How much do you tip for carry-out/take-out?

20% I cant believe everyone who is saying they give zero. They still have to do everything just as if you were sitting down at a table they just dont have to spend as much time with you.

I disagree for the following reasons.

It allows the restaurant owner to enjoy larger profits as they don't have to foot the bill properly for having real employees as far as payroll management is concerned. They won't put cash into food or capital improvements unless it benefits their profit margin anyway and if it did, they would do it even if they had to pay the wating staff like proper employees.

For patrons the difference between the theory you espouse and the actual practice in countries with a strong tiping culture are markedly different. For a start, a waiter has no idea if you will tip or not and so has no way to know if they should go above and beyond or just grind out a basic level of service. Additionally, in practice a strong tipping culture makes it socially unacceptable to not leave a tip ensuring all but the most woeful performance will be equally compensated. Tips are awarded less on the merit of the server and more on the socially acceptable %age of total bill. At to that the fact that it is socially akward if a goup disagrees on the level of tip to leave.

For waiters depending on the laws of the country it screws them out of some or all of the benefits employees are normally entitled to, makes their income uncertain which has the knock on effect of it being difficult to buget or secure credit and as described above gives them no more incentive to go the extra mile in practice than if they had a secure wage.

I think that about covers my interpretation of tipping culture

- You are assuming that restaurateurs have sufficient cash flow to reinvest or that they are taking out a significant amount from the business. Most restaurants are either unprofitable or running on razor thin margins. In many instances, with higher wages, they would actually have no money left to maintain the business without raising prices.

- I have lived in countries where tips were not given and the service, in comparison to the US, has always been mediocre. This is often because the servers stick around because these are "livable" wages but they have no incentive to do anything beyond "not getting fired."

- In the US, there are few (if any benefits) that are foregone because of the tip-based structure of their income. Furthermore, most variable compensation and incentive based jobs face the same problem... yet I don't think it makes sense to remove sales commissions or performance bonuses because "budgeting is hard"

I don't think I consider placing things into a bag the same thing as waiting on me at a table.

I don't tip the kid bagging my groceries 20% either.

Or, for that matter, the cashier at Taco Bell.

I don't like tipping period.

These people are paid to do this job, I don't get tips in my job!

You do understand that wages for those jobs are different than your job, correct? Often, servers get paid next to nothing in actual hourly wages and depend almost solely on tips.

Tip 10%.

Anyone who says "Those people" aren't tip dependent is wrong. It may vary state to state...but I remember reading that anyone who receives atleast $30 in tips per month can be considered a tipped employee, and thus qualify to be paid the tipped employee wage. ($2.13/hr where I live)

Not to mention, many restaurants will just assume you are making a certain percentage in tips based on your sales and adjust your wage accordingly. So, in some instances, your waiter/waitress/to go person may be paying taxes on wages they aren't even receiving because it is ASSUMED that they have made a tip.

As far as tipping in general... if you can go out and spend $40 or more on a meal for two, then you can fork over an extra $8 for a tip. Do not give me this bull**** that they "get paid for doing their job". No they don't. They get (in general) less than $3 an hour from their employer. They, and the federal government, are assuming you will be leaving a tip. Don't give me the bull**** that their employer has to and will make up their hourly wage for tips not received. I have never, ever received any kind of this compensation and if I had the balls to ask for it, I would be laughed at and let go from my job. It might be a law, but its not practiced believe that. Don't give me this bull**** that you don't agree with the way the current system is handled. By stiffing your server you aren't making any kind of rebellious statement... You are only making a hardship for that person who is working very hard for their money. You are only taking food out of the mouth of that single mother's child. You are only making it harder for that person to afford rent. You are only making it more difficult for that student to afford their books that semester.

^This times a million! :drinker:

Mathematically speaking, that would mean a $10 take out order with a 10% tip times 1,000,000...carry the 2...the tip would be $1,000,000.