For take out that I have to get a container and get the food myself - no I don't tip.
Me too, usually.
Though, if the person checking me out gives me the feeling of a parent or grandparent just getting by, I'll round up a buck or two to the nearest dollar.
BUT - If I get great service in a sit down place, I will tip greatly too.
Now, the places that automatically add the tip to your bill if you have like a larger group...that really pisses me off...but I have (for great service) given additional directly to the server.
If I pay for meal by a card, I do not include a tip on there...I give cash to the server.
If I get charged gratuity, there goes any chance of a tip or a return trip. I don't care how good the food is. By contract, I agreed to the posted price and a tip at my discretion.
Though there's a HUGE slider on my tipping scale.
Depending on my service, speed and quality of my meal I'll go anywhere from refusing my food and leaving to leaving my $0.02 (quite literally) about the service to well over a 300% tip.
But you'll definitely earn what you get from me no matter what it turns out to be.
For example; at a sit down restaurant, there's no excuse that can justify my glass getting near empty. People are paid to attend to such situations.
If the service was good, I too go out of my way to tip in cash. Though most times I'm flying strictly on plastic.
Sucks for them getting taxed on their tips while making such measly wages. But, although very demanding, the basics of good service aren't hard to understand. Be friendly and always attempt the extra mile and you'll earn yourself a tax free wage when I'm your customer.
My one pet peeve beings I've run the kitchen in an establishment or two... I never EVER eat anything served after any negative exchange between any person in my party and any member of the staff... or even a negative vibe from my server.
And if the food takes too long, the place has problems I'm not willing to ingest.
And I don't eat anything that's been sitting around already prepared unless it has a constant clear view to the customers.
I'll eat soup from a buffet, but not from the menu, generally. Except at pea soup Andersons. Their pea soup is to die for.
I'm rambling.
Tapatyped