Tipping for take-out or counter service (hotel, college, minimum wage)

[Georgia]

Had to do some clean up here.
Please try to play nice.

Let's keep the debate respectable.

If not, you will not get a tip!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by aries4118

Why, Brother Neil?

Let's play smart, instead of naive...

1. Because cashiers, drivers, and servers are three totally different jobs with three totally different expectations, requirements, functions, and pay scales.

2. Because it is custom [When talking about tipping delivery drivers--pizza delivery drivers in particular].

*But, neil...feel free to do whatever you choose--and question+dissect until your heart's content. Just be wary of ordering delivery from the same location (if you continue to "delivery tip" in the way you mentioned earlier).

I'm not naive but rather consistent. If tips are given to servers in restaurants due to the fact that they get paid less than minimum wage...and that is the stated reason being given....then I join with everyone and agree. As stated in the other thread, I usually tip very well, when it's earned.

For all the others out there like delivery drivers, who make a stated hourly wage at minimum or above, why are they different than someone like a cashier at Starbucks or the person helping me at Home Depot?

When you agree to do a job, you agree to the wage that comes along with it. I'm perplexed at how you guys are all appalled that someone might not tip the pizza guy, but again....other than the fact that his job...what he gets paid to do...is delivering, what else makes it necessary to tip him but not the person at McDonalds or Starbucks? The topic is "take out or counter service" and delivery wasn't even the topic, but I'm curious why delivery people expect a tip but not counter people.

Please help me understand this massive inconsistency. Again...I do tip and usually quite well, but I resent this implication that it's required and that you're somehow cheap and an a-hole if you don't. That's crap.

[iamscott]

I do not tip for take-out or counter service. @aries4118 said it best!!!!

[YBF]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I'm not naive but rather consistent. If tips are given to servers in restaurants due to the fact that they get paid less than minimum wage...and that is the stated reason being given....then I join with everyone and agree. As stated in the other thread, I usually tip very well, when it's earned.

For all the others out there like delivery drivers, who make a stated hourly wage at minimum or above, why are they different than someone like a cashier at Starbucks or the person helping me at Home Depot?

When you agree to do a job, you agree to the wage that comes along with it. I'm perplexed at how you guys are all appalled that someone might not tip the pizza guy, but again....other than the fact that his job...what he gets paid to do...is delivering, what else makes it necessary to tip him but not the person at McDonalds or Starbucks? The topic is "take out or counter service" and delivery wasn't even the topic, but I'm curious why delivery people expect a tip but not counter people.

Please help me understand this massive inconsistency. Again...I do tip and usually quite well, but I resent this implication that it's required and that you're somehow cheap and an a-hole if you don't. That's crap.

I agree!!!! I remember back home I had Chinese delivered. I gave the man my money and he AUTOMATICALLY tipped himself. I stood in my front door like UM MY change please He was like Oh I thought this was my tip...Um no!!!! Let me tip you do hijack my money now you get nothing!!!!! The whole tip thing is crazy!!!!!! I think that restaurants should pay minimum wage and customers shouldn't be required to tip wait staff. Delivery ppl are paid minimum wage at least and they don't automatically deserve a tip

[YBF]

Tipping for takeout is ridiculous and wont happen with me

[xavier132487]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I tip for delivery if it's fast, but not if they charge extra for delivery or if it takes too long to arrive.

Delivery driver doesn't get that delivery fee, FYI.

[xavier132487]

Originally Posted by neil0311

One difference...delivery drivers make at least minimum wage. Why is it any different tipping them...for simply doing their job...than it would be tipping the cashier at McDonalds for doing theirs?

Why do we owe someone who is paid at least minimum wage a tip for doing what they signed up to do? I get servers in restaurants who get sub-minimun wages, and the tip is supposed to make up the difference. I don't why it should be automatic to tip someone making a normal hourly wage, and why delivery drivers and not the person at McDonalds or Starbucks, or at the grocery store. Hmmmm?

I can tell you that this is NOT true. Delivery drivers are usually paid less than minimum wage and earn the rest of the wage through tips. If they don't make enough in tips, THEN the restaurant has to pay minimum wage. Same goes with waiters.

[xavier132487]

Originally Posted by pinetreelover

So....back to my original question which is really about pick up - not delivery. Places like a Chinese restaurant or barbeque places that have sit down dining, but also offer take out - how much (if any) do you tip at those types of places. I feel awkward drawing a slash through the tip line on the credit card slip when I pick up my food, but I'm not sure what the appropriate tip should be if all they did was bag up my food.

I don't, and they usually don't expect it. I know when I worked in food service, I didn't expect it (but it was appreciated and I didn't say no).

[xavier132487]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I'm not naive but rather consistent. If tips are given to servers in restaurants due to the fact that they get paid less than minimum wage...and that is the stated reason being given....then I join with everyone and agree. As stated in the other thread, I usually tip very well, when it's earned.

For all the others out there like delivery drivers, who make a stated hourly wage at minimum or above, why are they different than someone like a cashier at Starbucks or the person helping me at Home Depot?

When you agree to do a job, you agree to the wage that comes along with it. I'm perplexed at how you guys are all appalled that someone might not tip the pizza guy, but again....other than the fact that his job...what he gets paid to do...is delivering, what else makes it necessary to tip him but not the person at McDonalds or Starbucks? The topic is "take out or counter service" and delivery wasn't even the topic, but I'm curious why delivery people expect a tip but not counter people.

Please help me understand this massive inconsistency. Again...I do tip and usually quite well, but I resent this implication that it's required and that you're somehow cheap and an a-hole if you don't. That's crap.

No one said it was required (there is no law that states so). But, yes, you are seen as cheap and an a-hole if you don't tip a delivery driver. They use gas (and not every place recoups those costs), deliver food to you in a timely manner, and they don't always get minimum wage unless tips equal or exceed minimum wage.

That's just how the cookie crumbles. We call that "societal expectations." It doesn't matter if you resent to it, because society has the right to form that opinion about you. If you lived in Europe, though, you wouldn't be having this argument, just paying more for the food whether or not service is good, because all workers would be paid minimum wage no matter what and it is seen as rude to tip (kind of like a rich guy giving scraps to the pauper kind of image).

[aries4118]

Originally Posted by YBF

...The whole tip thing is crazy!!!!!! I think that restaurants should pay minimum wage and customers shouldn't be required to tip wait staff. Delivery ppl are paid minimum wage at least and they don't automatically deserve a tip

I like the way they did it when I lived out of the country--

10% was automatically charged on every bill...and this was for the waiter. No tip required/expected...unless you wanted to be extra nice.

Very consistent, too.