...a question that I have been pondering lately.
Jason and I went to Sonic tonight after his church league softball game. Our total came to $3. We actually had cash on hand, so we gave the carhop our $3. She kind of turned up her nose and when she walked away, Jason and I looked at each other and asked what we have been asking for the past 11 years...are we suppose to tip her? In the past, I have been known to tip the carhop. At times, I feel as if my left over change is insulting; yet, do I really ask for my 3 cents back? "Oh, just keep the change - all 3 cents of it". Or, do I actually give this person a $1 tip. For what? She only brought me my food! I feel that it is the carhop's job (why they were hired) to bring me my food (this is what they get paid for).
So, do you tip?
What things do you tip for?
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40 comments:
Great question. I hate the guilty feeling I get when we don't tip. At a nice sit-down restaurant, I always give a generous tip. In that situation, I believe the tip is as much a reflection of you as it is of the service. But at Sonic? No way do I tip unless my total comes to like $2.80 or something. Then I'll tell her to keep the change. But what's more insulting: giving a .20 cent tip or nothing at all?
Now a days, it really upsets me when I pay for stuff with my debit card ( i never have cash on hand ) and there's a line for tip on it. However, there's never a jar for cash tips out on the counter. Like at McAlisters, they take my order, give me my drink (just like at McDonalds), and there is a line for tip.
However, they don't do that at Sonic when you use your debit card. Interesting.
If you're going to get into tipping etiquette, remember you're supposed to tip a lot of people in the world, like maids at a hotel, bellhops, barbers (i don't have to worry about that one), and many others.
I don't feel bad not tipping at sonic because they make a regular wage. The wait staff at a restaurant only makes around $2.15/hr and relies on tips to make decent money. Yet on the other hand they did bring you your food and didn't have too, so a buck would not be out of order nor too little like say if it is $3.80 and you give a $5 just let'em keep the change.
I do hate it when I feel guilty at Sonic for not tipping, but as Jon says, they make minimum wage. Even though that's not much, it's not like they live off their tips.
But, I have found I'm not a person to say no, even when it makes me mad. Case in point..the Sonic people who have the guts to ask me if I want my change back or really just don't give it back tend to get a tip from me. I guess that makes me a pushover.
So, what, 5%? 10%? What's the going rate for tipping a Sonic car hop?
And what about the barber? I gave a $2 for years until somebody told me I was being cheap. I thought I was overly generous.
Lane - Couldn't agree with you more on the McAlister's thing. Who gets the tip anyways? The person taking your order, the one fixing your sandwich, the one that brings the food to your table?
Jon - We tip at restaurants. I know that their pay comes from their tips. I just don't think that a person bringing me my food should get a tip (a Sonic carhop). I can just as easily walk up to the window and pick up my own food.
Jamey - I have actually asked for my change back when they don't give it to me. Can you believe that?
Tracy - I guess that I will have to start tipping at Sonic. I just don't want to give too much or too little (I think that would be insulting - even though, I don't know which is worse).
Jason - I think that for your haircuts, you should at least give $5.
$5 dollars for a hair cut. The price for some hair cuts is absurd anyways.
Yes you could go up to the window and get your food but they don't have one therefore they have to bring it to you. As far as the change goes. They should always give it back unless told otherwise. How would you feel if you went to wal-mart and the cashier kept your change as payment for checking you out and sacking your groceries....Speaking of which what about at a grocery store that carries you sacks to your car for you...
this word verification is going to make someone spell a dirty word oneday.
$5 for a hair cut tip?!?! My haircut only costs $11.95! That's like a 40% tip! No way am I doing that.
Just because somebody walks my food to me that doesn't mean they deserve a tip. What next, tipping the communion guy on Sunday morning?
And Sunny, you just missed a big time chance to pad your comments. Go individual, baby.
$5.00 tip for a haircut? Are you serious? I know girls have more hair, and its more of a process...but $5.00? I actually probably can't say much, i haven't had an actual barber style haircut since 2002.
At some salons (for a women's haircut) $5 is even cheap for a tip. Sad, but true. I know all of the money of the actual haircut price doesn't go to the stylist, but when I have to pay that much for a haircut, it's hard to fork over even more money for a tip.
I heard on the John Tesh radio show that on top of your normal tipping you're supposed to give them a bonus on special occasions like Christmas, etc.
What do you think about tipping the mailman? (treats on special occasions, etc.)
I agree with Jamey - $5 tip at the salon is sometimes not enough!
I have never tipped the mailcarrier. I have heard that you are suppose to give them Christmas gifts, etc. I just don't know about all of that. I don't want to come across as a rude person, but I just don't know when I should and should not tip or give a bonus. So confusing...I guess that I should send in a letter to Dear Abby...I am afraid of what she will say. I will probably end up having to tip every person that does something to help me out.
Jon - At Publix, I do not tip! They have a huge sign that says not to. I use to work at K-Mart and we were told NOT to take a tip when given one.
Tipping the mailman is crazy. This conversation makes me mad. What are we tipping for? These people are getting tipped for just doing their jobs. Next time I give a devo talk, I'm going to bring a tip jar.
$5 tip for a haircut. Yet another reason I'm glad I ain't a woman.
I agree with Jason...tipping people for doing what they were hired to do is crazy...
..Jason, I don't think there's enough money in the world to tip you for some of the thoughts I've heard from your lessons.
Sunny, I wish you could hear the John Tesh radio show I heard about tipping...he listed all the people you should and should not tip, and the proper amount for each...it was pretty much anyone who did a service for you. (accountant, barber, mailman, dog walker, etc.), but now we're getting back to tipping people for doing their job.
John Tesh has a radio show?
I never thought about tipping a mailman either, until I moved here. Believe it or not, all the mailpeople here have to deliver the mail to the door at most houses. I don't have a post mailbox, but a wallmount mailbox next to my front door. The mailman has to get out of his car, walk to the mailbox, go back to his car, and do that to the rest of the homes in the neighborhood.
With him, I may consider a small gift at Christmas. For the guy that just drives, puts it in the box, and drives away...no way.
Jamey, you're too kind. But I appreciate it.
Lane, I can understand giving a tip or a Christmas card to the guy who's walking up to your door to deliver the mail. You have personal interaction with that dude nearly every day. But for the guy driving through the neighborhood...sorry, pal. No tip for you.
The standard tip for an optometrist is in the range of 50-75%.
I'm providing this information to you all as a public service; no self-interest, mind you.
What about tipping the preacher?
Scott--
I don't know about tipping preachers, but I would be for performance pay.
I think parents should tip the minister who baptizes their son or daughter. $238 per baptism, like a true Campbellite.
One time Kristen and I were eating at the Cooker in Green Hills, TN. We ordered a simple lunch, of soup and sandwiches. After about 30 minutes, and after about 4 trips from our waitress telling us she didn't know what was taking so long, the manager came over. She told us our meal was going to be free because the one and only cook decided to take a break (we were the only ones in the restaurant). The meal would have been about $15.00. We tipped the very nice waitress $15.00.
Ed - thanks for your insight. Jason always says that "a tip is just as much a reflection on you as it is the service".
I still don't know if I will tip the carhop at Sonic. I guess that it just depends on how much change I have laying around the car.
So, Jamey do I have to give you $5 everytime you cut my hair?
I am big on tipping the pizza guy (I delivered for a few months in high school).
If they start adding 20% at Sonic; I'd have to seriously re-evaulate whether or not to eat there! If they didn't make full wages, that would be one thing, but since they do; that sounds crazy!
So what have we learned here? Should we tip at Sonic or not?
If they make minimum wage - I say no tip. They are getting paid to do their job. They just chose a job that has them walk out to people's cars. If they want to work for tips, they need to go to a "real" sit-down restaurant. If they feel jipped, they need to go work the drive-thru at the nearest fast food establishment.
I think that I will call Sonic and ask if their employees make minimum wage tomorrow.
I think that I need to call in The Investigators from WAFF 48. Anyone have Georgi Bragg's number?
256 BIG NOSE
After being a waitress for several years, I tend to tip more than the average person, unless they are really bad....I mean, I understand the whole being busy with a million tables and needy customers, but there really is no excuse for laziness. As for the Sonic issue, I do not tip at fast food places. They really don't do anything but bring your food. If tipping is expected for people doing there job, where do we draw the line? Before you know it, we'll be tipping the garbage man and mailman!!
As for beauticians (barbers), I think it depends on how much hair you have and how time consuming your process takes (i.e. hair color). So I think that's probably the best advice, depending on how much "extra" time is put in to making you happy determines whe worthiness and amount of tip. As for Sonic, well I think too many of these teenagers expect something for nothing...just another clue that our culture is declining.
I can see not tipping the mailman but what about your newspaper delivery person?
You need to definetly tip the pizza delivery guy and especially the Steak-Out delivery person. They have to pay for their own gas and at 2.50/gal delivery ain't cheap.
My mom always said not to go out to eat or order for delivery if you didn't have enought money for food and tip...
Ed - I checked out the website. I think that the restaurants should just raise their hourly wage. It is sad that some of the waiters/waitresses go home at the end of the day making less than minimum wage. That's just not fair!
Rebecca - good comment on people expecting something for nothing.
Jon - agree with you on the pizza and steak-out. To let you know how cheap we are...we order the carry-out special from Dominos or Papa Johns and go to pick them up ourselves (even though Dominos has a place for a tip when you pick it up yourself). We also pick up our own Steak-Out orders (free drinks). You know, come to think of it, they also have a line to leave a tip! What gives?
wow. congratulations of acheiving an all time high of 38 comments. you are my idol. I have no clue if im supposed to tip.
I have nothing really to say, I just wanted to be your 40th comment.
When I worked at Sonic as a carhop I only made 2.00 an hour unlike the rest of the staff who made minium wage!!! We depended on the tips!!! Just 50 cents went a long way because you can take out as many as 50 orders per shift.
WOW!!!
I never imagined I would have so many comments!
Anonymous - After I read your comment, I thought, okay. I will tip the carhop at Sonic (if they make less than minimum wage).
But...
...I called and talked with a manager at Sonic here in town. I asked if the carhops make minimum wage or if they even make less than that. He told me that they do in fact make minimum wage and that most of his employees make MORE than minimum wage.
So case settled! I will no longer feel guilty about not tipping the carhop at Sonic. They make what everyone else makes. At Publix, the guys that carry out your bags make minimum wage and are not allowed to receive tips!
Sunny; I think you've set a record on the comments!
Glad you got to the bottom of it all!
I can't believe you actually called Sonic! That pretty much puts an end to the conversation. Now you're going to be hard pressed to come up with a blog that'll generate the same level of comments.
#44!!!
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