What Do You Think? Tip Or No Tip?
The NY Daily News gave Miley Cyrus a hard time today when they reported that she stiffed a Burbank Outback Steakhouse on the tip for a $70 check. The thing is Miley didn't eat inside the restaurant. She got it to go. As you know, I am a big fan of tipping. This however is one of those situations that is really, really fuzzy. As much as I love tipping I rarely participate in the whole tip jar thing at Starbucks or the liquor store or the gas station. Yes, everyone has them now.
The fuzzy thing about take out orders is that often, a waiter or waitress is assigned the task of taking the phone order and making sure it is ready and isn't actually waiting on tables and thus not earning tips. So, if I see that is happening I will tip. What about when you are not sure who helped because you got there when the food was ready? Your only contact was with a cashier. Do you tip them? Like I said the whole thing is fuzzy. Do you tip on takeout? I'm not going to blame or judge Miley for not tipping on takeout.
I don't tip takeout.
ReplyDeleteI don't tip takeout unless the person has had to go way out their way for me, so just about never.
ReplyDeleteMost places like outback already tag on a takeout service charge don't they?
Ditto...would you tip at Mickey D's? No. If they deliver it to your home, you tip--if you go and pick it up, no tip.
ReplyDeleteno tip on takeout. i might round up if its loose change i'm getting back.
ReplyDeleteI don't tip on take out either unless something extraordinary happens.
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ReplyDeleteIt depends on the restaurant. When I worked for Cracker Barrel, the cook would prepare the meal and put it in the window. A server or hostess was responsible for packing it and giving it to the customer with the ticket for the cashier. A tip was not required, but it was very much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI only tip those whose pay is based on tips. Waiters get less than min wage because they receive tips. I think in most sates, they also have to claim 8% tips on all orders. So tip cash and they only have to claim 8% if you tip on the card, they have to claim it all.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, I don't tip because I think the people are paid differently.
No tip on takeout food. Anything that is basically self-service doesn't qualify, in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI don't tip at Starbucks', either. Or McDonalds. If my ass isn't in a chair and someone's not actually slinging hash in my general direction, I don't consider it tippable service.
coming from a person who serves tables and does takeout at red lobster, you most certainly should tip. not the usual percentages in most cases because they didn't give you an hour plus of service but if you've ever worked in the food service industry you know there is just as much work put in to being the takeout person as there is if they were waiting on you for an hour. just because you don't see them run their butt off for you doesn't mean they don't.
ReplyDeleteSorry Katie, but I've also served plenty of tables and take-out does not earn a tip unless it's delivered.
ReplyDeleteAnd when we pick on Miley for something like this, it distracts from all the real reasons to dislike this girl.
I sometimes have that dilemma in my head, but I always tip something at non-fast food places. I definitely tip the folks at our local Outback, as they usually seem to have a lot of oversight in making sure that what you take out the door is correct. I also get out of my car when it's raining or snowing to go inside and pick up the order instead of making the person run back and forth.
ReplyDeleteTakeout is definitely supposed to get a tip; the key difference is that the tip goes ONLY to the kitchen staff and not to the wait staff. In the service industry a portion of a waitress' tip goes to the kitchen staff, since a tip is not only for the service but the quality of the meal itself. In a takeout situation it is customary to leave a smaller tip than usual but to absolutely tip.
ReplyDeleteMan, I don't miss working in that industry...
She could've at least given a 10% tip. I used to work at the counter of a pizzeria that was busy as hell, and I was generally the only one who was at the counter. It's not as involved as serving, but it was still a bitch, and my paycheck wasn't much better than the servers'.
ReplyDeleteTips for are always appreciated, and the smallest bit counts at the end of the day. There's no reason to vilify her in this instance, but that bitch has enough money to help out the person who's barely making minimum wage.
I usually tip 5-10% on a take out order. I look at it as tipping the kitchen staff (who, my understanding is, sometimes get some of the wait staffs' tips). Course, since I haven't eaten any of the food yet, I suppose they haven't earned it either at that point.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I'm just a sucker for a tip line on a receipt. ;)
NOT USUALLY...BUT I DO AT THE LOCAL ICE CREAM SHOP...AND FOR MY MORNING MUFFIN..
ReplyDeleteIt really depends. Some restaurants apply a "no courtesy on takeout"- rule. In those cases, I like to tip, like 10 cents.
ReplyDeleteIf I eat at a restaurant, I usually tip between 15-20%. IF the service was good. Sour waitresses get nothing from me.
Never have tipped on takeout, but I tip for delivery (20%)
ReplyDeleteIf I order takeout from a sit-down restaurant, I always tip 10%. My sister works in the service industry (hotels) and she turned her nose up at me when I told her that. She told me I should tip 20% regardless, which I think is a bit excessive if no-one served or waited on me.
ReplyDeleteI really want to know the answer to this question! I always tip very well when i sit and eat somewhere - bad tippers are a pet peeve of mine. However, pick up windows or resturantes where you pay first confuse me. I usually tip a dollar or two mainly bc the tip line is there, but I really get annoyed at the local coffee shops where I live bc I will go get a regular cup of coffee, no additives beyond what I add, and I get a look like I'm the devil if I don't add a tip. Now I usually pick up from the corporate spot that doesn't ask for a tip. I know its just a dollar or two but it adds up. I really don't think she should be critized here because its such a fine line. I mean its not like she sat and ate at the table and screwed someone over.
ReplyDeleteI never even thought of tipping for takeout until I read this story. Seriously, it never even crossed my mind.
ReplyDeleteBack East, I was used to free delivery and I would ALWAYS tip. Here in Austin, there is always a charge for delivery.
ReplyDeleteYears ago before we were married, my husband delivered for Papa John's and KFC on the weekend. He made really good tips by always getting the order right and getting good deals for his long time customers.
Had this discussion a few days ago with the manager of a restaurant that does the 'curbside pickup.'
ReplyDeleteThere are staff members that do only the 'curbside' thing: they take the orders, place the orders, pack the orders, and watch for your car to come to the slot.
These servers earn minimum wage.
They make extras by the tips they get for doing what you ask them to do. I tip generously... Life is hard enough for young people in food service jobs. Making minimum wage when you are doing a special service is not fun.
And don't compare this to MacDonald's... they stand there and hand you the bag someone else has packed. At MacDonald's you get what you get: a paper wrapped cold burger and fries all falling out.
But when I order a rare steak and salad to take home.. I expect that it'll be on the plate... Those kids earn my respect and my gratitude. Tip indeed!
I worked as a waitress at an upscale chain for years, and I never
ReplyDelete1) Saw a tip given at takeout
2) Expected a tip for takeout
3) Gave a tip for takeout.
The way it worked at my restaurant was that the cooks would prepare the food, putting it in a to-go container rather than a plate. A hostess would come in and get it when the customer came in. Boom. That was it.
I worked in a restaurant for years in college. When a waiter/waitress puts in an order, that total amount (take-out or not) is added to their total for the shift. They are taxed accordingly, whether they get tipped on that money or not. So, while it might seem counter-intuitive to tip on a takeout order, the waiter/waitress is still getting taxed. Plus, they are expected to tip their support staff (buspeople, hostesses, etc.) based on their total. A 10% tip isn't unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteGenerally no tip, but it is enlightening to read the comments of former waitstaff here--boy, you guys get the shaft often!
ReplyDeleteI guess like with most things--it depends. Did she request something out of the ordinary? Substitutions? Special cooked to order type of thing? In that case, yes, she should have left a tip.
Not usually. I'll give a couple bucks if it's a place that normally does not specialize in takeout, like the aforementioned Outback. But definitely not to the drive-through fast food places. And although my local pizza delivery does add on a delivery charge, I figure the kid knocking on my door doesn't get any of that, and I never let him leave without at least $5 in his pocket.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Miley HAD to tip in this instance, but with all her ill-deserved money, it wouldn't have hurt her.
never give a tip for takeout.
ReplyDeletewhat about an opinion on this: pizza delivery that charges for delivery... tip or not tip?
i'm tempted to not tip. if it's quick delivery, though, i will just not as much as i used to.
I worked at an Olive Garden while finishing up my education, and the person that took the order was generally responsible for making sure it was packed and ready to go. The value of that order was included in the person's sale for the night, so the person had to claim the 8% tip on that order, whether or not s/he actually received a tip. For that reason, if the order is from somewhere with sitdown service, I always include at least a 10% tip.
ReplyDeleteIf I am picking up at the takeout window like that I don't usually tip either. If I am eating inside and have someone waiting on me I always do, but take-away is a different story, IMO.
ReplyDeleteI tip takeout when they have curbside carryout. Otherwise, no.
ReplyDeleteI only tip on take-out if it is delivered. I was a hostess at a few different restaurants and it was always my job to put in orders and get them ready. Never expected a tip.
ReplyDeletemom:
ReplyDeleteWhat pizza place charges for delivery and how do they stay in business?
I might tip for curbside service. There is something wrong with a system that either forces me to pay more than I should or a worker gets screwed over.
No tip on takeout, unless you are a 17 year old millionaire. On the other hand, this press is a wet dream for her and, probably, Outback.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't tip on takeout.
I was both a server and a bartender in Virginia, where the base pay for wait staff is $2.13 an hour. Tipping for takeout food was always appreciated, even if it was just $1 and yes, we had to pay taxes for the totals that showed up at the end of our shift regardless if it was takeout or dine-in. I tip 20% just because I remember how much that job sucked.
ReplyDeleteI don't tip with takeout. With delivery I tip 20% even if there is a delivery charge, because I always thought that went to the restaurant and not to the delivery person.
ReplyDeleteI always get confused with buffets too. I mean, I get my own food, but they give me drinks and clear my dishes. How much should I tip in that case?
I wouldn't have left a tip.
ReplyDeleteI saw a tip jar taped outside of a fast food take-out window.
I didn't leave anything there either.
@califblondy, that's just odd. Now when I worked at Burger King, I hosted birthday parties. My job was to play games, keep the kids entertained and not run all over the store, and get their happy meals to them without a major disaster. It was expected that the parents tip us, because they weren't paying extra for the games or the food, and the cake was cheap. I didn't get much, if I remember correctly. Maybe a 20.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I can't imagine tips on a fast food window. I do see them on the locally owned fast food Mexican places around where I live, but that's it.
She should have left a least a $5 tip on a $70 dollar takeout order from Outback. No question.
ReplyDelete@Robert - I believe all the pizza deliveries around here tack on a delivery fee. You might check next time you order, it's usually only a couple bucks, but it's still tacked on.
ReplyDeleteThe only sitdown restaurant I do take out from is Olive Garden. They have a To Go window at the bar and I think they have a dedicated server assigned per shift. I don't know if it's just this location, but they're stingy on the breadsticks with takeout. They only give you 2 per person. If you want more, they charge $3 for 4 more. I always have leftovers for lunch the next day, and I tip according to whether the server gives me one or two additional breadsticks for free. If I get them, I tip 10% if not, no tip.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were supposed to tip for takeout until I found bitterwaitress.com. Now I tip 10% - less than for full service, but some $ for their time.
ReplyDeletei don't knock her for not tipping. had it been anyone else, an "unknown" regular joe, business would've gone on as usual and it wouldn't be a big deal. poor kid can't catch a break.
ReplyDeleteThe rule is that you tip for service and there IS some service involved in preparing your takeout meal. That being said, I am horrible about this and don't generally tip for takeout.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys all tip at say a place like Old Country Buffet? They take away your dirty dishes, but that is about it. Sometimes, I have an excellent waitress who will refill our drinks for us but usually not the case. My biggest problem in these situations is that I have paid by credit card and have no cash on me (rarely do these days.) It is awkward, but I usually try to leave something, but don't think it is right to have to leave 15-20% on a buffet. I also wonder about fancier places with buffets. Curious to get your takes.
ReplyDeleteI rarely tip for takeout - you tip for service... How much service is it to hand you your food and take your payment? The cook is just doing the same thing he always does, and then it's just bagged. I'm sorry it's a tough job, but there are a lot of tough jobs out there when dealing with the public and I think people handing out bagged up food could have it A LOT worse.
ReplyDeleterobert- up here they often will tack on $3-5/ delivery depending on place.
ReplyDeleteit came from gas prices going too high.
I can't stand this little twat, but I have to agree that she can't be judged here.
ReplyDeleteIt IS a grey area.
Robert - Domino's, Papa John's and my local favorite all add $1.50 for delivery. It started a couple of years ago, like Jax said, when gas prices spiked.
ReplyDeleteIf my ass has to get out of the car or is going thru drive thru no tip and I usually tip REALLY well.
ReplyDeleteSyko & jax:
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't know of any pizza places in the Tampa area that charge for delivery. What some places, mainly the non-chain, do is have a minimum delivery order price to make it worth the effort like "Eddie & Sam's NY Pizza (with real NY water!!???)" and a fairly small area they deliver to while the chains have shops everywhere.
i worked at outback and there is one person assigned to takeout. They usually make a busser's wage and appreciate the tips as they are considered a "tipped employee" in the eyes of outback.
ReplyDeleteI tip based on attitude of the server. Cooking my food and bringing it to the register is service. If they do it with a smile, they get double. If they are bitching and moaning the entire time, they'll be lucky if I'm still there when the food is done. I don't go out to eat to listen to someone else complain the entire time.
ReplyDeleteI always tip on takeout-around 15%
ReplyDeleteWhen someone actually waits on you at a table it's one thing, but the whole "jar" tip really annoys me. Restaurant takeout is just like making a purchase from any other type of store. Customers should not be expected to subsidize workers' salaries or feel guilty for not doing so. It's their job to deliver their product.
ReplyDeleteI view tipping as a down payment to get good service in the future, so yes, I tip for takeout. Not as much as when I eat in, but still.
ReplyDeleteA few dollars a week and the staff is happy to see me. Well worth the investment.
I never tip when picking up chinese. I do tip for delivery.
ReplyDeleteI also tip at coffee/italian ice type shops if I think the worker is a student, not a lot but some change, a dollar or two. I appreciate young people that are out working. If they all walked away with some extra cash at the end of a long shift on their feet, that would be nice. I also tip bus kids separately in restaurants.
I have worked in a total of 5 different mid-range chain restaurants and there has always been a specifically assigned "to-go person" who was never included in tip-share (like a server, didn't receive anything but still had to contribute to the support staff). If you are getting takeout from a restaurant that has a specific window/parking place etc. for takeout you really should tip because that is their only job. The difficulty of that job should not be underestimated either because I can tell you from working to-go that is just as hard as serving. The to-go person always has to juggle a million different orders and since servers get top kitchen priority they are doing it all on their own- putting together salads and garnishing plates and all the things people usually do for you when you are server. It is tough and it has to be done at super-high speeds because people are a lot less patient when they are standing around than when they are sitting at a table with a drink in their hand. To-go is tough - tipping 20% would of course be nice but probably not expected, 2-3$ is normal.
ReplyDeleteto go gets a tip if they are nice and attentive...10% is average for me. i would tip more for better service and attitude, nothing for catty little girls, twirling their hair, ignoring me and making me feel like they're doing me a favor.
ReplyDeleteI tip on sit-down, take-out and delivery. I do not tip at fast food restaurants and such.
ReplyDeleteIf someone has to pack up my food, make sure I have all utensils and sauces and run it out to me, I appreciate that effort. I may not tip 20 percent, but I do tip 10 percent minimum on take-out from sit-down restaurants.
i've learned a lot from all these comments. the tip jar does get my goat at times - like the self serve frozen yogurt place that had a jar at the cash register. seriously? sometimes at starbuck's too. i did my time as a barista and i knew the regulars, greeted them and got their orders started as they stood in line without them having to say a word. it was back in the early days, LA, and a very busy place. we appreciated the tips as we did a lot of special drinks. i get a tall drip and like the person above said, dagger eyes when i tip change. i'm in that store practically every day and they don't recognize me nor treat me especially friendly so i've become a grinch. i just don't think it's service when you act as though i'm a problem or interrupting your conversation with a co-worker. sorry for the vent there - the problem is pretty much everywhere. if you do good service, i'm more than happy to appreciate and tip well.
ReplyDeleteYes, I tip for take out! For the reasons Allison& Rosie^^mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAround here (in a podunk-y area not that much different from where Miley was raised), we don't ever EVER tip for takeout, and the servers don't expect it. When someone (usually an outsider) does tip for a takeout, the person helping will gladly accept it, but it's not the norm.
ReplyDeleteI can understand the reasons for thinking a tip may be deserved, but don't fault her for not knowing the etiquette at that local establishment. As someone up there said, there are plenty more important things to hate about Miley.
I actually went to Red Lobster this past week for take out and tipped. I figure the waitress helping me still makes less than minimum wage & lives off of tips.
ReplyDeleteI tip for delivery, even if there's a fee. I would not tip for takeout, unless someone was bringing it to my car (ie: curbside pickup). If I get change back from my coffee purchase in the morning, they keep it. Other than that, no tip.
ReplyDeleteALTHOUGH.... if I made BILLIONS of $$ a year, I'd probably have given a tenspot on a $70 takeout bill. But, that's just me.
NO tip for take out. Unless they bring it out to the car. Then only a couple $ cash to the carrier.
ReplyDeleteYOU SHOULD TIP FOR TAKE OUT IF YOU WOULD LEAVE A TIP IF YOU DINED IN. NO EXCEPTION. YOU SHOULD TIPALL FOOD DELIVERIES TO YOUR HOME REGARDLESS OF DELIVERY CHARGES IF YOU DON'T YOU ARE CHEAP AND IF YOU ORDER THEIR FREQUENTLY THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU DON'T TIP AND YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T EAT THE FOOD. SORRY DIDN'T REALIZE CAPS WERE ON NOT RETYPING.
ReplyDeleteI always tip 10% for takeout. My daughter was a hostess at a large chain and she got taxed on the takeout orders--and she was responsible for ALL of them. So sometimes it would COST her money if no one tipped her on a heavy takeout night.
ReplyDeleteI also always give my change to the tip jar at a coffee place. So if my change is ten cents, they get a dime. If it's 98cents, they get that. I'm not a regular anywhere, but I remember what it's like to live on minimum wage. I figure that if we leave it to the coffee shop owners to pay them decently 1. they won't and 2. if they do, I'll end up paying a hell of a lot more than 10 cents to 98 cents. You know they'll add profit onto that too.
Uh .. what's to tip on a take out order? They put my food into styrofoam from a pan and then into a paper or plastic bag. Nope .. never thought to tip for that.
ReplyDeleteNow .. IN restaurant .. yes. I tip very well. Well .. unless the service sucks and you piss me off .. then I tip for poo-poo to send a message.
Best tip I ever gave was $75 on a $25 check at a place called Cattle Company in Oak Brook Mall [Oak Brook, IL] back in like 1983 and the waiter was GORGEOUS!! [Coward that I am .. I never went back to see if he even remembered me.]
Worse .. this waitress totally ignored me at a table containing my Dad, my Uncle and my boyfriend - whom she flirted with endlessly - and I was the one paying the bill that night. $200 bill .. wrinkly, stinky $5 tip and a brief explanation that sometimes the female at the table is the one paying the bill.
Celebrities worth millions live by different rules. And while many think they should get everything for FREE the smart ones realize they need to be a little bit kinder... and that includes tipping for take-out. Especially since their accountants write meals off as business expenses.
ReplyDeletei work at an outback in new jersey doing takeout and you should definitely tip. there is alot more work that goes into takeout orders, you're still getting our service even though you didn't sit in the restaurant for an hour, we're taught that when we're hired and we're expected to still give service like the servers even to take out customers who we might only actually interact with for 5 minutes. we rely heavily on tips too. the pay is usually minimum wage + tips. making tips in about a 6 hour shift can bring up the pay to $9 or $10 (minimum wage in nj is 7.25). for those of you who understand what it is to live on serving or minimum wage you know how hard it is and how truly unlivable that wage is, so we need anything we can get. someone who's never had to work a job like that or really struggle to make money (or who has forgotten what it's like to struggle) doesn't think about this. at work it's common knowledge that people with nice cars never tip, but people with crappy cars will tip well.
ReplyDeletenow of course someone like miley cyrus doesn't understand what it's like to be working class, working hard for very little money.
of course she's got worse problems so really we should lay off her this one time.
No Tip 4 U! We ran into this problem the other day, the cashier automatically assumed I was going to give her a $2. tip for picking uptake out and when I mentioned she shortchanged me $2.00 she said it's for tip and I told her it's up to me to give u a tip or not and how much, she then proceeded to give me my $2. back which I took, when I got in my car to check my order it was wrong so I went back inside told her it was wrong, she tells the cook it's the guy who doesn't tip!, I got the order corrected and then told them I'll be sure not to order from this place again and i'll be telling others of to stay away from this place also.
ReplyDeleteSome people will always tip and some people will never tip. Often I think peolpe justify not tipping by saying the server could've done this or they didn't do that. My bottom line is that there are just some people who will look for any excuse, just be honest, you are cheap and dont want to tip in the first place.
ReplyDeleteHaving just ended a 5 year run at the cheesecake factory as a server, I know that. I also know that if you are a regular, even at a coffee shop, your experience tends to be better. Now dont misunderstand me, you don't have to pay in order to have a good experience, but I'd be willing to bet that my coffee gets messed up less than yours. Personally, I would go out of my way to make sure regulars always got amazing service.
You get what you pay for.
'To tip or not to tip' is unclear, judging by these comments. So Miley has an excuse (this time!)
ReplyDeleteI've never tipped on takeout, but I'm in the UK. Tipping isn't quite the same here as in the US.
Here waitress earn minimun wage at least - €8.65 an hour. That's about $12.70, so tips are never a fixed percentage and most people don't tip very much if anything in an ordinary restaurant. In "good" restaurants the tips are generally higher, silver services places and such. But we don't really have a culture here where waitstaff live on tips. Having said that, it's much more expensive to live in Ireland so the amount earned is all relative. I always tip for delivery, and usually tip in restaurants, but again we don't have a culture of frequenting restaurants because they're so expensive!
ReplyDeleteRidiculous. There should absolutely be no tipping for take out service. If this is the case then let's extend tips to each and every nametag wearing individual within a hotel as all work collectively on some level to create the entire product. The service level required to pack up a meal in a transportable container does not warrant a tip. The minimum labor involved is part of the price of doing business & therefore part of the job.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Applebees strictly on take-out and honestly, I'm shocked at all the people who say they don't/have never/wouldn't tip on takeout. Because I'm hard pressed to remember even one person who did not tip when I ran only takeout (which I did for a year). You run your ass off. Far more so than working tables. If you want your orders taken, entered correctly, and correctly put together, and it's anything other than fast food, well, it's certainly not self-service. Make it and put it together your own damn self if you really believe that.
ReplyDelete.robert,
ReplyDeleteMy local Dominos (Arkansas).
Well they should just factor how much work goes into the service when they price the item and pay their employees accordingly. Sorry, I also work damn hard at my job and don't get tipped.
ReplyDeleteI don't normally tip for call-ahead carry out (not that I do it much). That's counter service. This is especially true for any place that heavily promotes a carry-out service. Like to the poster above who works at Appleby's, I would expect you to not be paid as waitstaff but as a host so any tips you do get would be just a bonus.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if I go in and order to-go and there is any kind of special request or it's clear that a wait staff person is doing this on the side (ie, go in, order at he bar, sit and wait and the bartender offers me a glass of water) then it becomes foodservice and a tip applies.
Seriously, a bunch of ignorant, stingy people it is simple. If you would tip dining in then you tip carry out, no exceptions. Do you understand. If you know this and still don't tip. May you reap what you sow a thousand times over.
ReplyDeletemy sister used to work (as a hostess) at outback. they criticized my parents for not tipping curbside pickup, which my parents scoffed at. it depends on the restaurant, and outback obviously does expect a tip, even though the curbside workers get a wage.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like this is a very recent expectation to tip on takeout. Plus it's completely arbitrary, and I don't think people should be chastised for something that wasn't expected in the past.
ReplyDeleteI'm not tipping drive through, but fine, I'll leave 10 percent at pick up.
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