We have a favourite Thai place that we order pretty frequently. Delivery would take 45 minutes and it would be cold so I elect to call it in and go get it. Usually, they are just packing the order in a bag as I walk into the restaurant. I pay by credit card. I’ll tip 10% for their trouble of boxing and bagging it all and because I can see that it’s an entire family affair with the cooks in the open kitchen and servers and hosts all playing a part in getting my order to me from the kitchen, while the restaurant manager looks on to make sure it all goes off well.
When it comes to picking up pizza/wings - something we do far less frequently - I’m always having to stand around the store waiting for my order to be ready. Guess I don’t have the timing down on that food run. Also, I tend not to tip for the pizza pickup. Don’t really know why. I rationalize it to myself as the guy handing me the pizza didn’t even take my order (I placed it on line), I never see the people at the back - the order is just shoved through some little window and the guy at the cash just take my money and hands me the boxes.
What’s your common practice as far as tipping when it comes to orders you place on the phone (or on line) but go to pick up at the restaurant yourself?
I generally do. Not as much as if I was sitting down. But I will give the bartender or hostess a few bucks. When I waited tables to go orders were a big pain in the ass to deal with so I tip.
I will tip $1 to $2 for a pick-up. But I/we mostly get this at a local diner that we frequent a lot. Sometimes my order is $5 so $1 is 20%, I think it can vary from 15% to 20%. I will up the tip if we get more than one order or if it’s complicated. I probably tip more here than other places because we eat here a lot. Sometimes I do forget to tip and if it’s the diner I just give them extra the next time since it’s usually the same person putting our order together. If it’s a place with a tip jar, I usually just throw my change in there. If I didn’t get much change back then I may toss in some extra.
In general I would say a small gratuity is nice because someone did take and pack up your order but they did not have to actually wait on you and bring you other stuff, refill your drink, etc. So I wouldn’t always tip 20% for a pick-up, but sometimes it just works out to be that much.
I tip, though less than I do for table service. Usually 10% or a couple bucks, depending on how much it is. I figure there is some work involved in getting it ready to go, especially if there’s a bunch of containers, plasticware, etc. I know some folks feel strongly about not tipping for carryout, but a couple bucks out of my pocket really isn’t a big deal to me, and probably makes their day a little better.
I think pizza joints are the exception. All the server has to do is walk the pizza box from the back to the front counter. I’m not tipping for that. I’d be more inclined to tip the guy who cut my pizza and threw it in the box.
All other sit down joints for me are $2 to $5. I like the way Chili’s does their take out. They’ll show you what’s in each box before putting it in the bag to make sure everything is exactly the way you ordered it.
I almost always pay cash for take out. I generally tip whatever is left over for change including ones. Though if it’s only for me and it’s 10.75 I find 4.25 to be a bit much, so would only leave 1.25-2.25 depending on the experience.
My system isn’t all that fair in terms of percentage as even 85 dollar order would cap out at less than 5 bucks, but I don’t feel any obligation to tip on take out. If I was paying with a card I’don’t most likely null out a tip line. I always prefer to eat in at restaurants so take it doesn’t happen to often.
Never. I don’t get carry out at a restaurant like Applebees where they have to brave the weather to bring it to me, but pizza, wings, fast food never get a tip from me.
For pick-up? Why would I? Whose service am I tipping?
If I didn’t care to save myself the tip, I’d have it delivered, either to my table by a waiter or to my house by a delivery person. I’m doing the work of getting the food, I keep what would have been the tip.
I’ve often wondered about this too. I’ve never been a waiter but I’ve heard that they get taxed on tips at some standard rate. At Bob Evans a waitress rings me out. Does that mean she’s getting taxed on an assumed tip? So I tend to give 10% just to make sure she’s not getting screwed. Also, I never tip when I pick up pizza.
We only do take-out from local family owned places. I tip based on how well we know the family and who is working and the time of year. So, if we get Chinese take out and the family’s daughter is working, I’ll give her two or three dollars and tell her to share it with her brother. If it is around xmas, I give her five and wish her a happy holiday.
I don’t tip if I’m ordering to go from a sit-down place; from where I stand, it’s no different than ordering to go from a fast food restaurant.
In this state, restaurants are required to pay tipped employees the full state minimum wage as opposed to the pittance many states let restaurateurs pay their tipped employees, so it’s not something I feel guilty about.
