I can't remember the last time I've had food delivered...been years. It is usually much faster to go pick it up.

Since I get Chinese takeout somewhat regularly from the same place, I'll usually leave $2 as a tip. They have screwed up the order once or twice, and dropped off missing items (via their delivery) within ~30 min. The food is pretty good too!

I don't understand the hesitation on tipping for carry out from a restaurant where you would *gladly* pay a tip if you were eating there.

The same underpaid (less than minimum wage in most places) staff is assembling your order. They have to take the time to put it all in take out containers and put those containers in a bag and ensure everything is correct. Leaving those folks a tip is something I always do and I've never thought twice about not doing so.

Regarding the delivery fees. If they charge me $2 for delivery, that's less than I'm spending going and picking it up.

And the driver? Tip the driver, you cheap bastids.

The places where I get takeout, it's the kitchen staff that's putting together the orders - not the waitstaff. The work done by the wait staff consist of carrying the bag from the kitchen to the desk.

And normally the kitchen staff don't share in the tip pool.

Who knows (or cares, for some) the organizational chart for takeout prep in any given restaurant? For non-table service, that's where the fixed portion of the wage comes in.

For many, the posted price is the out-the-door price as no discretionary service is being provided.

Other than their paycheck, I guess. If there was no delivery fee, there likely would be no delivery offered, therefore this person wouldn't have a job. A delivery person is going to serve fewer customers per hour than the inside server normally would, and I would also guess the average delivered order is less than the typical table order (since how often do you order drinks, salads and desserts for delivery).

You didn't save $30 (and you only cost them the profit off your $30 order). Your meal still cost you something to make, and time to make. And since it was already late and you were hungry and wasted effort twice going through the order process, you also inconvenienced yourself even more, just to save a 2 dollar fee.

How timely. A couple of hours ago I went to a butcher shop - one that is associated with / connected to a restaurant, and they share the same POS system (and are, in fact, the same company). Lo and behold, the butcher presented to me a CC receipt with a tip space, which promptly received a ---, and then I re-wrote the total. Probably not worth them setting up one of the terminals with an alternate setting. Not the slightest bit awkward.

I think what is to be learned from this experience is that someone who is going to agonize that much over a $2 delivery fee is probably going to be a more high maintenance customer than that business wants to have.

As for the tip, I doubt that they would give it a second thought. I imagine that many people leave the line blank and either not tip or tip in cash when they get there.

Perhaps of a similar vein of some of the COMPENSATION? Threads here on FT!

Depends on the place. At a place where I regularly sit at the bar, it's the bar staff (who is tipped) putting the takeout orders together.

I went to a place in the UK for lunch yesterday. Receipt said service charge not included. So I gave the server my US credit card, it was swiped, and there was no place left on the credit card receipt for me to sign. Really odd. I ended up changing a �5 note in order to leave a gratuity. I'm chalking it up to a server used to dealing with chip/pin cards rather than swipe/sign. Good thing I had some cash on me.

Sitting in a restaurant is different to buying take out. In a restaurant, there is someone to;
Seat me at a table I will occupy for a couple of hours,
make any drink recommendations,
take my drink order,
pass it to the bartender,
fetch my drink(s),
make any food recommendations,
take my order,
pass it to the kitchen,
bring the cooked food to my table,
deal with the possibility I am not satisfied with my meal and make amends,
repeat for dessert and any other drinks,
tot up my bill,
take payment
wish me a pleasant day/evening as I leave and generally add/detract from the ambience of the day/evening.
possibly clear my plates.

When I collect food, I rock up, pay for food, take food and then leave. The whole transaction is over in 5 minutes (more than that and my food is getting cold) with very little effort on the part of anyone but the kitchen staff. I see no need to tip here.

I just cancelled an order last week because there was a $2.50 delivery fee... and if I recall it mentions that it's not the tip for the driver, so I'll have to tip also. No thanks, I walked the 3 blocks to get the pizza.

I paid a �5 tray charge for room service last night in my hotel. After flying overnight and driving 3 hours, the last thing I wanted to do was go out for dinner. It was worth every penny.

To the credit of the person delivering the food, he set the tray down and left before I could even contemplate giving him a tip. Nothing to sign, either. Not unusual -- it's a small, boutiquey hotel.

I always tip food delivery people... but not grocery delivery people ... why?

Out of academic interest, has anyone ever tried entering "-" on the service line?

I stopped only one order in my life because of the delivery fee, and it was because that fee wasn't disclosed up front. If you know about it ahead of time and you choose to order anyways, that's on you.

I've encountered quite a few pizza places that don't disclose the delivery fee until close to the end of the order process.