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Sonic - do you tip?

Do you tip at Sonic?

  • Always - [10,15,25% or some other specific amount]

    Votes: 9 32.1%
  • Kinda - I go to the nearest dollar amount and let them keep the change.

    Votes: 4 14.3%
  • Never

    Votes: 9 32.1%
  • What is a Sonic?

    Votes: 6 21.4%

  • Total voters
    28
Exactly. This said though I still would probably leave a tip. I had a manager who told customers not to tip me because I was being paid "enough" already.

We have a local grocery store where they always insist on taking your groceries to your car. I am used to taking my own, so I like to tip sackers who take them for me, but this particular store absolutely refuses to let their sackers accept tips. Because of this, I won't go there unless I am just buying a couple of things that I can carry in one bag.
 
I tip well at full service almost always but not at Vietnamese pho restaurants. Most of the time, the tips go to the house instead of the server. At least here in the Dallas area.
From my point of view, I already paid the house. :)

What if the house gets the tips?

My wife and I love Pho and we have been to many Pho restaurants. The best we have found is Pho Pasteur on Beltline in Richardson. I used to go to Pho Mac at Independence and Parker in Plano but Pho Pasteur is much better. Give it a try next time you are craving Pho.
 
If they ask me if they can keep the change? Hell no you are not getting it. If they are nice, bring me good service? Sometimes I will let em keep the small change just depends on my mood.

By the way corprate says they are not suppose to take tips but since each are usually locally owned or whatever? The owner of your local Sonic can set the rule where they are suppose to get tips or not. But the main branch says tipping is a no-no.

ETA: I also must say that some of the workers at Sonic suck at knowing how to count back change and have had to correct them many a time on how much money they should be giving me back. I guess some of them are just too stupid to count out change without a register right in front of em telling them how much to give back:(

Oh and they pay them min. wage and up around here. They do NOT rely on tips.
 
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Exactly. People who are "offended" by tipping should either stay home or limit themselves to over the counter restaurants. When you go to a full service restaurant, tipping is a standard practice and in most every instance is required. You are getting a service....why would you expect to get it for free?

Sonic is not a full service restaurant which is the topic of this thread.
 
The last few times I have gone to the Sonic drive-in, the car hops have attempted to pressure me into tipping. It is unnerving as I do not believe they warrant a tip - it is fast food for crying out loud! Same for Starbucks...it's fastfood.

The following are two different locations and two different times at Sonic.

Scenario 1:
Daughter and I went to Sonic during "happy hour" (2-4pm). She ordered her Cherry-Lime something or other and I ordered a cranberry iced tea. My kiddo let me know that she was taking care of it and I let her. Happy Hour is half price. The girl came and gave us our drinks - my 17 year old handed her a $10. The total was like $2.20 which included tax.
The girl looked at my daugher "Ok - thank you is there anything else?"
Daughter said "Ah yeah...you can give me my change."
"Oh I'm sorry, here yah go", she handed my daughter back a $5 then turned to leave.
Daughter quipped "All of it please!"
"Oh... There." and skates away.

Scenario 2:
I ordered a Breakfast burrito this morning. Thats it. I already had a drink.
The lady came to the car and handed me my meal.
"That will be $3.27 please"
"Here yah go", I handed her a $5.
"Ok thanks!" and started walking away.
I said a bit loud, "Oh, was it $5? I thought it said $3.27"
The lady handed me my change with a nice go to hell look.

Anyone else have similar happen to them?

A few years ago a Sonic opened up near where I live, and although I don't go there often, I'd maybe been there 5 or 6 times in several years. I didn't know tipping was expected there. But the last time I went, the girl brought my food, and I paid her and she asked if I wanted my change. That's how my ignorant ass found out you tip there. Course I tipped her and will from now on if I go back.
 
I have seen it come up a couple of ways. I have had people tell me that they were sorry that they were not leaving a tip, it was not a reflection on my service, which they felt was very good, but because they don't "believe in tipping". They told me to tell my manager to pay me a better wage, that it was not "their job" to pay my wages for their service.

The second way I saw it come up was with a "religious" bent. People would either tell me that they only give 10% to their church/god, so they won't tip hire to a lesser person. Or...I worked in a very "Christian" area and would often get a little printed pamphet that said "Your tip"....and had a paragraph indicating that the best tip a person can get is to find the word of god which is worth more money that a 15% tip on a bill could ever provide. I was under the impression that they either bought these from their church or were given them by the church, my guess is that they probably paid about 10 cents a piece and then "justified" their failure to tip on the belief that they were providing a higher service.

What creeps.
 
I don't tip at Sonic, Cuylvers, or Steak and Shake - all of whom have "servers" who bring you your food and never return to check on you again.

On tipping in general, I try to be generous when I have good service. I worked in a resturant as a cook, and I know how hard the servers worked there. But I refuse to tip for subpar or incompetent service. Tips are earned, not an automatic payment given regardless of performance. These two facts lead my wife to almost always argue with me about the tip - either I leave too much for a server I like or she's embarrassed because I refuse to tip someone who sucked.

And yeah, any server who assumed I was giving them all the change would automatically lose whatever tip was coming their way. That kind of presumptueousness needs to get smacked down.
 
Last I checked, carhops made waitress wage, which I believe, in Texas, is still $2.13 an hour.
So, yes, it is reasonable for them to expect tips.
 
The last few times I have gone to the Sonic drive-in, the car hops have attempted to pressure me into tipping. It is unnerving as I do not believe they warrant a tip - it is fast food for crying out loud! Same for Starbucks...it's fastfood.

The following are two different locations and two different times at Sonic.

Scenario 1:
Daughter and I went to Sonic during "happy hour" (2-4pm). She ordered her Cherry-Lime something or other and I ordered a cranberry iced tea. My kiddo let me know that she was taking care of it and I let her. Happy Hour is half price. The girl came and gave us our drinks - my 17 year old handed her a $10. The total was like $2.20 which included tax.
The girl looked at my daugher "Ok - thank you is there anything else?"
Daughter said "Ah yeah...you can give me my change."
"Oh I'm sorry, here yah go", she handed my daughter back a $5 then turned to leave.
Daughter quipped "All of it please!"
"Oh... There." and skates away.

Scenario 2:
I ordered a Breakfast burrito this morning. Thats it. I already had a drink.
The lady came to the car and handed me my meal.
"That will be $3.27 please"
"Here yah go", I handed her a $5.
"Ok thanks!" and started walking away.
I said a bit loud, "Oh, was it $5? I thought it said $3.27"
The lady handed me my change with a nice go to hell look.

Anyone else have similar happen to them?

Is it possible that they are trying to get tips out of an economic necessity (not that theyre in need per se but in the arrangements of their pay) and not just trying to milk you for cash? :shrug:
 
My wife and I love Pho and we have been to many Pho restaurants. The best we have found is Pho Pasteur on Beltline in Richardson. I used to go to Pho Mac at Independence and Parker in Plano but Pho Pasteur is much better. Give it a try next time you are craving Pho.
Small world - I do agree Pho Pasteur is the best in big D. Until I was laid off, we went there every Thursday for lunch. :)

Bistro-B is pretty good too on Walnut and Jupiter(?).
 
Is it possible that they are trying to get tips out of an economic necessity (not that theyre in need per se but in the arrangements of their pay) and not just trying to milk you for cash? :shrug:
It is possible. But, we are not suffering as bad as the rest of the nation currently.
However, the underlying attitude from both was that they *expected* to get a tip.
 
I think that may only speak to that people around there have been tipping and its normal business there :shrug:. Hoo knoez
 
I tip anywhere that someone actually provides "service" at, regardless if it is fast food or not. Meaning that if I am at McDonald's and I order fast food, which I then pick up at the counter, fill my own drink and then take to my table, I don't tip for it. If someone brings me my food and beverage, I tip. Sonic and those style drive-ins traditionally have always been places where people tip at, this is not new. Here is a real cheap tip for Vague, if you plan on returning to that same Sonic and having your food or beverages delivered to you in a timely manner otherwise known as service, you might consider tipping. Because I assure you, your server remembers those who don't feel they need to tip. Their food and beverages generally don't get first priority when it comes to delivery.....................
 
I tip sometimes if the weather is bad, extremely cold or hot, or raining, but I would never tip if someone tried to force me to. I would also contact that manager if it kept happening if for no other reason than this kind of behavior keeps customers away.
 
Sonic is not a full service restaurant which is the topic of this thread.

The sonics that I have been to are essentially a hybrid...not exactly fast food, but not full service...so it does fit within the thread.
 
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