Stop Unecessary Tipping!

[mr.jameswoods]

I will start this by saying that I'm an excellent tipper in general. 20% is standard in my opinion with 15% for average service and 10% for poor service and no tip for offensive service. That being said, I give 20% most of the time.

However, I think tipping is unwarranted in many circumstances. Sonic drive-in's are fast food. Sonic is already expensive enough as it is. They charge twice the rates of other fast food and offer similar quality. However, I'm supposed to tip the girl on rollerskates a dollar because she skated 10 feet from the building to my car to hand me my brown paper sack. Sorry, but I refuse to tip for fast food let alone expensive fast food.

I was speaking to a person who waits "Curbside service" at Applebees. She was upset with a customer who only tipped her a dollar for a $50 meal. Granted that was a cheap tip so I asked what she expected to be reasonable and she replied by saying she expected the standard 15% tip. Excuse me, but all she does is bring food to your car. She doesn't bring your plates, refill your drinks and wait on you. What was even more suprising is that she had this arrogance and sense of entitlement that she deserved a full fledged tip for not even waiting on someone.

The other day, one of my employees picked up lunch from PF Changs. She tipped the girl $7 on a $50 dollar order. This wasn't curbsite service. She walked in and the giril handed her the food.

Pizza places like Dominoes and Papa Johns now charge a "delivery charge" that is separate than the tip you must give the drives since the delivery chage is supposedly used to cover in the insurance of the drivers. I'm sorry but I thought that's the price of doing business. Do doctors charge their patients extra to cover their malpractice. Do you charge your clients extra because you pay to insure your business? The drivers don't see any of the money included in the delivery charge so you should tip if you ask for delivery. I just pick up my pizza now because it's only 5 minutes down the street and I avoid paying a delivery and tip fee.

This leads me to my point, tipping is getting out of control. I'm all for tipping those individuals who deserve or rely on a tip but now it's getting silly. Please, do not tip unnecessarily as you are only reinforcing the expectations of those who do not deserve tips.

 

[jem88]

I will start this by saying that I'm an excellent tipper in general. 20% is standard in my opinion with 15% for average service and 10% for poor service and no tip for offensive service. That being said, I give 20% most of the time.

However, I think tipping is unwarranted in many circumstances. Sonic drive-in's are fast food. Sonic is already expensive enough as it is. They charge twice the rates of other fast food and offer similar quality. However, I'm supposed to tip the girl on rollerskates a dollar because she skated 10 feet from the building to my car to hand me my brown paper sack. Sorry, but I refuse to tip for fast food let alone expensive fast food.

I was speaking to a person who waits "Curbside service" at Applebees. She was upset with a customer who only tipped her a dollar for a $50 meal. Granted that was a cheap tip so I asked what she expected to be reasonable and she replied by saying she expected the standard 15% tip. Excuse me, but all she does is bring food to your car. She doesn't bring your plates, refill your drinks and wait on you. What was even more suprising is that she had this arrogance and sense of entitlement that she deserved a full fledged tip for not even waiting on someone.

The other day, one of my employees picked up lunch from PF Changs. She tipped the girl $7 on a $50 dollar order. This wasn't curbsite service. She walked in and the giril handed her the food.

Pizza places like Dominoes and Papa Johns now charge a "delivery charge" that is separate than the tip you must give the drives since the delivery chage is supposedly used to cover in the insurance of the drivers. I'm sorry but I thought that's the price of doing business. Do doctors charge their patients extra to cover their malpractice. Do you charge your clients extra because you pay to insure your business?

This leads me to my point, tipping is getting out of control. I'm all for tipping those individuals who deserve or rely on a tip but now it's getting silly. Please, do not tip unnecessarily as you are only reinforcing the expectations of those who do not deserve tips.

Agree wholeheartedly. I had a Domino's guy give me attitude over a tip. Given their prices and the delivery charge, I hardly had any left-over coin for the tip. There is nowhere near the sense of entitlement in countries like Venezuela or Brazil, where they seem to realize that the tip is something that rewards good service, not something to which they are automatically entitled.

 

[CF74]

I'm with ya Mr. Pink

 

[Achozen]

I'm with ya Mr. Pink

"You know what this is? It's the world's smallest violin playing just for the waitresses."

Mr. Pink kicks arse.

 

[Blake]

Pizza places like Dominoes and Papa Johns now charge a "delivery charge" that is separate than the tip you must give the drives since the delivery chage is supposedly used to cover in the insurance of the drivers. I'm sorry but I thought that's the price of doing business. Do doctors charge their patients extra to cover their malpractice. Do you charge your clients extra because you pay to insure your business? The drivers don't see any of the money included in the delivery charge so you should tip if you ask for delivery. I just pick up my pizza now because it's only 5 minutes down the street and I avoid paying a delivery and tip fee.

This leads me to my point, tipping is getting out of control. I'm all for tipping those individuals who deserve or rely on a tip but now it's getting silly. Please, do not tip unnecessarily as you are only reinforcing the expectations of those who do not deserve tips.

FYI, I worked as a Pizza delivery guy for Pizza Hut right out of highschool and we did see those delivery charges. They were really needed as it helped pay for our gas. At the end of each night they'd total up our deliveries and pay us. But your such a know it all so maybe I'm wrong here.

 

[Kevinicus]

I've never paid a tip to a pizza delivery guy if there was a delivery charge. I might tell them to keep the change, but that's it. Most times I'll go and pick it up though so I don't even have to pay the delivery charge.

They don't rollerskate at the sonics around here anymore, and I certainly would never tip them for walking 15 feet. Thankfully a lot of them have drive-thrus now.

I also refused to tip valet parking guys on a recent trip since it was the hotel's valet service, and they did not provide any other alternative for parking and charged $22 a night to your room for the service. I was kind of pissed about that.

 

[TheEnigma]

Pizza places like Dominoes and Papa Johns now charge a "delivery charge" that is separate than the tip you must give the drives since the delivery chage is supposedly used to cover in the insurance of the drivers. I'm sorry but I thought that's the price of doing business. Do doctors charge their patients extra to cover their malpractice. Do you charge your clients extra because you pay to insure your business? The drivers don't see any of the money included in the delivery charge so you should tip if you ask for delivery. I just pick up my pizza now because it's only 5 minutes down the street and I avoid paying a delivery and tip fee.

Well, as a current driver for Dominos, I feel the need to chime in here on the delivery charge. Personally, I hate it. I hate it because people assume that the delivery charge is a tip. This is not the case though and I'll explain more down below. I do agree with you though on the price of doing business. The owners I work for are very cheap. We charge a check charge because the bank charges Dominos for each check. That is just an example of how they pass on every little bit of charge they can on to the customers.

Agree wholeheartedly. I had a Domino's guy give me attitude over a tip.

I personally apologize for the guy who gave you an attitude. I try to treat everybody the same no matter what they tip me. The fact that he gave you an attitude over the tip shows that he doesn't understand what a tip is. A tip is a monetary show of appreciation for a service provided to you. Its not something to make up for wages nor is it something anybody is "entitled" to. Its the customers perogative.

FYI, I worked as a Pizza delivery guy for Pizza Hut right out of highschool and we did see those delivery charges. They were really needed as it helped pay for our gas. At the end of each night they'd total up our deliveries and pay us. But your such a know it all so maybe I'm wrong here.

Actually, you are not 100% correct about that. At least thats not the way it is with Dominos. They might want you to see it that way, but the fact is, drivers were recieving "mileage" before the delivery charge was created. Pizza places didn't create the delivery charge to give the drivers mileage. The two are not related. The $1.50 that Dominos charges goes to Dominos. Then at the end of the night, when I check out, Dominos pays me mileage. You could say part of that delivery charge went to pay mileage, but you'd have equal claim to saying that part of what you paid for your pizza also went to pay my mileage. And if the delivery charges went straight to the drivers, I'm not sure if they'd be able to charge tax on the delivery charge. See it is actually $1.62 not $1.50 that you are paying extra because of the $0.12 in tax on top.

As far as what mileage is, I personally recieve $1.00 for every delivery I take. Some of the newer drivers get $0.90. In the case of tonight, I took 25 deliveries. This means I was given $25 mileage to cover gas and wear and tear on my car. Fortunately for me, I drive a car with decent gas mileage, so I only spent about $18 dollars on gas giving me a net of $7. Other drivers aren't so lucky.

The thing is, that mileage doesn't really have anything to do with tips. If the fact that I use gas is the reason you choose to tip drivers, then you might as well stop tipping waiters and waitresses. Unless of course you tip them because of how much money they are paid an hour as opposed to the service they provide. And if you want to go down that avenue, there are only 4 drivers at my store who make the current minimum wage. The rest of them get paid less than minimum wage because they are tipped employees. The law doesn't require them to. See, employers pay less because of tips, not the other way around. Your choice to tip shouldn't have anything to do with how little the other person makes, but on the service they provide.

In summary, I would hope you don't choose to tip based on how much gas I may have used, but on the level of service I provided. And just because there is a delivery charge doesn't mean you are being charged a tip, after all, that would defeat the idea of what a tip is.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Moral of the story.... NEVER eat at Dominoes, Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Pizza Inn etc etc. The box they deliver the stuff in tastes better than the actual product!

 

[Reality]

I am and have always been a generous tipper. However, you have to keep one thing in mind .. tipping is optional. I always tip but if you don't want to tip, then don't tip. If you do not eat somewhere regularly and you don't tip, chances are they will never remember you as a non-tipper.

That being said, I do tip and almost always 20% .. What I have learned though is if you eat at the same places once or more per week, eventually the staff will learn who you are and will go out of their way to help you. At one place for example, they removed one of my favorite orders from their menu but because I have been going there once every week or two for years now, they will still custom make it for me. A few months ago, I told a couple of friends who said they were going by that place to eat they should try what I get. They were told they can no longer make it yet when I went by a few days later, I got it without any problems.

One thing to keep in mind about places like Applebees "Car Side" service is that the people who answer your call are responsible for your entire order process. They take the order, pass it along to the cooks and then make sure it is right when it has been made. When dining in, they can simply pass along your food and if it's wrong, it's not their fault and they can deal with it then.

I do agree though that there are a lot of situations where tipping is out of control. I like Sonic but I rarely eat there specifically because of the tip aspect. It's not that I don't like tipping because as I said, I am a very generous tipper. I just think that some things are not worth tipping for especially when the prices for what you ordered are comparable or higher to other food places that do not take tips.

-Reality

 

[Cochese]

I've never paid a tip to a pizza delivery guy if there was a delivery charge. I might tell them to keep the change, but that's it.

I hope you like the taste of saliva.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

I'm with ya Mr. Pink

LOL :laugh2:

I totally forgot about that film. I'm so Mr. Pink on this. I was really expecting to get a lot of heat for this post but it's nice to see that we are in agreement about tipping. LOL

I do tip the Pizza delivery guy if I'm ordering out because he doesn't receive any of the delivery charge. I have a soft spot for these guys. They are just trying to earn some money too so if their wages depend on that, I'll pay them. However, I do avoid ordering delivery in general.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

FYI, I worked as a Pizza delivery guy for Pizza Hut right out of highschool and we did see those delivery charges. They were really needed as it helped pay for our gas. At the end of each night they'd total up our deliveries and pay us. But your such a know it all so maybe I'm wrong here.

LOL, do you think Pizza Hut was doing you a favor by paying for your gas? Are you that naive? They are required to compensate you for your gas/mileage. You are not being paid when Pizza Hutt is allocating some of the proceeds to you from the delivery charge to pay for your gas; those are expenses separate from the wages that you incur. You should not be required to pay for your gas since the nature of your employment is dependent upon driving. This is the same reason outside sales professionals get reimbursed for their mileage separate from their income due to the nature of their jobs. This is not the same as someone driving to and from work of course. And in regards to my knowledge about the subject, I specifically asked if the drivers receive any of the delivery charge and whether I should tip the drivers. They told me the delivery charge is only used to insure the drivers and cover their gas. They advised that we should still tip. I asked that question because I was suspicious that the drivers were getting stiffed on the delivery charge and I happened to be right. Basically, I was trying to help poor schmuks like you out.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

This is why I hate waiting for Monday night games.

Too much time to let things roll around in the skull.

 

[mr.jameswoods]

One thing to keep in mind about places like Applebees "Car Side" service is that the people who answer your call are responsible for your entire order process. They take the order, pass it along to the cooks and then make sure it is right when it has been made. When dining in, they can simply pass along your food and if it's wrong, it's not their fault and they can deal with it then.
-Reality

Hey Reality, what's up my friend, good to hear from you a while especially in the off-topic forums which are fun!

I agree with the above. I think the curbside waiter/waitress should be tipped because he or she is bringing it to your car and responsible for the order. However, I don't think they should receive a standard 15% for simply bringing the food to your car. They are not waiting on you which is a lot less work. I think they should be tipped 5-10% but the fact that this person expected 15-20% was asking for too much in my opinion. And let's be honest, it's not that much work to ensure the order is right. All you have to do is look at it and the verbally verify it with the customer once.

 

[Kevinicus]

I hope you like the taste of saliva.

Well, they can't spit on the pizza after it's delivered, and since I probably only have pizza delivered maybe 3 times a year at most, I don't think I have to worry too much.

 

[Cochese]

Well, they can't spit on the pizza after it's delivered, and since I probably only have pizza delivered maybe 3 times a year at most, I don't think I have to worry too much.

What, do you think the pizza just magically finds its way to your house?

Be a cheapskate to the people who serve you food at your own risk.

 

[Achozen]

What, do you think the pizza just magically finds its way to your house?

Be a cheapskate to the people who serve you food at your own risk.

You don't have to tip until the pizza is at your door step so, it would kind of hard for them to spit on it while they are standing at your door step.

 

[Kendo]

I'm supposed to tip the girl on rollerskates a dollar because she skated 10 feet from the building to my car to hand me my brown paper sack. Sorry, but I refuse to tip for fast food let alone expensive fast food.

Just give the poor girl a dollar. Wha's it gonna do.....break the bank? If you can't afford to leave a tip you probably shouldn't go out to eat, or better yet just use the drive though option. If you don't want to tip the delivery guy for a pizza then just go pick it up. Even WR Roy Williams has turned the corner on this issue.

I agree with you guys that tipping should not be expected by these people, nor should they ever show frustration with the amount of a tip given. Tipping should be a gratuity given as a sign of a job well done, or less in the case of a job poorly done. One thing to remember is that most service industry employees make below minimum wage. Wait staff in Arizona make $2.13 an hour to take care of people when they eat or drink. In my opinion this does not make tipping "optional". These people are relying on your tips to pay bills and feed families.

People just need to realize that the service industry is called that for a reason. These people are providing a service to you. When someone brings a pizza to your house that is an extra service provided, as well as when the sonic girl skates your food to your car. Valet parking, bag service, taxi drivers, etc... the list goes on. Sometimes it feels draining to have to tip everywhere for every little thing, but my belief is that if you can't afford the tip you shouldn't be there in the first place.

 

[Achozen]

Just give the poor girl a dollar. Wha's it gonna do.....break the bank? If you can't afford to leave a tip you probably shouldn't go out to eat, or better yet just use the drive though option. If you don't want to tip the delivery guy for a pizza then just go pick it up. Even WR Roy Williams has turned the corner on this issue.

I agree with you guys that tipping should not be expected by these people, nor should they ever show frustration with the amount of a tip given. Tipping should be a gratuity given as a sign of a job well done, or less in the case of a job poorly done. One thing to remember is that most service industry employees make below minimum wage. Wait staff in Arizona make $2.13 an hour to take care of people when they eat or drink. In my opinion this does not make tipping "optional". These people are relying on your tips to pay bills and feed families.

People just need to realize that the service industry is called that for a reason. These people are providing a service to you. When someone brings a pizza to your house that is an extra service provided, as well as when the sonic girl skates your food to your car. Valet parking, bag service, taxi drivers, etc... the list goes on. Sometimes it feels draining to have to tip everywhere for every little thing, but my belief is that if you can't afford the tip you shouldn't be there in the first place.

at your av.

"Wooop Wooop"

 

[joseephuss]

I was with a group of 6 friends at dinner one evening. The menu in large print said that the place automatically added 18% gratuity on parties of 6 or more. I grabbed the check and looked only at the total, paid the check and added an extra $15 to the total, which should have made it about a 25% tip.

As we were walking out the door the manager came running and grabbed my arm. She asked why we were not pleased with our service and our waitress was standing next to her. I told her it was fine and she then asked why I tipped so little. At first I was confused, so I told her I thought the tip was more than sufficient. She said it wasn't. I was almost to the point of getting irritated. She then said that she did not think $15 was a good tip for the total. Bam, it clicked that they did not automatically include the gratuity as indicated on the menu. I smiled politely, grabbed a menu and pointed out what was written and then asked to see the receipt again. I told her that it is very confusing to have that written on the menu. She offered no apologies or explanation. I then pulled out some extra money to make the tip about 20%.

I was fine with tipping more and had no problem making sure that all got sorted out because we were pleased with the waitress. I did have a problem with the way the manager handled the situation. She was rather abrupt and accusatory. Once the exact issue of the menu and automatic gratuity was pointed out, she seemed put off. I wish there would have been a way to pay because of her, but that would have only hurt the waitress.

The above story has nothing to do with the thread. Just stumbling thoughts.