Tipping Question (Star: how much, home, income)

[tad5117]

Is it customary to tip the person at the Harris Teeter who brings your groceries to the car? If so how much? This concept is foreign to me as I am coming from NY where after the cashier scans your items they are thrown down the belt and pile up so we ultimately have no choice but to pack them up ourselves. And forget about the apples we just spend 10 minutes picking out, by the time they are scanned and "thrown" to the bagging area they are bruised anyway!

[Brooklyn_QueenBee]

I don't think they are able to take tips at HT because they are being paid, but I would ask. Bringing groceries to the car is a hospitality task they do. It is not done all day, only by a select few who need help. I'm from NY and tipping was customary at almost all stores. The baggers who bagged your groceries had a tip jar. These baggers were not employed by the store but was there to make money. The person who delievered your groceries, got a tip on top of the delivery fee.

[carolina_guy]

If you feel so inclined, $1-2 is fine. It's not "required" though.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Some chains prohibit their employees from taking tips, others look the other way. Best to ask inside at the service counter what the store's position is.

[aag-charlotte]

HT prohibits them from taking tips. Not that they wouldn't take them if you offered, probably, but I've seen signs that they are not supposed to be offered tips.

[Whytewulf]

I usually don't use their help, but if you do it is considered part of their hospitalitiy service. Its not done 100% of the time. Though I have seen them get a buck out of it. HT is a little "higher end" in the service dept, and I have seen that in my stores they seem to know how to bag.

[mikealialex]

I worked at Publix down in Miami, and we couldnt take tips either. You could actually get fired for it. This dramatically cut down on my tip income, most days I only managed an extra $5 or so (back in the 70's when a tip was a quarter or two). We loved the Holidays, the no tipping policy brought me home double or triple the average.

[MrConfigT]

I've worked for Lowes Foods and we were not allowed to take tips. Even when I helped a lady change her tire in our parking lot.

[JakeTKD]

I worked at HT for almost a year (I swear HTs are like Starbucks, they are on every freaken corner now!), and I usually never got tipped for helping someone out to their car. However, at Target I did, because I was lifting bigger things into people's cars.

[thegeek74]

I regularly do online shopping with HT and pick up my groceries at the curb. I have offered tips and they always refuse.