Tipping for counter service at fast food restaurants, ice cream shops, etc?

[blackomen]

When I was little (pre 21st century), the only restaurants where you were expected to tip were full service dine in ones.  Nowadays, at a lot of fast food places, I'm asked for a tip when I'm paying at the register.. and to add to the insult, you have buttons to select for 15%, 20%, 25%, etc. in addition to "no tip" and "other amount".  I would never tip anything near 15% for counter service if at all, much less 20% or 25%!  Am I breaking some conventions or customs if I select "no tip" every time for these places, considering that you're asked to tip even before receiving service?

The only time I'll tip for counter service is if the food is really good and I'm a regular at the place.  But if I'm just passing by, esp if I'm from out of town, I almost always select "no tip".

[Free Spirit]

Hello! Tipped employee here (bartender). In the rare instances that I find myself in these situations, I don’t leave a tip and I don’t feel guilty. If the person goes above and beyond expectations then, yes, I will throw down some extra dollars but that’s few and far between. I do keep cash on me at all times as it’s a requirement for my job so I don’t typically face the pressure of the insta tip with card transactions but I do find that annoying and would hit no tip.

[lefty]

I put a tip jar in my work cube. So far people who stop by feel compelled to drop change or a dollar in it. Lol! 2 can play the game.

I did drop the first dollar in the jar as bait if you must know.

Shameless!!

[remizidae]

I don’t feel obliged to tip for counter service either. I might if I were going to the coffee shop/ice cream place or whatever more than once a week, or if they bend over backwards for me, but not routinely as with fine dining.

[golfreak12]

I know what you are talking about and I feel the same way.
They flip the machine over to you with the 10% 15% 20%, etc...option and I put "no tip" almost every time.
I also feel burden when I order take-out at a full service restaurant and feeling a little bit a pressure to leave a tip.
Whenever people come up with the tipping issue, my view have always been "we live in America. We live in a service industry so I have no problem tipping accordingly" but tipping is getting a bit out of hand for some of these places.

[Abe]

We frequent a few restaurants where the servers there know our regular orders and are nice to our toddler. I tip them. Otherwise don’t tip unless they’re bringing me food or cleaning up after me.

[MustachioedPistachio]

I own a couple of fast food franchises, and we recently were given the green light for the credit card tipping. We've always had the tip jar.

Funnily enough, many customers are glad we got it. They always wanted to tip, but never had the cash. On the other hand, the staff is trained that tips are obviously not mandatory nor expected, and the default instructions for credit card payers is "Oh, just hit the bottom button" (None, no tip).

Our compensation structure remains the same, regardless of tips. Tips, to me, are evidence of exceeding expectations, service-wise. So, every week, I double the tips earned for the top three employees on a tips-per-hour basis. Talk about incentive...it's really upped our service game!

Personally, I don't go out to eat. Especially not fast food. But if I received incredible service at a customarily non-tipped place, I would tip. You shouldn't feel guilty about not tipping either. From my experience, it's not expected - just a pleasant surprise.

[HBFIRE]

There was a good thread on boggleheads about this.  https://www.bogleheads.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=283977

Tipping has gotten really out of hand in the US over the past couple decades, it has slowly creeped up to 20% as the new 15%, and now carrout, self serve, etc are expecting tips.  Other countries think we're insane.  The worst part is that now the social pressure is right in front of you as you process your cc on a screen with a default tip amount while the person is standing right in front of you. I've decided to completely ignore the social pressures and simply tip based on what service value I think I received.  After all, if we all acted on social pressures we would all be consumer addicts and going into debt.

[MonkeyJenga]

I've moved closer to lhamo's thinking. I purchase food out very rarely, so it only means a few dollars a month for me, if even that much. If I can afford to pay $6 for an ice cream sandwich, I can afford to tip the person who patiently let me try every single flavor first.

[use2betrix]

I don’t typically feel obligated to tip at most places that aren’t “traditional” tip type atmospheres. If we go to get ice cream at like cold stone or similar, I’ll typically tip a dollar or two.

I don’t think anyone should feel pressured to tip in those situations if they don’t want to. I do have an issue with people that don’t tip servers at restaurants for fair service, as well as bartenders.

Last night my wife and I went out to sushi, a place we frequent and really enjoy (I’ve left them a 5 star review on Yelp). The server forgot our egg drop soup appetizer, and never brought it. After our first two sushi rolls came, we didn’t bother asking for it. We also ordered 4 rolls, and he only brought 3. We figured it was coming later, as they often do, so we waited a bit to ask. Then by the time we brought it up, since he forgot, it took another 10-15 mins. Because of these blatant mistakes, he got the first 10% tip I’ve given in a long time. English wasn’t his strong area, so I cut him a little slack. Although I believe if you’re in a service position as such, you should understand English well enough that it shouldn’t impede performing your work.

[bacchi]

I usually click "Other" and type $1 if I don't have cash. I can afford it and the employees don't make much.

[FIREstache]

I've normally just tapped the 20% button.  If I'm paying in cash just for myself, such as for some ice cream, I will leave the change or a bill.  I don't eat out enough for it to make a dent on my personal finances.

Of course, minimum wage was just hiked to $15/hr where I live, so I'm going to have to rethink that as the prices start jumping.

[KBecks]

Now that I am old and rich, I tip more than when I was younger and more frugal.  It's all optional.

[okits]

Minimum wage here is $14/hr, $12.20/hr for jobs with tips.  Two years ago it was raised by over 20% and prices went up noticeably when it did (it has risen 47% in the last decade).  I don’t mind the higher prices but I don’t tip extra anymore just because the workers are poorly paid.  I tip for delivery and table service, not fast food or take out.  I also kind of resent the default prompt to add 15-20% for basic counter service.  If the employee seems put out that I didn’t tip on take out I’m likely to pick a business with more gracious staff next time.

[Bloop Bloop]

Some restaurants in Australia (which has one of the world's highest minimum wages at $19/hour, and no tipping culture) now ask whether you want to tip - or they include it as an option on the credit card screen. To their credit, most employees I've seen automatically tick "0 tip" for you when they bring out the bill, because they know it's ludicrous. But occasionally I get asked about tip, and my answer is always zero, since we're not in America.

[jpdx]

What bothers me about this custom is the inconsistency across occupations. Why do we tip for some services and not for others? Why do we tip someone to pour a beer but not to ring up our groceries?

[jpdx]

In places that pay a living wage to service industry workers -- for example, in Portland min wage will be $15/hr in a couple years -- should we tip a lower amount?

[Monocle Money Mouth]

I only tip in restaurants where someone takes my order at my table and cleans up after me. If it’s a fast casual place where I have to stand in line to place my order and take care of cleaning up my mess, I don’t tip, even if they bring the food out to the table for you. That’s usually all they do. They aren’t getting me refills or cleaning up my mess so it seems like a waste of money to tip.

[Schaefer Light]

I only tip in restaurants where someone takes my order at my table and cleans up after me.

Same here.  I'm not going to tip someone before I receive service, which is what's happening when they take your order and immediately ask you to pay and put that screen in front of you.

[fuzzy math]

I only tip in restaurants where someone takes my order at my table and cleans up after me. If it’s a fast casual place where I have to stand in line to place my order and take care of cleaning up my mess, I don’t tip, even if they bring the food out to the table for you. That’s usually all they do. They aren’t getting me refills or cleaning up my mess so it seems like a waste of money to tip.

My only concern is whether someone in a counter service type place is making less than minimum wage because they've been put down as a tip worker... I can't figure out a way to discern that either, its not exactly polite counter talk.

[dcheesi]

In places that pay a living wage to service industry workers -- for example, in Portland min wage will be $15/hr in a couple years -- should we tip a lower amount?

First, check whether tipped employees get the full minimum wage. In most jurisdictions, waitstaff can be paid a much lower amount by the employer (typically just enough to cover payroll taxes on the conventional minimum wage), with the assumption that they'll make up the rest in tips. Theoretically, the employer is responsible for covering any shortfall in their tips so that they are always earning at least minimum wage, but in practice that may not always happen.

[Free Spirit]

In places that pay a living wage to service industry workers -- for example, in Portland min wage will be $15/hr in a couple years -- should we tip a lower amount?

First, check whether tipped employees get the full minimum wage. In most jurisdictions, waitstaff can be paid a much lower amount by the employer (typically just enough to cover payroll taxes on the conventional minimum wage), with the assumption that they'll make up the rest in tips. Theoretically, the employer is responsible for covering any shortfall in their tips so that they are always earning at least minimum wage, but in practice that may not always happen.

Indeed. https://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm

[SwitchActiveDWG]

I only tip in restaurants where someone takes my order at my table and cleans up after me. If it’s a fast casual place where I have to stand in line to place my order and take care of cleaning up my mess, I don’t tip, even if they bring the food out to the table for you. That’s usually all they do. They aren’t getting me refills or cleaning up my mess so it seems like a waste of money to tip.

My only concern is whether someone in a counter service type place is making less than minimum wage because they've been put down as a tip worker... I can't figure out a way to discern that either, its not exactly polite counter talk.

Excuse me, do you mind sharing your hourly rate and tip out percentage (with average daily sales numbers if applicable) so that I may calculate an appropriate amount to tip you? - Probably a bit too much for counter talk.

An annoyance for me is when you get prompted by a tablet for 10%, 15%, 20%, or "Other Amount" and if you want to enter 0 you have to go to other amount and actually type a 0.

[jpdx]

In places that pay a living wage to service industry workers -- for example, in Portland min wage will be $15/hr in a couple years -- should we tip a lower amount?

First, check whether tipped employees get the full minimum wage. In most jurisdictions, waitstaff can be paid a much lower amount by the employer (typically just enough to cover payroll taxes on the conventional minimum wage), with the assumption that they'll make up the rest in tips. Theoretically, the employer is responsible for covering any shortfall in their tips so that they are always earning at least minimum wage, but in practice that may not always happen.

Sorry I wasn't clear. There is no "tip credit" in Oregon. Workers must be payed at least the full minimum wage as their base pay.

As an aside, if you visit Portland you'll notice many popular restaurants do not offer table service. This is because the lack of tip credit pushes restaurants to streamline their staff.

[bluebelle]

the last few times I've been out to southern CA for business trips, a couple of restaurants are doing the ludicrous thing of "to keep prices low, we've added 3% to your bill'.....like WTF, how is that keeping prices low?  For people who can't read?

[Just Joe]

Prices at some of the local restaurants here have gone up over the past few years. COL hasn't changed that much. Makes me second guess a 15% tip.

15% on $30 worth of food is very different than 15% on $65 worth of food. Same amount of service.

Still paying that 15%-20% b/c we can afford to but we also eat out alot less too.

[HBFIRE]

the last few times I've been out to southern CA for business trips, a couple of restaurants are doing the ludicrous thing of "to keep prices low, we've added 3% to your bill'.....like WTF, how is that keeping prices low?  For people who can't read?

Wow thats insane, do you remember which restaurant/s it was?  Never seen that here, but that's egregiously deceptive and would piss me off.  I'd leave all kinds of negative reviews in a case like that.

[bacchi]

15% on $30 worth of food is very different than 15% on $65 worth of food. Same amount of service.

Good point. There is a big difference in tip when alcohol is ordered, even though it takes just as much effort to bring me a beer as it does a Coke.

Really, tipping is stupid. It should be built into the price.

[G-String]

Keep in mind that if you tap the 15% or 20% button on the cc machine, you are also tipping on the tax.  You should only tip based on the pre-tax amount.

[the_fixer]

I do not tip at a counter or fast food service it is out of control. A local pizza place as an example.

I walk up to the counter, place my order, when my pizza is ready they call out your name to pick it up at the counter, when I finish there is a trash station where you put you dirty platter.

Yet when I pay they hand me the tablet with a 15% 20% 25% or no tip option. Ummm no thanks..

They had a sign in the window just last week advertising for employees starting at $14 per hour.

Most fast food places around here are $14 plus an hour.

Sit-down restaurant where they take my order or delivery I tip.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[A Fella from Stella]

For me to do this, I either don't want to carry change, so pass it off, or they did something extra for me.

EXAMPLE: a mechanic was fixing my old car and got it going real fast. The work was $300, and I asked the owner if I could tip on my card. I gave the guy $50. It was a Saturday, and I needed my car Monday. However, if I'm at a Dunkin Donuts and you put coffee in a cup, it's just a thank you.

[ericrugiero]

I don't have a problem with the option for small tips for people at fast food places etc.  The options with 15-25% are just absurd.  If I'm ordering food for takeout there is no way I'm giving the same tip as if I ate there and had good service. 

[Spitfire]

I will usually tip a buck if I'm just getting one or two things and if it's on the credit card receipt. Nothing if there is a cash jar but no place to put it on a credit card. There is a big difference to me between counter service for a pick up and dine-in wait service.

[FireLane]

I've been to coffee shops that do this. I usually tip 15 or 20%. It never occurred to me to get upset about it.

It's rarely more than a few extra dollars. I'm rich, I can afford it, and most service-industry workers are criminally underpaid for the amount of mistreatment they have to put up with as part of their jobs.

Besides, the obvious Mustachian solution is to not go out to eat at these places at all. :)

[AlotToLearn]

I went to Subway the other day and saw the tip option offered. I guess if they never ask they never get, but I am not tipping fast food associates.

[BDWW]

Tipping has gotten really out of hand in the US over the past couple decades, it has slowly creeped up to 20% as the new 15%, and now carrout, self serve, etc are expecting tips. 

This is what gets me, I swear the standard used to be 10% 15 years ago, then I woke up one day and 15% was expected.

[BTDretire]

15% on $30 worth of food is very different than 15% on $65 worth of food. Same amount of service.

Good point. There is a big difference in tip when alcohol is ordered, even though it takes just as much effort to bring me a beer as it does a Coke.

Really, tipping is stupid. It should be built into the price.

 I agree the price of the food should cover the employees wages.
Tips are so unfair, what if you get the slow shift, what if you aren't pretty, wrong but no doubt you get less tips. Then, what if you give great service, but don't have the outgoing bubbly personality, you will get a tipped but the bubbly one gets a bigger tip. Speaking of bubbly, if you happen to have large breasts or are shapely, you may get better tips than the waitress giving better service. None of that is fair, but it is true.

[pachnik]

I don't tip at fast food places.  If you mean chains like McDonalds, I don't think they even have a tip jar.  There is usually some kind of charitable collection thing though that you can put change into. 

There is a bakery that does light lunches that I go to occasionally.  I often buy my bread there because it is the healthiest stuff I've found.  Once in a while, I get a latte or a scone and eat it there.  Then I usually put some change in the tip jar. 

On Saturday mornings, I go out for coffee and a muffin at popular local chain and I put a tip into the jar.  It is counter service so I just put in about 10%. 

[Milizard]

15% on $30 worth of food is very different than 15% on $65 worth of food. Same amount of service.

Good point. There is a big difference in tip when alcohol is ordered, even though it takes just as much effort to bring me a beer as it does a Coke.

Really, tipping is stupid. It should be built into the price.

Actually, these is a little more to pouring a beer than a Coke. Emphasis on little.
Another interesting note: I noticed at Red Lobster (a few years ago now), that some of the draft beers are cheaper than the soft drinks.

[Ann]

15% on $30 worth of food is very different than 15% on $65 worth of food. Same amount of service.

Good point. There is a big difference in tip when alcohol is ordered, even though it takes just as much effort to bring me a beer as it does a Coke.

Really, tipping is stupid. It should be built into the price.

I do wish wait staff would be paid a living wage!

I do think that serving people who have had a few beers can be different than serving people who have had a few sodas.  I’m not talking about *you* in particular, but I just in general.

[Wrenchturner]

Sometimes I will, I know I'm overpaying for the food already anyway.  At Indian places I usually always tip, they seem to have a strong tipping culture and they get pretty offended if I don't.

The reality is most restaurants are only interested in selling food so they can sell more drinks and get tips.  I don't drink much so I rarely go to restaurants because of this.  Pretty annoying when servers ignore you because you aren't buying liquor.