My daughter's best friend generally handles take out at the local Ruby Tuesdays. I asked my son, who cooks there, what the correct tip was. He said Terri gets waitress pay (it's like $2.50 an hour) and no tables.

So, on the one hand, the job is simpler. There are no timing issues - when to collect salad bowls and bring entrees, when to refill drinks, keeping the table clean. It's also possible to get home and find that chips weren't substituted for fries, etc. after the tip is paid.

On the other hand, the girl makes a living off her tips and she is working to develop relationships with return customers and what is required of her, she does well (like keeping food warm if the customer arrives late or harassing my son if the food's taking too long and the customer's waiting).

I've compromised and usually give her 10-15% instead of the 15-20% I leave inside. I do the same at Sonic, a drive-in place. I don't tip when I pick up Chinese or Pizza that I've called in.

Take out at casual dining chains is a growing business. I'm afraid the restaurants are taking advantage of the servers by paying them as they do. I'm sure most of you are not aware that they get paid as if they would be tipped as well as the waitresses with tables, at least at Ruby Tuesdays. I'd be curous to hear if this was not the case elsewhere.

I don't tip for take-out and even though there are little jars all over, I think they are for extra service such as when you order something, sit down, and the person brings it to you (bakery with tables etc.). In fact, I think the tip jar trend is really annoying because they are just doing their job and not anything extra.

I tend to agree with the last post, they are getting paid a salary for doing the counter not like waiters who rely on the tips, it is annoying tro see those cups, imagine by a bank you would see one of those, you would flip out.

I ask the who ever handles the transaction if they are paid as a waitstaff or other - if waitstaff then yes I tip - otherwise they only make $2.13 an hour by law.

For drive up and maybe walk-in pick up, I will usually round up to an even dollar amount. Delivery, yes, but less for a restaurant or delivery service that charges a delivery fee than one that delivers without an additional fee.

I have run into a 2-4 restaurants that, for a take-out, went ahead and totalled out the credit card receipt without a tip before handing it to me to sign. I really appreciated that. ^ ^

I agree with the sentiments above about being "frustrated" at seeing tip jars at fast-food locations, including coffee and drink franchises. The advantage of using their gift cards and often credit cards at these locations is that the slips don't have a place to include tips. If someone really goes out of his or her way with my order, I would consider tipping that person, but not when I place the order and pay.

I am really tired tipping at all anywhere for anything, sorry but I am. I do tip, and usually leave a very nice tip. Just a thought, maybe if no one tipped, then the wages for these people would be increased, we are paying part of the wage for the employees of the restaurant, shouldn't the owner be paying a decent wage to them? The Europeans have it right, add a small service charge to the bill and be done with it. Bars, coffee houses, fast food outlets, why tip? no one does anything extra for you. Bars especially, again the bar tender is only doing his/her job, maybe the cocktail waitress/waiter, but again if they were paid a decent wage, a tip would not be required.

TW

There is definitely a variety of service quality among bartenders and some of that has to do with how you tip. Tipping well at bars is definitely in your own best interests.

My secretary has a tip jar at her desk. She put it there about two years ago as a joke but I, and the two other people she works for, contribute to it. It's one thing to say "You get paid overtime to say late at a moments notice" vs. getting the OT and an acknowledgement that you stayed late but didn't have to.

No way ... if I want to thank a member of my support staff, I'll get them a gift or a gift card to say thank you that has a personal touch, e.g. a store I know they frequent or based on a hobby they are into. It could be based on the type of work you do versus my work environment, but I would not appreciate seeing a tip jar on anyone's desk in my office.

To each his own. I see no harm in doing both. The tip jar is there more as a symbol than anything else (it doesn't contain real money, BTW).

Before becoming an attorney, I promised myself I would not be one of those a-hole attorneys who thinks that they are "better" than the people who assist them with the practice of law.

When my secretary has to stay late to help with a filing or get a motion out, I realize that she has a life and family outside of the office just as I do. I realize that she gets overtime but what's worth more, two hours of overtime or two hours of time with your 5-year old child?

So, I don't mind putting a $5 or $10 or more in the tip jar at that moment just to say "Hey, I really appreciate you sticking with me and assisting me with this." You would be surprised how far an on-the-fly thank you goes. After the jar has accumulated so much, then we (myself and her other assignments) will get her a gift certificate or a spa day, etc. It doesn't cost us anything in the grand scheme of things and the results are great.

Granted, my way is rather unusual but I like to show people I appreciate them every time they do something out of the ordinary. It's very easy to take people for granted otherwise.

I used to waitress and the people who manned the phones for takeout orders were paid more than the floor staff. The restuarants usually pay the to-go people more per hour because they know most people will not tip for take out. My personal opinion is that waitstaff works very hard for about an hour per table, and thusly earns their tip. To-go earns their money per hour, not for throwing some forks into a bag for you. Leave a token tip if you like.

I do not tip,but I do leve atip at soup and salud places for the person who cleans the tables

If I have to do more than 50% of the work in getting my meal once I enter the door...no tip. I count standing at a counter as work.

I am sympathetic to those who say that a person should be tipped if they are being paid a wage that is dependant on tips. How do I know? That's not my problem to ask people how they are paid.

With that said, I will ask in stores if someone is on commission if they have helped me with a purchase. But that's a little OT.

Why don't restaurants have to pay minimum wage?

Jennifer, I could be wrong but I think they don't get minimum wage cuz the 'tips' are supposed to make up the dif.

BTW - I vary. I may not or just toss in extra change at place like Starbuck's, but the small grocery store that makes fab homemade sandwiches for me etc I will.

Delivery folk - always.