660772 Mon Oct 19 14:22:44 -0700 2009 26 32 Chains 0 5115229 My question is do you tip the car hops at Sonic. My husband usually does, I don't. It's becoming a point of discussion at work. I thought I 'd see what the consensus on Chowhound is. Mon Oct 19 14:22:44 -0700 2009 158403 jcattles 1 5115554 I tip them...they're basically servers, but on roller skates. Mon Oct 19 16:15:36 -0700 2009 5115229 11914 monku 2 5116525 That's 1-0. Case closed. Tue Oct 20 04:41:39 -0700 2009 5115554 35893 Friend of Bill 2 5116590 Do you hand them the tip directly, or leave it on the tray? Tue Oct 20 05:38:16 -0700 2009 5115554 92112 Fibber McGee 3 5116607 Hand it to them directly after they ask me to pay. We never eat in the car, if we go to a Sonic it's because we've been traveling and want to get out of the car so we'll sit at a table. Tue Oct 20 05:48:33 -0700 2009 5116590 11914 monku 1 5116567 I do too. Tue Oct 20 05:16:31 -0700 2009 5115229 11854 LaLa 1 5116618 Having worked as a carhop in the era when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I'd say tip the carhop. Most of the tips we got were left on the tray, and they were generally in the 10% range. Of course if it's windy, tip when you pay. Tue Oct 20 05:56:56 -0700 2009 5115229 109573 coney with everything 1 5116654 sure, i tip them. why wouldn't you tip a server who brings your order to your own little car window? Tue Oct 20 06:18:40 -0700 2009 5115229 105717 alkapal 1 5116677 Hey, roller skating AND my food brought to me! I tip. And if they'll do a little Roller Derby to entertain me, I tip extra! Saturday night RUMBLE!!! Tue Oct 20 06:29:57 -0700 2009 5115229 112096 Caroline1 1 5117437 I leave the change from rounding up to the nearest dollar. Tue Oct 20 10:51:16 -0700 2009 5115229 11781 beachmouse 2 5117503 So are you tipping 15% or just leaving change? Tue Oct 20 11:11:59 -0700 2009 5117437 11914 monku 3 5118850 Leaving change, which can actually end up being significantly more than 15% if I'm just getting a drink. Tue Oct 20 20:31:51 -0700 2009 5117503 11781 beachmouse 4 5118882 Thank you for the clarification. Tue Oct 20 20:45:36 -0700 2009 5118850 11914 monku 1 5119572 Your getting served, right? They earn their living on tips, they should be tipped like any other waitperson. Wed Oct 21 08:07:45 -0700 2009 5115229 149836 cstr 2 5119592 Forgive my ignorance, but are they earning their living on tips? I have no idea how much they make per hour. Do they get the standard server rate or is it in line with other fast food workers? Wed Oct 21 08:13:34 -0700 2009 5119572 92112 Fibber McGee 3 5119686 They are paid hourly, most starting at minimum wage, not as servers/the do not work for tips. I use a Sonic card and never considered tipping. Same as Starbucks. Wed Oct 21 08:53:26 -0700 2009 5119592 12123 Cathy 4 5119729 i think the situation is qualitatively different than starbucks. the sonic folks are "servers" that do more than stand behind a counter and hand you a cup of coffee. Wed Oct 21 09:08:44 -0700 2009 5119686 105717 alkapal 5 5119770 Yes. But the Starbucks employees are also paid hourly wages as are the servers at McDonald's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, et al... You cannot walk up to a window at Sonic. Even if you sit at a picnic bench out front, you still have to order at one of the machines and wait for it to be delivered. It's part of the business model of Sonic. Point is they are not working for tips. Out here, if you eat in at Carls Jr (Hardees back East) , you get a number and they bring your food to your table. I don't tip there either. Wed Oct 21 09:20:40 -0700 2009 5119729 12123 Cathy 6 5119807 Exactly, I was just thinking the same thing. They bring you your food, that's the only face to face interaction. Odds are, I haven't been to a Sonic in ages, they don't check back to see if everything was ok. No talking to you before the order is placed, nothing. I just don't feel like that is worthy of a tip. Would I still leave something? Sure. But never 20% or even 10%. I went to eat in NYC last night at a mac and cheese place, you placed your order at the counter, were given a number to put on your table and they brought out the food, no comments, no one asked how the meal was, same thing in my book. Of course there was a tip jar on the counter where you placed your order, I tipped 10%. I used to work in the service industry so I tend to tip all the time, but less in places like this. Wed Oct 21 09:30:29 -0700 2009 5119770 154901 roro1831 6 5122211 The difference between Starbuck's and all the rest is that any Starbuck's employee who works half-time or more has health insurance. For the record. But that has nothing to do with tip/no-tip. Just thought you should know. Thu Oct 22 06:16:52 -0700 2009 5119770 112096 Caroline1 4 5120072 I've never been to Sonic, but I do tip at Starbucks. Wed Oct 21 10:52:10 -0700 2009 5119686 65780 jujuthomas 2 5119941 But are they really servers? I don't know what they earn hourly. What makes them different from McD's or any other fast food place? I don't feel they are a waitperson. One person takes my order, another fixes it, another bags it, and another brings it to me. The only thing is the delivery method is different than tradtional fast food. The only thing they do is take my money and bring me my food. That's it. They don't check back on me, offer refills, and most of the time they aren't even very friendly. And when I pay with a card, there isn't even an option to add tip. Wed Oct 21 10:16:02 -0700 2009 5119572 158403 jcattles 3 5120245 When I eat at Sonic here, I usually tip. The ones here in Schertz are friendly and ask if you need anything else or what have you. I don't know what they pay them, and most of the ones here by me are girls and they either go to college or high school. I don't mind tipping them. I have gotten better service from the girls or the kids who take out your groceries at H.E.B. Grocery Store than I have at some sit down restaurants. Wed Oct 21 11:39:23 -0700 2009 5119941 28392 HollyDolly 4 5121113 The grocery store cashier makes change and hands me a bag. I don't tip. The checker at Target makes change and hands me a bag. I don't tip. The Sonic carhop makes change and hands me a bag. I don't tip. Maybe back in the day when a carhop came out and took your order and actually "served" a customer it was a different story. Not now. Wed Oct 21 16:55:32 -0700 2009 5120245 243172 Samalicious 5 5122116 The drive in I worked at had the speaker system and we carhops brought out the food and took the money (and made change! What a lost art that is!), then of course picked up the trays later. We did get tips, but generally very low compared to a regular waitperson--at the end of the day less than 10% of sales. I made barely minimum wage and the tips were much appreciated but not a primary source of income. To me it's more of a good karma thing to tip at a drive in. Thu Oct 22 05:27:11 -0700 2009 5121113 109573 coney with everything 6 5134930 I worked at a Sonic (during college - 15 years old, so this is dated). Almost everyone tipped and almost all the tips were change. At the time we were paid minimum wage - it's a good thing because even a whole shift of tips would bring in about $20. Tue Oct 27 11:36:22 -0700 2009 5122116 86642 MaryDC 1 5143600 I usually don't tip at Sonic, but it's because there's no space to tip on the receipt if you pay with a credit/debit card. I take this to mean that they earn at least minimum wage, since there doesn't seem to be an expectation that they'll get tips. Fri Oct 30 12:58:36 -0700 2009 5115229 124150 Naco