Tipping for carry-out

[Tick]

I usually tip a dollar or two for take out because they have to deal with pricks who refuse to tip for take out, so I try to do my part to outweigh them. It's not much, but it's always appreciated.

So...Anyone who doesn't tip for takeout is a prick? A bit harsh considering the money they pay for the food in the first place keeps the place open. No orders, no business. See Quizno's. How they doin today?

[KevShmev]

You can definitely tell who has never worked in the industry.

Tick, why do you keep asking why you should tip for someone throwing your stuff in a bag when no one said you said?  The problem seems to be you assuming that that is all the takeout person ever does, when several of us who have been in the industry have explained that that is often not the case.  Please re-read this thread and then consider what you keep saying.  Thanks.

I think Tick's saying that other people different industries work just as hard, but are in no position to receive tips. For example, you call customer support for something, those people go for 8 hours straight, five days a week. That job is probably insane most days. They never receive tips.

I get that, but those people already get an hourly wage, while the person doing your takeout gets paid an hourly that is far below minimum wage (because they are considered a tipped employee).  Do I think the whole system is fair?  Nope.  But it's the way it is.

I am going on the premise the person handing me that take out gets minimum wage. I thought they did? If they did, I see no reason to tip for takeout. Chino illustrated my feelings. If that were the case what would make them worthy of the tip just for doing a job. I think a wait staff deserves to be tipped well! Anyone who doesn’t tip well after good service is the ultimate douche.
 

Those of us who have worked in the industry have repeatedly stated in this thread that that is often not the case, yet you keep ignoring it.

[Tick]

Podaar said it best. I can't say it any better than that. He hit the nail on the head!

[El Barto]

Okay. I'm going to throw this into the discussion and it will illustrate my ignorance of the restaurant business and the compensation for its employees.

My assumption was that wait staff and bartending staff were paid below minimum and rely on tips to make a good living. Thus, they are a target for a generous tip...especially if they do a great job.

Assumption number two was that management, host staff and cooking staff make a good salary commensurate to the quality of the restaurant/food.

Assumption number three was that salaried employees were assembling take-away orders.

If these assumptions are wrong (which appears true) and non-wait staff employees are relying on tips to round out their income, I must say the restaurant business has done a poor job of educating their customers. I may be clueless on  how these things work but I don't feel that is entirely my fault.

Right on! This is where I'm at on this whole thing.

Well, I think it's been pretty well established by all of the service industry folk in this thread that number 3 is false. Tipped employees are usually the ones to handle takeout, so there you go.

I'll also make something of a disclaimer here. I had no idea that tipping was warranted for carry out orders until about 6 months ago. It's not that this is a new thing, it's just that it never really occurs to anybody. I was shocked when my waiter brother casually mentioned "10% on carryout" and grilled him about it. His explanation was sound and fair, so here we are.

[KevShmev]

Podaar said it best. I can't say it any better than that. He hit the nail on the head!

So basically, you are going to stick with your incorrect assumptions.  Got it.

[Tick]

It all depends.  If you are picking up a pizza or something from Subway or Quiznos, then, nah, no tip is necessary, but if you are picking up food that requires a lot of bagging and work the takeout person has to put together (like making salads or putting dressings or whatnot in little to-go containers), then, yeah, a tip of some kind is probably a good idea, if not appreciated.

This is where I went wrong in this thread. I don't do takeout from restaurants. To me pickup is Pizza or Chinese. I don't tip for that.
I don't do takeout from real restaurants. Don't know why, I just don't.

Sorry, I don't pay that close attention to stuff. My bad.

That fucking trouble maker Tick!

[El Barto]

Alrighty, then.

And for the record, Quiznos went out of business because their food really sucked. No idea how Subway survives, except the notion that eating a footlong meatball sub and a bag of chips is somehow healthy. 

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I'll be honest, I consider tips to be bonus for excellent service. I don't really see a need to tip someone for just doing what I already paid them to do anyway.

[Tick]

Podaar said it best. I can't say it any better than that. He hit the nail on the head!

So basically, you are going to stick with your incorrect assumptions.  Got it.

I'm not sticking with anything! Relax, please.

[JayOctavarium]

I do take out from Chinese and from pizza places  (more pizza) a lot... not tip (except sometimes at the chinese place we like to pick up from I'll leave a dollar in the tip jar if I have it).

The only "restaurant" I can ever remember picking up from would be TGI Fridays... and it was the bartender who prepared the to go order. This guy is pretty much the reason we go to that establishment... and he always gets a huge tip when we eat in / at the bar... and I believe I still tipped him when I took out too. It wasn't as much as we would have normally left him (we tip big... unless there is a huge issue with SERVICE... then we leave a note...) but it was still something.





basically I'm all for tipping a small bit when take out. Maybe not as much as I would if I were eating in but still..

[Tick]

Alrighty, then.

And for the record, Quiznos went out of business because their food really sucked. No idea how Subway survives, except the notion that eating a footlong meatball sub and a bag of chips is somehow healthy. 

Subway blows!

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Subway is fantastic. Love me a Cold-Cut Combo.

[KevShmev]

Wait, Quiznos is going out of business??  If so, that is ironic timing, cause after years of going there pretty often, I finally burned out on their food and have barely gone there at all over the last month or so.

And yeah, Subway is definitely painfully mediocre.

[Chino]

Chipotle wins everything.

[JayOctavarium]

There went from being like 15 Quiznos in this side of the county where I live to only 2 over the past 6 years or so.

They're struggling big time.

[KevShmev]

I've been lucky in that I still have a Quiznos literally two minutes from where I live, but I do know that many of the others in the general South County/Arnold area here in St. Louis have closed down over the last 5+ years. 

[El Barto]

Chipotle wins everything.

Except burrito making. 

I didn't know if Quiznos existed anywhere else, but they fled Dallas like it was on fire a few years ago. Jimmy Johns still does just fine, and competes well with Subway. Beyond that are the next tier up of sandwich shops. Jasons, Baker Bros, etc. They compete with each other, rather than Subway's poor ass.

[Tick]

Subway is fantastic. Love me a Cold-Cut Combo.

I eat it for fast food over the burger chains but "fantastic"?
If you think so.
To me its extremely low quality meats, and the bread is shit as well. Subway is the most overrated place. People love it, but it is crap!

[bosk1]

I've been lucky in that I still have a Quiznos literally two minutes from where I live 

You have a very unique way of defining "lucky." 

[Tick]

Chipotle wins everything.

Another over blown overrated place. I can get much better burritos elsewhere.

[Podaar]

Podaar said it best. I can't say it any better than that. He hit the nail on the head!

So basically, you are going to stick with your incorrect assumptions.  Got it.

Kev, I thought I made it clear that I won't be sticking with my past assumptions and would pay closer attention in order to tip appropriately. If Tick thought I said that well how does that make him intractable?

I appreciate this thread because I enjoy having my assumptions challenged and therefore learn something useful. I find the attitude that we should be vilified for our past ignorance in preference to being applauded for changing our minds counter-productive.

In case it wasn't clear before: You all have changed my mind and I will now tip at least 10% for take-away when ordering from a full service restaurant. Better?

[KevShmev]

Okay, cool, but Tick seemed like he was being stubborn and sticking to his guns about his assumptions, which is what I said what I said; it was never directed at you specifically. 

Also, I personally was never vilifying anyone for their past assumptions or whatever; I get why those kinds of assumptions exist, which is why I and others tried to explain it a little better, and I am sure you can understand the frustration of some of us who seemingly saw it fall of the deaf ears of some.

But all seems well now.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Subway is fantastic. Love me a Cold-Cut Combo.

I eat it for fast food over the burger chains but "fantastic"?
If you think so.
To me its extremely low quality meats, and the bread is shit as well. Subway is the most overrated place. People love it, but it is crap!

You're entitled to your opinion.

Though it is evil and wrong.

[Big Hath]

Chipotle wins everything.

Another over blown overrated place. I can get much better burritos elsewhere.

same here.  I've eaten at Chipotle 6 or 7 times and I always come away slightly disappointed.  Much better burritos can be had from other places.

[El Barto]

Chipotle wins everything.

Another over blown overrated place. I can get much better burritos elsewhere.

same here.  I've eaten at Chipotle 6 or 7 times and I always come away slightly disappointed.  Much better burritos can be had from other places.

Yeshua kind of ruined me on burritos down here. Won't go near any of the chain places now. Rice has no place in a burrito.

And I'm glad to see some people have changed their opinions on the tipping issue. Like I said, I just figured this out six months ago, so it's really just something that nobody tends to think about.

[Tick]

Chipotle wins everything.

Another over blown overrated place. I can get much better burritos elsewhere.

same here.  I've eaten at Chipotle 6 or 7 times and I always come away slightly disappointed.  Much better burritos can be had from other places.

Yeshua kind of ruined me on burritos down here. Won't go near any of the chain places now. Rice has no place in a burrito.

And I'm glad to see some people have changed their opinions on the tipping issue. Like I said, I just figured this out six months ago, so it's really just something that nobody tends to think about.

I was just confused about it as a whole. and Kev showed me no mercy!

[jingle.boy]

I was just confused about it as a whole. and Kev showed me no mercy!

Both of these happen with a fair amount of consistence. 

[hefdaddy42]

I don't do carry-out very often, but I had never even considered tipping for that.  I tip well for sit down and delivery, but never even thought about carry-out.  I suppose I will change my ways.

[King Postwhore]

I don't do carry-out very often, but I had never even considered tipping for that.  I tip well for sit down and delivery, but never even thought about carry-out.  I suppose I will change my ways.

Same here.  I don't get take out from restaurant like that but if I ever do, I will tip.  For the most part though, I'd rather go in and be served.


Bart, rice goes with everything brotha!  I can never get enough!

[Prog Snob]

I'm actually with Tick.  I never tip for going to pick something up.  I am almost 100% positive that here in NYC the employees behind the register putting together the orders are not earning their wages based on tips.  I worked in a pizzeria as a delivery driver.  I got a basic "salary" for my shift which was extremely low. Everything else was based on my tips from my deliveries.  The women behind the counter got a regular wage.  This is not an isolated incident by me.  So maybe where other people live it's different and putting everyone under the same bubble is capricious.