OT - Do you tip at carry out places?

Submitted by Blue_Bull_Run on

Some of the carry out places I frequent have tip jars, and the credit card receipt has a line to write in a tip. I always feel awkward when the guy at the register looks at my receipt and I didn't tip. But I don't see why I should be tipping - I walked my ass over to pick up my own food. Any work they did should be included in the price of my order, no?

aaamichfan

July 10th, 2010 at 6:32 PM ^

There isn't any reason to tip on a carry out order. Just because they put a tip jar out doesn't mean they deserve a tip.

cohensh

July 10th, 2010 at 6:33 PM ^

If it's a restaurant that I order take out from but could sit down and a server was the one to put it together I usually leave a dollar on my card.  Thinking is they would be working on their tables if it wasn't for me.

It it's only take out/fast food the only time I tip is when I pay cash and don't feel like carrying around whatever coins I get as change.

bleedzblue

July 10th, 2010 at 6:42 PM ^

I agree, I used to work at a restaurant and the carry out workers do their fair share of work to put the order together so I always tip them. But if I go pickup a pizza from Hungry Howies or something I usually do not.

da shiz

July 10th, 2010 at 6:47 PM ^

Depends on the restaurant. I know at Chili's and Buffalo Wild Wings, the takeaway servers get min. wage so I don't tip. At the Outback I work at, they get paid $2.63 an hour, just like regular servers and depend on tips. Nothing big, $2-3 dollars will do.

To eat at a restaurant it should be required that you worked at one for a year so you learn that your ranch isn't that f-ing important. Yes I did steal that from Daniel Tosh.

BiSB

July 11th, 2010 at 11:15 AM ^

The rules are different for employees who receive a significant portion of their income through tips, not just servers.

The Federal minimum wage is something like $2.13 for tipped employees.  In Michigan, I think it's $2.65.  However, if tips + wages don't exceed actual minimum wage, the employer has to make up the difference.

M-Wolverine

July 11th, 2010 at 2:42 PM ^

But how can a take out person not working the bar or something be considered getting a significant amount of their income from tips? We just had a whole thread of non-tipping for take out people, and if it was a thread of "do you tip the hostess?" I bet it would be even worse. Sounds like an excuse not to call it what it really is...a minimum wage job. Either through generous tips or employer make-up.

octal9

July 12th, 2010 at 2:37 PM ^

Because you work carry-out in shifts.

Servers end up doing carry-out shifts. Some places hire hosts that don't serve, ever.

It depends entirely on the restaurant. There's no real way to tell how practices work from restaurant.

Would you rather err on the safe side or not? Most of the people I worked with in food service live check to check (edit: myself included - I worked two jobs in food service + midnights at meijer during a semester at U-M as a full-time student). For them, a bad day at work = an overdraft fee, or worse.

If you're going out to eat, you can afford to tip.

If you're not going to tip, go home and cook.

Blue in Yarmouth

July 12th, 2010 at 2:56 PM ^

Because I can afford to eat out doesn't mean I can afford to pay a guys employees for him. I pity anyone who can't make ends meet but I don't go around giving money to all of them. I would like to know when it became incumbent upon the consumers to pay the wages of the employees? We do that by paying the bills at the end of whatever it is we are doing, why should we HAVE to give a tip as well?

The only ones making out good in all this is the employers.

bluebyyou

July 10th, 2010 at 6:51 PM ^

I typically charge the cost of the carryout and often drop a dollar or two in the tip jar.  It doesn't impact me very much and might help someone else.

Kal

July 10th, 2010 at 7:09 PM ^

If I spend say 5.53 and get 47 cents in change at a carry out place I'll usually just drop the change in the jar. If I'm using my card I'm probably not going to tip, but I do make it a point to remember if someone was extremely courteous so that if I ever do spend cash there I'd end up tipping. This means I will never leave a tip at Blimpie Burger.

Kal

July 10th, 2010 at 7:22 PM ^

If you're going to neg me, at least say why. I mean I understand that Blimpie Burger prides itself in its joking rude act or whatever, but when they don't let old ladies with canes lean on a counter or sit down it goes from jest to downright douchebaggery.

Kal

July 10th, 2010 at 7:46 PM ^

Didn't say I wouldn't eat there, just said I wouldn't tip there. I understand the whole, lets have attitude to stand out from the crowd stuff, but when you tell elderly disabled people they aren't allowed to lean or sit somewhere it becomes indecent. If I'm going to tip someone to abuse me, it's going to be a hooker.

Kal

July 10th, 2010 at 8:00 PM ^

I've read MGoBlog for a long time, I really didn't start posting until I got unbelievably bored at work one day and decided I would start posting on the topics I read. Oh and I guess your MGoBirthday is tomorrow, so happy 2 years in advance haha.

jmblue

July 10th, 2010 at 8:42 PM ^

I didn't neg you, but one little note - don't tip pennies.  No one wants those.  In your hypothetical, drop 45 cents in and keep the pennies or put them in a penny jar.

Don

July 10th, 2010 at 7:36 PM ^

Negging by people without the stones to say why is endemic around here. I'd guess it's because you dared utter a comment that was critical of Blimpie, and thou shalt not criticize Blimpie.

Blueisgood

July 10th, 2010 at 8:52 PM ^

Hahaa. I got negged after I posted the Bob Probert has died thread.  I posted some video off of youtube of some of his fights and someone negged that part instead of the thread so I couldn't see who did it. Its pretty comical when you negged for posting something about someone who just died.

GOBLUE4EVR

July 10th, 2010 at 8:38 PM ^

and i feel that the only person or people that should get tipped on a carry out order is the cooks... we did all the work and we get nothing out of it...

GOBLUE4EVR

July 10th, 2010 at 9:27 PM ^

my point was that the waitresses or person at the counter are the ones get the tips that do come in on carry out orders... the cooks who did all of the work in putting the order together don't see any % of that tip... myself personally i don't tip on carry out because i know the majority of the time waitress is just going to pocket it...

MGoTrey

July 10th, 2010 at 8:58 PM ^

The place where I work the cooks get paid pretty damn well. And when you guys (cooks) screw up food, it's the servers tips that get reduced. Even though they had nothing to do w/ you (the cooks) grilling someones steak well when they wanted it medium. Maybe the cooks should then give the servers money out of their pocket when they screw up food that leaves the window and gets sent back?

Farnn

July 10th, 2010 at 10:02 PM ^

What do you consider paid well?  From what I've experienced in NYC, cooks make between $10-$15 an hour, and the high end is at restaurants like Le Bernardin.  Maybe my values are screwed up, but in no way is that paid well.  Especially when servers at those restaurants can pull in tips from tables with an average check north of $100.

flaproosta08

July 11th, 2010 at 9:16 AM ^

I can't speak for your experiences, but I can for mine.

I work at a ritzy place in the summer, highest end in my area (which doesn't have many..) as a server. I get 2.65 an hour. The chefs get 15.50 an hour.

There are many complications from little nitpicky stuff in orders there. When a chef misses one of those, who deals with the customer?

Odds are good you're making a pretty decent wage to be preparing what you are. We don't. Odds are unless you're waiter/tress is a complete ass/bitch, you're getting a 5-10 dollar tip from each one in the joint.

I think you're either working at the wrong place or working with some shit wait staff

Maximinus Thrax

July 10th, 2010 at 8:39 PM ^

I usually throw in a dollar if there is a jar.  If I am using my card I will also usually give a dollar.  Also, if I know the restaurant fucks there employees in every way, I will also give a little more.  But really, you don't get any service on carryout and you are not monopolizing a table, so why tip?

jmblue

July 10th, 2010 at 8:45 PM ^

If it's a regular restaurant, always.  The waiters working at the bar/counter are expecting tips as part of their wages.  For fast food-type places, it's more optional. 

joeyb

July 10th, 2010 at 9:04 PM ^

Here's my logic for tipping. I understand that they get paid less than $3/hour, but no one needs to be getting paid $30+/hour for waiting tables. You tip to ensure good service, you don't tip for anything else. That includes making sure your drink never runs out, getting your food quickly, making sure your drinks are strong, etc. It doesn't include writing down your order and placing it in a bag.

I generally start with 20% and go from there. If it is a small bill, I'll add $1. If it's a large bill and the tip is already $10, I'll take off $1, because they usually have 3 other tables tipping as well. even if they don't $9 plus the minimum wage is about what a waiter should be making.

MGoTrey

July 10th, 2010 at 9:13 PM ^

but you need to remember (and it's something most people don't know)...a server tips out..usually three other people at the end of the night. It varies place to place..but from my experience..we tipped out a busser, food runner, and bartender. Each person gets 10% of our sales. (which is b.s. the bartender should be tipped out on alcohol sales, but that's another story).

So if at the end of my night my sales are $551 I was expected to tip each of the three $6. If it's $549 I tipped each person $5.

Regardless you're taking out 15-18 dollars from what you make. Just something to remember when you're going out and tipping.

TheDirtyD

July 11th, 2010 at 2:55 AM ^

so by your logic if they did amazing and most compaines have 3 table sections at 20% of 500 bucks is??? 100 bucks now that 100 bucks is spilt up between a busser, food runner, bartender, cooks so now the sever walks with 70 in 8 hours so your right they didnt make 30 bucks an hour they made way less. you guys are so dumb.