Reduce tip when wait staff throw the take away container and bag at you at end of meal?

[Anonymous]

I’d rather do it myself. That way I know that I’m getting exactly what I want, and only the food that was on my own plate. The wait-staff — who otherwise don’t usually handle the food directly— always wash their hands before doing this, and use a separate set of clean utensils for each person’s food, right? Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d rather do it myself. That way I know that I’m getting exactly what I want, and only the food that was on my own plate. The wait-staff — who otherwise don’t usually handle the food directly— always wash their hands before doing this, and use a separate set of clean utensils for each person’s food, right? Right?

RIGHT!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, did you ask the server to pack it up for you?

Not only would I prefer to pack it up myself, I'd be concerned that someone back in the kitchen might add something not preferred if they felt irritated or disrespected.

Why aren't you concerned that they might add something not preferred the first time you ordered it?

Because I haven't irritated them with an extra request.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I had no idea people took issue with this. I MUCH prefer to do it myself - it's much less gross if I do it myself. And I can "sort" it however I want (like leave out the mushrooms, or whatever).

I honestly find it weird that people would prefer staff to do it for them. That seems much less sanitary.

+1

I’d much rather do it myself, as well. It seems more sanitary and I can have it the way I want. As for it being their job, they brought the food to me once, which is their job. What happens after that, whether I eat it, box it, or leave it, is up to me. Yes, I might make a mess transferring the food, if I’m not careful, just like I might make a mess eating it if I’m not careful. So, I try to be careful.

By the way, OP, the fact that you are handed empty containers and expected to complete the task, yourself, does not equate to having them thrown at you. By your title, I envisioned a server having a tantrum and pelting the diners with empty boxes, which would be a different problem and a more interesting post.

[Anonymous]

They don’t know how you want it packed up

[Anonymous]

Please have some grace for those working for tips. The marginal value of the money you’re withholding might not mean much to you, but it could mean a lot to them. Please err on the side of being nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, I had no idea people took issue with this. I MUCH prefer to do it myself - it's much less gross if I do it myself. And I can "sort" it however I want (like leave out the mushrooms, or whatever).

I honestly find it weird that people would prefer staff to do it for them. That seems much less sanitary.

Exactly!!!

[Anonymous]

You could go places with more reasonable portion sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Enough people have already touched my food. Happy to wrap up leftovers myself. It lets me control what and how much I take, etc.

This is such a non-issue. What is your problem? If you need some type of assistance, you can ask for the help.

Because it is the waiter’s work. Dining at restaurants can be in very tight spaces, which can make it difficult to do in smaller areas, especially if there are other people next to you. Then the food might splash, which gets on your clothes. It should taken to an area where there’s more space and can be appropriately poured/scraped/whatever so that splashing is reduced. Regardless, this is the wait staff’s job, so why do the make customers do it these days?

The restaurant determines what is the wait staff’s job, not you. You are not the employer. If you don’t like this practice, go to another restaurant, but many, many, many restaurants do this these days.

I’m not their employer yet I’m supposed to pay their salary? What kind of insane mental gymnastics is that? Fine, don’t finish the job. I won’t finish laying your full compensation either.


You logic is stupid, because how the hell would anyone know what the ‘policy’ is for leftover until the end of the meal? There’s no way you wouldn’t know not to go to a place that made customers do this until you actually finished the meal.

+1

This is why I hardly tip theseadays

Oh, cupcake, that's not why you don't tip

[Anonymous]

Doggy bags are uncouth

[Anonymous]

I'm still not clear on how providing a box to wrap for you -- as per the policy of the restaurant management -- equates to "throw the take away container and bag at you at end of meal?"

[Anonymous]

Hi Op, that was me. I'm your waiter. I gave you three boxes yesterday.We actually have to box them for you. I hardly ever bring them to customer (Cheesecake factory always has).
We are simply too busy to do it for you. Not only that, I really don't have a nice clean(est) place to do it. We are all on top of each other trying not to mix old food with new one coming out.
Keep the tip. We are so busy right now in restaurant business that I give my tables away. I definitely wouldn't notice if you tipped me less for any fraction.
If I'm in rush and I rush, I may miss the small container box. You will get your food , but first it missed the box. If it's pancakes, I maybe fighting off my coworkers as I box them. Please don't have your server box the food if the restaurant is busy. Heck with the policy. Tell the manager you asked to box them yourself and go easy on the server.
I thin you left me $19 on ca $107. It's fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18% tip is far above and beyond, 3% more than the customary tip.


Regardless how much you tip, there's no amount that will telepathically communicate what your concern was with the service. You need to talk to the server or the manager.

The "customary tip" in 2023 is 20%.

+1 and I give 25% to especially hardworking, attentive servers.

Thank you for that. Your tip makes up for the ones who short us with a dollar here and dollar there. DC doesn't have too many people who have worked in service and would tip well because of that. We do get a lot of foreigners who have no idea how to tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:18% tip is far above and beyond, 3% more than the customary tip.


Regardless how much you tip, there's no amount that will telepathically communicate what your concern was with the service. You need to talk to the server or the manager.

The "customary tip" in 2023 is 20%.

+1 and I give 25% to especially hardworking, attentive servers.

Thank you for that. Your tip makes up for the ones who short us with a dollar here and dollar there. DC doesn't have too many people who have worked in service and would tip well because of that. We do get a lot of foreigners who have no idea how to tip.

Foreigners I can understand, because tipping isn't done in a lot of countries.

The people in DC who have never worked a service job is what annoys me the most. I'm definitely making sure my kids work in service at some point before they leave the house, because it really makes you see how terribly service people are treated. My service job was probably one of the most valuable experiences I've had in life.

[Anonymous]

I learned to pack it myself when a waiter stacked a dirty plate on top of mine before bringing the food back out in a box. Thankful he did it in front of me. Straight to the trash.