Agree! I knew someone who was driving their local “homeless” guy (who panhandled at an intersection) back to his apartment because his cable was getting installed…
I have seen this with restaurants who use a delivery service (like a Grub Hub, Taxi Out Taxi, etc). I call my order in to get the restaurant’s price, not the service’s price (we always to pick up, never delivery).
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We were in Italy and Spain this summer and it was nice knowing the price on the menu included food, Tax, Tip. no surprises, and yes prices were similar to south Florida before Tip
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We stayed at a hotel recently and it was the same thing. We requested towels and we got them right away.
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If there’s a service charge included, I won’t tip. The service charge is the tip.
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Exactly.
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Sure, lunch is easier. But… bill is much cheaper too. At dinner with pricier meal plus wine etc your bill is higher… so same percentage yields higher tip.
I encountered something new last week - we went to a pub and we scanned the QR code to access the menu, which a number of places implemented during COVID. It took us to (I guess) an app. But we could order from there and pay there too.
Someone (actually a couple of different people) came by and filled our water and brought our food.
But it wasn’t really like we had a server. How should I have tipped?
Side note, I am not sure I liked it. It was convenient, but the experience seemed lacking.
Since I was still waited on, I would probably do 15%.
I usually tip 20% (actually a little more since I roundup and definitely more during covid).
I am sure we did at least 15% this time (my spouse might have done 20%).
It felt like we had food runners vs a server if that makes sense. (And the service was pretty slow/inattentive).
Maybe I just missed having someone to talk to beside my spouse 
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I think the more complicated situation is when food isn’t brought to your table but you order at the register then they call your number and you pick it up at the counter (but someone does wipe down tables and bus plates if people don’t clear their own).
What’s the dividing line between a fast food place (eg I wouldn’t think to tip at somewhere like In n’Out Burger) and somewhere that expects tips (or at least solicits them with a tip line on the credit card slip/tablet)? There seem to be quite a few places in that grey area now, eg Panera.
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I recently was at a place where I ordered at the register and they gave me a buzzer, presumably to pick up my food when it was ready. They offered a tip line, starting at 15%, and I declined. But then it turns out that someone brought over the pizzas and salads. Mind you, I went to a soda fountain to fill/refill my own drink. I don’t really feel bad about not tipping. If I had known that someone would bring me my food I might have thrown leftover change in a tip jar. But I didn’t so I didn’t. Call me a cranky miser.
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My general rule of thumb is if I order at the counter and they bring the food and clear the table, I leave about 10%. If I have to pick up the food and have to clear my table, $0. If I pick up the food but they clear the table, I may leave a buck or two.
In the situations where I can order at the table through a device or QR code, if there is still a server who will take my order and the device is for my convenience, I’ll pay full tip. If that is the only way to order (or the service is really slow to take an order and you have to flag them down), I go to 10%.
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I agree with the not feeling continuity / lacking but they still provided. 20%.
They are trying to earn a living.
I would have tipped on the total bill and would have likely tipped $30. With a table of 20, the server worked hard and I always assume that someone would tip a little so I feel the need to make it up.
I always tipped 20%+. I rounded up to the nearest dollar. Exceptions: when I order from a counter/pick it up from the counter myself/clean up after myself before leaving. By clean up, I mean making sure trash etc. is deposited in the right place. I don’t tip in that case as I’ve had no service nor did I expect any. Yes, I know someone took the order and passed it on to the cooks but seems to me that’s the job.
I also don’t tip when I order at the counter and someone puts my donuts in a bag and sends me on my way.
Call me a cranky miser also.
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If I pay with cash and have loose change, I put it in the tip jar. Usually I don’t tip much or anything if I am just ordering at the counter. However at the bagel and doughnut shop near the school I work at, I usually tip just a bit even if I’m just getting something at the counter, but then again the people working the cash register are also the owners, it’s literally a two person operation. They are very friendly and they go above and beyond. I don’t mind tipping there…
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I love tipping to help people or to appreciate great service but it has to be my decision, not obligatory extortion because people or businesses are expecting it for no reason.
I grew up with a mom who preferred helping individuals instead of making charity donation to impress people or get tax breaks.
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Very true! And the doughnut place doesn’t push it on people. They also sponsor our school sports and often do catering for our school events…we sometimes joke that it’s our school’s second cafeteria.
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I am the doordasher for the family and let me tell you those people under my roof never tip.
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