I always have, but I’ve been called out on it recently by a couple of people. Said people with the opinion that the carhops are typically paid regualr minimum wage or more, not the $2.xx/hour waitress minimum.
I usually tip $1.
And does anyone know if the carhops do get at least regular minimum wage?
Depends partially on where you live I would suppose. Here in California everyone makes at least minimum wage, we don’t have that tipped employee lower amount.
Just another consideration, would you stop tipping if you found out they did make minimum wage? If you like the service they are providing and feel like a tip is due them, keep doing so.
Everyone I know that carhopped at Sonic was paid well above the minumum wage. Tips were not expected.
I rarely tipped at Sonic anyway; I stopped tipping altogether when they would bring me credit card receipts with no tip line. Now I “pay-at-the-pump” and it’s not an option at all.
When I go to Sonic, it is usually around 9-10 pm, for a dinner before I go out and party. I live in a college town, and mostly college kids work there. I usually tip 2-3 bucks. I get to sit my lazy ass in my car and eat, and some of the people still rollerskate the food out to you.
I like to tip nicely. It makes me feel good. When I don’t have enough money to eat and tip, I don’t eat out.
I don’t tip. I know how many other people tip them, even though they make just as much as anyone else in the restaurant does. The only time I ever do is if I actually inconvenience one in some way (like I need honey mustard, even though I ordered it to begin with, and then reminded the speaker man when he read my order back to me sans honey mustard, and then the carhop gets to me, and I guess speaker-man was too busy with speakers to hit the honey mustard button).
I usually tip if the weather’s miserable. We usually don’t get VERY cold weather in Texas, but we do get scorching summers. I think that’s worth a tip. A dollar or so isn’t going to break me.
I don’t get to go nearly as often as I used to (I miss you, Tots!) but when I did go, I’d always let them keep the change if it was less than a couple of bucks.
Didn’t hurt that I knew most of the carhops at my hometown Sonic anyway, since they were all in high school with me.