Tip-Off
Not long ago I had a truly ghastly dining experience at a local restaurant. Exercising my right to be as subtle as a sledgehammer, I faxed a copy of my descriptive article to the owner of the restaurant . . . who, obviously in fear of the wrath and power that I can wield on this here website [pause for snort of derision], then sent me a gift certificate for TWO . . . in the magnanimous sum of $45.00. For those of you not familiar with this chain of restaurants, they are nothing fancy, just casual-sit-down dining along the lines of oh, say, Chili’s. However, one decent 7-oz. steak will generally run around $20+. Two appetisers + two steaks = more than $45, not including a couple of glasses of wine apiece. This time around, nobody dropped anything in my lap and our orders were correct … but the service was about as speedy as a comatose snail. [The restaurant was not that busy in case you were wondering.] Also, the server insisted that it is illegal for there to be more than one alcoholic beverage per customer on the table. Which is simply not true. Personally, I like to have a margarita pre-dinner and a glass of shiraz with my steak. I order them together so the wine can have its last few breaths before being discharged into my gullet. Needless to say, we left a measly 10% tip. We resented leaving even that amount, but this is the Land of Seemingly Mandatory Tipping. Perhaps we should have left a note on the bill explaining that the acronym “TIPS” allegedly means “To Insure Prompt Service”?
Now that I have oh-so-cunningly segued into the subject of obligatory tipping . . . just what is the policy on tipping for take-out meals? I don’t tip at Jack in the Box when they take my order and hand it to me in a bag! So when I order food over the phone and drive to the restaurant to pick it up, why am I expected to tip? Should I eat take-out meals in my car so they can run out to check on me every few minutes; maybe bring me a drink refill? I recently saw a tip jar at a Shipley’s Donuts for crissakes. What exactly am I tipping for here, their excellent skill in dropping a kolache into a paper bag while I help myself to a napkin? Where does this madness end? Should we start tipping cashiers at the supermarket for doing their job too? How do YOU handle take-out tipping?
March 5th, 2007 at 11:43 am
After checking with a “higher power” (my girlfriend), I’ve learned that it IS apparently against TABC rules to serve more than one alcoholic beverage to a person at a time. The exceptions to this seem to be that you CAN order a cocktail and a shot, or a drink with a beer back (or chaser). However, a margarita and a glass of wine at the same time is apparently a no-no. You can’t serve a pitcher of beer or a bottle of wine to one person, either. This being Texas, it seems so anti-American, though. I swear, it’s those damned Republicans.
Oh… and no tipping for take out. That’s why those people get the big bucks!
March 5th, 2007 at 11:50 am
John: I have never been to a bar anywhere in the States where they required me to finish one drink before serving me another! If the service at Outback was better, I’d simply request a glass of red wine be brought to me along with my steak. What do you suppose are the odds of them getting that right?
So, it’s OK to simply cross-out the “TIP” line on the credit card slip when picking-up a take-out order?
March 5th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
I don’t usually tip if I have to go get it. I think their card machine just automatically includes that line. I will occasionally tip the people at Starbucks or the donut place if I have ordered something high-maintenance. (For example, the local donut shop I love offers a choice of various fillings and they custom-fill to your specifications.)
March 5th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
I’d love to do away with the custom of tipping. It’s not my problem that waiters are paid shit wages; if you want more pay go back to college. I start at 15% and it goes steadily downward if necessary. Blame the booze law on the Republicans, I blame the tipping on the Libs.
March 5th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I completely hate being strong-armed into unnecessary tipping. I feel like an ordinary counter with a tip jar/cup is absolutely rude.
I mean, I cannot tell you if I ever said to myself: “Wow! That gal at McDonalds was SO helpful, courteous and excellent with her carry-paper-wrapped-food-to-tray technique, I wish they had a tip cup available for me to make a contribution.”
Restaurants? I love giving great tips to exceptional waitstaff. Exceptional being the key word here.
Yah. I am totally agreeing with you here.
March 5th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Not to open a tip jar of worms here but….does anyone tip people like their MAILMAN, GARBAGE MAN, MAILMAN LAWN CARE around the holidays?
I’ve seen suggested % for that type of service but…does anyone really tip them?
March 5th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
I never, ever, ever, EVER tip on take out orders. EVER! Why? That is madness…AND I just LOVE the tip jars at Starbuck’s or the sandwich shop or any other such place where we are somehow guilted into tipping people to do their job. As a matter of fact, I am going to put a tip jar on my desk and whenever I complete a task here at work I expect my co-workers to tip me. Oh, gotta go make a photo copy and collect my tips…talk to you later!
March 5th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I have NO problem whatsoever giving a tip that reflects the level of service I’ve received, which, more than once, was nothing. A tip should be a thank-you for exceptional service, not what is expected on top of your bill no matter how good or bad your service was. Mandatory tipping is crap. I don’t tip on take-out, either. I do tip the Starbucks people if they make my drink particularly fast when it’s really crowded, or if they make it before I even get to the register to order it (I’m a regular, sadly).
March 6th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I don’t tip for take out. I normally tip 15%. If the service is exceptional and I don’t have to “ask” for anything, (drink refills, condiments etc.) I tend to tip more. I waited tables while attending college so I can understand both sides of the coin.
I don’t tip my mailman, garbage men etc…but a friend of mine leaves a couple of 12 packs around Christmas for the garbage collectors…let’s just say, they never have to hunt down their garbage can halfway down the street.
NEVER piss off your waiter/waitress….you never know what goes on behind the kitchen doors!
March 6th, 2007 at 10:14 am
oh and in terms of the mailman, garbage men, etc…One year I left them $$ and then decided since then that is not a good practice and since have left them each a tin of holiday cookies every year around the holidays and I think they really appreciate it and I feel much better leaving them something like that.
March 6th, 2007 at 11:23 am
I’ll tip at a place I know the wait staff gets below miniumum, usually 10-15%. And I go up for exceptonal service (or if they just did OK but my party was a pain in the ass). Carryout from the same place tho? No, I don’t tip I just cross out that line.
I don’t normally tip at places where the staff makes minimum tho (fast food, Starbucks, etc). THe exception being at the drive in (not sure if you have Sonic down there). I mean if a high schooler has to come out in the rain/snow/whatever I give em a buck.
Oh wait, I DID tip at starbucks the other day. I got my order for $6.09 and paid with a five, a one, and a dime. The girl gave me the stink eye and muttered something I didn’t catch. I went “oh wait, I forgot… for all your hard work” and threw the penny change in her cup. Haven’t been back. QT doesnt have a drive thru, but the coffee is descent, and they are polite.
N
March 6th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Just draw a slash through the tip line, that’s what I do. TABC regulations aren’t always strictly followed, and of course the “T” in TABC is for Texas, so there’s no telling what the requirements are in other states. I’m not sure whether waitstaff in a restaurant are required to be TABC certified, but the bartenders certainly are. Could be you just got an anal-retentive, TABC certified waiter.
March 8th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I’ve often wondered about whether I should tip for take-out as well. Some places get sneaky and add in a “service charge” (Fajita Willie’s!) When I went to pick up some take-out at a grill in Lexington the other month (my first visit there), I didn’t tip, but when I checked my bank balance, the pending transaction showed up with a 20% tip added! I was PISSED. But a few days later, the charge went through at the regular price (no tip). Maybe the guy thought better of it and changed it? Weird nonetheless. And you better believe I’m never going back there again (the food wasn’t that good anyway).
A few years ago near my old apt in Houston, I noticed that Sonic (!!) added a note to the bottom of the menu, “Tips appreciated.” And one car hop was forward enough to ask me if I wanted to add a tip when I handed her my debit card! The thing about Sonic is, you have no choice but to park and have your food brought out (although some have drive-thrus now). The whole thing seemed immensely tacky to me. A few months later, they removed the note on the menu. I have a feeling lots of folks complained…
March 13th, 2007 at 11:55 pm
Luckily, I live in a pretty straight-forward town where the only places that require tipping are places you’d expect to have to shell out the extra cash. When I was in Florida, however, I didn’t understand why so many people kept giving me dirty looks until I realized that they ALL expected tips. We’re talking everyone from the Starbucks kiosk in the airport to the guy who checked my luggage (not TOOK my luggage mind you, just put a tag on it and handed me my boarding pass).