Oh, I see, because it is on a credit card.

There is no obligation to give a tip. If they do something special, yes. If you just feel so moved, sure why not. Not many people are offended by tips (some are). If one is a regular, I think its a nice way to build rapport. But no obligation.

What really galls me is when you order room service, and they charge a 18% gratuity fixed, and then STILL have a tip line!

At least $1, usually 10-15%.

I tip, too, when I pick up food I've ordered and they always seem surprised (and happy) so I imagine not many people do it. They still have to get my order and pack it up to go, so why not?

Thanks everyone! It's good to see that there is such a range and not an accepted amt. to tip. I tend to tip what Jim Mat does, so it doesn't sound like that is too little, given the responses.

I agree with Mtn - I hate that they add on the tip in hotel room service and then want you to pay an extra tip. I do anyway, but it still makes me angry!

I don't tip when I pick up carry-out food. I think the exception would be for a very large or complicated order that would be out of the ordinary for the particular restaurant.

Not to hijack RB's thread, but what about those restaurants (very common now it seems) where you order at the counter, pick up your own silverware, bring your own glass up to the counter to get a refill and bus your own table? I mean, it's a nice hipster-style independent eatery, but I'm not really getting any more service than I would in a fast-food place, other than a kitchen runner bringing the food to the table when it's ready. And I have to time my trips back up to the counter for drink refills so as to avoid any line there may be of folks waiting to place their initial orders.

Yet there's a tip jar.

Am I bad to not tip? I don't tip at Carl's Jr.

I would never even consider tipping for carry out. All this tipping everyone has gotten out of hand...why not tip the kid at McD? That will be next!

As a former waitress I can tell you that to-go orders take a lot of time to pack up and prepare. I don't mean from a pizza pick up place but from a regular sit-down restaurant. We (the servers) had to take care of the to-go orders at the sit-down restaurant that I worked at all through college and it takes time away from your sit-down customers who are tipping and it's generally a PITA to pack up all the food and the different sauces that are needed for each order. Because so few people tip for their to-go orders the servers try to spread them out among themselves so no one is handling more to-gos than someone else.

When I was serving our hourly rate was around $2.30 so tips were how we lived. I always tip 15/20% for to-gos from sit-down establishments.

I tip nothing when I pick up. If we do delivery, we are generous tippers b/c our house is up a very long driveway and its kind of a PIA for them I would think. Our pizza guy must really like us b/c we only order pizza around 3-4 times a year total and he remembers how long it has been since we last ordered (i.e. he'll say "haven't seen you guys in four months! you should order more!") our order usually comes to $13 and we give him a $20.

I don't tip at a take-out or a cafeteria where there is no service. Tipping at such places isn't customary in my area. Most counter-serve coffee shops do not have tip jars although occasionally one might be by a cash register, with a little loose change in it. Just a question - if one tips 15% at a takeout, which doesn't involve table service, how much for table service?

All this tipping
everyone has gotten out of hand...why not tip the kid at McD? That will
be next!

Why not just give the kid a decent wage instead? What a concept!

Back in the day when I used to work Friday fish fry with my sister, we had people who called in takeout every single week and never tipped, not even at Christmas. I don't remember how many dinners she would order each time. Really? Like a PP said, it does take some work to pack the meal.

We always tip when we get takeout from the local Mexican, Asian, or pizza. Delivery is a given--yes. Tip; they probably appreciate it and it might really make someone's day.

I tip 15-18% and hope tips are pooled for back of house, but pooling is legal in Canada and afaik not legal in the US (or much of the US).

for picking up an order to go (which I don't do often at all) I rarely tip. Only if they have been exceptionally helpful or the order really large. For Panera type/Starbucks places where you order and there is a tip jar, probably half the time I put in some arbitrary amount. I know it's appreciated, and I try to think that the dollar or two won't really impact me but will impact the employee. I am torn though and don't feel an obligation to tip for picking up food.

I don't tip to go pick up my own order and bring it home to eat. The food is expensive enough. One of the few places I go has a large tip jar. I'll put the change in there because they are happy to do a great job. Having people put their hands out everywhere you go gives a bad vibe, imo. There are a lot of lower paid people who work very hard that do not get tips.

About 10% if I pick up at a place that is not primarily take out.

I always tip lavishly for delivered food because it's quite a haul out here, but there's only one really terrible pizza place that offers delivery out here, so that's usually moot. I don't tip when picking up a pizza or Chinese or something like that, because the person on the register isn't supposed to be paid server wages.

I do so wish we had a system like they do in Europe where waiting tables is a paid profession with a decent salary, instead of our tip economy.

We don't do take-out often, only two places we use for that and in both places they have a tip jar on the counter. I usually tip around 10% or a little more. If using a card, yes, it has a place on the receipt for a tip and I add it in there.

Nobody delivers where we live. When we do pickup I do tip something, depending on the service because I do know it takes some effort to get even a couple of dinners packed up with the condiments, etc. We don't eat fast food much, but will occasionally go to Chick-fil-A or a favorite gelato/ice cream spot and DH always leaves a little something. I do the same at Starbucks or another coffee shop in town. Since we are repeat customers, they recognize us and appreciate the tip.

The whole tipping thing is out of control.

When I lived downtown and had relationships with the people and places, I was a heavy tipper. But I did tip less for takeout because how are you supposed to reward table service if you tip 15% to pick up a bag? 25%? No.

Depending on the place I might tip $5 at the Chinese place or up to 10% if it is truly a sit down place that is doing me a favor by packing up my food for takeout.

If the restaurant delivers, do you tip the delivery person 10 or 15%?

If you order off that app, the restaurant staff gets no tip.

I don't. The service that I experience is someone handing me a bag and taking my money. I don't tip any other clerk in a store when they hand me a bag and take my money so this is no different to me.

I don't know who does what with my bag in the back of the restaurant but the most important person in my opinion is the one who cooks/prepares my food and that person doesn't get tips.

The tip jars that really irk me are at serve yourself yogurt shops.

For take out, I tip a few bucks, max 10%. DH never does, unless I'm giving him the stink eye!

I've notice at Submarina, when you check out with your debit card a screen pops up asking how much tip you want to leave. I don't normally tip when I get to go orders.

3katz4me

I don't. The service that I experience is someone handing me a bag and taking my money

*****

No, it's not. Your food was assembled, boxed, wrapped, all accoutrements were placed in you bag, and that all is service and takes time. More than carrying a plated dish to your table.

Take away, especially in a sit-down restaurant, is a value-added service that sometimes takes servers away from much higher-tipping clientele.

I only tip delivery, if I pick it up, I keep the change lol.

'Your food was assembled, boxed, wrapped, all accoutrements were placed in you bag, and that all is service and takes time. '

But isn't this their job? We can't be tipping every lower wage employee out there just for doing their jobs. Not everyone is rich and can afford that. The rest of us have bills to pay too. The COL is already very high.

If the worker's salary structure is based on receiving tips, then I tip. A waiter's job is to bring me my food, yet I tip. Same goes for the server who puts together my take out, imo.

If you can't afford to tip, don't dine out or take away.

I've waited a lot of tables in my day from common chain types to fine dining; the person who rings up your order is a server or a bartender, there is no dedicated cashier unless we're talking ihop. So the total of your order is counted on that employee's receipts for the shift and since most computer systems tally a server's tickets and assume they receive 20% in tips and then calculate the taxes they owe based on what the computer assumes you made- yah, not tipping for carry out pretty much sucks. Doesn't have to be a %, but a buck or two to cover what they will, essentially, be charged for the privilege of serving you is nice. And what others said about time and PITA factor is true, too.

If you can't afford to throw a couple bucks tip on the bill, then stay at home. Seriously, you can afford to drive your car there, spend money on the gas and the food, and then your excuse is that you can't afford to tip someone making diddly squat?

Really?

There's a little place in town I pick up food at sometimes. But the guy wrapping up and ringing up my order is also the cook, it is a one man operation so yes I tip.

Good Lord, mimipad. Lighten up. No need to be so rude about someone else's spending and finances.

I am less inclined to tip after all that! lol. And, I will eat how and where I please, thank you!

It's always good to know in advance how bad workers' attitudes are, btw. It's a real enlightenment reading here on GW.

WTH is your problem, mimipad, with the name calling. And telling people to not eat, just stay home? Really? Hate to tell you, but people would not even have jobs if it were not for customers.

A lot of people work hard for low pay, without 'tips' just to do the job they signed up for. If people don't like their job, they should find something else to do. There are plenty of others who will be happy and grateful to take that job off their hands. Honestly, they sound like babies, whining about how much harder they work than everyone else. Taking orders, packing food into bags......it's so hard? Good grief. Clueless.

Worse yet, you don't care about them. All you raise the minimum wage people care about is if they are on public assistance!! Your taxes! Despicable.

It won't work. All tips stop now, lol.

No one has convinced me to tip someone that hands me a bag of food. There's no way that is even slightly equal to waiting on me for an hour or more when my husband and I eat. Doesn't the cook put the food on the plates and the take out containers? So someone puts it in a bag, big deal, that's not tip worthy to me.

I tip for takeout. As a former waitress I hated take out orders-so much work boxing and bagging. However takeout was not the norm, so I would have to search for boxes, ect. A place where takeout is common may be different. I tip 10 percent for takeout.

I never used to tip for pick up service at places like Applebee's or Outback. But my friend's daughter worked at Applebee's, and she dreaded having pick up duty, because it meant that she would receive virtually no tips.

When my DD worked at Outback, I'm pretty sure that that the food runners for carry out made minimum wage. The food runners in the restaurant did and received a share of tips from the servers.

I've always been an advice column fanatic and Ann Landers and Dear Abby really shaped my life from a young age. anyway, I read this column when a teenager and since then I've almost always tipped generously whether it be for a coffee or a haircut.

A letter to Ann Landers that appeared in the Bakersfield Californian on Friday November 29, 1996

Dear Ann Landers: You've gone to bat for people in many professions. I guarantee millions of my co-workers will thank you if you give us equal time.

I deliver pizzas, and my salary is only minimum wage, plus tips. If business is slow, I may work only a couple hours a day. Decent tips are vital.

Last night, I delivered an order for $25.69, and the customer told me to "keep the change" after handing me $26. Of course, tipping is not mandatory, and there are some people who want every cent of their change back and don't tip at all. But most of us would rather be stiffed completely than get a 31 cent tip. We consider that a major insult.

So, to our valued customers, if you tip your pizza deliverer, please give us at least a dollar. It's humiliating to smile and say, "Thank you," for a few pennies.--Stiffed in Dallas

Dear Stiffed: Here is your letter and I sincerely hope my readers will take seriously what you have written.

What some folks don't understand is that delivery people are paid a very modest salary. It is expected that they will recieve tips and whatever they get belongs to them. Please, dear readers, if you can afford a $16 pizza, you can surely pay the delivery person $2.50 for bringing it to your door.

Thanks for sharing that Robo. I'm in complete agreement.

I was a server but I liked to be tipped not by begging. It was before the tipping line showed up! I worked in a chain restaurant that frequented by both families and many pro athletes. The food was good and I very rarely got stiffed and often got high tips.

Years back the closest drive was 20 minutes for Pizza Hut and they started the tip line. I spoke to the manager and said I get eat in should give a tip and I have been tipping on carry out but the tip line on carry out is inappropriate. Next time I ordered he told me we couldn't get it to be taken off pickup but our policy is to strike a line unless customer says to leave it. I made sure to bring cash or mention it and tipped even more.

I recently ate at a chain diner. Food was surprisingly good. Poor waitress was a wreck. It was obvious she was overwhelmed. When I went to pay at cash register I was third in line and had to keep asking for register code from the manager who was in the kitchen. She said to person in front of me "do you want a tip on your cc?" Lady was nasty about the fact she left tip on table, she apologized and explained she had a lot of tables and if not asked it could not be added on after so servers would not be tipped.

i was rung up and went out to where DH had pulled around and it hit me that the bill was crazy high. I had someone else's receipt in my hand. 20 dollars too much. I went back in stood in line and said there was a mistake. Poor woman handed me 50 dollars out of her apron and teared up. I of course said I don't want you giving me you tips just get a refund for what I overpaid. She burst into tears and another waitress came over and called the manager over. He gave me 20 dollars and I purposefully said that it was no big deal and to please not be upset because I wasn't .

Guess I hi jacked sorry.

I seldom get take out, but when I do, I tip 10-15% because it is usually the servers who ring me up and I figure they've bagged up the food, been taken away from their other tables, etc. I'm not getting fine dining as take out, so the check is seldom very high and so not that much $ is involved.

I figure if I can stuff $1 in the tip jar at an espresso stand for a $4-$5 latte, I can afford to tip the staff at a full service restaurant.

Quite frankly, I think if one can afford take-out food, you probably can afford a few dollars for the minimum wage workers.

We always try to leave something, and I think 10% is a good rule of thumb. As another perspective for some, there have been times in the past when we had take-out and we could not "really" afford it but there were times when the kids needed to eat and there were other exigencies that got in the way of cooking at home (mainly illness). Part of the point of take-out was to avoid the extra costs of drinks, etc. Now, we sometimes try to make a point of eating out just so that we are supporting the local economy more.

I do loathe the one restaurant that when you go to pay they ask if you want to leave a tip and then how much you want to put on. I understand the limitations of the computers, but I think that is terrible to put a customer on the spot that way. I prefer the places that have a touch screen where you can handle that bit on your own (and yes, I understand the expense behind the screen and why more places do not do this, yet). I love the food and the servers but that practice to me just stinks.

It is difficult to know today who is paid on what scale. Smaller establishments don't even pay minimum wage, some pay more than the going rate just to get workers. An assumed tip is my issue. As a cook, waitresses get tip money for GOOD FOOD--which they had nothing to do with. The issues to consider go on and on. Of course no one wants the take out shift if tips are lower-- everyone would want the EXTRA!!! Tips are EXTRA and not all restaurants calculate and assume tips for tax purposes. Chains may but that would be it. The Dominoes story leaves me asking then WHY is he doing THAT job?? Leave it to the kids!!

I am not a fan of tipping ever, so take out would be the last place I would tip. Most places already charge more for the "extra work etc." I prefer places to charge appropriate amounts, pay at a rate that is logical and just be above board with all of this. This for me is akin to haggling over the price of something. Not a fan.

It's not just chains- I've personally worked for two independent restaurants, one mid level and one very high end fine dining, that calculate taxes based on assumed tips. Most servers will receive paychecks for $0.00; the $2.13/hour the restaurant owes them is completely consumed by taxes, so tips are literally all they take home most of the time. And if your state has income taxes they are the last to be taken out of a paycheck, so your server will get hit at tax time for all the state taxes there wasn't enough In her paycheck to cover. Here's another one most people don't know about- the 1-3% to run your credit card is often taken out of your servers tips! It's the same as any industry, if you haven't done it, you have no idea. Poor service? By all means, show your displeasure in your tip, I do! But no tip because you assume takeout is no work? That's just cheap.

Some restaurants are moving to a no tip model for many of these reasons; Joe's Crab Shack announced they would be switching to a higher set wage and no tips, and they have already said the menu prices will rise accordingly. Good food, good service, cheap prices- pick any two ya like, but you can't have all three.

I don't tip a percentage-for instance, at a nicer restaurant with curb service-I tip $3-5 for their trouble of assembling everything. At fast food restaurants-my thinking is most people are eating there because it's less expensive (and fast) and could be on a tight budget, so I don't think they expect it-nor do I leave a tip. Anyhow, that's how I justify it in my silly little head!

There is a regional chain that is being sued by wait staff who are given side work and they are not being paid minimum wage.

http://www.journalnow.com/business/business_news/local/winston-salem-woman-sues-hickory-tavern-over-wages/article_3ce9818e-28b7-5376-bed1-5c26f6ecacc3.html

While more recently, people would pick up side work at restaurants, and now they might drive for Uber instead.

As a potential tipper, if you are not a fan of tipping, well it's understandable. But if YOU were the one trying to feed your kids on a server's wages, your unwillingness to contribute to a system (rightly or wrongly) that just stiffs the server if there is no tip, you might reconsider. I almost always carry cash for tipping because of the credit card surcharge that comes out of the server's pocket. I hope that getting cash also thwarts some of the stupid IRS rules that presume a certain amount is received in tips, whether they actually get that amount or not.

If anyone is under the impression that the server only takes orders and serves your food you are mistaken. A server does not just walk into a restaurant and start serving tables for tips they do a lot of the prep work before the restaurant even opens. That hour prepping is worked at less than minimum wage and may include making salads, cutting fruit and veggies, and stocking and prepping for to-go orders. After the restaurant closes they are there for another hour cleaning the kitchen (and often time the bathrooms), putting food away, restocking, and prepping for the morning shift.

Also, if there is a bartender a certain potion of the servers tips go to the bartender even if none of their tables ordered drinks. I worked at a family owned Japanese restaurant where a portion of every servers tips were given to the back of the house staff and to the sushi chef. Busser will also be tipped out of the servers tips.

If you think the server is walking away with your tip as cash in pocket that's not how it works.

"What really galls me is when you order room service, and they charge a 18% gratuity fixed, and then STILL have a tip line!"

We just returned from spending a few days at the Ritz Carlton (Orlando). My $17.00 turkey club (room service) came with a 22% In Room Dining Service Charge, a $4.50 Delivery Charge, tax and a tip line. After adding a tip my $17.00 sandwich cost $33.88. I was really hungry.

OT- maddielee I LOVE that ritz. have you ever been to the spa there? so nice! And the lunch by the poolside restaurant in their little bento boxes was one of the best i've ever had at a spa.