Tipping when getting take-out

[SammyKid11]

Okay, along the lines of asking tip etiquette...what do you guys tip (if anything) when you pick up takeout from a restaurant. READ: Not talking about fast food, but going to a restaurant where if you ate there, you'd have a waiter or waitress and would tip that person normally. Do you tip a buck, 15%, the full 20?

NOW...what about places where you wouldn't be served anyway (like Jason's Deli). Even they still conveniently have a spot for tip built-in to their credit card receipts, and when I don't put any I always feel like an ass...I guess that's the idea.

Finally, what about tipping at places where they bring the food out to your car (like Brinker restaurants, Chili's, Macaroni Grille, etc.).

It should be obvious that my gf and I end up getting take-out a higher percentage of the time than is optimal. But I was wondering what everyone's opinions on these issues were.

[touchfaith]

Why can't you cross your urine stream in the other thread?

[moondogg]

I tip nothing for take-out. I consider that tip line on the receipts to be obnoxious. Almost as obnoxious as the face the teenage idiot at the counter makes when you put a big fat zero there.

I tip liberally for good service. Takeout does not involve service. IMO, carrying it out to your car doesn't qualify as service either.

PSA: make sure you put "-0-" on that tip line, or they can just change it to whatever they want, even if it's a zero by itself.

[PITTM]

[ QUOTE ]
Okay, along the lines of asking tip etiquette...what do you guys tip (if anything) when you pick up takeout from a restaurant. READ: Not talking about fast food, but going to a restaurant where if you ate there, you'd have a waiter or waitress and would tip that person normally. Do you tip a buck, 15%, the full 20?

NOW...what about places where you wouldn't be served anyway (like Jason's Deli). Even they still conveniently have a spot for tip built-in to their credit card receipts, and when I don't put any I always feel like an ass...I guess that's the idea.

Finally, what about tipping at places where they bring the food out to your car (like Brinker restaurants, Chili's, Macaroni Grille, etc.).

It should be obvious that my gf and I end up getting take-out a higher percentage of the time than is optimal. But I was wondering what everyone's opinions on these issues were.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is a good question. i usually pick up sushi from my favorite place a couple times a week and i just order from the hostess. i usually do tip them, but i realized i pretty much tell them what i want, they write it down and give it to the chef, and the chef gives it to me. how does that merit tipping in any way? regardless, i tip a buck or 2 so they wont spit in my food.

rj

[RacersEdge]

First case: $0

Second case: $0

Third case: $1

[ QUOTE ]


I tip liberally for good service. Takeout does not involve service. IMO, carrying it out to your car doesn't qualify as service either.



[/ QUOTE ]

I used to be a take out server at Carrabba's and there is more to it then this. You have to take the order and actaully enter into the system, wait til its done and then put the cold fool in with the cold food and the hot food in with the hot food and make it look nice, and then you take it out to the car...and keep in mind this is usaully 4-5 orders at a time. Being a take out worker is much harder then it seems. I actaully became a server about 6 months later and definately doing the take out orders was much harder then actaully waiting on tables.

Edited to add this, keep in mind as the take out people we dont expect a 15-20 percent tip. A 1 or 2$ tip will do just fine.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
You have to take the order and actaully enter into the system, wait til its done and then put the cold fool in with the cold food and the hot food in with the hot food and make it look nice, and then you take it out to the car..

[/ QUOTE ]
You're right - this does sound like it's very difficult.

[tek]

[ QUOTE ]
I used to be a take out server...You have put the cold food in with the cold food and the hot food in with the hot food and make it look nice...

[/ QUOTE ]

Reminds me of a prank phone call that a Minneapolis radio station KQRS 92FM did many years ago. Johnny Rock called McDonalds corporate office employee support line in Chicago and pretended to be a stressed out manager. He was confused about which side (right or left) is the hot or cold side in the McDLT...

Another highlarious thing he did was put "Mc" in front of every other word /images/graemlins/laugh.gif

The guy at McD's finally told him to get his McHead out of his McAsz and get back to work /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ucfryan]

lol, "the full 20%" You sir, are cheap.

[daryn]

[ QUOTE ]
lol, "the full 20%" You sir, are cheap.

[/ QUOTE ]

huh?? you're cheap if you tip 20% at restaurants? wow.

[Wetdog]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]


I tip liberally for good service. Takeout does not involve service. IMO, carrying it out to your car doesn't qualify as service either.



[/ QUOTE ]

I used to be a take out server at Carrabba's and there is more to it then this. You have to take the order and actaully enter into the system, wait til its done and then put the cold fool in with the cold food and the hot food in with the hot food and make it look nice, and then you take it out to the car...and keep in mind this is usaully 4-5 orders at a time. Being a take out worker is much harder then it seems. I actaully became a server about 6 months later and definately doing the take out orders was much harder then actaully waiting on tables.

Edited to add this, keep in mind as the take out people we dont expect a 15-20 percent tip. A 1 or 2$ tip will do just fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Then how much do you tip the pizza delivery person who takes it out of the pizza joint, gets in their car and delivers it to your door? I'll bet it's the same $1-2.

[tek]

[ QUOTE ]
Then how much do you tip the pizza delivery person who takes it out of the pizza joint, gets in their car and delivers it to your door? I'll bet it's the same $1-2.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pizza drivers should get a decent tip. They tell each other who the good tippers are in their area. Good tippers get better pizzas quicker.

[Slow Play Ray]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Then how much do you tip the pizza delivery person who takes it out of the pizza joint, gets in their car and delivers it to your door? I'll bet it's the same $1-2.

[/ QUOTE ]

Pizza drivers should get a decent tip. They tell each other who the good tippers are in their area. Good tippers get better pizzas quicker.

[/ QUOTE ]

We tip the HELL out of our pizza guy. They love us there.

As for takeout, I'll drop a buck and whatever loose change I get in the jar.

Never had it brought out to my car, so I have no frame of reference.

Slightly off topic, I was in Montreal this past weekend, and I cannot BELIEVE how obnoxious people there are about DEMANDING tips.

Door guy at strip club: "It is customary to tip your door man here"
Same door guy, after receiving a $1 tip for doing NOTHING but stand there: "Most patrons tip at least $2. If I don't get you, that guy will [points to next door guy about 5 feet away]"
Bartender at strip club, when I leave a $50 bill for a $46 tab for 6 drinks: "It is customary to tip $1 a drink"
Hostess at restaurant we stopped at for one drink: "It is customary to tip your hostess when she seats you"
Waitress at Hard Rock Cafe: "Just so you know, the tax is included in the bill, but the gratuity isn't"

It was like this all weekend - it's absolutely sickening.