Tipping for take-out

[mosspack1]

On my way home this afternoon I called in a take-out order to our local burger joint. When I go to pick up my order it is already boxed and waiting on me. After I paid (and asked for 4 quarters for a paper) I set aside 2 dollars for the girl bagging my boxed food. I gave it to her as she handed me my bag. The lady behind me said "Why should you tip for take-out? It's not like you got your food brought to you and refilled drinks." I said "She took my order, boxed and bagged it and should be tipped just as I would tip a waitress that came to my table". Am I one of the few who do this? I know no one in my family does but that is no surprise as all of my family are SC when it comes to tipping anyway...down right embarrassing they are.

[Fenrus]

Edit: I think I read this wrong, post pertains to normally sit down restaurants (chilis, applebees, stuff like that, not fast food joints)

I tip on take-outs. It's common courtesy, and besides, they took the time to take the order, box it, bag it, and hold it for me... it's the least I could do.

[Sliceanddice]

it depends on the take out for me.
but if you want to do it.

[powerboy]

it depends on the take out for me.
but if you want to do it.

That is how it is for me. It just depends for me.

[marasbaras]

I tip on take-out, but not as much as I would for sit-down service. Maybe 10%.

[LostMyMind]

I'm surprise, I never knew soo many people tipped at Mcdonald or Burger King....

I treat take outs just like I treat drive-throughs.

[Geek King]

Put me in the not-tipping for take out column. Unless they do something that goes way above and beyond, I don't see it any different from walking into BK and ordering to go.

General rule: You bring me food, I tip. I go to get it, no tip. (I do tip at Sonic and buffets that do drink-and-dish service)

[Sheldonrs]

I tip take-out the same as I do table service.

[Rapscallion]

I'm curious - are the drive-through or counter positions at such places counted as tipping jobs in the way that waiting staff are?

Rapscallion

[Peppergirl]

Raps,

Fast food places in the US pay minimum or above minimum. When I worked restaurants, they regularly assigned a server to work carry out. The bad part for them is that most of the time the restuarant still paid the 'tipping' wage, which back then meant 2.02 per hour, and most people don't tip on carry out. This lead to alot of heated debate with management. The particular restaurant eventually agreed to hire a permanent person for the position, because servers (rightfully so) were refusing to do it based upon the lower wage and no tips.

As for me, I tip on carry out - approximately 10 percent of the order. This is what I tip at buffets too, where they bring me just drinks and the check.

At a sit-down restaurant, I tip 20 percent for average service, more for exceptional.

[Kiwi]

We got take out from a family run greek place last night, we didnt tip because the woman who served us was the owner (I dont tip owners).
Our tip for take out is usually less than table service because it takes the server less time to deal with our order.
To be honest in our situation we only order take out from 3 places and they are all family run mom and pop places two of them literally only have mom and pop working there.... so my view is a little squewd
We do tend to over tip pizza delivery people because K worked as a driver for 5 years part time

[Peppergirl]

We do tend to over tip pizza delivery people because K worked as a driver for 5 years part time

Overtipping pizza drivers pays off. I over-tip and always have my food in (literally) half the time quoted on the phone or online when I order. Hot, and with extras. I actually had one apologize to me last week for being ontime and not early. It was storming out and they were slammed.

I guess he thought I wasn't going to tip as well or something.

The sad part is, when I say 'overtip' it's not like I tip 100 percent or even 50 percent of the order or anything crazy. My order for me and my son is usually around 20.00 and I tip 5 or 6. So, that tells me that the poor drivers must get stiffed or get small tips alot, since they act like I tip like a Rockefeller.

[trunks2k]

Put me in the not-tipping for take out column. Unless they do something that goes way above and beyond, I don't see it any different from walking into BK and ordering to go.

Generally the same way I see it. If I use go to a place a lot and they're always very good, maybe I'll tip some (but not normal table service tip), but I really don't go to a single place that often.

The less I have to move, the higher your tip.

[Eben56]

With myself it varies. If a place is take out only, I usually do not tip.

If a place has both take out and dine-in service, I usually will leave a tip and again it depends on the circumstances. If I see a kitchen worker bring the food out and all the counter person does is hand it to me, I will usually add $2.00.

If I am asked if I need silverware, or any special sauces, and the person at the counter seems to be assembling the product, being carefull how it is packed, I will leave a tip of 10-15%. Sit down for me is usually 20%+. (with minimums.. I am NOT going to leave .80 for a $4.00 breakfast special, always at least a couple dollars)

[Balgram]

This turned into a tipping rant, but is 80% relevant.

The less I have to move, the higher your tip.

That's a good rule, I should use it.

I tip a flat $1 on takeouts, more if the order is huge or it's ready and handed to me when I walk in. I rarely make huge orders, and I never tip over $2.

Why should I? It's not that hard to place an order, and it takes a minute tops to get the thing ready. 2 minutes of effort does not a tip warrant.

Most of the time the food isn't even ready when I arrive the requested time later, and I still have to wait 5-10 minutes. I don't tip then. They did me little service, especially with my limited lunch breaks. I even deliberately order during non-rush times, so it bothers me when I walk into an empty restaurant and the waitress just then puts in my order. Yeah, sure, you have other things to do, but c'mon: it doesn't take 15 minutes to place my order into the kitchen.

I may be an SC about this, and I don't really mind. I'm pretty anal about tipping and restaurant service when I go there to eat, too. It's gotta be good if you want gratitude, otherwise you get your standard 10-15% "Thanks for existing" tip. If I walk away thirsty and unhappy, you get $0.10, so that you KNOW it was lousy and that I didn't just forget.

And yes, I have been a waitress. I still think this way. If I can't win people's tips even with slow service (read: really busy nights), I don't deserve them. I never expected tips on the To-Go orders, although I did like it when I got something.