How much do you tip?

[mentos]

Assuming no pandemic, how much do you tip for eating in a restaurant? How about delivery and takeout?

For eating in a restaurant, I usually do 15% of the pretax total. But I really hate the idea of a percentage. Does the server at Morton's steakhouse work harder than the server at Denny's? My wife always tips 20% of the total after taxes which ends up being significantly higher. It really adds up if we get drinks. Happy wife happy life so I don't argue.

For delivery I do 10%.

For takeout I usually don't tip, maybe $1 if I have to sign the credit card receipt with the tip line cause I feel bad when the cashier stares at me while signing.

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[Marzapan]

My general principle is to tip 10% + round up to nearest dollar if I've dined in or am getting takeout with more complex preparation.

For dining in at nicer restaurants 15%. For takeout at fast casual restaurants, chains, coffeeshops or via online orders no tip. Max $3 tip for Doordash/Uber eats.

May tip for takeout at mom & pops restaurants or coffeeshops out of pity though -- similar to you I feel bad if they're staring while I sign.

But my general thinking is that I am tipping for you to do prep work -- which includes washing the dishes, cleaning the tables etc. You're doing none of that if I'm getting takeout so I don't see why I need to tip in that situation. Sure, I realize that a waiter gets most of their salary from tips but the reality is that my business (with no tips) is better than no business so they have nothing to complain about.

 

[zelman]

20% for table service

counter service or takeout gets tipped $1-$5 depending on how long I need to talk to them about my spouse’s allergies and how helpful they are regarding said allergies.

 

[Momus]

0 for take out.

15-25% for dine in.

Delivery. Cash only. Some apps steal driver tips. Cash will net more for them, no tax. Drivers normally gets a really **** pay, they have to buy own gas killing their car and sometimes they only make $3-7 NET per delivery. I kid you not (I did doordash for a while so I know).

 

[mentos]

My general principle is to tip 10% + round up to nearest dollar if I've dined in or am getting takeout with more complex preparation.

For dining in at nicer restaurants 15%. For takeout at fast casual restaurants, chains, coffeeshops or via online orders no tip. Max $3 tip for Doordash/Uber eats.

May tip for takeout at mom & pops restaurants or coffeeshops out of pity though -- similar to you I feel bad if they're staring while I sign.

But my general thinking is that I am tipping for you to do prep work -- which includes washing the dishes, cleaning the tables etc. You're doing none of that if I'm getting takeout so I don't see why I need to tip in that situation. Sure, I realize that a waiter gets most of their salary from tips but the reality is that my business (with no tips) is better than no business so they have nothing to complain about.

Why tip more for nicer restaurants? Their tip will already be much higher due to the bigger bill. I would argue that servers work harder at a Chili's than at a Capital Grille.

The servers usually don't do the prep work that you described though. The bus boys and dishwashers do the dirty work and don't get tips.

One of my first jobs as a teenager was dishwasher/bus boy at a cafe. There were no servers. Occasionally someone would leave $1 or so at the tables - if the owner saw me pick it up he would make me put it in the tip jar which only went to the pretty cashiers up front. I always thought that was BS.

 

[Marzapan]

Why tip more for nicer restaurants? Their tip will already be much higher due to the bigger bill.

The servers usually don't do the prep work that you described though. The bus boys and dishwashers do the dirty work and don't get tips.

Eh, staff is usually dressed nicer, decor more high end. It's paying for the environment too I guess.

The other practical reason for giving a % tip instead of flat rate is that the I'd rather just give no tip than undertip (since it's an awkward zone to be in). Back in the day, I've had korean bbq waiters literally count our cash payment for the meal in front of us and demand more tips if we weren't giving them at least 15%... lol.

 

[mentos]

0 for take out.

15-25% for dine in.

Delivery. Cash only. Some apps steal driver tips. Cash will net more for them, no tax. Drivers normally gets a really **** pay, they have to buy own gas killing their car and sometimes they only make $3-7 NET per delivery. I kid you not (I did doordash for a while so I know).

How much for delivery?

 

[mentos]

Eh, staff is usually dressed nicer, decor more high end. It's paying for the environment too I guess.

The other practical reason for giving a % tip instead of flat rate is that the I'd rather just give no tip than undertip (since it's an awkward zone to be in). Back in the day, I've had korean bbq waiters literally count our cash payment for the meal in front of us and demand more tips if we weren't giving them at least 15%... lol.

I heard in China, they don't tip at all. Funny how different cultures can be.

I ate at a restaurant in Seattle that added mandatory 18% tip to every bill. The $5 drinks really inflated the tip.

 

[confettiflyer]

Pre-pandemic:

20% baseline
20-25% good service
25-30% good/great service + sommelier utilized
20% bad service if it’s tip-shared (usually is) but I discreetly explain my grievance to a manager (no demands, just FYI)
15% take away/take out


Pandemic:

25%-30% all service levels
Not really caring if it’s good service, if it’s egregiously bad I’ll plop down 20% and talk to mgr
15-20% take away/take out


Delivery = whatever DoorDash defaults to, I think my last order was $46 food, $9 driver tip (19%)

 

[PharmtoCS]

I heard in China, they don't tip at all. Funny how different cultures can be.

I believe that in Japan it is considered rude to tip. The tipee will chase after you to give you your money back.

 

[mentos]

I believe that in Japan it is considered rude to tip. The tipee will chase after you to give you your money back.

They must chase after every tourist then LoL.

 

[PharFromNormal]

Move the decimal place over, double it and round up to the next whole dollar. If I have the cash I leave it in cash. If the restaurant checks have that prepopulated empty spot for the phone number I leave my forever single friends number just for the wild chance

 

[mentos]

Move the decimal place over, double it and round up to the next whole dollar. If I have the cash I leave it in cash. If the restaurant checks have that prepopulated empty spot for the phone number I leave my forever single friends number just for the wild chance

So basically 20%?

 

[Deja]

a lot of europe countries don't tip either... actually probably majority of the countries doesn't tip

 

[PharFromNormal]

So basically 20%?

no less, cheaper bills at diners and stuff can be more. $15.50 -> $4 tip (although I’d probably just leave a 20 so I could bounce out of there and not have to wait to sign or for change which would almost be 30%)

 

[TranslationalRPh]

Dine in - 20-25% pretax - if satisfactory or better service
Take out - 10% pretax

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Takeout 15%
Delivery 20-25%
Dine in depending on service 15-25+%

 

[mentos]

Takeout 15%
Delivery 20-25%
Dine in depending on service 15-25+%

Interesting. Why so much for takeout? The people working up front get paid at least minimum wage already. They are literally putting the stuff in a bag and nothing else. Pharm techs do this and don't get any tips. These tips do not go to the chefs.

 

[Wickett]

About 20% is my standard, 15% for slightly crappy service, 10% or less for godawful service (only really happened a few times). For delivery, I try to give at least $6 or so, giving more if longer drive, bad weather, late order, etc.. Shockingly, Marzapan is a tightwad.

 

[owlegrad]

$3 for delivery
20% for dine in
I never get take out

What I find really interesting is that getting delivery is essentially the same as getting takeout except you tip the driver instead of the restaurant staff.

 

[mentos]

$3 for delivery
20% for dine in
I never get take out

What I find really interesting is that getting delivery is essentially the same as getting takeout except you tip the driver instead of the restaurant staff.

That's why I generally give no tip for takeout (or $1 if I get starred down) but give 10% for takeout because the driver took the extra time to deliver it and has to pay for gas/wear and tear on car.

 

[Sine Cura]

Tipping "culture" is really only pervasive in the U.S.

$0 takeout
20% sit down
Never do delivery

I'll leave money for housekeeping ($10-$20) depending on length of stay

 

[mentos]

I'll leave money for housekeeping ($10-$20) depending on length of stay

Good on ya. I also do:
Housekeeping - $1 per night
Bartender - $1 per drink
Uber/Lyft/cabs - 10%
Haircuts - 15%

Does anyone tip anyone else? Are we supposed to tip movers or appliance/furniture delivery people? We had a washing machine delivered during Thanksgiving week and I gave the kids $20 just cause I was in the holiday spirit. They were pretty shocked about it.

Are we supposed to tip the airport shuttle drivers if they help you unload your bags? I go grab them myself but sometimes they'll insist on grabbing it for me.

Are we supposed to tip that creepy dude in the nightclub bathroom who hands you 5 paper towels to dry your hands?

 

[Marzapan]

About 20% is my standard, 15% for slightly crappy service, 10% or less for godawful service (only really happened a few times). For delivery, I try to give at least $6 or so, giving more if longer drive, bad weather, late order, etc.. Shockingly, Marzapan is a tightwad.

To be fair, I tip 25-40% for haircuts...

 

[Sine Cura]

Well if you gonna tip other categories of workers at least it's because you "wanted" to, not because of b.s. minimum wage laws, which is the main reason I avoid eating out at sit-down places (takeout onry)

 

[owlegrad]

I did tip a garage door installer $20 but I genuinely thought that he did a good enough job to deserve a tip. Well mostly I just appreciated how friendly he was and he explained everything well and helped me setup homelink. I have tipped furniture delivery people and movers as well, I think $20 or so. These tips are infrequent enough that I don’t really notice or think about them.

For haircuts I give $3. I don’t tip someone for touching my bag and I carry it myself. I usually forget to tip hotel cleaning staff but even when I remember I only tip a few bucks.

 

[TateThePharmacist]

So I'm legitimately curious where this 20% tip came from? I was taught all growing up that 15% was a good tip (from both family and friends). Why in what seems to be about the last 5 years has it bumped up to 20%? It's a percentage based tip system, costs of meals have gone up with inflation so it's not like staff is making less money from a 15% tip today as they were 20 years ago in relation to cost of living.
So as most could already guess, I tip 15% for good service (occasionally more if it makes for round numbers in my total amount paid or the service was exceptional). But I'll regularly go less than 15% if the service wasn't good and I'll even stiff them on the tip if the service was terrible.
Never do delivery and I never tip for pick up since I don't feel they've done anything to warrant a tip.

 

[Momus]

$3 for delivery
20% for dine in
I never get take out

What I find really interesting is that getting delivery is essentially the same as getting takeout except you tip the driver instead of the restaurant staff.

It's not.
A typical offer from doordash will be...

$3 pay for 0.5-1 mile delivery (for no tip order). Driver will go to drivethru/counter and wait to pick up your order, and carry out and drive to your place trying not to spill the drink. Text the customer 3-5 times during the period. Find your mega complex apartment, wait for you to answer the door (hopefully someone is there or contactless delivery). They are lucky if they can do all this in 20 mins. If the customer call doordash and say they don't receive it, it's 100% refund. Net $3/20 mins work.

$9 ($5 tip in app). 15 miles drive. App will show doordash pay them ($4 for the order + $5 tip) = essentially stealing your tip to subsidize driver pay. $9 net to driver for 35 mins delivery.

$9 (no tip in app). App will show doordash pay them $9 + $0 customer tip. If the customer tips $5 cash, driver gets $13 total for 35 mins delivery. You have made their day.

All this is under 1099-misc income. Driver pay their own gas and car depreciation.

What does a take out cashier do beside bagging your food?

 

[Momus]

Why did you do Doordash?

Fun money lol. Too bored. I think I made 12k gross in 3 months working 80h week driving then I stopped coz I put 11k miles in just 3 months, basically not worth it lmao.

 

[confettiflyer]

I usually do $10/night for housekeeping, so 4 night stay = $40. This is hard because I usually waive housekeeping, so I would make an effort to find the person who would have cleaned my room, tip them cash in person, in exchange for a few new towels from the cart, rather than dump $40 for the lucky person cleaning the room at checkout.

I don’t do this for Airbnb since there’s a cleaning charge I’ve paid ahead for, and that’s the owner’s responsibility.

Haircut I tip like 40-50%, but my haircuts are like $18-$20 so I give them $10.

Re: Japan. No tip, and don’t even hand the clerk money, use the tray...or be prepared to have said tray politely shoved in your face.

Other tipping:

Annual tips to my house cleaners, usually $60pp x 3 people, or the cost of one session to clean the house ($200 q2weeks).

Massage therapist gets $100/yr from me (I see her qmonth)

My mailroom person gets a $75 Target GC for handling my mail/packages. I usually give my letter carrier a $20 Starbucks GC.

Movers — on drop off, $40pp if it’s a small crew of 2-3. I once panicked because it was a crew of 12-15 to load items from my storage unit to the truck, and I was trying to figure how to reasonably tip.

 

[confettiflyer]

Are we supposed to tip the airport shuttle drivers if they help you unload your bags? I go grab them myself but sometimes they'll insist on grabbing it for me.

Are we supposed to tip that creepy dude in the nightclub bathroom who hands you 5 paper towels to dry your hands?

I try to tip the shuttle driver $5, but sometimes if I don’t have any cash, I’ll make it a point to handle bags myself and minimize interacting with them.

But travel commandment = Thou shalt not travel without small denominations of cash, lol.

I haven’t been to a night club in ages, can’t remember what i did there, that’s up to you hahah.

 

[owlegrad]

It's not.
A typical offer from doordash will be...

$3 pay for 0.5-1 mile delivery (for no tip order). Driver will go to drivethru/counter and wait to pick up your order, and carry out and drive to your place trying not to spill the drink. Text the customer 3-5 times during the period. Find your mega complex apartment, wait for you to answer the door (hopefully someone is there or contactless delivery). They are lucky if they can do all this in 20 mins. If the customer call doordash and say they don't receive it, it's 100% refund. Net $3/20 mins work.

$9 ($5 tip in app). 15 miles drive. App will show doordash pay them ($4 for the order + $5 tip) = essentially stealing your tip to subsidize driver pay. $9 net to driver for 35 mins delivery.

$9 (no tip in app). App will show doordash pay them $9 + $0 customer tip. If the customer tips $5 cash, driver gets $13 total for 35 mins delivery. You have made their day.

All this is under 1099-misc income. Driver pay their own gas and car depreciation.

What does a take out cashier do beside bagging your food?

But from the perspective of the wait staff it is the same amount of work for carry out as it is for delivery but they get no tip. Actually carry out is probably more work because you might pay for the food when you get there instead of through an app.

Of course from the prospective of the driver tipping the driver makes sense, lol

 

[mentos]

So I'm legitimately curious where this 20% tip came from? I was taught all growing up that 15% was a good tip (from both family and friends). Why in what seems to be about the last 5 years has it bumped up to 20%? It's a percentage based tip system, costs of meals have gone up with inflation so it's not like staff is making less money from a 15% tip today as they were 20 years ago in relation to cost of living.
So as most could already guess, I tip 15% for good service (occasionally more if it makes for round numbers in my total amount paid or the service was exceptional). But I'll regularly go less than 15% if the service wasn't good and I'll even stiff them on the tip if the service was terrible.
Never do delivery and I never tip for pick up since I don't feel they've done anything to warrant a tip.

Same, I grew up with 15% being the norm and 10% for bad service. 20% felt excessive to me. It feels like the cost of eating out went up exponentially considering how much rent costs now. Some servers have 5-8 tables per hour. They must be getting over $100/hr cash per hour in tips on busy nights.

I used to do $1 per drink. But cocktails I do 20%

I just order beer or wine, easy enough to pour heh.

 

[mentos]

But from the perspective of the wait staff it is the same amount of work for carry out as it is for delivery but they get no tip. Actually carry out is probably more work because you might pay for the food when you get there instead of through an app.

Of course from the prospective of the driver tipping the driver makes sense, lol

How is it the same amount of work? The cashiers just stand there and put stuff in a bag, same as pharm techs. Drivers have to drive and pay for gas and their cars. I hate driving. People still pay with cash for pizza delivery.

 

[PharmDBro2017]

Interesting. Why so much for takeout? The people working up front get paid at least minimum wage already. They are literally putting the stuff in a bag and nothing else. Pharm techs do this and don't get any tips. These tips do not go to the chefs.

Because I was a busboy cleaning tables for years and understand the business.

Plus it’s hard times for many people right now... it’s the least I can do for others scraping by on minimum wage.

 

[Momus]

But from the perspective of the wait staff it is the same amount of work for carry out as it is for delivery but they get no tip. Actually carry out is probably more work because you might pay for the food when you get there instead of through an app.

Of course from the prospective of the driver tipping the driver makes sense, lol

The cashier provides no additional value to the customers. The food needs to be rung up regardless what happens after (dine in or delivery). Receipt still needs to be printed.

Dine in, the server provides value.
Delivery driver, again massive value added.

In this case, the easiest and least valuable job is the cashier. Hence, I provide 0 tip to them. I don't tip on my McDonald order nor do I tip on a frozen dinner at Walmart.

 

[mentos]

In this case, the easiest and least valuable job is the cashier. Hence, I provide 0 tip to them. I don't tip on my McDonald order nor do I tip on a frozen dinner at Walmart.

That's what I don't understand either. Everyone who argues to tip the cashier for takeout does not tip at Burger King or Wendy's and they do the exact same thing.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Assuming no pandemic, how much do you tip for eating in a restaurant? How about delivery and takeout?

For eating in a restaurant, I usually do 15% of the pretax total. But I really hate the idea of a percentage. Does the server at Morton's steakhouse work harder than the server at Denny's? My wife always tips 20% of the total after taxes which ends up being significantly higher. It really adds up if we get drinks. Happy wife happy life so I don't argue.

For delivery I do 10%.

For takeout I usually don't tip, maybe $1 if I have to sign the credit card receipt with the tip line cause I feel bad when the cashier stares at me while signing.

I tip 15-20% on restaurants when I eat out... I Do not tip any one if i get over there and pick up my food, its not necessary... I have had issues where there are cashiers that circle the tip with multiple arrows going to the tip box,.... i consider that rude and unprofessional.. Now everyone wants a tip.

In medical practice... when you ask patients for 75$ for a visit- none of them have money... why is that ???? when you spend so many years in school and are in so much debt?? Why does insurance only pay a doctor 45-50$ a visit???

 

[owlegrad]

How is it the same amount of work? The cashiers just stand there and put stuff in a bag, same as pharm techs. Drivers have to drive and pay for gas and their cars. I hate driving. People still pay with cash for pizza delivery.

I’m surprised by how poorly I’m explaining this concept.

Many restaurants do not have dedicated cashiers and it is the wait staff who rings people out. Many people who order take out do tip regardless if it makes sense to or not. So when you get delivery it is the driver getting a tip and not the waitstaff or cashier. I presume the waitstaff hate that the drivers have replaced them as the people who get the tips.

What is easier for the “cashier”, you paying them directly or you paying in an app? That is all I meant by more work.

If my point still isn’t clear I will concede that I must simply be wrong lol

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Same, I grew up with 15% being the norm and 10% for bad service. 20% felt excessive to me. It feels like the cost of eating out went up exponentially considering how much rent costs now. Some servers have 5-8 tables per hour. They must be getting over $100/hr cash per hour in tips on busy nights.



I just order beer or wine, easy enough to pour heh.

Its the culture some people are creating... Just tip everyone- including mailman too... he is doing work too right???, how about the guy who holds your door when you walk into walmart... Restaurants are supposed to pay the waiters their wage, not the customers.

I know waiters that have made 50-80$ an hour personally... more than what a pharmacists make, with minimal debt.

 

[DagS132]

Man...... I should direct the reddit ubereats people here. As someone who served and delivered, I always wondered why doctors tip so poorly but their technicians tip much better

 

[owlegrad]

Man...... I should direct the reddit ubereats people here. As someone who served and delivered, I always wondered why doctors tip so poorly but their technicians tip much better

I mean is it any surprise people with money are stingier than people without it? I thought it was pretty well known that the more money you have the stingy are you are with it.

Except I guess MrBeast.

 

[Marzapan]

Let's be realistic though, the biggest tipping scam is pharmacy school tuition, where you're essentially paying a 300+% tip on your tuition with all these ancillary fees, costs, etc. For example, UCSF's "tuition" is only $11,442 but a "professional degree supplemental tuition" tacks on another $29,468 in addition to another $3,914 in "student services fees." Anyone want to explain what all these costs are for besides being arbitrary, non-transparent figures serving only to line the pockets of pharmacy school professors?

 

[allantois]

I'll tip 20% at restaurants cause I'm too lazy to figure out what 18% is. For haircuts, I'll give $10, but it always messes me up when there is a separate person who washes hair. I don't do delivery partially because I never have cash and don't like giving cash tips so I'll drive to get things myself. Also, I hate that clubs put people in restrooms to hang you towels (well, they really put them there for other reasons), I'll often avoid them altogether. Also, I can't stand valet parking and will avoid places that only have that option for parking.

 

[allantois]

Honestly, our tipping culture makes no sense as to who gets tipped. To me, a good restaurant service is waiter not messing up my order and leaving my table alone for most part. If anything the chefs are the ones who should be getting tips. In Eastern Europe, it is notable to say that while people don't "tip" waiters, a tipping fee is included in the bill. Additionally, people will often "tip" their doctor by buying them chocolates/wine. I def wouldn't mind normalizing this practice for pharmacy staff here. I've also read on airline forums that some passengers will give chocolates to their respective flight attendants prior to take off to get better service, I find that being nice to them will already score you better service over other passangers.

 

[DagS132]

I mean is it any surprise people with money are stingier than people without it? I thought it was pretty well known that the more money you have the stingy are you are with it.

Except I guess MrBeast.

Thats sort of ironic to say when your order is worth anywhere from $40 - $100 and the tip is always $1-$3. And also I only said doctors; delivering to a hospital or some small practice. Ive been to rich neighborhoods where they tip extremely well, even for small order but I can't tell if these people are doctors or not so I guess its not all doctors with this possibility.

Honestly, our tipping culture makes no sense as to who gets tipped....

When your hourly pay is anywhere from $5-$9/hr, you are working for tips. Servers usually get this kind of pay. As a delivery driver, you make maybe around $9/hr without tips. With tips it can range anywhere from $10-$30/hr in my area.

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Man...... I should direct the reddit ubereats people here. As someone who served and delivered, I always wondered why doctors tip so poorly but their technicians tip much better

Its because there is a perspective that they make so much that their grand children dont have to work a day in their lives.. Technicians do not have 500 grand in student loans..

 

[Sleepingdoc]

I honestly think there is so much whining about pharmacists being paid low...they should have tip jars in front of pharmacy... Really...

 

[DagS132]

Its because there is a perspective that they make so much that their grand children dont have to work a day in their lives.. Technicians do not have 500 grand in student loans..

lmao really? That $5-$10 tip is that hard to do for doctors? Doctors really live this frugally? If so, please let me know so that I can better understand

 

[Sleepingdoc]

lmao really? That $5-$10 tip is that hard to do for doctors? Doctors really live this frugally? If so, please let me know so that I can better understand

Depends on how much worth of food and if they are eating in the restaurant...., if people/waiters are expecting 10$ for 10$ food, really should think of alternate career, working hard for next 10-15 years and actually becoming a doctor or better yet a pharmacist so they "get paid a lot of money" instead so they can tip that much to other people... really yes they live frugally until they are in their 40's-50's for sure or their family is super rich or dont have student loans

Its not because doctors/pharmacists cannot afford to tip that much... its because you are creating a culture where tipping because the waiters/cashiers are forcing you to and i dont believe its right.., everyone has the right to do what they want with their money.. if you want to give 100$ tip for a 5 $ meal- go for it my friend- its your money. Look regardless of this post, i do tip 15-20% if i eat at restaurant and 25% if its outstanding service, but only if i eat there.