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30A Skunkape

Skunky
Jan 18, 2006
10,286
2,312
53
Backatown Seagrove
It is poor form to add an obligatory tip to a carry out order. I have no problem with this practice for dining 'in', but really, last night I paid over $6 for someone to carry three food items from the kitchen and place them in a bag. Tacky. Fix it.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
Did they round your total up, too? I've been getting servers round up my change to the highest dollar, so that they don't have to have change, or to just cheat a little more tip.
 

jodiFL

Beach Fanatic
Jul 28, 2007
2,476
733
SOWAL,FL
That no change thing is really one of my pet peeves. I have been a server for a long time and it really p***** me off when a server doesnt bring me ALL my change. Some places I have worked try to avoid small change and servers couldnt get change, but I always made sure that I carried enough with me to get me thru a shift. If I couldnt get it to the penny, I always tried to get it the next nickel (patron on the good side of the deal). And I wont hesitate to ask for ALL my change if I ever come up short. And my tip reflects it. (hey, the way I look at is that if they dont mind me coming up short I am not going to mind them coming up short.) There have been times when change was a problem, but if it was I always made sure the customer got back more than they should have versus being short. As for the topic at hand I am not in favor of mandatory tip on a togo order. Yes it does take time and involves more than you think to get that order but if the restaurant doesnt put a mandatory tip on ALL tickets they shouldnt put it on TOGOs. Most places will let a server put an auto-grat on parties of 6-8 but never less than that. If it is going to be done on TOGOs it should be done in the same manner. Say you order 6 menus items or more, the it would be acceptable IMO.
PS... @ smiling joe.. do you mean that they are rounding up in the way that your bill is $15.50 and they bring you back a five or that they are keeping the .40cents off a $15.60 bill and only bringing you $4. If the later is the case I would ask for the rest of my change.
 
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Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
I think the restaurant Skunkape is referring to adds gratuity to all orders, and it is only counter service.

jodiFL, I mean that regardless of the total amount of the bill, the server rounds up to the highest dollar, not bringing any coins. eg- bill total is $29.12. Give the server $40 and they bring me back $10.00. If my tip would have been $6, now they have $6.88. Not a big deal money-wise, but for me, it is more of a lack of respect. They know that most people don't bother to look at the bill, and won't think twice about questioning $.88 as though it is something important. When it's been happening to me, I'm just cutting my tip to a trivial amount. I guess I should instead, write a note on the receipt, "TIP: Don't short customers their change."
 

jodiFL

Beach Fanatic
Jul 28, 2007
2,476
733
SOWAL,FL
I agree with the lack of respect. If it had been me, and I didnt have the change, you would have gotten back $11.00. I am sure that no one, including that server, would think it acceptable to go in Tom Thumb and be given $00.00 in change from a $50 for a tank of gas that cost $40 (yea..I wish I could fill up for that much too.) just because that cashier didnt have any tens in the drawer. But back to the TOGO tip.. that isnt acceptable to me either. I can see if it was a large carry out but if the restaurant is so busy with tables and TOGO orders they should designate and pay a decent wage for a person that does just TOGOs. Like a hostess, that is not a tipped position, therefore not taking a server or bartender that IS depending on tips and making less than minimum wage away from tables or customers that are in-house. If that person gets a tip then it is all good, if not, no biggy because they arent really depending on the tips to pay their bills.
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
I want my change down to the penny and I want any tipping left up to me (only exception is if I am in a large group and it is policy).

Feel free to do differently - if you think pissing off the customer right before they decide your tip is a good idea. ;-)
 

UofL

Beach Fanatic
Jan 21, 2005
693
443
Louisville KY
Was it a tip or container charger? We're seeing that now on our carry out orders.
It has been a European tradition for decades to add a tip to the check - hasn't it?
I worked in a restaurant years ago that charged a nickle for a cold mug if the customer asked for it. Servers hated to add it to checks, so we paid for it. Kinda stupid now that I think about it - stupide that we didn't put it on the check and let the customer complain to the manager. Same restaurant reviewed our checks - before computers - at a later date and made us pay, if we did them wrong. Didn't get money back if we overcharged.
Love restaurants and dining out but....
Ellen
 

Maystrong

Beach Lover
Apr 14, 2009
164
60
Seacrest
Iwas charged $6.00 for a "carryout fee" on a $30 order at a restaurant that will remain nameless, but we eat there at least once a week because it is next door to our business. Usually we eat there and it floored me when I was charged that much. Guess I'm paying for the colorful "shopping bag" style bag to carry out my food in! I would have been just as happy with a plastic bag!
 

rheffron

Beach Fanatic
Jan 17, 2008
316
50
They don't add tips in Europe. Servers are paid a living wage and if there is exceptional service, some customers add a modest tip.
 
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