Tipping for Takeout

[Strong Reaction]

Interesting topic as I've had some bad experiences lately. I always tip nicely, ofc, with any delivery orders. However, a local (regional) pizza place that I've been ordering from for about 20 years has started to get on my nerves. I used to order delivery mostly, but in recent years with the rising and exorbitant delivery fees, I mostly pickup up food from stores. I've been doing this for years. I order and pay from apps and go pickup. I stop by the store and they hand me my food - quick, easy, painless. However, recently that shop has been printing out receipts for me to sign. Absolutely unnecessary step and the clear motivation of the staff, who appear to be newer, is to have me add a tip to the receipt. I confronted them about this as well, though did not explicitly bring up the tip aspect.

Like others, I will tip for take-out in certain situations like going out of their way to help or, as in some cases, they just know me so well and I them, so I want to do something special. I have a few shops that I frequent regularly, like Potbelly, and they often do nice things for me and greet me warmly, or fulfill me requests. For example, I ordered soup yesterday and asked for the extra oyster crackers there - I love them - I'd be fine with one extra pack but last night they like filled up my bag with oyster crackers lol. But I refuse to have tipping forced on me like this local pizza place has started doing - it is the only place the remotely does this.

thank you..ha..I think I needed to vent

By the way, if you frequent certain places that have their own app, use it to order or scan at the store. Often, especially larger chains, have reward programs which really pay off.

I rarely dine in so I experience the receipts a lot with the line for the tip amount. Ive never had a good read on the etiquette for this particular situation. I even asked the staff of one place and they gave a sort of non answer like "it depends" or "whatever you want to do". Sometimes I write in a dollar or two sometimes I leave it blank. I only tip 20% for dine in.

 

[Strong Reaction]

Also, if you are familiar, Jersey Mikes Subs, the cashier will ring you up and a pay point screen will have a box to check No Tip, 10%, 15% or 20% tip etc. Once you make your choice if you tip they will ring a bell and the service workers will all say thank you. So if you dont tip there is a sense of shame if you walk out and they dont ring the bell. They only thing is, their subs are pretty damned good. But yeah they dont really do anything special except assemble your sandwich which takes all of a few minutes.

 

[Samson]

It is really hard to work out a priori where one should tip. Why takeout and not the people who pack your bags in the supermarket?

 

[PhroX]

It is really hard to work out a priori where one should tip. Why takeout and not the people who pack your bags in the supermarket?

I didn't know there were such people. Bagging shopping is just something you do yourself here.

But given that they apparently do, I would say that that service is as deserving of a bonus as any other. That said, whether I would or not would probably come down to whether the job's wages are based around the assumption that they will get tips. If the empployer is allowed to cut wages that will be expected to be made up by tips, then tipping does become pretty mandatory.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

It is really hard to work out a priori where one should tip. Why takeout and not the people who pack your bags in the supermarket?

'Cuz nobody does that anymore. You have to buy a "reusable" bag that very few people actually reuse, and unless you get your stuff delivered, you have to pack it yourself (Canada outlawed grocery stores from giving out plastic shopping bags).

That said, some Walmart cashiers offer to help me pack just to get me out of the way so they can ring other customers' stuff through. I tell them thanks, but my stuff has to be packed a particular way so everything will fit and be a balanced load on my walker. I also have to be able to tie it all down with bungee cords so the bus driver doesn't freak out about anything falling off or spilling.

 

[lymond]

Also, if you are familiar, Jersey Mikes Subs, the cashier will ring you up and a pay point screen will have a box to check No Tip, 10%, 15% or 20% tip etc. Once you make your choice if you tip they will ring a bell and the service workers will all say thank you. So if you dont tip there is a sense of shame if you walk out and they dont ring the bell. They only thing is, their subs are pretty damned good. But yeah they dont really do anything special except assemble your sandwich which takes all of a few minutes.

Yeah, I don’t think my Jersey Mikes does that, but I always pay by app and pick up (their subs are great). I think it is absurd that they do that for tips as it essentially gives the impression that it is required and puts pressure or perceived pressure on those that don’t. I am adamant that tipping for takeout has not become a “thing”, but there are clearly places or maybe just individuals who want to make it so.

 

[warpus]

Also, if you are familiar, Jersey Mikes Subs, the cashier will ring you up and a pay point screen will have a box to check No Tip, 10%, 15% or 20% tip etc. Once you make your choice if you tip they will ring a bell and the service workers will all say thank you. So if you dont tip there is a sense of shame if you walk out and they dont ring the bell. They only thing is, their subs are pretty damned good. But yeah they dont really do anything special except assemble your sandwich which takes all of a few minutes.

This sort of customer shaming would make me a non-customer in about 5 seconds

 

[Gorbles]

Imagine how embarrassed it makes the employees. Having to stop your work and all say a coordinated thankyou.

Lose-lose for customers and staff that one. I guess management are happy though.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Deserving or not, I think tip income will mean more to the employee than to me so why not?

 

[warpus]

I am 100% for the employee being paid a reasonable amount that reflects the work being done and the state of the economy, but shaming the customer to help out is way too shady. If there's shaming involved, I am not returning as a customer. We should be shaming the owner, not the customers. If the items on the menu aren't bringing in enough profits to adequately pay everyone, then raise the prices.

This is in reference to a walk up counter tip being requested and those who tip being applauded, and those who don't being singled out, but any other type of customer shaming would get the same response from me.