I cringe every time someone wants a Party Sub.

[TheTigress]

Why you ask? Because they NEVER tip us! EVER!

From the nearly 3 years of working at Subway I can only recall one or two instances of getting tipped for making someone a party sub. That's sad.

(Note: Party subs are the giant 3 footers or 6 footers. We actually make the bread a different way and braid it all together)

Back in the summer of 2008 we had someone who wanted 13 6-foot party subs! Our store nearly had to be shut down for the day because we were running out of our regular bread because our ovens were being taken up by baking those party bread sections. Their order was over $980 dollars and the store owner even drove some of the finished 6 footers with his own car to their house. (we had no room in our store for all of them!) Guess what? Not a single tip for all of us who had to go through hell to get those damn things done on time! Two of our workers even had to come in at God-awful times in the morning before the store even opened to get them done.

We had another huge order of them last December. Someone wanted 10 6-footers. I was one of the people who had to help make them. Not a single tip there, either!

If it was up to me I'd tack on a mandatory gratuity fee on top of the cost of those things, but I'm sure Asshat owner wouldn't do that.

[Caffienated_Caramel]

Ouch ouch ouch! I can also imagine the regular EWs that come in and find out you're out of whatever bread/meat/veggie whatever and getting shitty about that.

*offers refreshments*

Has anyone tried to slip it by the owner that he should (or could) add that extra fee?

[TheTigress]

Ouch ouch ouch! I can also imagine the regular EWs that come in and find out you're out of whatever bread/meat/veggie whatever and getting shitty about that.

*offers refreshments*

Has anyone tried to slip it by the owner that he should (or could) add that extra fee?

Surprisingly most of the time when we are out of a certain type of bread they are pretty cool about picking a different one. But Herbs and Cheese is the biggest problem. That's the most popular bread and we have had people get douchy because we ran out. People have actually walked out because of it. (not that I minded)

No one has suggested it to the owner because he's an asshat and his lips are firmly planted on the butt cheeks of customers everywhere.

[Threesidedorchid]

If you can't point out that there should be a mandatory gratuity, how about someone pointing out to him that $930 dollars is probably not worth having that much manpower taken up for that long, and inconveniencing other customers/possibly losing sales?

I worked at a frame shop, and while we wouldn't refuse anything, certain types of orders we were encouraged to discourage, because they just didn't make money for the company.

[poofy_puff]

I worked at a frame shop, and while we wouldn't refuse anything, certain types of orders we were encouraged to discourage, because they just didn't make money for the company.

I worked as a picture framer for several years, and I hated it when a work order said "Customer will assemble". This meant that we would have to spend twice as much time and three times as much on packing materials to wrap up the glass, frame, mat, and hardware so that the cheapskate customer could avoid paying for "labor". It made no difference to me as an hourly employee, but it was the stupidest business practice from the owner's position.

[tollbaby]

To be fair, it wouldn't ever occur to me to tip for something like that. The grocery store I worked at that provided party platters and sandwiches and such didn't allow us to accept tips, so it wouldn't occur to me to tip a fast food place for the same thing.

[Automan Empire]

What even IS the standard for tipping at a place without table service?

I'm always very friendly to the staff at <other sandwich chain>, but I don't tip. The staff at these type of business are regular hourly wage types, not the same (messed up) pay scale as waiters and waitresses.

-Automan

[UncleImpy]

I have to agree here, and I worked at one of these places for 6 years. Tips are nice, but when its a business where tips are not normally part of the day-to-day, it wouldn't expect it. NOW, if the store went out of their way and DELIVERED that huge party sub order and hadn't charged anything for it, I would have given them something extra for the effort.

Otherwise? I'm buying something you have on the menu. All you did was make it, just like the sandwiches on the line. The fact that it takes much more effort and work and materials is reflected in the fact that they typically cost 3-4 times as much as a similar length 'normal' sub. Unlike a restaurant where the waiter/waitress' attentitveness and demeanor can have a huge effect on the dining experience, meriting a gratuity for the effort...this is like the chef asking for a tip because you ordered the porterhouse rather than the grilled cheese If that helps illustrate where I'm coming from.

Of course, if you came in early to make it, I sure as hell hope your spineless owner paid you for that time...

[Anakah]

I think its either they really are stingy bastards or they honestly don't know they can... I had no idea how many places should be tipped until I started working for a place that takes them too. I was shocked to see that places like starbucks and subway both have jars, I have no problem with it- its just things are changing.

So why doesn't burger king or carl's jr get tips? Or people who work on cars? It's hard to know who accepts them. But thats my logical side and most of the time I am wrong.

[WhiteRose]

A lot of the time, people don't think to tip because they don't know it's an acceptable practice...I don't tip unless it's a sit-down restaurant where someone cleans up after me....

[Aethian]

To be fair, it wouldn't ever occur to me to tip for something like that. The grocery store I worked at that provided party platters and sandwiches and such didn't allow us to accept tips, so it wouldn't occur to me to tip a fast food place for the same thing.

Ditto.

I always believed before that unless your making server wages I didn't need to top. Even now I'm not so sure.

[Digitalpotato]

Bonus points for when said party orders attract over several hundred customers to suddenly decide "HEY LET'S GO TO SUBWAY!" and then rush the store. JAckpot when they complain about how slow the store is because the stupid party subs clog the works up so much.

[PizzaDrone]

I tip people who work on my car and generally anywhere I see a little box for tips apart from the obvious service/delivery tippage. Would it be useful to have a topic where we all submit a list of places/circumstances in which a tip would be required? Just a little idea...education and that.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I'm not sure why ordering a regular menu item at a sub shop requires a tip.

Granted it is more work for the employees, and a tip would be very much appreciated, but I don't think it occurs to people to do that.

Perhaps you could put out a tip jar if you don't already have one? Just don't be aggressive and rattling the thing in people's faces, but I bet you never would anyway.

[TheTigress]

I'm not sure why ordering a regular menu item at a sub shop requires a tip.

Granted it is more work for the employees, and a tip would be very much appreciated, but I don't think it occurs to people to do that.

Perhaps you could put out a tip jar if you don't already have one? Just don't be aggressive and rattling the thing in people's faces, but I bet you never would anyway.

We have an "official" Subway tip jar in front of the register. It's one of those clear square ones. I miss the days when we used to make our own tip jars out of the cups. We had some pretty well designed ones.