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

 

Leave a tip because the waiter brought you your food? Oh, pleeeeeease.

 

I'm not trying to offend anyone by saying these things but in my mind, that is not what tipping is about. I shouldn't have to subsidize the poor hourly wage of a waiter because the restaurant can't pay more than minimum wage.

 

When I was in university I worked in a men's suit store and I remember the instance of one customer's sleeve length adjustment was too short and the tailor was gone on holidays and the customer needed his jacket the next day. What I did was well above and beyond the call of duty. I took apart the sleeves myself and lengthened them myself and sewed them back myself. I phoned the customer to let him know it's all done and that I did it myself. He came in, tried it on (it was perfect), said thanks, and left with his jacket.

 

He didn't offer anything for my trouble nor for my going above and beyond the call of duty. No tip. No gratuity. No $5 to spend on a cup of coffee and a donut at Tim Hortons. He took my action (doing the sleeves myself) as part of my duties.

 

Well, excuse me, that's NOT part of my job description. My duties are to sell (to earn my commission) and many other things but SEWING and TAILORING are not my job. That is the TAILOR'S. I only did so because I thought it was the right thing to do.

 

Don't get me wrong, folks: sewing the sleeves requires far more skill than just bringing out plates of food from the kitchen. In this case, my actions were far more worthy of a tip than the actions of a waiter.

 

Maybe off topic BUT ......Yikes.....

 

Then a child or adult vomits on that nicely measured and sewed sleeve by "your worthiness" and on the table and on the floor and me even. Guess who cleans that up ? The "less worthy" waiter. Been there. Didn't give a fuck about a tip either. I was thanked. That's the important part.

 

But I was tipped for the waiter service cause I was personable, I tried my best, I think they were happy, they knew I made minimum wage and that's what happens in the business. It is normal.