Did I Tip Too Much?
Posted on | October 27, 2010 | 28 Comments
I am a pretty decent tipper at restaurants. When I do go out (admittedly not often) I tip 20% so long as the service is decent. If the service is subpar—really subpart—I might go 10-15%. But the other night I walked away from a transaction with a slightly sour taste in my mouth, and I’d like some opinions on the matter.
While my family was in town Paul and I wanted to take them out to a really nice restaurant. After two days of putzing around the city we were exhausted, and so when dinnertime came we decided to get takeout from the restaurant where we were originally going to eat. I put the order in over the phone, and it came to a total of around (brace yourself) $130.00.
About 25 minutes after ordering I was on the road to pick up the food, my mind racing back and forth about what to do with tipping. Still undecided, I pulled into the takeout area in the parking lot and put my vehicle in park. About ten minutes later a hostess came out and I gave her my credit card, smiling. After she ran it through her machine inside and came out with the receipt, I sheepishly asked her, “So do people normally tip you 20% like they had actually eaten in the restaurant?”
She replied, “Yes, they do. But you can tip whatever you would like.” Well, at that point I felt the pressure and with a quick signature I tacked on 20% to the bill. She put the food into the back of my car for me, and I drove away.
So what do you think? Technically the hostess provided the following services (someone else took the actual order when I called it in):
- Took my credit card from me and paid inside so that I wouldn’t have to get out of my car
- Brought my food to my car and put it in the back seat
- I’m sure she coordinated with the kitchen
Does that warrant a $26 tip? Perhaps she split the tip with the guys in the kitchen who, admittedly, deserve it much more for actually cooking the meal. Did anyone here work in the restaurant industry, and if so, how would you have handled this situation?
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October 27th, 2010 @ 2:37 pm
I really wish people would comment on this one. I think 5-10% would have been more than enough for what she did. I don’t think the service she provided was in the same ballpark as when you dine in. That’s just me.
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 27th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Hello Sandra!
Thank you for your comment and opinion!
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October 27th, 2010 @ 2:58 pm
Personally, I’d have given a lower tip. While she did make two trips between the car and the restaurant, how many trips does a server make to your table during a dine-in? I’d say a few more at least.
10-15% max depending on how awesome she was.
When you go through the McDonalds drive through, and they ask you to pull forward and wait while they bring the food out to you (my wife orders cookies that always have to be cooked so we have to wait) you don’t tip them for the walk, right?
Jesse recently posted..Family Dynamics and a Crumpled Car What Would You Do
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 27th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Hello Jesse!
Good point–although McDonald’s is a minimum wage job where the cashier does not expect to make much money (though I guess the managers are salaried). Still, not much effort on her part.
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October 27th, 2010 @ 3:10 pm
In my opinion you tipped way, way too much. When I pick up at a restaurant, I don’t tip at all. (Dang, did I just out myself as a total cheapskate?) I do tip regular way, i.e. 15-20%, when the same food gets delivered to my house. I think there should be a huge difference between pick up and delivery. If you tip 20% for pick-up how much would you tip for delivery?
ctreit recently posted..Our family budget has to accommodate this chocolate snob
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 27th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Good question–same amount I guess? I hadn’t thought about that. Thanks for your comments.
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October 27th, 2010 @ 3:29 pm
When I pick up food I don’t tip at all. Considering they brought the food to your car I would have give a few bucks, $5 if I was very impressed. I see you waited 10 minutes to be served after you arrive, which I’m not impressed with. Was your food cold? I think the hostess took advantage of your indecision to socially pressure you into giving her a tip that was 4X what was warranted.
I tip less than you do though. I would give 15% for good service, and 20% for very good. For lower end restaurants I tip more because they make so little. I will give under 10% if it’s terrible, and probably complain to the manager. Then I will likely never return. I’m not sure where you live but here in Dallas there are so many great restaurants with very good service I don’t have to tolerate subpar.
Jennifer Barry recently posted..6 Reasons Not to Work So Hard
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Amanda L. Grossman Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Hello Jennifer!
I dug your comment out of spam–sorry about that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
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October 27th, 2010 @ 4:19 pm
I don’t tip for pickup unless it’s a large order – even then it’s 10-15%. Don’t worry about it too much though – think of it as a donation to someone who’s job I would never want.
We tipped 25% at Chili’s yesterday out of laziness…we had a $25 gift card and the bill was $19.60. We just signed off on the gift card and left. The service was good but not 25% amazing, but I’m looking at it as a donation, lol.
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 27th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Hehehehe-thanks for sharing.
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October 27th, 2010 @ 10:14 pm
It seems a little excessive. I probably wouldn’t tip at all but I am a horrible tipper anyway. I wouldn’t worry about it, though. As Crystal said – it was a donation.
Aloysa recently posted..Food For Thought
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Hello Aloysa!
Thanks for the comment.
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October 28th, 2010 @ 8:44 am
For takeout, it seems like it is the cooks who deserve the tip. I doubt there is a real expectation to get anywhere near 20% on take out orders. Used to wash dishes at a diner in college and don’t recall there being any trickle down tips.
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Wow washing dishes–you have certainly come a long way:). Thank you for your comment!
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October 28th, 2010 @ 9:10 am
Wow from reading people’s responses, I am feeling like a terrible tipper! I normally do 20% as well – when I sit down to eat. But when I walk up to order or get take out, I never tip… I had no idea this was even expected!
I guess if you were supposed to tip, I would maybe do 5%, but that’s all.
Totally understand how annoyed you must feel now, but sometimes I just have to take stuff like that as lesson learn, move on… as hard as that is when it comes to $26!
Thankfully Thrifty recently posted..High Value Glade 3Wick Candle Coupon
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Hello Ashleigh!
Thanks for your thoughts.
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October 28th, 2010 @ 9:28 am
I never order carry-out from nicer restaurants so I’m not aware of the protocol, but it seems as if you were a little too generous!
My one concern that I would like to point out is that you gave your credit card to her to walk away with, out of your sight. That is a big no-no, even if you are actually eating inside the restaurant. You should never let your credit card out of your sight, lest anyone copy your numbers or swipe it in their own personal criminal swiper. Just some food for thougt!
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Amanda L Grossman Reply:
October 28th, 2010 at 11:48 am
Godo point…but how would people pay at most restaurants then?
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Carrie Reply:
October 29th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Well, we always pay cash, but our bill is never more than $40! The fanciest restaurant in our small town is Applebee’s if that tells you anything
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Amanda L. Grossman Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 9:59 am
That would definitely work with cash. I guess I always use credit cards (we pay them off each month–we use them for the reward points).
Thanks for following up:).
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October 28th, 2010 @ 12:26 pm
Wow! We don’t pick-up food orders too often, but on occasion we do from Buca di Beppo and I have never tipped on a pick-up order before. Then again, we actually walk into the restaurant and carry the food out ourselves. Maybe if it was “curbside service” I might tip 10% for that small service, but definitely doesn’t come close to taking drink orders, food orders, refilling drinks, etc that you get at a restaurant.
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October 30th, 2010 @ 1:20 am
Intersting question. I enjoy these types of dilemmas:)
Personally, for dine-in, I tip 15%-20%. For takeout, I don’t tip.
In this case, it seems like you received service that was not typical take out service. She came out of the restaurant to bring you the food, which is something extra. That said, it’s still not the same as dining in. I would have left $5 to $10, depending on what the scene was at the time, and how I felt. That’s a range, to be sure, but it’s a split-second decision to be made in a unique situation.
Anyway, bottom line is that I would have tipped her – just much less than the standard tip.
Squirrelers recently posted..TIPS As a Hedge Against Inflation
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October 30th, 2010 @ 1:24 am
If I can add to my prior comment, I commend you for erring on the side of generosity. When in doubt, better to give than hold back. Again, I say that while of course reiterating that a much lower tip would have been totally fair and appropriate.
Squirrelers recently posted..TIPS As a Hedge Against Inflation
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Amanda L. Grossman Reply:
October 30th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Hello Squirrelers!
Thank you for your thoughts and commendation:). I don’t like to hurt anyone’s feelings!
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November 1st, 2010 @ 11:25 am
20%? Hell no!
I tip that when I sit there and they have to refill my water glass and take away the plates to clean in the back.
I don’t tip anything when I take out, but if they went out of their way to make the order, I’d tip 5% – 10%
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November 10th, 2010 @ 7:06 pm
I would have given her 0%! I never tip for takeout. Actually, I hate the idea of tipping anyway, and I only do it because everyone else has foolishly made it the standard!
Khaleef @ KNS Financial recently posted..Veterans Eat Free at Applebees and Chili’s!
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November 15th, 2010 @ 6:13 am
[...] have much of a problem with this as little as my kids generally eat. We do follow proper tipping etiquette however and take car of our [...]
February 14th, 2012 @ 7:02 am
I would personally gone with 10%. My stingy MIL would have given a couple bucks. So yes, you were very generous.
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