Are Carry Out Tips Optional?
I found the discussion on delivery tips to be interesting. I want to be fair when I tip - not too little or too much.
Here's my question. We've all faced signing a credit card slip for carry out where the proprieter has helpfully left the "tip" and "total" sections open for us to fill in.
So, what's the etiquette? Tip? If so, by how much?
Thanks!
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14 Comments:
If you are not taking the time of the wait staff, who get paid at or below minimum wage because they are meant to be compensated by tipping, then no, tipping is not appropriate. If someone brings it to your car, well, perhaps a small tip would be appropriate.
This is my personal opinion, I don't know what standard practice is, but generally I tip quite well, as long as there is a clear person/people to whom the tip will go.
TheFoodGeek at 1:56PM on 12/15/06
I never tip when getting carry-out, but I've always been curious whether I should, so I'm glad you asked this, CambridgeFoodie.
I've never seen anyone else tip on carry-out, though I have to admit, I don't really look. My rationale is that the amount of effort involved in fulfilling a take-out order is not on a par with waiting on a table, where you have to pay attention to the diner's needs throughout the course of the meal. And, as you say, delivery is another discussion.
As for the tip/total section on the receipt -- that's just a matter of it being printed on there by default. And it's my thinking that the proprietor would leave it blank out without thinking or in order not to discourage people from writing in a tip amount.
Anyway, as I've said, my mind is not completely made up on this one, so if I'm wrong, please let me know.
Adam Kuban at 2:08PM on 12/15/06
This is a tough one - an I'll expand the term carry-out to also include my morning coffee and lunchtime soup or sandwich palces.
I get my coffee at a shop that carries pastries and a wide variety of espressos, latte, coffee etc. You walk in, stand on line, give your order and pay the cashier. There is a tip jar by the register. I see at least 50% of the customers leaving tips - either the change from there payment or a buck. I sometimes do and sometimes don't - when I do it's usually to asuage my own guilt.
At lunch, I often go to a interesting sandwich and soup place that has a take-out window only. You wait on the sidewalk for your order. Like the coffee place there is a tip jar on the counter. Ditto the experience of the above.
When I give tips at these places it's usually because I feel the "wait staff" are low income and could use the measley spare change or buck I leave.
Livetotravel at 2:24PM on 12/15/06
Count me in as conflicted as well. Another kink is the complexity of the takeout -- Indian dinners come to mind. Someone had to package all of those sauces and chutneys and pieces of naan!
kathryn at 2:59PM on 12/15/06
I am a bartender at a fairly nice restaurant. In many restaurants, we bartenders are the ones on whom takeout responsibility falls. On takeout orders, a 10% tip is nice, but after being stiffed so many times on them, I'm happy with just about anything.
See, you know those neat bags filled with your food and dressings and everything? Those don't just magically appear behind the bar. We put them together, and doing so is a royal and time-consuming pain in the ass. If you order $180 worth of steaks, appetizers, and salads, with 10 different condiment requests, then leave the tip line on your credit card receipt blank, I will seriously pray that you break your leg on the way out.
Glendon at 5:26PM on 12/15/06
Ah. Thanks for the clarification, Glendon. That makes sense and now I'm turning red thinking about all the times I haven't tipped. I'll take your information here under advice.
Adam Kuban at 5:39PM on 12/15/06
If someone brings it to my car I tip 3.00. If I call ahead and it is ready for pickup at the register(I have to go in) I do not tip. Most restaurants charge extra for carry out. The whole reason for a service gratuity is someone is serving you. Putting my order in a bag for me to take and serve mysekf does not establish service. I realize in some place bartenders do get left with putting something in a bag, etc. Where I am that is not the case. The bagging is done in the kitchen. There is no plating per se, no serving and no cleaning up after. The only time you will see me tip is when its curbside take out and they bring it to me and then its 3.00.
JerzeeTomato at 6:02AM on 12/16/06
Still, I think there's a distinction between what Glendon is talking about and when I'm getting a morning coffee and maybe a fried egg. The 2 second of effort that happened behind the counter for my $3 total order I don't think warrants a tip.
A little OT, but what steams me is when you see tip jars in a regular store next to the cashier -- like a drug store or whatever. Are they kidding me?!
FKC at 12:27PM on 12/17/06
You non-tippers would get hung out to dry at tipping.org and bitterwaitress, not that anyone cares. But seriously, Glendon is absolutely correct. The food does not appear magically and someone has to bag it. Depending on the establishment, this could be the server, bartender or the kitchen.
Tip jars are a whole other topic and unfortunately one that is becoming ingrained in society. Many owners feel justified in paying less than they normally would because tip jars are so prevalent.
glenn at 7:07PM on 12/17/06
How about when the to go person asks you if you would like to leave a tip? And all you ordered was one item that is less than $6? I was offended. How rude!! I worked in restaurants in college; waiting tables and getting to go orders. It is nice getting cash for putting together an order but I never asked!!!
eafox513 at 3:52PM on 10/28/08
I tip on take-out. Usually about 10% but it varies depending on how helpful the person I deal with was. At some places they collect condiments, plastic utensils, plates and the like for me. Or extra napkins, cup of ice and so on.
At my local Chinese delivery/carry out we've been regular customers since their second week in business starting about 6 years ago and knew the owner when she waited tables at another restaurant in town. We always tip when we pick up the food and tip very well when they deliver because they always make sure we have what we need (and know what we need based on where we're having the food delivered without having to ask anymore).
I figure that perhaps its not strictly required to tip on carry out...but these are people who are working jobs for which they legally get paid (at least in Virginia) something on the order of $2.35 an hour plus tips. The society/community I'm a part of has decided that its OK to allow them to be paid at that rate. If I add a few extra dollars here and there its not going to hurt me any overall and might help them a bit overall. I would probably feel it less necessary to tip if they were making a decent hourly wage and were not dependent upon tips for their income. (I have no patience for "they should just get a different job" arguments....perhaps its true that they should but life is rarely so simple.)
If you don't tip on carry out, I don't think you should feel badly about that necessarily, but I do think its worth thinking about.
ccbweb at 4:26PM on 10/28/08
I rarely tip on carryout, just because I don't see the reason for it. However, my lunch place, a tiny Mexican place, gets $1 or more every day on my $3 order. My lunch is already so cheap, I can afford the extra dollar, and I've noticed the tip jar is rarely full. Plus, I've noticed that since I started regularly tipping $1 or more, they often don't charge my to go drink or my dessert.
nightowl at 5:31PM on 10/28/08
No tipping on take-outs/carry-outs.
Just like in fast food restaurants the food is wrapped, bagged, boxed. No tipping here.
If they bring it to my car, yes I tip for the legwork.
If it's a huge order like for 10+ people, then yes I tip too.
badab at 1:22AM on 02/13/09
I look at it like fast food... You don't tip people at McDonalds or Burger King. If you are generally not waiting on me, and I'm picking up my own food. You don't get a tip... If you hook me up with extra rolls, larger portion of Gumbo, etc, and TELL ME you hooked me up... You'll get a tip... Why is the food service the only industry we deem tip worthy anyway... Dont get me wrong... When I go out to eat. I tip 20% plus if I get good service from a single person... But if I have one person take my order, one bring it, another refilling drinks, and nobody seems to be on the same page... be lucky if you get 15%
DannyBoy at 1:49PM on 07/27/09