Do you tip on take-out food?

Question

If you're picking up Chinese food and the total is like $21.50, do you tip? Especially when you are paying with a credit card and it has a spot for you to write in a tip. Technically, you aren't being served by a waiter/waitress. What do you do?

Answer 1

For me, I base it solely upon the person giving me my food. Typically I won't tip them, only because they didn't really do anything to deserve a tip aside from taking the food and putting it in a bag (which usually is done by the wait staff and not even the person giving you the meal). However, on occasion, if I go to pick up food and the person at the register is extremely polite and personable, I'll usually leave a $1 or $2 tip. Nothing ever more than that though.

Honestly, I think it's a matter of personal opinion :)

Answer 2

What's all the confusion about tipping? First of all, the person serving you at take out chinese is usually the owner or a member of his/her immediate family. Rule 1: Don't ever tip the owner of an establishment. They keep about half the revenue in the first place.

Second, you wouldn't ordinarily pay for nothing, right? Rule 1: Ask, "What, exactly, am I paying for?" The word "TIP" is an old english acronym standing for "To Insure Promptness." If you are paying because you want the service person to give you better service than average, go ahead and pay. If the take-out place serves everyone over the same counter at more or less the same pace, then what would you pay for? Tipping etiquette does NOT require anyone to give their money away.

Third, it is a crime for ANYONE to spit, piss, or jack off in your food. Period. Whether you tip or not. Why is half of America worried about waitpersons hacking up in their foo young? If you find anything untoward in your food, you should contact the police immediately.

Also, the space on the credit card slip is meaningless. I've seen it on the receipt in shoe stores, for pete's sake. It's not rocket science, people.

Answer 3

That is a very hard question. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. But you are right, when you pay by credit card and it has the space for a tip you kinda feel cheap if you don't give them a tip. I don't know if there is a right or wrong but I am sure they appreciate it. And if you go there a lot I feel like you would probably get better service if you tip. I have heard horror stories about what the restaurant people can and will do to your food if you piss them off.

Answer 4

I am a waitress. I get 2.50 an hour. I also have to answer the phones and put in takeout orders, prepare all the extra crap for those orders, keep track of all that, PLUS wait on my tables. I have to make the desserts and salads as well as dress the stuff in the to-gos. I ALSO may ring you up when you come in to pick up your food. Many people who call in orders have a lot of food (like the local walmart people or 911 dispatchers), this throws me off when i'm busy, compromising the service i give to my tables....and guess what? When they come to get their food and pay me at the register-------NO TIP. Gee thanx.

Answer 5

Yes of course!!! I tip all the time. Everywhere you go there is someone there that prepared your food. I remember living off my tips for a very long time.

Answer 6

I only tip on bills that low if I frequent the establishment frequently. If they know who I am and they know that I tip, my service is typically better (and the food is handled better).

What's an extra dollar or two.

Answer 7

Chinese food is cheap and delicious. If the person giving your food to you is really nice, it's ok to tip.

Answer 8

If I'm picking up my own food I don't tip anyone. They're getting paid for the job they're doing.

Answer 9

no tip if you are picking it up yourself. if you are served or the food is being delivered always consider tipping that person.

Answer 10

if i call it in and the food is all ready to go by pick up time, i tip. ...unfortunately, the order is rarely ready when they say it will be.