Should you tip for take-out/pick-up?

[Anonymous]

During Covid a lot of people started tipping restaurants for take-away, whereas previously they had not. This is when you call and place an order and YOU go pick up the order yourself. A lot of people did this because restaurants weren't seeing sit-down clients, or were on the verge of closing and this was a way to help them stay alive. Now that we are basically out of the pandemic, do you think you should still tip when you go to pick-up the food yourself?

Do you agree with...

"What am I tipping for? Their basic job is to make the food, and simply handing it to me, is not bringing water, and drinks, and food, and tidying the table. It's their most basic job. I don't tip the grocery store for putting food on the shelves for me to take and pay for."

OR do you agree with...

"You should still tip for takeout, because someone had to bag up the food and put it out there for you to pick up, and you are rewarding the business for good service especially if you are a regular and enjoy their food"

YES, you should tip for pick-up/take out

NO, you should not tip for pick-up/take-out

[MrOracle]

No. Tipping is for servers if you are being served at your table, or for deliveries if you are having something delivered. If you're picking it up, no tip is necessary.

COVID saw a huge explosion in businesses of all kinds rolling out tipping for things that have never been tipping situations before - and it was encouraged by the credit card processors because they get a cut of those tips.

As much as I believe in tipping for traditional situations, I do NOT believe in tipping for this new crap. Shut that shit down.

[bolverk]

OK, I'm a Brit lived in the US for 10 years, it the delivery driver get my take out to me well under the specified time I'd tip them usually $5,

But back in the UK that never happens unless its a large order because tipping is not a thing here, you may tip if you wish but employers have to pay a working wage in which tips do not count, unlike the US where employers count tips as being part of the wages, which always struck me as stupid. because if you pay a working wage your employee's are more likely to stay with you.

[Asker]

Looooonnngggg sigh. I'm sure someone along the lines has tried to change this, but this just persists that employees don't legally have to pay their staff a living wage in the US for this type of work. The words, "they RELY on tips," is batted about quite often, but I'm not their boss. I don't do their payroll. I get sick of being made to feel guilty...even for extremely bad service...if I don't tip well, "because you know they don't get paid right?" Well then by all means, fight the system first because almost any rule, law, etc can be changed with enough protest behind it.

[Anonymous]

i think a customer who drives to the restaurant to pick up their own food and then tips the staff that just handed them the food, that's it, are dunces. tip yourself.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

Delivery? Yes, if there isn't any delivery charge.

Pick-up? No, since my order wasn't served to me.

[RingOfFire]

I think tipping should be done away with altogether. Restaurant workers should be paid the same way other workers are based on an agreement between themselves and the employer. It is really counterproductive to force the customers to have to think about having to come up with a tip either before or after a meal when they came there to relax or concentrate on a business conversation or to be with family. The compensation should be between the owner of the restaurant and the worker in the restaurant, not the customer, not the government or anyone else. Let's eliminate tipping altogether.

[Asker]

Agreed. I'm not your boss. I don't run payroll for you. I'm just here trying to enjoy a meal. It aggravates me when people say, "well, if you don't want to tip, then don't eat out," but yet they never say, "HEY, employers, pay your employees an actual living wage!" Make it make sense. Why is it supposed to be the customers fault that employees aren't getting paid enough? And before anyone says, that's just the way it is....so was women not having the right to vote. Clearly laws and rules and policies can be changed no matter how old and ancient they are.

[RingOfFire]

It's an outdated custom that doesn't make sense anymore. Their compensation should be paid by the same method as any other business.

[sawno]

Here its been normal for delivery drivers but I refuse to do it. You cycled (or worse, drove) 5 minutes from point A to point B. Why do you deserve a tip for just doing your job? When I spend 30 minutes fixing a very complicated PC issue in the time it would have cost others the entire day I don't get a tip either, neither do I expect one.

[Asker]

I once opened my door to accept a pizza delivery and the driver was standing their with a child who then asked for the tip. I shot the driver a look, like are you serious right now? I'm 100% sure you can't and shouldn't bring your child...a child? to deliver to strangers, let alone beg for tips. I completely stopped ordering from that place.

[Drew-1990]

During covet it made sense because the waitresses and waiters couldn't serve people and get their normal tips. So they were hurting because of it. But once that passed and we started sitting down again that should have gone away.

[Asker]

Absolutely agree.

[JacobJordan]

If you are getting delivery you should absolutely tip. The service you are tipping for is for them to ensure the foods gets to you hot and yummy. That seems like a worthy outcome to tip does it not?

[Asker]

I'm not talking about delivery. I explained that this is YOU going to the store to pick up the food.

[HelpfulWoman]

It shouldn't be mandatory. Those employed should be paid fairly for their time. Tips are a extra for great service, but the service should be that for no tip too.

[TheSpaceGnome]

No one should tip.

Restaurants should be forced to pay livable wages by labor unions and minumum wage laws like every other job, and tipping should be made illegal again (it used to be illegal and seen as bribery).

[Asker]

It's ridiculous that this has never changed. It served an actual purpose when tipping started because restaurant owners would have to shut down because the economy tanked, so they came up with tipping, but it just never went away, even when the economy evened out. l hate having to figure out what someone's worth or should be paid, like I'm not your boss. I'm here to just sit down and enjoy dinner, not help fund your kids college education.

[TheSpaceGnome]

Tipping actually started long before that.
It was a way to bribe the staff or owner to ignore misdeeds that would otherwise get the customer in trouble. Restaurant owners used to be the ones that kept the tips in most cases, and so they got used to this and started dipping into tip money to pay their workers (instead of using part of the normal profits). This trend kept up until tipping was made illegal, but workers eventually demanded to reinstate tipping, because once it was made illegal, their regular wages didn't fill in that pay gap that was removed when tipping got banned, because restaurant owners refused to compensate workers with a wage increase.

Paying them living wages is affordable, even during the depressions. They are just being stingy bastards, and as customers most people are trained to think that if they don't tip, they are the bad person. Until workers demand better wages, this won't change.

[RebelinSteel]

We don’t really tip here in the UK, but I will let the guy keep the change, usually a quid or so. Giving a tip of a quid would be a big slap in face lol but as in keep change not really

[naartjie]

We don’t tip where I live. It’s actually a very strange concept and extremely awkward when you’re a worker and someone wants to give you money.

[exitseven]

No, sometimes I stick the change in the tip jar at my local place. It's usually 2 or 3 bucks.

[AviatorTom]

A tip is for good service. Take-out and pickup, they're just doing their job.

[Nikki1989]

No one tips here, they actually pay people a living wage.

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I tip the delivery person not much, about $2.00-3.00 bucks.

[sheikalana]

I only tip when the food is delivered to me.

[douride2]

If I am picking it up at the restaurant why would I tip?

[Crankor]

If all they did was make the food then to me there's nothing to tip for. If I knew they went out of their way to do something extra then I might.

[DreamLife7]

Tipping has gotten out of control. I'll tip if I'm eating I'm a restaurant w/good service and food. That's it

[CuriousMufuxka]

No. Well at least not in monetary form. Perhaps a stock tip or remind them to look both ways before crossing any street.

[Wiredone]

If the food is being delivered I'll tip but if I'm picking it up, I'm not tipping

[LiamJHayden]

If I pick it up, no. If it is delivered, yes.

[Anonymous]

Yes. And you should always give at least a C note.

[RasmusAiken]

I've received no service so NO tip.

[Paris13]

Every Bit Helps. xxoo

[WhitneySnow]

Yes. I think you should. It’s good manners.

[itsclearlynicholas]

No one should, yet I often do.

[Anonymous]

I have thoughts on this.

[ReesesThins2]

Pick up.

[OtterMan68]

I tip a buck