Yea or nay: Do you tip when doing takeout?

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

I like to think of myself as a good tipper. Unless the service is horrible, I leave 20%. And even when I am just ordering a cup of coffee and some toast and reading the Sunday paper, I leave a few extra bucks for the server to hopefully make up for the person who leaves nothing at all. (You’d be surprised at how often that happens.)

But this story would suggest that I am a pretty bad tipper.

According to this Guide to Tipping Etiquette that I found on Yahoo News, I should:

--Tip at least 25 cents at the coffee counter. I only tip when I’m ordering a specialty drink, otherwise, isn’t that the whole job of a barrista? And half the time they’re handing me a cup to pour my own, or I have my own to-go mug. Do I really need to tip for that?

--Tip $1 to $3 to the grocery bagger if he/she helps you to your car. Never used this service, but I’m not sure I would have thought to tip them if I did. Now I know.

But this is the one that stopped me in my tracks:

--Tip 10% when doing takeout. I have to confess that I have never tipped on takeout. But, when you think about it, someone is doing much more work than just delivering food to your table. (Someone has to put the order together, check it and take care in the packing so that stuff isn’t slipping and sliding around, add napkins, etc.) From now on, I will reward that service.

What do you think? Do you tip for takeout? Or do you think the cost of doing this is included in the cost of the food?

--Rene Lynch
Twitter.com/renelynch