Tipping at Fast Food Places

[97K15004WD]

Is it just me, or are you guys tired of the "tipping" thing everywhere when you pay for fast food?

I've found the best way to avoid the "turn around the screen to me" intimidation tactic is to pay cash.

Anyone else?

 

[jeepman3071]

I usually just press "custom tip" and put $0.

 

[atikovi]

If someone is so intimidated by a minimum wage cashier you don't even know, maybe a few sessions with a psychiatrist would help. And the tip jar is just six inches from where they hand you the change so that is just as intimidating, no?

 

[Kira]

A fast food place with a swiveling computer screen? I never heard of such a thing.

POSSIBLE DEVELOPEMENT: While we were coming out of Covid lockdowns, I believe there was a 'movement' to tip restaurant workers to make up for some lost revenue.

 

[thunderfog]

For reasons I can't really justify or explain, I tip the ice cream person. But not at (other) fast food places.

 

[Marlin39a]

I was in a liquor store last month buying a 6 pack. They had a tip jar on the counter. No way was I tipping.

 

[Leo99]

I know what you mean. You have to push a button or two to get out of the 15%, 20%, or 25% tip screen to get to the no tip screen.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Came across this at a Burrito joint. The girl assembled the burrito, requiring input from myself. The guy at the till pushed the the little credit card payment box to me and to my suprise it was set to the tip section.

 

[PF52]

A fast food place with a swiveling computer screen? I never heard of such a thing.

I've seen those at places like Chili's but not at a fast-food place. But I am seeing more and more fast-food places where the card scanner gizmo comes up with a tip screen which you have to get past before it completes the transaction (and invariably it doesn't have a $0 tip option so you have to enter that manually).

 

[jeepman3071]

If you provide excellent *service* and go above and beyond/out of your way to make my experience great, I tip very well. I feel there is no need to tip someone who picks up my pizza box from one end of the take out counter and hands it to me on the other end. In my experience, I'm sure this is just a way for places to not give their employees raises, claiming "they get tips!" like when I worked at Dunkin back in high school.

 

[dnewton3]

If someone is so intimidated by a minimum wage cashier you don't even know, maybe a few sessions with a psychiatrist would help. And the tip jar is just six inches from where they hand you the change so that is just as intimidating, no?

Cashiers make more than minimum wage in my area; pretty much anyone in my labor market does. Our labor market is starving for workers, and therefore minimum wage doesn't even get them in the door.

Still - I see validity in the OPs point. I too find it annoying when someone who simply took an order at a counter and then turned around with my food expects a tip. They didn't serve me as a traditional wait-staff person in a sit-down meal experience.

I do tip well when the full meal experience is earned; this would be at a full sit-down restaurant.

Should we also tip the person at the local Menards cashier, too? Why is it that a fast-food worker expects a tip when they put no more effort into serving me than does a person behind the register at Walmart, or AutoZone, etc? Should we now tip people at the shoe store for bagging my new shoes (which I had to select from the stock on the shelf with no assistance from any store persons)?

The expectation of tipping for meanial tasks is way out of line IMO and I agree with the OP here.

 

[buster]

I've noticed over the last few years that places ask for tips more than they have in the past, and the options are now 15%, 20% and 25%. I like to tip generously so I usually do 20-25%. I don't like how in your face it is though sometimes. I also see a lot of "donation" options which I often decline not knowing where the money is going. I'll glad tip a young waiter/waitress though.

 

[atikovi]

The expectation of tipping for meanial tasks is way out of line IMO and I agree with the OP here.

In food service, tips are for workers in a special labor class which contractually earns a sub minimum base wage augmented by customer provided tips. This does NOT include cashiers, busboys, cooks, etc. who earn a fix wage at or above the minimum rate.

 

[atikovi]

I'll glad tip a young waiter/waitress though.

What does age have to do with it? A senior supplementing their SS check doesn't need it as much?

 

[Snagglefoot]

In food service, tips are for workers in a special labor class which contractually earns a sub minimum base wage augmented by customer provided tips. This does NOT include cashiers, busboys, cooks, etc. who earn a fix wage at or above the minimum rate.

Yep, here is something on that.

 

[buster]

What does age have to do with it? A senior supplementing their SS check doesn't need it as much?

It doesn't I tip equally across age groups. Was just using young kids working while in school as an example.

 

[SevenBizzos]

I will. I always round up to the next dollar or maybe to the one after that. The industry was a serious struggle for a couple of years.

 

[shortyb]

Well, when my McDouble went from $1 on the Value menu to $2.69, so to did ANY desire to tip. Which was at zero in the first place.

 

[PF52]

Well, when my McDouble went from $1 on the Value menu to $2.69, so to did ANY desire to tip. Which was at zero in the first place.

I was going to say something similar. Is it the company that is asking us to pay tips, or is it the individual franchise owners?

A couple weeks ago, I paid $17 for a 12" sandwich, cookie and drink at Subway. And yet the card reader thing asked me if I wanted to add a tip. I didn't tip.... Since they've about tripled their prices, it seems to me I'm already paying enough to pay the staff. But maybe I am crazy.

 

[I<3oil]

Yep, it's getting out of hand.