Food
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Tipping Rules for Takeout and Delivery
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Dear BA Foodist,
You're the tipping expert, right? Should I tip when I get
takeout? What about delivery? Should I give a few bucks extra to
the guy who brought me pizza in the rain?
--Jason Thrasher, Athens, GA
Dear Jason,
A few months back, I answered a question regarding
tipping at
restaurants. The responses (both supportive and downright
angry) were many. Tipping policies, it seems, are second only to
politics in divisiveness. So, thanks for your question.
Setting the record straight on tipping: How much to leave when
dining out.
Living in a big city, I order my fair share of takeout and
delivery. Tipping for takeout is easy. Leave a couple of bucks, no
matter how cheap or expensive the tab. If you're a regular, it
never hurts to give a little more. Delivery is another matter. I
know plenty of well-to-do folks who order delivery almost every
night and never tip more than a buck and change. That makes me sad,
because even though delivery people don't serve you as waiters
and waitresses do, they drive, bicycle, and walk to your front door
so that your lazy self need not cook. And they should be
rewarded--with at least 15 to 20 percent of the check before tax.
And if it's snowing or raining or hailing or flooding, then you
should act like a decent human being and give them a few extra
bucks. After all, in the economic downturn, who knows what job any
of us will have next?
Related:
5 tips for handling a bad waiter.
More from The BA
Foodist:
Related: tipping, restaurants, delivery
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Posted by StephanieL Wed May 27, 2009 7:38am PDT
I do not believe in giving someone extra cash for doing their job right. They chose to be a delivery person, it's what they're being paid for. Why should they get more money for doing their job?
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Posted by frick Wed May 27, 2009 8:19am PDT
ok...i worked in a restaurant for 5 years. servers get paid $2.13/hr. WE MAKE OUR MONEY THROUGH TIPS! we also had to tip out 3% of our sales to bussers, expo, and bartenders. so those of you who don't tip...we basically have to pay money out of our pockets to serve your cheap a$$. if you can't afford to tip then go to mcdonalds. oh and littlemiss....i'm sure the delivery guy didn't have much of a choice of where he wanted to work...were all struggling and trying to get our bills paid so some of us take whatever job we can get. but i guess we can count on complete cheap, snotty b!tches like you to make our jobs suck even more than usual. try to put urself in someone else's shoes...maybe u should try delivering pizzas for just a week and u might just change ur mind.
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Posted by HawkeyeGirl Wed May 27, 2009 8:57am PDT
The outright hostility of people in this world horrifies me. littlemiss995, do you not realize that these people get paid LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE because tips are legally considered part of their income? You ARE paying them tips to do their job, because that's the ONLY way they get paid!! While I've never worked in the restaurant industry I have friends who do, and it's truly disgusting how many rude people like you refuse to tip people who went out of their way to serve you.
The United States really needs to catch up with Europe on this issue. In most places overseas, all service industry workers are paid a living wage, and tips are only given for extremely exceptional service.
Unfortunately, that's not how it's done here. Tips are part of the cost of the meal and if you can't afford it, cook yourself or go to a fast food place.
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Posted by Jubilleeme Wed May 27, 2009 10:09am PDT
Littlemiss, I have to agree with frick and hawkeye. You are horribly wrong, you are not giving them "extra cash". The $2.13/hr goes towards taxes, and of course there is normally a tip out. So frick is right, no tip costs the person serving you. If a person does a job correctly then you tip them, this includes beauty services, food service, gas pump attendants, etc. Most of the time what you claim to be "more money" is their income. If you are receiving lousy service from your frequented places, its probably bc they know you won't tip and they don't feel like serving you.
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Posted by Roxie Wed May 27, 2009 10:21am PDT
i always tip when i get takeout or delivery. i appreciate the service that is being offered. honestly, anything that keeps me out of the kitchen and fed after a hard days work is very much appreciated. :)
plus after being a server i vowed that i would always be a good tipper since i knew what they go through to make their wages.
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Posted by ? Wed May 27, 2009 10:47am PDT
My son delivers pizza, he gets paid to do his job BUT of the delivery charge the pizza joint charges he get only a small part of that, the rest goes to pizza joint. If you don't tip, you have just cost him money, he has to buy his own gas, use his own car (needs brakes and other maintenance a lot more often), pay his own car insurance etc. just so you don't have to go out yourself. He will go beyond his job to get you your pizza delivered in the shortest, fastest way he can and you would stiff him on the tip? How much cold food do you get?
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Posted by Wed May 27, 2009 11:12am PDT
The rationale behind tipping for take-out and delivery seems to be mixed-up here. Obviously the deliverer has to travel and risk traffic/speeding ticket to get the food to me, and clearly deserves a good tip (as long as the food arrives in reasonable time and shape).
Who do I tip for the take-out? There is no wait or bussing staff involved. The cashier who hands me the food or the cook who dishes the food into the container? Do I tip him/her when I eat out? The eat-in customers, who are helping keep the restaurant open? Might I suggest the person who picks up the food and deliver it to my home?
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Posted by Blue Jane Wed May 27, 2009 1:26pm PDT
You go, frick. You are absolutely right on. In fact, I thought I was reading my own post when I started reading yours. I like to be able to sit down, relax and enjoy my meal and be "taken care of" by someone who knows the menu and how to treat patrons. Their time is as valuable as mine and I tip accordingly.
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Posted by RachelB Wed May 27, 2009 5:13pm PDT
To Celloinil: There IS a reason the author suggested leaving a couple of bucks for take-out. To say that there is not waitstaff involved on a take-out order is just plain wrong. Often, servers do a lot of the packaging of take-out food, including putting sauces, dressing, napkins, siverware etc in the bag as well as the food itself. On a large order this takes time. I have worked in places where the servers or bartenders are also the people ringing up your order, running your credit card, etc. There is not always a "cashier." This takes time away from all of their sit-down customers and can really put someone "in the weeds" if they're busy. Servers think you are cheap if you don't tip on a take-out at least a buck or two. If you are a regular take-out customer and don't tip, you will probably get home to find some condiments or something else missing from your order. Why put time into making sure a customer has all the extras they might need/want if you know you're making nothing for it? As someone previously mentioned, servers' $2.13/hr wage is so little that they often do not receive a paycheck because it is completely wiped out by taxes. Tips is ALL they make.
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Posted by Julia Wed May 27, 2009 11:17pm PDT
what states do you guys live in where you only make 2.13 an hour.. that sucks a$$!! in my state it is at 8 dollars and possibly might go to 9 or 10, but tipping is always appreciated more =)
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