Tuesday, June 30, 2009

How can I have lived on this Earth for 42 years and still not be sure if I'm supposed to tip on a take out order?

15 comments:

mitch blum said...

You are so right. I feel like if I give a 20% tip then I'm insulting the waitrons who do a lot more work to earn the 20%. If I give a 10-15% tip I feel like a cheap tipper. And if I give no tip then I feel even cheaper.

As a result, I generally avoid take out in favor of delivery and adhere to my flat $5 delivery tip policy.

Kat Jaibur said...

To quote Michael Jackson, "You are not alone." I usually leave 10%. But check and make sure your order is right, first. Does this help? http://ask.yahoo.com/20030709.html

Anonymous said...

I don't: do you tip the cashier at the grocery store when you buy a pre-made meal? The cooks do most of the work on Take Out.
When I dine in I tip on drink service, if my drink is empty and I am waiting for a refill, then the service is comparable.
Buffet dining is another, I tip 10-15 but the service has to be really good for 15%
Anonymous #2

Mike aka MonolithTMA said...

I tip at my local donut/coffee shop, but that's because they are always understaffed and running around like crazy people trying to help everyone.

I worked at a buffet years ago. It's hard work clearing those tables while the feeding frenzy is going on. I probably walked 20 miles a day in that place. I always tip at buffets.

For most takeout I do not tip.

JerseySjov said...

i worked the takeout window at a non-fast-food chain last summer and very, very rarely got tipped, even though i did the same job that waiters did in a shorter amount of time. [distance from takeout window to food pickup = distance from dining area to food pickup]
the absolute worst was when people paid with a credit card, then on the tip line actually wrote out $0.00, or an O with a line thru it, as if to say "despite the fact that the machine thinks you deserve a tip, you aren't getting one."

to anonymous who said "the cooks do most of the work on Take Out"...umm, the cooks do most of the work always.

kc bob said...

No rules on this one.. just follow your heart instead of your wallet/purse :)

Anonymous said...

JerseySJov cooks do alot of work but the tip goes to the wait staff for order taking and costumer care. Waiters may get a couple dollars an hour since tips cover the different cooks get paid the same on a slow night or busy night.
I have worked both but cooks do not do all the work in the dining room.
Anonymous #2

Amy Flanagan said...

All in all I think we have a few interesting points here. One, nobody knows for sure. Two, everyone at a restaurant works pretty hard. Three, the person at the takeout counter deserves a little cabbage. I mean, why not right? Spread the love!

Amy Flanagan said...

Oh, and if anyone wants details on why the take out person deserves a tip, check out jersey's blog posts from last summer.
http://jerseysjov.blogspot.com/

Theresa Walsh said...

this has been a point of contention amongst my co-wokers and i when we call for pick up. If I'm picking up they need to pony up for a tip, if they don't want to tip, they can pick it up! I've always tipped for take-out, not as much as for table service, but always toss in a couple of bucks or leave it on the counter. and if I pay with a cc I tip in cash (I try to do that anyway eat-in or take-out)

mamuwe said...

I just found out last week you are supposed to tip for takeout. I had no idea. Embarrassing. And I consider myself a good tipper. Now I feel like I owe the local chinese place a lot of back tips.

mamuwe said...

I just found out last week you are supposed to tip for takeout. I had no idea. Embarrassing. And I consider myself a good tipper. Now I feel like I owe the local chinese place a lot of back tips.

Amy Flanagan said...

I now tip 10% for takeout. Glad we could all get together on this one. Thanks for your comments!

Anonymous said...

I am glad someone else questions that too. I always leave a tip.

Ashley said...

I tip at the taco truck - $1 on $6. That's more than 10% so I guess I'm doing well.