The Lizard Master: Tipping for Takeout...

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March 11, 2010 , Tipping for Takeout...

A friend today remarked how a co-worker visits a local restaurant and always chooses takeout. Why? That way he doesn't have to leave a tip. Now I admit, I was ignorant of people tipping at takeout myself. My wife noticed one day that I was not tipping at takeout at a restaurant and I responded with why? This isn't like we are sitting down and eating and they are waiting on us? Well, there's a few reasons I was given from someone who worked in the industry.

These people are usually rotated and on tip wages. Tip wages are lower than minimum wage with the expectance that tips will make up for getting paid less salary.
Many times take out servers are your normal waiters and waitresses moonlighting for the service. That means they are losing money waiting on your takeout order when they could be assigned to a waiting area.
No one is expecting a full 25% tip on the bill. On a $30 bill, $3 is a generous take out tip and very much appreciated by the servers.
Especially for a restaurant you frequent, while not expected, ensures top quality services (there are exceptions to this rule as we found out later, heh).
Some takeout servers still have to tip-out based on the sales from that night. If they have not received any tips, the night could actually end up costing them money.

Here are some quotes from those in the industry:

Tipping on take-out is good karma, and can often result in the restaurant providing you a little extra hospitality if the order isn't completely done when you get there. I know when I'm working I don't expect a tip when I put together a take-out order for someone since the workload is considerably lighter than waiting on a full table. However, when I do get a tip from someone on those, I greatly appreciate it. Usually I tip around 10 percent of the bill on take-out.

Yes - as a former waitress I know from exp that take-out orders take time to put together - cartons, tins, bread, salad dressings, etc. - a few extra bucks are def. appreciated.

AND, usually, the server that takes your order has to tip OUT on the sales. So taking a take-out order can cost $$$ to do. This might explain why many servers are reluctant to take the order in the first place. It takes time away from their tables in the restaurant. The ones that might be tipping. All that said, I tip on take-out.

Two or three dollars on a $30 order seems to me just being on the safe side and it does not cost much for something that might mean more to the person than you think. But I'll put it to a vote. Vote 1 for there is no reason to tip on takeout, there is not US standard for this, or Vote 10 for I always throw a few extra bucks to the takeout people.

Comments

I have one simple rule: If the food is ready in the time they promised over the phone then I round up to the nearest dollar and add a dollar. If the food is not ready in the time promised, too bad for them.

Tipping more than this seems to be unnecessary. The only argument is really that we should feel bad for the poor waiters/waitresses that get stuck doing take out and should give them extra money out of guilt. Please.

- Fat

I voted 1 for there is no reason to tip on takeout. That said, I honestly usually do tip on takeout simply because I think I'm being nice. I do this at the restaurants I usually go to.

Most of the time though, with the exception of 2 restaurants I normally go to, I just don't tip on takeout because my food is ALWAYS late. They always tell me on the phone "It'll be ready in 10 minutes". So I go there, giving them an additional 5 minutes, and it's still not ready.

I get so damn mad when I get there and they tell me that it's still cooking.

I think the problem is not that people should be tipping the take-out staff, but that the restaurant should NOT be using the wait staff to man (or woman) the take-out service.

- Todd

what is tip OUT on sales?

and what is take out? No actually I take out chinese and I tip cuz the tip jar is so huge I can't resist it, but otherwise I don't think I take out. Lil Ceasars doesn't count does it?

seems like there was a Seinfeld on this topic

next survey, tip at the buffet restaurants?

- c

I actually do tip at buffet restaurants. It really depends on the restaurant.

At Sweet Tomatoes, I generally don't leave a tip because I'm usually never served by anyone short of maybe someone coming to get my tray because they need it for the next customer (and usually I want to keep the tray).

But when they come by and ask me if I want a refil of my drink or offer for something else (like that), then I usually leave a few bucks.

At places like Kyojin in Florida (Japanese Buffet restaurant), even though it's a buffet, they still come and refill your drinks and take your dirty plates away.

Typically, if the meal is like ~$40 bucks... I'll give them $5 bucks (Buffet).

- Todd

I'd tip if it was a Thai buffet. I haven't seen one of those since i was in Japan.

The clock is ticking.....no one knows what tip out means? Or, how it "costs them money"?

- c

Tip out means that if I'm working as a server, I have to tip out a percentage of my sales to the food runner, hostess, etc (depending on the policies of the restaurant). So, if it's 2% of my sales, and I'm not getting tipped on your order, it is costing me money to take the order.

- Pickle

thanks, Pickle. That's helpful to know. In my wiki research, I learned that fed labor law says that if the math ends up putting a tip revenued server under the min wage, the employer has to make up the difference. This system definitely puts the pressure on the server to give good service to generate tipage. That part I like but It doesn't seem right. I'm glad this info is out there by TLM. During my barista time at fourbucks, tip money added two bucks an hour to our already decent wages. There was a controversy for a while when California or Oregon hammered Starbucks for letting shift sup's get tips, but those folks probably do more than the baristas and deserve their share. But I'm still not sure what takeout restaurants TLM is referring to when you nailed him for not tipping takeout. Chile's, TGIF, Ruby Tuesday....? Not a factor for me cuz I eat in at those places. As long as the take out servers are getting min wage, I think I'm ok with that.

- c

the shift I worked on gen'd the most tips btw

- c

C, everything I've read online suggests that the people working the take-out areas are supposed to be making at least minimum wage. That's not to suggest that they all are of course, some might, some might make more.

It seems to me like the waiters / waitresses are getting screwed by being asked to work the take-out window... and I think it may even border on potentially being illegal unless they pay them out the balance of the minimum wage. (When I worked at Mc.Donalds, it was $4.25).

The cooks are often the ones who really get screwed though. The waiters / waitresses bring in all the cash from tips, but the cooks are the ones who usually do all the cooking and preparing of the meals, work in a sweaty / nasty environment, and usually end up having to clean the place afterwards too.

- Todd

Todd are you making an argument for uni health care

- c