Tipping on to-go orders: What's the consensus?

[TJ4Jim]

With my #2 son being the GM at one of our town's local favorites I've pretty much met all the local restaurant powers and pretty much have to do 10% on take out and 25% plus on dine in. Fortunately there are benefits such as taking our potential in-laws out earlier this week and the kitchen started sending out n/c new menu taste treats being added next month. Kinda nice.

 

[Zorba]

As far as sit-downs go, its 10% for breakfast, 15% for lunch, and 20% for dinner/supper.

 

[Mike_H]

As far as sit-downs go, its 10% for breakfast, 15% for lunch, and 20% for dinner/supper.

That’s an interesting way to break it down…do you feel you receive less service for breakfast than dinner?

 

[Zorba]

That’s an interesting way to break it down…do you feel you receive less service for breakfast than dinner?

Probably. That's what I was taught back when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

 

[lBasket]

I've found I tip more and more as I get older. Tips got me through college, and I know I wasn't "freeloading" getting them. Now that I'm less broke, I like to "give back" in the same way. I know back then, a 25-30% tip was a BIG DEAL. For me now, it's a couple bucks, lord knows I blow money on stupider shit. No problems throwing 2-3$ for a 15$ to-go order, personally.

I think it fits along the ideology of choosing USA made parts, even if they cost more.

Although, there are some place I don't like to tip. I don't see why I need to tip at a dispensary, for example. I'm already getting nailed by a 30% tax, and it's just fucking retail. It's not a service industry if you ask me. If I had my way, I'd be picking the stuff of the shelves myself. You're kinda the opposite of a service.

 

[Apparition]

I’m starting to lean more towards tipping what I think they deserve for the work put in and the time I was a burden to them regardless of what we spent on the bill.

Spend 5 minutes over an hour while we are at our table. Other people refill our drinks and deliver our food. Are you worth $20 tip?

 

[lBasket]

I’m starting to lean more towards tipping what I think they deserve for the work put in and the time I was a burden to them regardless of what we spent on the bill.

I agree with this to a certain extent, you vary from your default based on good/bad service.

Spend 5 minutes over an hour while we are at our table. Other people refill our drinks and deliver our food. Are you worth $20 tip?

Just remember, in a lot of restaraunts, bussers, floaters, and others coming to your table might be splitting the tip, even if they aren't your "waiter".\

Actually, I've been hearing it's getting more common for them to be shared with back of house (cooks) too

 

[Apparition]

I agree with this to a certain extent, you vary from your default based on good/bad service.

Traditional default has been to double the first two numbers on the bill.

Just remember, in a lot of restaraunts, bussers, floaters, and others coming to your table might be splitting the tip, even if they aren't your "waiter".\

Actually, I've been hearing it's getting more common for them to be shared with back of house (cooks) too

More reason to not tip at all.

 

[lBasket]

Traditional default has been to double the first two numbers on the bill.

20% default? Yeah sounds decent, unless they were awesome, or pissed me off.

More reason to not tip at all.

Well, the owner could raise prices, and pocket a portion of that increase instead, I suppose. Tipping culture is complicated but I can't fix it and I know some people need the money so, not sure what else to do about it.

 

[Apparition]

20% default? Yeah sounds decent, unless they were awesome, or pissed me off.

Since Covid service has been pretty shoddy. And food prices are up. Say you spend $100 for a 45 minute meal. They take your order, deliver it to the table and refill your drink a couple times. Is that worth $20?

Well, the owner could raise prices, and pocket a portion of that increase instead, I suppose. Tipping culture is complicated but I can't fix it and I know some people need the money so, not sure what else to do about it.

No tipping overseas and they are more socialist than us.

More likely to hand the person cash than tip on the receipt because of this.

 

[lBasket]

Since Covid service has been pretty shoddy. And food prices are up. Say you spend $100 for a 45 minute meal. They take your order, deliver it to the table and refill your drink a couple times. Is that worth $20?

Yeah, nobody gives a fuck since covid. Annoying as shit.

If they give me shitty service, they get less. But yeah it often does NOT scale well with more expensive dinners - sometimes it does, but often it doesn't. But yeah I mean a lot of the time I'll tip real shitty. If I finish my drink and eat my entire meal before it gets refilled... Have fun with your 2$.

No tipping overseas and they are more socialist than us.

I might argue that performance-based pay (tip) is less socialist...

More likely to hand the person cash than tip on the receipt because of this.

Yeah, I mean tipping in cash is huge. Especially now that 85%+ of tips come on credit cards, you're giving them untaxed income! You give them 10$, they get 10$, not 4.50$ like you would here.

 

[srimes]

Since Covid service has been pretty shoddy. And food prices are up. Say you spend $100 for a 45 minute meal. They take your order, deliver it to the table and refill your drink a couple times. Is that worth $20?



No tipping overseas and they are more socialist than us.

More likely to hand the person cash than tip on the receipt because of this.

 

[lBasket]

View attachment 431297

I, theoretically, not in practice, didn't claim a single dollar of cash tips when I was a waiter for almost 4 years.

 

[Apparition]

I might argue that performance-based pay (tip) is less socialist...

That was with respect to everyone getting a piece of the tip even if they surfed tik tok for 3 hours in the toilet while someone else does the work.

 

[lBasket]

That was with respect to everyone getting a piece of the tip even if they surfed tik tok for 3 hours in the toilet while someone else does the work.

Ah, yeah, totally.

It's shitty cos all not tipping really does is make the wait staffs life worse. What can you do? Maybe if there were at least some places that didn't "believe" in it, you could only frequent those restaurants. But they don't exist, that I've seen. And I doubt I'd have opted to work in one back then - low chance they'd have paid me what I made in tips. Although a stable income is easier to deal with than more money, but less stable.

Wouldn't it be nice if people were just paid fairly? What could we really do?

 

[Apparition]

Ah, yeah, totally.

It's shitty cos all not tipping really does is make the wait staffs life worse. What can you do? Maybe if there were at least some places that didn't "believe" in it, you could only frequent those restaurants. But they don't exist, that I've seen. And I doubt I'd have opted to work in one back then - low chance they'd have paid me what I made in tips. Although a stable income is easier to deal with than more money, but less stable.

Wouldn't it be nice if people were just paid fairly? What could we really do?

I’m not convinced they aren’t paid fairly. I bet they make more money an hour with crappy tips than other similar jobs.

 

[lBasket]

I’m not convinced they aren’t paid fairly. I bet they make more money an hour with crappy tips than other similar jobs.

I have no idea what they'd try to pay you if you weren't getting tips. Tipped positions have a tiny hourly salary - 3-4$ sometimes. I think the cooks made 17-25 DOE at my restaurant.

I made ~27-30$/hr normally, and I would say I was really really lucky to be a waiter making an 8$/hr hourly. I am not the type to not work while at work however. And I couldn't quite work FT because of school.

This was 2016-2020, and it was also at the very heart of downtown Denver. So it'd probably normally be a bit less. Not much when you're living downtown, 1 room in a 4 person dorm down there was 1200$/month.

 

[lBasket]

I guess my point was, I wasn't making much for where I worked. Although, I am not a cute girl...

 

[Apparition]

I have no idea what they'd try to pay you if you weren't getting tips. Tipped positions have a tiny hourly salary - 3-4$ sometimes. I think the cooks made 17-25 DOE at my restaurant.

I made ~27-30$/hr normally, and I would say I was really really lucky to be a waiter making an 8$/hr hourly. I am not the type to not work while at work however. And I couldn't quite work FT because of school.

This was 2016-2020, and it was also at the very heart of downtown Denver. So it'd probably normally be a bit less. Not much when you're living downtown, 1 room in a 4 person dorm down there was 1200$/month.

Indeed lists $7.80 to $22/hr before tips.

My sister worked as a waitress in high school in the early 90’s and could make $400 on a Friday and Saturday night. But she waited on people like Kenny Rodgers in a popular tourist restaurant

I’d hope a waiter could make $5/table on 3 tables an hour and you’re doing better than a lot of retail cashier type jobs.

 

[lBasket]

Indeed lists $7.80 to $22/hr before tips.

I wonder what those numbers are based off of. As far as I remember, if you didn't make the tipped minimum wage, they'd have to compensate you accordingly to get you there. But otherwise, you'd make a couple bucks an hour + tips. Some restaurants will even list "average wages for waiters" in JDs like I kinda am here. It is pretty opaque, but I suppose it's like that everywhere. Benefits the employers.

I just looked up CO tipped minimum wage, it's over 10$. I don't honestly know if that is irrespective of tips, or what they must "bring you up to" if your tips suck. That's how I remember it.

My sister worked as a waitress in high school in the early 90’s and could make $400 on a Friday and Saturday night. But she waited on people like Kenny Rodgers in a popular tourist restaurant

Yeah, and I think the place where the argument is more relevant is not high-end restaurants. People there get paid more, FOH and BOH. In my experience, those kinds of places only hire attractive females. It's what people like to see. Sad boomers become return customers when they can creep on their waitress lol. Or maybe I was just above-average ugly.

I’d hope a waiter could make $5/table on 3 tables an hour and you’re doing better than a lot of retail cashier type jobs.

Could you live on 18-20$/hr? What about 25, if my memory on minimum wage is wrong?