A previous post asking how much is a good tip for pizza delivery prompted me to ask this question.

First, I am a very generous tipper - 18 to 20 percent for good service, 15 percent even if the service is poor, and sometimes more than 20 percent if the service is excellent.

However, more and more lately I have gone to casual restaurants where I go to a counter to place my own order, pick it up there when my food is ready, and afterwards, take my trash from the table to dispose of it. No waitstaff is ever involved.

My question is, when I place me order and pay (in advance) there is a place on the credit card device that asks if I would like to leave a tip, and usually has the same amounts I mentioned above offered as a suggestion. So, how much should I tip, if anything, when I do all the work that the waitstaff normally would do?

I generally, leave nothing in those cases. Am I right or wrong in your humble opinions?

I don't see a problem with tipping 10 percent or a few bucks for the counter people and kitchen help.

If I call in an order to a normally sit-down restaurant I will usually leave a smaller tip when i pick it up, maybe 10%. It's usually a waitress or similar packing up the meal, etc. But not at a fast food place or a place that doesn't normally provide any type of service. I think some card machines just spit out that receipt with the tip space on it by default, and some people feel guilted into leaving one.

OP do you tip at Sonic?

halibut sinclair said:

---

I don't see a problem with tipping 10 percent or a few bucks for the counter people and kitchen help.

---

Do we know that the money gets to them? There's a really interesting Freakonomics podcast about tipping, and I think on it they said there are laws in place that actually prevent kitchen staff from being able to share in tips received.

bobinator said:

---

I tip 1 dollar if it's a behind the counter situation just so I don't have to feel bad about myself when i tap the 'no tip' button.

---

More and more POS systems make you jump through hoops to do that now.

If you're not tipping one of the pre-sets, you have to click on "Custom Amount" and type through 2 different screens to apply it. Meanwhile, the person at the counter stares at you like "Get a load of this guy."

I pretty much tip 20% in all situations. More if exceptional. These folks just don't make much working at a restaurant.

Must be nice to be a person who's never had a bad day at work...

I was in Australia for the month of November and you don't tip there, but the food is more expensive and the servers make a much larger salary than here. Because the servers make more, the service pretty much sucks.

If the people behind the counter are hustling and working hard I tip a dollar or so. It's not much money and can make a difference at the end of a shift.

I just hate the ones that drag tail then try to chat you up with a fake "how's your day going" when it's time for a signature. Wish I could leave them a negative tip.