Curbside take-away tipping?

Question

I was completely appauled at a question I just read here. A person asked about tipping somebody who brings the food to your car from Outback Steakhouse. I must begin by stating that I am an Outback employee. When you come inside the restaurant to eat generally most people leave their server a decent tip. 15% usally for decent service, more if your service was great. Now what makes anybody think curbside take-away deserves any less? They take your order just as your server does. The only difference is you can't point to items on the menu. Over the phone is much more difficult when taking orders. Especially when you have somebody on the other end with a heavy accent. Next they wait in the kitchen collecting the food as it is distributed out the window. They package everything as it does NOT come out already packaged. They put together all your dressings/sauces/butters ect. They brave all types weather bringing your food to your car. Yet for some reason people sometimes choose not to tip

Answer 1

You're probably not going to like this, but, are you serious?!?

When I eat-in at a restaurant, sure, I usually follow the standard 15% guideline.

But, when I order delivery, like pizza,  I only tip about 10%, max.

If I order carryout, I don't tip.  Period.

Now you're telling me I'm supposed to tip 15% to have a server run the bag prepared by the kitchen a whole 20 feet from the register to my car directly outside the restaurant?  

Again, are you serious?  Is this something Outback tells its employees they should expect - and keeps a straight face about it?!  

You don't tip the folks at the burger-joint when you order drive-thru, even when they have to run your order out to you, do you?  Well, this is the same thing don't you think?

I've never heard of this, and personally, walking that whole 20 feet isn't worth a tip, much less something as crazy as 15%.  Besides which, what sort of pathetic person can't just walk those 20 feet into the restaurant to pick up their darn food?  Geeze.  No wonder we're getting so fat as a nation!

I suppose next you'll be telling us that we should be tipping the Maitre'D for showing us to our tables, and cashiers at McDonald's for asking if we want fries with that.

Answer 2

Difficult to tell what your question is.

However, heres some truth about curbside pickup and food in general. Your server (whether you're being served at a table or through your car window) generally makes a couple of dollars an hour - much less than minimum wage. Your server has to make up the rest of their salary with the customer's tips.

A server who does something for you, cheerfully and quickly, deserves your support. They depend on you tipping so that they can pay their rent and electric bills.

There is no law that says how much to tip, but 15% - 20% of the total bill is usual and reasonable. If you feel that your server hasn't earned that much, you should be speaking to a manager to let them know what went wrong with your meal.

Here's a final thought: a server working in a restaurant has an assigned area, and may only have six or eight tables to work with. If those tables stay full all evening, the server may have ten or twelve opportunities to get a tip for the evening. If you toss a buck on the table, do some math before you go. That $12 a night the server would make is a mere $60 a week, along with another $70 or $80 in salary.

Could YOU make it on $140 a week?

Answer 3

I always tip a buck or two, that's what GQ or Esquire said to do.

Answer 4

I usually tip these people $1-2 when it is my lunch...  this is usually about 15% if not more..

I think the logic on not tipping them is b/c you don't babysit them and bring them refills and all of that..  frankly, if I don't get refills and some good follow up on my order I don't give a generous tip...  no offense, but I would never wait tables b/c it seems like a big headache..  however hostesses who deliver take away to a waiting car are equivalent to mcd's drive up employees and no one would ever tip them..

Answer 5

Your salary pays for you to take the order,pack the order and bring it to the customer. How hard is that ??? If your salary is small, find a better job. Restaurant  prices are a lot higher than fastfood. It's unfair for customers to not only pay for the food but your salary as well.

Answer 6

i waited tables for 3 years... when i took to go orders i never expected a tip and rarely got one! waiting a table is MUCH harder than packing up some food and bringing out to a car... you get a tip for giving good service not just because... be happy you get any tips from curbside the people that do are really nice, the ones that don't are just logical and probably trying to save a buck, and not taking up one of your very precious tables (thats where the money is)...

do you get paid the same amount when you are taking the curbside orders?

if you do, you should talk to the manager about how taking all the time (you say it takes) away from your tables service. the guests in the restaurant spend much more than people picking up...

the highest mark up is on drinks and booze and i would guess that doesnt work for curbside, you manager wants the guests inside to get the best service possible leading to the most money spent.

Answer 7

i agree with you, tip them

Answer 8

Your right.

Answer 9

no need to tip

Answer 10

I ordered from Applebees and did curbside pickup. I was presented my check and paid leaving a tip when i recieved my bank statement later Applebees had taken my tip off from my total and just charged me the actual amount for the food. So i am under the assumption that resturants don't accept tips for curbside pickup services.

Answer 11

I am a take-out girl at PF Chang's and we depend on our tips just as the servers do to make our money. The server get a little less than we do hourly but we still dont get that much, its like 5.15 i think. the only thing the kitchen does is make the food, we have to box it up, prepare all the sauces, soups, rice, bag it all up nicely so nothing gets messed up on the way home, and kiss your a** so maybe, just MAYBE we can squeeze a tip out of you. and you know what kills me, people look right at the tip jar or right at the line on the credit card slip that says clearly TIP and they still dont most of the time. give me a break. what goes around comes around tho i guess. stay at home and make your own da** food if you dont want to give credit to the people who are providing you with their services. something needs to be done about this.