A new trend is emerging in the food & service marketplace...charging a gratuity for takeout. I have been hit by this at two spots in houston, pappy's on I-10 near memorial and Rosie's Carraba's on voss. frankly, i dont care if they want to charge me a buck for the containers although i know that all of their prices are set to cover these expenses, but 10% automatic gratuity is rediculous. Gratuity is an award for good service, not for putting good in a container. i vehemently object to this practice.
Chuy's does something like this as well. I don't know if its 10%, but there is a take out fee. I understand why but I still don't like it.
I agree! I'd fight the charge with the manager, and if they continue to charge it, I'd stop going there.
Do they make this surcharge known at the time you call-in your order? If not, then refuse to pay it. And go elsewhere.
Most restaurants have a "To-Go" person who is working to make these orders happen. They get paid jack, they take the phone order, bag the food, take it out to you. Since most patrons fail to see this and don't tip on to go orders I am fine with them adding this. "To-Go" person has bills to pay too. If the money doesn't go to that person, then I'm against it.
working to-go's at a restaurant is a major pain in the ***. they are bnusting ***, so i always tip them, but usually not 15%.
although not a TRUE sit down restaurant, this is one area i have much respect for Pei Wei... they dont have a petty tip jar sitting out nor do they even have a tip line on credit cards for the to go orders. give them much respect and business for this... not to mention how cheap/good their food is.
the to go order person is either a bartender or hostess, they get tips regardless, the kitchen staff packs and bags the food...im not cheap, i always tip 20% unless the service is terrible, this practice of tipping on to go orders when they are rare to begin with is rediculous, i always used to tip about 2 bucks on to go orders anyway...that practice is ending.
The reward for handing a customer a bag of food is called a "paycheck". This is about shifting the responsibility to adequately pay employees to the customers.
I usually tip a dollar and whatever portion of change there is beyond that- IOW $28.37 becomes $30.00. If it's a lot of food I'll throw a 5 or 10 spot their way, especially if it's for like 20 people and there's a bunch of pans and they help me take it to my car. You should tip them b/c like an earlier poster said they aren't getting paid jack crap and this helps and they are performing a service. Howerver, pre done tips at 10% are crazy. they shouldn't get 5 bucks for putting 4 plastic containers in a bag. Not to my way of thinking anyway.
Net- I'm not saying that your approach is wrong, just not the way I generally play it. I'll put it to you this way- those guys and girls don't all get tipped a lot, a lot of times it's the hostess who has to mess with that crap, and as a general rule they are appreciatve. If I can use 1 or 2 bucks to make someone else's day brighter I always try to do so. 1 or 2 bucks generally doesn't mean a whole lot to me, but it generally does to them. That's certainly the way I felt having been on the other side and working for tips mysefl. You aren't wrong, and I would hate being required to do it- but I do it myself all the time
so I use my gas to drive to the store, the kitchen staff does everything except putting the boxes in a bag and I get to pay a tip for this service?? I tip well, but I tip when I get a service, not when I put out most of the effort. ********. You want to charge me $1 per to go box, fine, I follow the process and accept it. But I sure as hell am not paying a tip on a pick up order unless I need help getting it into my car. You can be damn sure the manager would hear from me about that practice of forcing a tip. If they insist on it being charged, I would leave the food there and go get something else and send their corporate office a letter wondering why their menu doesnt reflect a 10% suracharge for To Go orders..... enough people leave the food and that will cost the restaurant a lot more than the 10% they are auto charging.
Guadalajara on I-10 in Houston charges a 10% "service charge" for take-out, and then they give you a credit card slip with an additional line for a tip. I'm usually OK with paying a 10% gratuity for to go orders, but I don't add a second tip.
A required gratuity is not really "gratuity", it is a service charge. As long as it is labled (and advertised) as such, then I have no problem with it. The concept of a minimum tip flies in the face of what a tip is meant to accomplish. It is merit based payment. If you give good service, you get good tips. If your service sucks, your tips suck. If you draw a straight wage (as do managers, hosts, cooks, bussers, baristas, etc) then you should have zero expectation of tips, and be thankful when you get them regardless of quantity. If you work for what amounts to commision (as do waiters and bartenders) then that is different.
Barton- Agree completely. THat's why if I'm ordering for a bunch I tip like 10 bucks, maybe even 20- just depends on how big a haslse factor it is. But taking the call, ringing it up, ordering from the kitchen and then preparing it to go, with all your silverware, is probably 1/2 the amount of work a regular waiter does. Seems like this should deserve a tip. I used to try to grab the phone on occasion when i delivered to help out and it is kinda a pain in the *** to deal with.
Net- you did not respond to my point which is, do it b/c you want to make somebody happy, not b/c you have to. People work in jobs like that with the hope/expectation of a tip. The guy at the gap does not. Also- having talked to waiters you know what day everyone wants to bug out on? Sunday, specifically after church, b/c the good and holy christians hear all about the love of god, get dressed up and then stiff their waiter/fellow man. Happens time and time again. Look at this as your opportunity to minister to someone else and put a smile on their face. Share the love of jesus. I'm not disagreeing with you as a matter of philosophy, just giving you somethign to think about if you are going to rock that signature.
