To tip or not to tip? (That is my burning question)?

Question

I would like some advice/second opinions...
Whenever I order out from Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday or a similar restaurant, I feel compelled to tip the person who bags my meal and provides the silverware. Yet, when I pick up a pizza, I never feel as though I should tip the counter person.
This is relatively the same situation - had I dined in the restaurant, I would tip, no question. Had I asked to have my pizza delivered, I would tip, again - no question.
Has anyone else run into this problem? Do you know iof a "rule of thumb" about this issue?
Many thanks! :-)

So true a-mazed! Where do we draw the line?
doggonehandsome, I did give that some thought...they normally have tip jars...I've heard baristas complain about how their job actually requires a skill that not everyone knows. But just because they put a jar out, does that mean they deserve it more than the dudes at Subway? lol. That's the million dollar question. ;-)

I agree - tips are appreciated. I waited tables in college and also had to prepare to-go orders. I was never given a tip when doing that.
Oh! And when I do order as such, I go in to pick it up. I don't ask them to bring it to me. (if that helps)

Answer 1

For me it's fairly simple....

If "I" pick it up, having driven to the location myself, I don't tip.

If someone drives to deliver the item to me at my location, I do tip.

Tipping implies that you are giving a gift for their service. It is not a service to hand you food at a drive-thru. Would you tip someone at McDonalds who hands you food through the drive-thru window? I think not.

It is a service to serve you food if you're sitting down, or if you have the food delivered to you. That deserves some gratuity. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. ^lol^

Answer 2

Very good question. It seems to have a lot of gray area. Baristas I do not tip. I have made expressos many times, and filtering some water through coffee, and steaming some milk is not brain surgery. I also am not in the habit of tipping for food I am picking up. Putting an order in a bag, along with some plastic forks, does not equal service. That being said, if I went to pick something up, and it wasn't ready yet, and the server offered me a drink while I waited, then I'm sure I would tip.

Answer 3

Tip if you want, but it's not expected.

I was a server at Applebee's (one of your mentioned restaurants) for three years. Occasionally if my tables were slow, I'd bring up orders that people ordered for take out. We never expected a tip from those take out orders.

Basically, at an Applebee's, the person who hands you the bag of food is responsible for going back to the kitchen, taking the prepared meal and putting it in a bag with silverwear. That's it. It takes about a minute.

Feel free to tip a dollar or two if you'd like, but as a former take-out person at Applebee's, we never expected a tip.

Answer 4

If the service was exceptional I would tip a few dollars. For example they got it ready much quicker than expected or I had a very complicated order and they got everything perfect. Or they did something that made me feel really good, like entertain my child while we were waiting (this has happened before) or answer a lot of questions about the menu and make recommendations.

For a routine pick up with no added attention, i would not tip

Answer 5

You should never tip the person at the counter of a pizzs joint because most likely he didn't do that boxing of the pizza or anything else. He is probably just the cashier. Always tip for to-go's at a restaurant. They do alot more than just bring your boxes to you. I waitress and I know that if I am taking a to go order and ringing it in, checking it, bagging it, silerver, condiments, bringing it to you and charging you for it, it takes a lot of time away from my tables and therefore I cannot provide the best service to them. So YES you should tip 10% of the order for to gos.

Answer 6

Good question. Personally, I don't tip, unless I am being served (not bagged) or for delivery. When you pick up, no one is running around to serve you. The cook makes the food and then puts it in the take out container. The person that charges you only puts it in a bag.

Answer 7

I tip when an extra service is provided. Ordering out is doing their job. It does not matter if you are at Applebee's or Burger King. I don't tip. When delivery is involved I tip. When sitting down at a resturant I tip not related to the total of the bill, but how good or bad the service is.

Answer 8

I believe Tipping is a place in China. I have never thought it's a good idea. Tips originally was an accronym for "To Insure prompt service." This is no longer the case. It is expected by all workers in the food service industry. Much like the juvenile T-shirt with the saying, "Just give me the **** candy" that kids were as a Halloween costume, I'll not be bullied into forking over money or candy just because it's expected. I think eating establishments should pay their workers a liveable wage and pass along the cost to the patrons. I realize my opinion is in the minority and that's just fine.

Answer 9

I think a small tip is in order. Clearly it is less work to bag a to go order than it is to serve people sitting at a table and then clean up after them. I don't know of a rule of thumb, but I think one or two dollars is plenty for one minute's work. This only applies to sit-down restaurants that you are getting take-out from. If you call in an order to a fast-food joint, they don't expect a tip anyway. But at a sit-down place, you're taking the people away from their guests and possibly decreasing the tip they might have received if they'd been more attentive to tables.

Answer 10

i usually give them something smaller than when i would normally be served because it's not like that have to refill yours drinks and likely they were never the one that took your order in first place. Really, the only reason i tip those poeple at all is because i know that most of their salary comes off tips. i never feel bad about not tipping an in-store pizza worker because they never get tips anyway...so they are used to not making the tips (i was a manager for a while at a pizza place and the drivers still made more than me in tips!)