Question:

Tipping at fast food restaurants?

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Someone responded to my previous question about why we would think that people at mcdonalds, etc. expect tips. Everywhere I go there are tip jars sitting on the counters. In Blimpies where I stand and order and carry out, at the little deli in my building at work where I stand and order and carry out, at my pizza place where I run in and pick up a phoned in order. It makes me feel awful because I go in with my debit card and never have cash on me, I have hand written a tip in on the receipt but then wonder when this whole "tip everyone" thing started. I was a bartender and I did have a tip jar because I was paid well under minimum wage and tips are expected but not at every fast food place in the world.

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  1. I never tip in a regular fast food restaurant (where you order at the counter, get your own drink and refills, and pick up your own food.)  

    Now I will give a dollar or 2 at a Sonic or somewhere like that where they bring out your food... and cater to you if you need extra sauce etc...


  2. I think that as far as the pizza/delivery charge slip goes - it's the same system.  The driver uses those to bring up to the house and it just happens to be on the slip when you pick up as well.  A tip is not necessary and shoud be understood.  A lot of places that are unable to adjust their machines any other way will actually have their employees cross out that line so you don't feel like a doof.

    The only fast food places that I tip at are the ones that bring the food to my car, like Sonic.  Especially when the girls are in roller skates and super polite.  Otherwise, I don't.  I used to throw in the rest of my change because I felt pressured to, but then I found out that my friend said that at the end of the night at Starbucks they all average about $12 an hour with those tips.  Wow, that's quite a bit of a jump for a little over than minimum wage job that one accepted knowing the work and pay!

    Otherwise, I tip all services as normal, or above when deserved.  I know what it's like to bring home a check for $0 every two weeks!  You really got to hate it when someone says that tipping here is over the top when there are people who listen to that and don't realize that we make NOTHING an hour and have to pay taxes on the money that people spend.  Sorry for the gripe on your question!

    As far as the answer with the jars being for charity - I think that we're talking about the ones with the tacky signs that say, "Tips accepted," with a smiley face.  The donation jars have to be correctly and legally labeled.

  3. I'm assuming your from the USA? well im from the UK and we hardly tip.

    i know in the USA you are always expected to tip everyone especially in NY or Las Vegas, and its meant to be a certain rate.

    bar tenders deserve it and we do so in the UK

    here we will tip at a good restaurant IF the service was GOOD and not just for the sake of it. we never tip at fast food places as its just not part of UK culture and i think its ludicrous to expect a tip unless its a pizza delievry guy.

    USA tipping is too far!!

  4. Call me cheap but I only give tips at restaurants where they actually serve me.

  5. i think it is appropriate to tip at a deli or someplace like that if you have a large elaborate order and they replied well and got it all together...  tipping at starbucks is ridiculous b/c their employees are well paid and have great benefits..  i have never seen a tip jar at mcd's but i have seen a jar for ronald mcdonald house charities there..

  6. if they are nice tip them

  7. It's ok if the contents of the tip jar is going to you, in other words.

        Most people in the fast food service industry don't make much money, and figure if you can afford to buy carry-out enough that you notice whether there's a tip jar or not, you can afford to toss in a buck every now and again.

  8. I will never tip at fast food restaurants!

  9. These are not tip jars. They put those jars there so you can donate to the local food bank/ food pantry for the poor. I see these jars in the restaurants & stores too.

  10. No, I never tip at FF places...after reading other answers, maybe I should.

  11. i think tip jars are in bad taste....ill tip who i want to tip

  12. Tips at fast food? Are you from America? Fast food places in UK don't expect tips, at least the ones I go to dont! It's normal to tip bartenders though

  13. i dotn tip the fast food places and i never will

  14. I just put the change in the tip jar/charity jar if I pay cash.  If I pay with a card then they don't get a tip.

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