Should they have given a tip?

Question

I work at a sub place. People place their orders at the counter, sit down, and we bring it out to them. There's a tip jar on the counter. This women's soccer team came in today. (About 30 plus their coach, who paid for everything) They gave no advance warning that they were coming. Luckily, we had 3 extra people working. We had all their orders taken and served in under 15 minutes. He left us no tip at all.

Most people who come do leave tips. After all, we do serve them, even if we don't wait on their tables.

We wrote each girl's name down separately and brought it out to her individualy. It's in small town, and it's one of the the 2 place that aren't entirely fast food places.

Answer 1

I think you deserved something since they had quality service with no advance waring

Answer 2

The tipping in a place where you do not sit down to order and eat is new. It was never done. If you worked in a fast food place, or one where you ordered before you sat, likely you were not tipped, or maybe someone might toss a buck on the table for you, if you were nice, or got something else for them.
Another place was at buffets. When they first started getting really popular, you got your own glass and put your own drink in it, and if you wanted a refill, you got that, too. Now, the server gets it, and refills it, and brings you bread, and offers more napkins. Now we tip her/him, too.
Any time now, we will start seeing tip jars at McDonald's and Burger King.
But it is now a rule that a person actually bringing you something to the table gets a tip.
The coach maybe assumed that your business was in support of the team, and should not need to leave a tip.
He should have left something.

Answer 3

Tips are entirely optional. When you make a choice to work in a place where orders are taken at the counter and food brought to the table by counter staff, you're also making a choice to earn fewer tips. I don't think the soccer team was obligated to to tip you, especially considering they paid with a single bill (rather than making you have to deal with each team member individually). If you want to earn more tips, get a job in a sit-down restaurant with full table service. Sorry.

Answer 4

Usually, you certainly deserve a tip. On the other hand, the coaches often offer meals on their own money, which you can imagine, is getting expensive. Maybe they got short on money this time and will compensate next time. We do not know what goes on in a third person's mind. The only person that could really answer your question is this coach.

Another aspect is that, coaches are often time volunteers. They do not get paid anything to spend their evenings and sometimes week-ends to help the town kids get better values in life, and give them a chance to practice their favorite sport. The coach may consider that in serving the team, you are participating in that effort, that will ultimately benefit you because these kids will grow-up and be better persons because of this coach, and because of you.

Answer 5

I'm a server, so I believe strongly in tipping, but not when I go to a counter to order food somewhere. And why should they have given advanced warning? They're allowed to come in...sub places usually don't require reservations. It would've been nice of them to tip, but it's not the same as going to a sit down restaurant and not tipping.

Answer 6

It would have been nice but I don't think anyone should leave you a tip. In a fast food restaurant you don't tip and I find it kind of improper to have a tip jar in the first place.

I use to work at a fast food place and I think everyone of them should ban teams from coming in...I hated that the most out of anything.

Answer 7

In this instance, yes. But it is not mandatory that anyone tip. If it had been a 'sit down' type restaurant a party that size would have had a 15-20% tip added to their bill automatically. If the team is a local one, you might mention occasions like this to the manager of the shop.

Answer 8

Yea, that's iffy. With a big group it would certainly be nice, and generally in the service area it is expected, that said, some people feel if the employee is getting paid they are not obligated to leave a tip, that it's not their fault the employee gets paid crap wages. It's a bad philosophy, but some people do go by it.

Answer 9

Many people don't think about tipping when they come in this type of place. I for one have never put money in a "Tip Jar". It is good you still gave good service but I just would not expect a tip in this situation.

Answer 10

Tip jars are tacky; what that implies is, correctly, that you really shouldn't have to tip, but we'll accept it if you do. Tip jars also imply that your tip is shared by all, if I am going to tip I'd like my server to at least see it before it is shared.
If I order at the counter, unless the server does things like refilling drinks, bringing water and cutlery, and asks how my meal is, they do not get a tip.
People are tip crazy in the US. 20% is ridiculous, but that what we pay, so sometimes we want fast food, and not tipping is one of the reasons we go to MacDonald's or Subway instead of the local coffee shop. Salary for servers is lower, but they can make a deal for 9% income tax, and pocket the extra tax free. Or, keep track of tips and pay by what they declare....about half of what they make.

Answer 11

They should have left a tip only because it is polite. The term tip means "to insure promptness". You were quick at gettig theri fodo to them and also made sure that their orders were put together in a way that would be easy for them. However, leaving a tip is not required just polite.