Tips

[DD]

When y'all pick up food to go, do you tip the person that rings up your order?

 

[Scooter]

That's a great question. I've tipped before - $5 for a $50 order. But it is not my norm. A friend of mine in NOLA always tips. It's a conundrum!

 

[Teresa]

I'm not sure what the norm is, but I usually leave a tip - $5 or so, depending.

 

[John]

When y'all pick up food to go, do you tip the person that rings up your order?

Regarding tipping for take-out, I think that if you get take-out from a real restaurant, not fast-food, then you should tip. A server or bartender or whoever had to answer the phone, take the order, make sure the kitchen did it correctly, and probably pack it up for you. Then deal with you when you come in to pick it up. All of this while trying to juggle a bunch of tables or other duties. It's worth 10% or $5, whichever is greater, in my opinion.

I stand by my opinion from a few years ago.

 

[bluemtnrunner]

Be aware that some restaurants add in the tip on carry out orders. Check first before double tipping.

 

[Beach Runner]

Yes, I tip the person who rings up my takeout order because s/he has to pack it up in all of those separate containers, remember to include the condiments, etc. In some ways it is more of a pain for the person ringing up the takeout order than it is for a server because if something in the order is wrong for someone dining in, the problem can get get fixed pretty quickly. But if a customer gets home and finds something wrong or missing in their order, it is more maddening to the customer. So the person ringing up the take-out has to be more careful in checking the order so that s/he doesn't have to deal with the rage of someone having to make a second trip to get the correct order.

Yes, some restaurants add a tip for takeout. But Pizza Bar always makes that clear up front.

 

[Kurt]

Let's tip everybody.

 

[DD]

This was a discussion at work recently.

 

[kitlit]

Thanks, BR! Yes. As a local hostess/to-go person, I can tell you that we very much appreciate tips for all the reasons she's listed above. You don't have to go nuts--we do get paid more than waiters do, generally.

But a couple of dollars is a nice way of saying, "Thanks for making sure that my order was correct, so I don't have to drive back up here when I get home and realize I got chicken instead of fish, and thanks for taking the time to anticipate my needs, so that I have all the condiments/dressings that I may want, to make sure this meal is as terrific at home as it would be in the restaurant."

The kitchen doesn't usually do those things. They just make sure your food gets cooked properly (which, in and of itself, is a big enough responsibility) so it's up to your to-go person to handle the rest. If not for us, you'd be walking out the door with a styrofoam box of food with no fixins!

 

[kitlit]

P.S. -- Y'all come see me at the Seagrove Village Market! You'll be SO glad you did!