Why? Do you realize you aren't tipping in a "FAIR" manner? Name ONE thing that to-go servers do more than fast food cashiers. Since the workers at fast food restaurants for counter service aren't allowed to accept tips, WHY do you feel it's fair to tip someone for take-out, huh?

Do you realize the worker at Burger King can get FIRED for accepting tips, huh?

It's not ANYMORE work AT ALL than the fast food cashiers give for counter service. Also, WHY reduce the tip for a to-go order at Dunkin Donuts just because it's not a sit-down restaurant? That's tipping in a UNFAIR manner. Why not tip the same for the same work, huh?

If you are a Starbucks and just get coffee, do you realize McDonald's cashiers do this for NO TIP NOW?

Take-out should get NO tip, that's what is *FAIR*!!

The server doing all of those things are things fast food cashiers do for no tip for counter service. It is 100% UNFAIR to tip one, but not the other. WHY do you tip unfairly, huh?

The cashiers have to prepare my order to like at Wendy's as I said in one of the above posts, a *CASHIER* LITERALLY put my burger together. She put mayo on the bun, cheese, lettuce, and onions. She also put in a cup mayo. She put in another cup mustard. She also filled my cup with ice and dr. pepper. Someone else did put the fries, but she did the rest of putting it together. Of course she didn't cook the burger or fries, but so doesn't the to-go server either.

Why you people want to be UNFAIR when you tip, huh? I just don't get it, I really, really don't?

The difference is that a one is fast food, one is a full-service dining establishment. They do not have "cashiers" they have Servers that are paid 1/2 (or less) of what these "cashiers" get paid because they work for tips. If you disagree with that and don't want to tip 10% for a Server to put together your order and deliver it in a fast, efficient, and convenient manner, then have the decency to order takeout from a takeout place like chinese or pizza.

I am pretty sure what you described was in their job descrption when they hired on.

First, I am a WOMAN. Secondly, It doesn't matter what hourly wage they are paid if the amount of PHYSICAL LABOR is THE SAME OR EVEN LESS than a fast food cashier does, understand? The customer is getting the same service, WHY should they tip one and not the other based on what an employer wants to pay? That doesn't concern the customer or have *ANYTHING* to do with the customer, PERIOD. The service doesn't change.

Chinese I have seen the *CASHIER* put my chinese food in the box, not someone else. I have even seen the pizza hut to-go order taker actually put together my food and put it in the oven even. I don't get WHY you think the place means more tipping when it should be the amount of physical LABOR that has to do with tipping, because tipping is for *SERVICE*, not for the restaurant or if one employer pays more than another.

Tipping should be EQUAL EQUAL in that you can't tip one, you shouldn't tip the other if the *SERVICE* is the SAME OR EVEN LESS work than the cashier does at a fast food restaurant for counter service. That's the *FAIR* way of tipping. YOU ARE AN UNFAIR TIPPER, WHY?

Lol, sorry for my assumption. I get your out-dated logic, trust me. My opinion is simply that it is flawed because you do not see the difference in a takeout restaurant and a full-service dine-in restaurant. Just because you treat a full-service dine-in restaurant like it is Burger King, doesn't mean you get to stiff the Server. If you want to, that's the beauty of this free country, but I believe in what goes around comes around.

But it's *UNFAIR* to tip one and not the other. WHY ARE YOU TIPPING IN AN UNFAIR MANNER, HUH?

It has NOTHING to do with out of date logic. It has to do with how things REALLY ARE.

You should get to stiff the server, because at Burger King you stiff the cashier for your to-go order, same thing, no difference. That's *FAIR* to stiff since you are doing that for the cashier at Burger King.

I would gladly tip both if we were allowed to tip both as long as my service would be good, but since we can't, I won't be an UNFAIR TIPPER! What wages they make per hour means NOTHING to the service that you are receiving.

I'm not saying it's the patron's responsibility to make up for the lower wage of a Server. I am saying they work for tips, that is the agreement. You want to skip the full-service part so you can enjoy the food and the convenience and the Server has to suffer? They don't HAVE to let you order take-out. It is an added service and convenience to do so. When you order food from them and take it home, they still at the end of the night have to PAY a portion of their sales to the busser/bartender/hostess AND pay taxes on that. Cashiers don't because they aren't setup for that. It's an added bonus and a privilege for a full-service dining restaurant to let you take their time and resources away from their dine-in guests and they should have to pay for that?

Sure, your logic is Servers are doing the same work as the cashier at Burger King (which you are still wrong - they do much more besides the fact that you are taking them away from their 1st priority - dine-in guests) but your opinion of how much work they do doesn't matter when considering that their purpose of operations is NOT for takeout.

So when I go to the Barber and get a $12 haircut and leave $3...by your logic, if I go to a salon and and pay $40 that a $3 tip is adequate? Get outta here.

Name somethings then? I don't know ANYMORE they do?

The "THEY" you are talking about is the OWNERS and that has *NOTHING* to do with the service that they let us get take-out. That concept has ZERO to do with the person serving me. WHERE do you get that it does?

If they work for tips, they know they are *RISKING NOT RECEIVING ANY, that it is a *GAMBLE* when you work for tips, DUH!!

That doesn't mean the customer has to pay them anything. We aren't LEGALLY LIABLE to do so.

Cashiers are at Subway, Quizno's, and Starbuck's, all places I do not tip, but accept tips. McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, KFC, and Taco Bell don't have their cashiers accept tips.

What does what they have to tip out have to do with the service either? If you know this and STILL STAY AT THE JOB ANYWAY, that's YOUR ISSUE, NOT OURS. WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH TIPPING OUT OTHER CO-WORKERS. That's your issue as an employee. The service we are receiving doesn't magically change because you have to tip out.

The dine-in guest shouldn't be first priority, they should be ********EQUAL******* PRIORITY! The tip or no tip shouldn't equal priority. I NEVER did that when I served at the donut shop/diner I worked for around 10yrs ago. I treated my drive-thru just as well as my dine-in guest that did tip me. I wasn't unfair and SELFISH like you seem to be.

You are saying the server has to suffer, well if they don't like the job, DON'T STAY!! There's the door.

A tip makes me feel good
 

I am NOT here to cast judgment on others and the tipping of others,,, just when i tip,,it makes me feel good,, to make me feel good you better do more than just bag my food or come to the table and take my order and bring it from the kitchen... that is your J-O-B.... now if you keep my water glass full, bring me hot sauce from the bar, as you dont have any but they have some for bloody mary's , or you do something extra, YOU GET SOMETHING extra. and THAT tip makes me feel good.. and yes i will ask for you the next time i come in... if you dont care ,, why should I.... You be nice to me,, I will be nice to you... ANY tip is not automatic,,, it is my money,, not governments,, now that is automatic $$$. You might think I am wrong in my thinking,, but i was never given anything in life,,, I worked very hard for it.... Many folks seemed to think.....they have an entitlement! NOT! I am not going to change the world,,, but I am not enabler of accommodating the leaches of the world!

NSR, I'm giving up on this thread. Feel that I am banging my head against the wall trying to make these people understand the difference between a fast food and a restaurant. My belief is that they do not want to understand. They are the reason Villagers have the reputation of being stingy and greedy with the folks who live outside the 'bubble'.

A full-service sit-down restaurant is part quality food prepared with much more effort than a fast food burger wrapped up and thrown into a bag, but mostly the EXPERIENCE. You are right Servers do take a gamble/risk working for tips but 80% of people have common sense/decency and Servers most of the time have a passion for caring for that 80% and still decide to stick with their job despite the 20%. If everyone thought like you and the rest of the 20% that it's you aren't LEGALLY LIABLE to tip than the profession and industry of Hospitality all-together would not exist. My whole point isn't about the LAW it's about ETHICS and common sense.

Sorry but the dine-in guest at a full-service DINE-IN restaurant is ALWAYS the priority. Did I say because of TIPS? NO not once. They are the priority because if not, a restaurant would just be a kitchen. A full-service dine-in restaurant is about the EXPERIENCE. You say "I treated my drive-thru just as well as my dine-in guest that did tip me" but I'm not talking about DONUT SHOPS or anything with DRIVE-THRU's. I and once again, talking about full-service dine-in restaurants.

You also assume I am a Server which I never said I was. And I am not selfish by any-means you are hearing what you want to hear which is why I feel the need to repeat myself so many times. In my opinion treating a Server at a full-service dine-in restaurant like a drive-thru is selfish.

You say "You are saying the server has to suffer, well if they don't like the job, DON'T STAY!! There's the door." Well you know why most don't quit? Because most patrons are courteous, and make it worth while. They aren't going to quit because of the 20% like you (although they often consider it). It takes passion to treat the job like an artform of truly caring for individuals, along with very hard work among a list of other skills way beyond throwing fries and a burger in a bag and handing it through a window.

Thank you and I agree fully. I love to debate and usually discussions end with an agreement of sorts and both parties learning a bit. Stubborn people are set in their ways and there's nothing anyone can do. I'm just glad most think like us and regardless of whether or not I changed her opinion, I put mine out there for everyone else to consider.

It's 10% for me because I can and, more importantly, I recognize that many of those workers are making close to minimum wage. There are many who are not financially able to tip for take-out and there are some who can. For the latter, it's a personal decision.

You haven't named *ONE* THING that servers do more, NOT ONE!! As I said before, a Wendy's CASHIER put together my burger LITERALLY, NOT just thrown it in a bag along with putting mayo in a cup and mustard in a cup for me. She also filled my dr. pepper.(this wasn't at a mall, but malls do NOT have self-serve soda stations, even if most Wendy's now have the self-serve, NOT ALL DO). What she did, I watched her put the burger patty on the bun, cheese, lettuce, and onions. I *WATCHED* HER DO THIS HERSELF, NOT THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK, *HER* THE CASHIER THAT TOOK MY ORDER FOR NO TIP!! She did NOT JUST THROW IT IN A BAG!

Common decency is to tip *FAIRLY* by if you tip one, you tip the other, since you can't tip one, you shouldn't tip the other.

For DINE-IN GUESTS, YES IT WOULD. Most people don't tip for take-out in general, so YES IT WOULD because of the DINE-IN GUESTS.

But common sense is that there's no more work they doing than what the cashier at Wendy's did for me for that to-go order.

What does this have to do with TURNS and being *FAIR*, huh? NOTHING!! Go in the order in which requests came in is how it should be.

I don't understand why the quality of the restaurant has *A THING* to do with tipping for service, huh? This is what I don't get, because the *AMOUNT OF WORK* is THE SAME OR EVEN LESS than what fast food cashiers do.

So far, you haven't name ONE THING as I asked you to do, NOT ONE. That's because obviously you cannot come up with anything, can you? Well, I am waiting.....

No, I didn't think you were.

WHY and HOW when it's 100% *FAIR* since the *******AMOUNT OF PHYSICAL LABOR IS THE SAME OR EVEN LESS than the drive-thru person does. Do you think it took me any less time to put together an order just because the person took it from a window instead of in person? OF COURSE NOT! That's just common sense. Obviously, you aren't thinking with common sense here.

Then obviously they don't need my money, so that's no problem there.

Then why should we tip them if they don't need our money, huh? Also, I never said it wasn't hard work. I said it was FAST FOOD CASHIER COUNTER SERVICE WORK.

NAME SOMETHING MORE THAT THEY DO THAN FAST FOOD CASHIERS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY, BECAUSE I CANNOT COME UP WITH ANYTHING!!

But if you aren't getting more service, WHY should you tip, because it's not more than the fast food cashier does?

I'm not sure If I understand the "back and forth" correctly ...

It appears to me that NSR feels that Servers who work on the Take-out Counter in a dine-in restaurant are more deserving of tips than Servers who do an identical job in a fast-food restaurant. The Servers may do identical chores, but the environment is different. Perhaps because the expectation level is different? :mornincoffee: Or perhaps I've completely missed the point.

Perhaps :duck:

Many full service restaurants including the clubs at TV have the bartenders take to go orders. Others have dedicated take out stations, while some pull servers from table duty.

Normally I tip 10 to 15% except if the bar or restaurant is very busy and the servers are doing "extra duty". Then I tip more. Take out service requires less of a servers time than an in house meal and the gratuity can reflect that.

I went to a Cracker Barrel quite a bit before moving to TV and the servers took to go orders. The cashier pulled me aside one day after I tipped the server and told me how appreciative they were that I tipped them as almost no one did. This was in a tourist/vacation area elsewhere in Florida so we can't just fault TV.

I personally think the way server compensation is done is wrong in that big ticket restaurants generate much more money than "family" lower ticket restaurants where the servers work harder for less. I wish standard service was included in the meal and tipping was for really extra effort. Google Noodles restaurants for an example of a true no tip business.

Everyone has a well founded opinion of what is the right or wrong time to do regarding gratuities of any sort. What they do doesn't mean they are extra generous or cheap or mean spirited. It is simply the way the are. Low tippers may give much more to charities and vice versa. Some of the posts are starting to get a bit over the top.

:wave:

why would i tip a mail person all they do is bring my mail - that there job -

TIP????? Lets tip our hats to all the military personnel who serve or served our country to have the Liberties we enjoy today!!!!! And "Hats Off" to there families also! That tip is 100%!!! (and theres no tip jar):clap2::BigApplause:

:agree::BigApplause:

Talk about tipping issues..just look at cruise ships and the problems they are going through. The crew on a cruise ship really do depend upon tips as part of their monthly wage BUT when you are dealing with a multi-national passenger list from different countries herein lies the problem.

People who live in Europe and England simply donot tip...they simply round up on their wait bills. This is not wrong ..this is their culture within their country, while americans on the other hand assume you must tip everyone.

There is no simple answer to tipping and if anyone asks me I always tell them tip what you feel comfortable tipping. If im with someone from a different country I try to explain customs in the US but always leave the final decision to the individual person......

I will provide a good tip to a person that provides me good individual service, but now a days what really bugs me is when you go into a resturant and they have a waiter taking your order and a runner serving your order ...and that runner has no idea of the special requests or side issues you may have brought up to the waiter unless it is written down. I know this is a function of the resturant and not the wait staff, but I find this type of operation less appealing to me and in many instances someone at the table runs into a problem with the food delivery. NOw is that good service simply because it may have come out faster...but I got the wrong order or no one can address my steak not cooked to order????

784Caroline brings up a good point about restaurants that have servers who are professional and attentive, but the server does not actually "serve" the food!

Runners and cooks (or sometimes even a dishwasher) bringing the food and serving it is a terrible idea. Almost always, they come with several plates in hand (instead of on a large oval tray), and when they arrive at the table they have no idea who gets what.

They often hold out the plate under the customers' faces, for everybody to breathe on it and decide whether that is theirs or not. Many times a plate is placed in front of us, only to be the wrong one and then it gets passed down the table by the other guests at the table. And I'm not talking about cheap restaurants. I'm talking about upscale ones.

Servers should do the serving, and then we are tipping them, not every other Tom Dick & Harry working in the place.

If you had read the post a little closer the server was doing extra work away from their tables. Cracker Barrel is not a fast food restaurant.

Calling me stupid is what I meant about posters getting nasty instead of civil in their comments.

chilout

Spring1, I'm going to hope that you don't know that using all caps is considered shouting online. If you do know, then you are terribly rude. But, then, calling people stupid isn't exactly polite.

The fact that you had someone at Wendy's cook and serve your food is irrelevant -- there should have been a cook and a cashier. Tossing a burger and fries into a paper bag is not all the difficult, especially when you don't have to worry about spillage. Don't know about you, but half the time my fries are more in the bag than in the paper container. Unless I specifically ask, I rarely get condiments.

A server has to carefully place the Styrofoam container into a plastic bag that rarely fits properly. Before placing the container into the bag, bread and other items have to be added. Frequently, a salad has to be put into containers and the dressing put into another container. In a fast food restaurant, salads are ready to be grabbed and tossed into the bag. Bread, butter, etc. are non-issues. Condiments are not in out-of-the-way spots.

Sadly, those working at fast food chains actually earn more hourly than servers in chain restaurants (it is the tips that make the difference). Serving the takeout order takes time away from seated customers, who frequently get upset that their server is not available to take care of them and then tip accordingly. So, not only is that server that you think is unfairly getting a tip from some of us making less money than the fast food cashier, the server is actually losing money from tables they could be taking care of instead.

Sorry, I don't even remotely see the unfairness of tipping for takeout.

Most restaurants hire a food runner to deliver items for all the Servers to make sure they are paying more attention to their guests rather than standing by the kitchen waiting for the food. The food runner will receive a percentage of all the Servers' total sales at the end of the night (which comes out of the tips). Also, in a well-run establishment, all servers work as a team so don't feel offended if someone besides your designated Server gives you attention. It isn't your Server being lazy or neglecting you, it is just team service. I know this isn't the classic way of service that a lot of people are used to but restaurants have adjusted and changed other the years to ensure efficiency. It's all done in the best interest of you and other valued guests :)

A lot of chain restaurants have "other servers running each other's food", not food runners.

Even when they have true food runners, because they have an AUTOMATIC tip of a certain percentage sales(NOT TIP) at the end, there's no INCENTIVE to check the food.

Some manager told me at one restaurant they have on the ticket seat 1, seat 2, even which side they would be sitting as to who gets what. If that is the case with all restaurants, a lot of food runners or other servers are lazy, because I find they have a lot of servers that don't know who had what all the time and even more that my order is wrong more times when another server runs the food than when my server runs the food. Obviously, not counting if the customer moved of course.

I don't find it's a good way, because since there's an automatic tip rather than an EARNED one, the person running the food doesn't care *WHAT* they are bringing out for obvious mistakes. It's also unfair to the server if the customers stiff or leave a low tip because they were cheap where the server may have to literally PAY to serve the customers.

I think it's not a good thing to have other people running the food. I'd rather have my food sit under a heat lamp and wait for my server to bring me my food personally, even if it takes 5 extra minutes, it's better that it's obviously correct than it wrong. Plus, you wouldn't believe sometimes I would ask to order something from this other server or food runner that would bring out the food and they would REFUSE to get it, for real. There's not much teamwork if the tip is automatic or the tip is non-existant(other server's running each other's food).

All I'm am saying is that Servers run each others food, drinks, and may even take each others orders. If a Server has a challenging table or guest, instead if neglecting their other tables other employees act as a team and care for each others guests. You are entitled to your opinion but sorry most people I have disagree with you and that is why restaurants work the way they do regardless of your view. Sounds like you are bitter from bad experiences I am sorry for that.

I agree it sounds like that, now can you two end this argument already.

We all know you disagree.

Regarding this about runners and servers other than one's own bringing/serving the food:

Ensure efficiency? Well, to some extent it is better to get the food out of the kitchen and onto the table fast.......

...but it sure ain't "efficient" when the runner brings 4 plates to the wrong 4 people at a table of 10, and sticks those plates under the faces of the wrong customers who then all handle it passing it down the line or trading plates with others at the table......because the runner is clueless about who gets what.

Also, this screws the server out of a decent tip, when the runner goofs up, which happens a lot. A server should serve.

You are assuming they do it wrong. Servers are rotated from time to time to all be Food Runners so they should be trained to know how to run food. The Servers are supposed to attach a seat number to each item which makes it easy to determine where each item goes. A Server can mess up too and forget where things go. Just because the person you have have experienced does their job wrong, doesn't mean the system is flawed. "Serving" is MUCH more than delivering food. That is a small part of it and once again, the person running food is also a Server. They all work as a team, the days of 1 Server being yours and everyone else acting like you don't exist are over. Team service, when correctly executed ensures excellent experiences for everyone.

LOL Jimbo!!!!!

This was a hotter topic than I thought it would be. Lots of viewpoints though.

Did a quick search on Google and liked this result-- Should You Tip on Takeout? - Table Manners - Food News - CHOW

My son waits and he thinks if your service is good there should be a tip, Going thru the order letting them know what is what and asking if you need anything else.

Great Article!
 

Great article! Thank you so much!

I hate it when they come with plates of food and stand at the end of a long table with 16 people and shout out who ordered such and such. I don't hear that good, especially in a noisy restaurant so have no idea if that is my plate or not. Can't the waiter put the position number of the person on the check so the runner knows where it goes? Also when the waiter takes orders they stand at the end of the long table and I'm expected to shout out my order and can't hear what they say. Being too lazy to walk around the table knocks about 25% off their tip as far as I'm concerned.

Solution --- sit at the head of the table - this way you will be able to hear the wait person --- add 25% tip