Tipping in the new world

I have been doing $10 on pickup and if they deliver to my house $20-$25. I know times are rough for a lot of the folks working at breweries, their tips are way down and its not easy. So I try and give a few bucks even with pickup just to help them out. I was shocked to find out that one brewery (will not name) makes their staff use their own cars/gas to deliver beer. The individual told me there is little work when their inside is closed so its either drive around and make tips or zero pay. Really sunk in how bad folks have it in certain industries right now so folks please keep that in mind when tipping, some really need it to pay bills.
Cheers

 

I give the same tip as I would for inside seating and/or service - take out food or anything I get "curbside, no contact". If I go into a store and shop, then no. Very happy that my livelihood has been largely unaffected whereas so many others have been devastated. I'd rather disperse some funds directly than give it away to the government to use where it isn't needed, so I look at it as my own little economic stimulus program.

 

Some people think it's OK to toss a few bucks for take out service, and that's fine...it's better than some of the stiff jobs I've seen recently. I think anything would be appreciated, and especially keep in mind that the throughput/tables are down overall, likely. Under these circumstances, I feel that if we can give a better tip, we do so if we were treated well.

Being good to the people we interact with frequently has proven itself.

We usually go to places that we frequent a lot, and we start at 25% for sit-down, we do not do delivery at all in the last 10 years, and take out was usually like 15%-20% for us...I do my part to help the ones that have been nice to us, as @LeRose said above, my own private stimulus program for one place we really liked that we wanted to try to keep afloat as best as we could...we concentrated on that place in the early days of COVID-19.

 

In the Covid 19 world I have been ordering online for delivery that is carried out by a private courier company. No where in the ordering process is there a place to add a gratuity for either the people packing the order or the delivery driver. However, I will say that the few patio visits I have made since they reopened here in Ontario have resulted in about a 20% tip as opposed to the standard 15%. My wife and I went to a patio last week on a day that was about 38 degrees Celsius. The servers were all required to wear masks, disinfected everything after each table was cleared and were generally busting their asses in the baking sun. They did all this with charm and grace. Seemed worth an extra few bucks to us.

 

I have been tipping 20% on anything from a place that has lost business during COVID. I assume that the people working there have lost income and since I haven’t lost income I don’t want stiff people that are trying to get by.

 

UP till "all this" started, I didn't tip for takeout food, (always did for delivery) or can purchase. I'd usually toss an extra buck or so for a growler fill - though a few places didn't even have that option.
Now I'll tip a few bucks on a food pickup and a couple for can, as long as it's curbside.
If I go in and pick it out, someone just rings me up, I don't tip for that.

 

I'd like to think I would tip more in this case than I usually do for bar/table service. Times are especially tough for people in certain businesses, and bar/brewery/tap room/bev. bus. certainly is hit very hard. I, too, normally don't tip at the counter for cashier who hands me my order.

 

I'm usually a good tipper. Service industry folks generally need the money more than I do. I have upped the ante since the pandemic started and tip at a higher percentage.

 

As a sidenote, always tip cash. That way, your server gets it and nobody else. Some apps completely pilfer tips.

 

I’m tipping far more than usual, times are tough for a lot of people and that extra little bit above I won’t miss. We’re holding at 50% of capacity so right off the top for the service industry they’re behind. As things spike we’ll see 25% or back to takeout only.

 

Always.

 

Agree 100%

 

I’ve been tipping big any chance I get. I am fortunate for the time being and can afford it.

 

Today the wife and I repeat andwand live by what a friend told us.
"Nobody goes to Hell for overtipping".

Whenever possible, be nice (it's always possible).

 

Just adding to the theme but yeah basically tipping for curbside pick up or delivery, as if I was drinking at the place. So 20-25%. Hard times for many people

The one exception would be shipping. A lot of NY breweries that were previously 100% or mostly direct to consumer, are now shipping within state. One of them had a default tipping option that included 15% , 18%, 20% , 25%. That irked me a little. It's one thing if someone is cycling/driving over a few 4 packs, or packaging together a few beers and handing them over for curbside. But if someone is buying a couple cases and paying the shipping costs I think it's a little different. Two cases ($230), plus tax ($25), plus shipping ($30), then having a default additional tip in the $40-65 range seems a little... I dunno...much. There was a free form section below so I threw in $5. Maybe I'm a scrooge but I drew the line there.

 

My tipping really hasn't changed too much, 25-30% or so. Although the brewery I go to often for pickups early on (they have a patio now..) I didn't even realize there was a spot for a tip when you order. I miss being able to really chat with the bartenders and other customers, as that kinda makes the taproom experience. The parking lot patio they have, you just walk up order, get your beer, and sit down..there's little time to just hang out and chat for more than "how's life?". If tipping an extra $1-2 a couple times a week is a line in the sand, I think you're in the wrong hobby when you're paying $7 a beer.

 

I don't tip percentages on curbside pick-up. There isn't the same attention as waitstaff. It's a 20 second transaction and I generally give $5 whether the order is $20 or $200.

 

Since most places are restricted to 50% eat-in occupancy we all ought to consider doubling what we normally give in an attempt to get the overall tip income back to 100% (if you can afford it).

During the period when curbside or to-go food was the only option, I typically was tipping $20-$25 for my $35-$40 orders because not many people were using curbside and the few employees who were still working were having a tough time. Plus the brewery/place was having to supplement the tip total so the employee was getting minimum wage.

Rationalize it this way - you received a stimulus check, so stimulate the economy by spending this free money. It's not costing you a cent.

 

But that math works only if the place is employing the same number of waitstaff, but they are only working every other table. I'd imagine a lot of places have simply cut their staff 50%, so the ones who are left and still doing the same amount of work, just walking a bit more...

Jesus Christ, I used to think I was an "OK tipper" cause I usually rounded up a bit from 20%...(but, of course, when I drove a truck in Manhattan servicing big law firms and Wall St. brokerage houses, I used to refuse tips. "No thanks, they pay me weekly back at the office..." If it was a big pickup or delivery, sure, I'd let 'em buy me a coffee, bottle of water or a can of pop... that's just them being a good host...)
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One more negative aspect of the Pandemic - Another !@#$ "Tipping" thread in the BA forums ... and I took the bait!