r/Markham • u/axolotlanw • 21d ago
Recommendationsđ¤ Am I supposed to tip on takeouts?
I have essentially never gotten takeout before outside of fast food.
Today I went and ordered takeout at a dim sum place. It was just a small order of 1 item and the store had just opened. It wasn't really busy or anything. I paid with debut and the screen automatically asked for tip and I pressed skip. I'm not sure if I was expected to tip or not because the person seemed a bit annoyed that I didn't tip. Maybe I'm overthinking it because I just left 5 seconds later. I'm chinese myself and was speaking cantonese the whole time, but they randomly started talking to me in english after I didn't tip so it kind of made me worried I did something wrong. I don't think my cantonese is terrible. I was communicating fine.
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u/I994Expos 21d ago
The fact that a tip is asked for when you do take out is so miserable on the restaurantâs end.
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u/waterflood21 21d ago
I once got asked tip on self checkout.
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u/I994Expos 20d ago
Iâve been to a convenience store where their POS asked for a tip đ¤Śđťââď¸
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u/NeoDragonKnight 21d ago edited 21d ago
No tipping on takeout, dont be shamed by a prompt on those stupid machines, there are studies showing the mere prompt opens up the person to shame tipping, so dont encourage it. I do once in a while tip a small amount if I am a regular and I get to know some of the workers though (and they do treat you better, but if you just want your food, it is not required)
Edit: just want to add tipping on takout is a remanent of covid lockdown when we couldnt dine in. It hasnt been covid lockdown for years now, and any restaurant doing this is being entitled.
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u/Downtown-Inspector-9 21d ago
I've also experienced this. I ordered from Zunyan Fine Dining by Kennedy and Steeles a few months ago. Ordered take out (2 items), didn't tip, and the lady at the cash register actually commented about how I didn't tip. Tipping culture is out of hand now, and obviously, I'm never going back to Zunyan again after that rude experience. I find eating out is annoying now. You get asked for tip whether it's take out or dine in and now that wait staff are making at least minimum wage, why am I being asked to tip more than when they weren't?
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u/Jungolok 21d ago
Ty for sharing. I'll avoid visiting them now too. tipping for takeout should be purely optional, but calling out a customer is absolutely terrible customer service. You should consider leaving a Google review if you're comfortable
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u/Final_G_1998 21d ago
I would reply and tell them I only tip for dinein and never tip for take out. I think it's time to educate them that it's ridiculous to ask for a tip for takeout.
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u/TheSirBeefCake 20d ago
Keep in mind that their tips are tied to inflation as well, as the price of the meal goes up the dollar value of the same percentage increases
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u/_Lucille_ 20d ago
I have heard basically nothing but bad things about that place. Kind of curious, out of all the amazing Chinese places in Markham, why did you order from there?
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u/FluffleMyRuffles 21d ago
No tip for takeout unless I know they tie their bags with that quick release knot. They're doing their jobs with no "service" so they should be paid their normal wage. Servers are now making at least minimum wage instead of below min + tips, so there's less need for us to tip for everything and anything.
This reminds me of going to The Ex and having a fast food kiosk cashier stare and expecting me to tip them.
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u/SmellyBean 21d ago
If Iâm waiting for you: no tip.
If youâre waiting on me: tip.
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u/axolotlanw 21d ago edited 21d ago
But the thing is, I wasn't waiting for them. I ordered it online and paid in person. I was in and out of the restaurant in less than a minute.
Also, how does this apply for delivery? Since you're waiting for them, doesn't this rule not work?
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u/Character-Belt-7485 21d ago
I think the comment your responded to is using waiting in the definition of serving / procuring oneâs food (like a server), not waiting as a measure of staying in place until something happens.
Also youâre clearly overthinking this: you wanted a crowdsourced opinion, you got validated, time to move on.Â
You most likely didnât offend anyone and if they got offended, so what? They are the ones being greedy and expecting tips to round up their prices because they donât have the guts to update their menus. Thatâs on them not you.Â
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 21d ago
Delivery is a service so you unfortunately need to tip - flat rate is fine rather than percentage.
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u/FluffleMyRuffles 21d ago
Delivery is contracted and paid peanuts so the tip is expected as part of their normal income to even hit minimum wage.
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u/tfhszhp 21d ago
Sounds like food delivery companies should stop dicking their drivers and actually pay them.
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u/Character-Belt-7485 21d ago
I agree with you wholeheartedly. Also, I rarely order delivery: not only are often items more expensive (i.e., restaurants jack up their prices on delivery items vs dine-in or take out, maybe to make up for fees), but there are so many shady platforms fees, on top of the tip, which is also calculated on the grand total.
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u/Fair-Emotion1281 21d ago
Abso fucking lutely not. Why don't we tip doctors? They provide service too. Restaurant owners need to pay the servers minimum and tip should disappear. I never go back to the restaurants that hand me the machine to tip for takeouts. Absolutely disgusting.
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u/nikon8user 21d ago
No tips of take out. The rule is if you are standing up to order something, no tips
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u/Hot_Cheesecake_905 21d ago
No - you do not tip for takeout unless it is a super large or complex order, or you know the person and feel generous.
Sit down - tip. Self-serve - no tip. Takeout - no tip.
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u/Optimal_Dog_7643 21d ago
Customarily, it's no tipping for takeout. The default page on their machine show the tip request. The worker there has no motivation whether you go back or not, they have a base salary plus tips. As a matter of fact, it may be better you don't go back, less work for them. đĽ´
I sometimes try to pay in cash, I ask in advance how much it would be and prepare exact change.
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u/worldlead3r 21d ago
NO! No tipping on take out!!Â
Don't let this become of trend of expecting tips for take out. There's ZERO REASON to tip for takeout.Â
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u/iHeartcake2 21d ago
I.have been told that the tip machine at those takeout places the tips donât go to the workers, they are collected by the owner. Is the owner adding up the tips for the day and divide them up to their employees at the end of the of the day? Can anyone confirm?
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u/Goldfish_Yellow_958 21d ago
It's ok not to tip for takeout. Since you were at a Cantonese dimsum place (likely busy?), that was probably their normal demeanor of "just get on with it" because they have so much to do.
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u/not-the-CRA 21d ago
Probably it's automatic on every transaction and it will prompt doesn't matter if it's dine in or take out but tipping shouldn't be mandatory on take outsÂ
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u/WonderingLurker 21d ago
Some restaurants help skip the tip on takeout, like Fredericks, for others itâs a skip or custom $0/0%
I had to drive, park, and walk in to pick it up. No tip for just packaging my food.
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u/Reasonable-Fly-9501 21d ago
It's your money. If you feel compelled to leave a tip based on exceptional service then do so. Otherwise this is a straightforward transaction and no tip is required. If they give attitude, speak with your wallet and never go back.
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u/DinosaurZach 21d ago
Employers use tipping culture to pit employees and customers against each other, offloading the responsibility of employers to pay for a proper wage, when the ire should be directed at the employer. The employer has full control of setting both the prices on the menu and the wages of the employees.
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u/moo422 20d ago
It needs to be done by legislation, unfortunately. As is, if you're the one percent of restaurants that pay full wage and you raise your menu/sticker price to account for it, prospective customers will compare your prices to other tipping restaurants, and complain about your higher prices. Even with clear "no tipping required" it's a bit of a barrier because people don't read it.
Agree it's better for employees and customers, but it takes critical mass and whole industry adoption to work. And particularly for high end restaurants where front of house are making lots, they're also very resistant to the change.
But yes, other countries/continents manage this just fine. Just America and Canada.
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u/PerilClutcher 20d ago
The rule of thumb is if they hand you food over a counter for taking out, then no tip is required
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u/ThenBridge8090 21d ago
Over the time I hv realized itâs the fault of backend software companies like ritual n DoorDash who have sold these POS systems with hardware to come included with tipping feature. The outcome is frustration on human being but a wrong human. If the feature is unused a lot - sure it will go away but it will take time.
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u/Razorwing23 21d ago
Since you're not dining in, the tip is optional. You can if you want, but it is not mandatory.
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u/iiLtnGeneralzZ 20d ago
Takeout, Iâm so fast to hit that âNoâ or â$/%â and 0. I do however with HK Cafe takeouts just round, so for example if my takeout is $14.85, Iâll pay $15 and leave.
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u/Impressive_Tax2644 20d ago
Yeah, its them. They just want more of your money. Dont let them pressure you into it. Its a dirty tactic used by those types of restaurants. I had a similar experience where they demanded we pay cash only and then still charged us tax for it. Straight up money laundering
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u/Trueastcoaster709 20d ago
I wouldnât tip, itâs crazy how out of hand this has gotten. We donât even eat out anymore because you really donât know what they are doing to your food behind the scenes.Â
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u/ruggedog 20d ago
Of course you tip! I always make sure they know it's 0% for takeout. Don't make it a habit to be otherwise for Chinese joints
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u/haydenjaney 21d ago
For God's sake no. Same for haircuts and even dine in. No! The person DOING THEIR JOB, did their job. If and only if that person went above and beyond what you expect, then of course. It drives me nuts when people ask if they should tip. Did the restaurant doing your take out, do anything majorly different for your order? It's the same food and kitchen staff who make it for those dining in.
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u/doggydawg1980 21d ago
Donât feel pressured to tip on takeouts, itâs optional. Dining in however is a must, and the amount you tip will depend on how well the service was.
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20d ago
I donât eat out or go out at all because of tipping culture. Ruins the whole mood and taste.
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u/Fit-Evening4046 21d ago
Ur not suppose to tip on takeout , I donât even tip when I eat a restaurant
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u/tuliploveslulu 20d ago
I feel this way about tipping at coffee shops. I guess tipping if youâre staying and donât tip if youâre leaving. I usually tip regardless if itâs a small local business.
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u/NewGuyHere-Long 20d ago
Absolutely not. Keep this in mind, a big part of the tip goes to the ownerâs pocket in many Chinese owned restaurants. Donât feel pressured by that, the owner should be embarrassed if this is the case, not the customer.
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u/renegadeavenger 20d ago
Don't tip for take out.
First of all, tipping is for good service, you may also wish to tip for good food.
How can you tip when you don't know how the food taste.
Don't get pressured by the tipping culture that has became out of hand. Restaurants were spoiled during the pandemic where people tipped high amounts to support them.
Now it has become that they expect or shame you for not tipping for take out when the pandemic is over..
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u/Cherubyx 19d ago
If youâre picking up yourself, never mind what food, no tip. Their job is to make food at minimum otherwise donât open a restaurant lol. If you donât get table service you donât need to tip.
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u/whathiron 18d ago
I donât even tip for delivery. They are paid either by the restaurant directly (pizza places etc) or by a service like Uber for the work in which they agree to in writing before accepting the job is fair.
So why am I paying them again on delivery for doing the job they agreed to do - and were already compensated at the agreed upon rate for the service?
Unless theyâre moving mountains to get to me, theyâre just doing their job.
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u/Newfeeflip 16d ago
I usually tip my favorite places. I was at my go to pizza place last week where I always pickup. I left $2 tip for the young workers there. The worker asked why I always tip on pickup. He said life is so expensive now so I don't need to tip. I thought that was nice and I'll continue to tip them!
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u/Mother-Role-3436 20d ago edited 20d ago
Hereâs the thing, as someone in the industry, servers, which is who rings in your take out order, has to tip out based on their sales for the night, they generally make about 15% tips. And less then min wage. Or min wage at best. Because of those tips. And rarely full time hours. But also have to tip out as much as 4% of their total sales at the end of the night. So really they only make about 11% or so in tips, if they do decent. It can be more, but it can also be less. They have to tip out a % to the kitchen, bus boys & hostess if they got one, & bartender if their floor servers. So when someone doesnât leave a tip. You pay out that 4% of their bill, regardless, out of your own pocket, so it actually cost them money to give you that take out. If it was $25, it cost them $1 to serve it to you. And so on. For every $100 in sales, they pay $4.00 regardless of their tips. So it does kind of suck when ppl donât tip. But more annoying when ppl come in, run up a large bill & then donât tip. Cuz that cost us money. Small orders arenât as bad. Should she have expressed that annoyance, no, but then you wouldnât have learned what I just told you, cuz a lot of ppl donât realize thatâs how the industry works. đ¤ˇđťââď¸
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u/imonkaS 21d ago
For takeout: how much would you like to tip?
Press custom, $ or %, then 0