Do you leave a tip at drive in restaurants like Sonic?

[foreman Etexas]

I have always wondered about the tipping at sonic,I always do but my wife tells my I am not suppose too. So now I can say well my fellow TBNers say yes to tipping at sonic but not very much

 

[MossRoad]

Sonic's a weird one....

You can go to the drive-through, order through a speaker, drive up to a window, swipe your card yourself, a person hands you the food through the window of your car, then you leave.

OR

You can go to the parking spot, order through a speaker, swipe your card yourself, a person hands you the food through the window of your car, then you leave.

What the bleep is the difference? :confused3:

I've never had enough food that they brought a tray and had to come back to clean it up. Its always food in a bag and some drinks. At the old root beer stand, they'd bring out a tray for your window and you'd beep 'em when you were done. They'd come back and clean it up and I'd give them a tip. Does Sonic bring out window trays? I'd tip if they did, but food in a bag is food in a bag. :licking:

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I ALWAYS tip, at least 50cents, sometimes a buck, regardless of the order.

I appreciate that people are working - not just signing up for all the government welfare programs.

 

[Kenneth in Texas]

I let them keep the spare change whatever it might be.

 

[mjarrels]

Sort of related, but not a restaurant. Went to Andrews AFB on 19 Sept on a charterd coach bus to watch the airshow... $20.00 each for the ride. Driver (female) made a short 15 minute stop at a mcdonalds (yuk) on the way. On the return trip, stopped at a Cracker Barrel (good) for diner. She stayed with the bus during the entire trip thus missing the airshow. She did eat at the Cracker Barrel. On the return trip, we passed an envelope collecting driver tips and I bet she recieved well over $100.00 bucks, I'm sure she was well paided as a commercial tour bus driver also.

mark

 

[Sigarms]

Being that I earned money through college being a waiter, I generally always tip as long as the wait service doesn't suck (and that includes sonic).

 

[BoylermanCT]

At my funeral, I would rather have people say he was a generous man rather than a stingy man. An extra buck or two is not going to break my budget, but if done by everyone will make a difference for the server. I'm grateful for everyone who has helped me out over the years, and I view it as a small way to pay it forward.

 

[kcflhrc]

See below, but truthfully there is no right or wrong answer. Tip if you feel like it.


Tipping Basics: Should You Tip Your Carhop?

It’s an age-old question—one that’s been discussed about drive-in eating establishments over the last 50 years.

It’s a question that sparks heated debate wherever it is asked, causing lifelong friends to become enemies, and lifelong enemies to file for restraining orders.

It’s a question we’ve never asked here on Dave Ramsey’s site, so today—at the risk of an all-out brawl in our comments section—we’re diving in.

The question is simply this:

Should you tip your carhop?

You know, the nice gal or guy who rollerskates out to your car at your local Sonic or A&W restaurant?

One highly informal online poll showed that more than half of the people who go to Sonic don’t tip their carhop. Around 25% said they tip the carhop a buck or two, and less than 5% said they tip 10–20% like at normal restaurants.

One former Sonic carhop responded to the poll saying that they generally don’t expect tips but welcome them when they’re given.

Also, one supervisor at a Sonic Drive-In said on Reddit that all of his carhops make minimum wage and do receive tips more often than not.

 

[RickB]

Being that I earned money through college being a waiter, I generally always tip as long as the wait service doesn't suck (and that includes sonic).

At my funeral, I would rather have people say he was a generous man rather than a stingy man. An extra buck or two is not going to break my budget, but if done by everyone will make a difference for the server. I'm grateful for everyone who has helped me out over the years, and I view it as a small way to pay it forward.

Best advise here.

 

[K man]

I always give a tip at restaurants but never did at a fast food drive tru. I see local people at my restaurant and they never tip and that sort of pisses me off cause they get the same service that I do but are too stingy to give a tip. I feel sorry for the waitress who has been there over 25 years always with a smile and cheering attitude and she deserves a tip. I am talking about Kim's family restaurant in Palmer Rapids Ontario. So if you go there at least have the dignity of tipping Brenda.