When I waitressed back in the stone ages, carryout orders were a huge pain in the butt. I’d still be making the same $2 an hour to spend my time on the phone explaining the menu, taking orders, assembling the silverware, drinks, condiments, napkins or whatever, packing it all up nicely and giving it to the customer. The time I spent doing that was time I didn’t spend waiting tables, so that meant fewer tips for me.
We definitely appreciated getting thrown a dollar or two, and regular tipping customers got the best service we could provide.
That’s for regular sit down dining places, fast food/pizza are obviously different. Also, back in the stone ages they didn’t usually advertise take out like they do now. Curbside service wasn’t a phrase yet. In most of the American bistro places that do a heavy volume of orders to go, they dedicate a person on shift at a normal wage to do that all day.
I tip the driver if we have something delivered, usually about $3.00. If we order takeout, it’s usually from a nicer restaurant that for some reason we can’t get to ourselves- one of the kids is sick, or something. The nicer places never deliver so I go to pick it up and don’t tip. I figure someone put it in the foil container with plastic lid- no different from putting it on the plate, maybe easier- and then stuck it in a bag- probably easier than bringing it to the table. Should I really tip the hostess for walking back to the kitchen, picking up the bag, and handing it to me?
I pay with a credit card, draw a line through the TIP line, and I’m done. It didn’t involve the waitress making numerous trips to our table to take our order, bring the food, return to check if everything’s OK, bring us a 2nd round from the bar, bring us our bill and receipt, no bus service necessary…
I really see no justification for tipping for takeout service.
I always tip on take out orders, especially at places where I am a regular. For an extra $5, the hostesses/servers always remember me, ensure my order is correct, and often go out of there way to do extra stuff for me. Don’t be cheap.
Yep, when I waited tables, take out orders were also the most work. Boxing everything up was a huge pain in the ass which you rarely got tipped for. In most restaurants, it’s the hostess, a server, or a bartender who has to do this.
Depends on the place. If it’s just a pizza I might throw my change in the jar. The only other place I get take out from is a nicer Italian restaurant. Everything is packaged well and the bar, which is usually pretty busy, handles the orders so I give them a few bucks.
Fuck no. If I did curbside takeaway or something I would, but I have yet to do so. The only exception is places which only take cash; there’s a banh mi place I go to once a week. I leave it up to the reader to decide whether it’s ironic that I only tip at places with nominally “worse” service (ie., not taking credit cards.)
I tip a buck or two on pickup. The way I see it, the person who answers the phone and packages up the order is doing the same job as a waiter would at the table, except they can have higher throughput and they don’t have to keep refilling water glasses.
I tip a full 15-18% on delivery. If there’s a delivery charge, I count that as part of the tip.
I think it’s different if you’re getting takeout from a primarily sit-down restaurant where you’re taking a server’s time/effort to get your food ready, versus getting takeout from a place that is primarily takeout/delivery where they have a staffer specifically for getting takeout orders ready. In the former case, I might tip. Not in the latter, and that is the case the vast majority of the time that we get takeout. The only place I can think of that we ever get takeout from that has a dining room as well is the Thai place near our house.
If their job is to prepare takeout orders, not wait tables, then they’re probably being paid at least minimum wage, not the $2 and change that waitstaff makes. So that’s different.
This has always been my philosophy, as well. It’s not unusual for me to get an expression of surprised gratitude when I do tip on take-out, so I’ve always assumed it was unusual.
I said 15% was “adequate+” – in the US 15% is considered stingy, like it or not. In Israel, 10% used to be the norm, now, just like 20% is the new 15% in the US, 12% or a bit more is the new 10% here. 15% means you’re actively tipping “a bit extra,” not the rock-bottom standard.
