Do you tip the carhop at Sonic?

[Laura]

I always get nervous when the guy or girl brings my food because I don't know the right thing to do. Sometimes I'll say "keep the change" if I'm feeling unsure. Sometimes if I'm really broke I just don't tip them (is it really a big deal for them to carry your food 20 feet?). I'm heading there for dinner so I thought I'd see how many tip and how many don't.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

I tip the hops. But I've been reprimanded for it, too:

"Dude, don't tip the hops!"

I just can't help myself. If someone brings me food, it's in my nature to give them money. (Whoever brings me tomato soup and prune juice in my 80s is going to be well taken care of.)

 

[tigsmom]

I almost always tip a server. Those carhops have to carry those trays of food out while skating (saw one girl just trip coming out of the door) and that can't be easy.

We don't have Sonic here, but we always go when we are in Florida. :wave:

 

[MKCP 1985]

I have always donated the loose change (sometimes more) to the girl who brings out the food. I don't know why - I just always have.

A friend and I were talking about this a few days ago and he said he has never given a tip, always taking his change.

One of the kids my son plays ball with has a dad who manages a few Sonic restaurants. I asked him about tips and he told me that his best servers make serious money each night in tips.

So, there it is. I hope it helps.

 

[maggiegrace1]

I tip everyone who brings me anything...
I feel bad if I don't.

 

[Disnut]

We don't go to Sonic very often even if it is right near me. I don't care for the food that much. We tip depending on the service. Not much but some.

 

[dandaman]

The closest Sonic is over the border and about an hour away. (I've never been because of it.) :wave:

FYI, I usually tip the servers wherever I go.

 

[unkadug]

I normally tip anybody thats in the service industry.

However, it seems like Sonic can NEVER get my order correct. :brick:

Even so, unless they have a bad attitude about it, I try to look at it from their point of view, it's not normally their fault that the order wasn't correct. :wave:

 

[The Mom]

Does anyone know if they are paid at least minimum wage, or are they paid less...as many servers are. :veryconfu

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Does anyone know if they are paid at least minimum wage, or are they paid less...as many servers are. :veryconfu

My guess...and that's all it is...is that they are paid minimum wage, for precisely the reason this thread was made. Some people just aren't sure whether they're supposed to tip them or not. I've also noticed that when I've paid with a debit card at Sonic, there's no space on the form to write in a tip, so the restaurant doesn't seem to encourage it.

 

[Erika]

I tip everyone who brings me anything...
I feel bad if I don't.

Same here :wave:

And Sonic :slurp:

 

[mkt]

I don't tip them, because locally, any sonic I've gone to, has the worst service on earth. 45 friggin minutes to get food? I think not.

If I find good service at a Sonic out of town, I'll tip... but none in Orlando have deserved it.

On another topic, has anyone done what I did yesterday at McDonalds. I waited for 20 minutes at the last drive thru window. I still hadn't received my food, so I asked the girl for a refund, since I was gonna leave. The girl said "no, this is McDonalds, we don't do that. I asked for her manager.. "I am the manager." I asked for contact information for the franchisee, and she asked me to leave. I said no, and I put my car in park, effectively shutting down their drive-thru, since this drive through has only one lane and a wall on the right side.

I stood there for another 30 minutes, and finally, she throws the money in my car and told me to get the "F" out of her store.

Since, I've found contact information for the franchisee, should I contact them still?

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Since, I've found contact information for the franchisee, should I contact them still?

Yes. The fact that she let customers back up like that instead of just giving you your money and talked to a customer (or a would-be customer) like that is something that should be brought to their attention.

 

[Erika]

We must be lucky here. I've never had bad service at a Sonic. Then again, most of the fast food places out here tend to be run a lot better than they were where I came from.

My BIL even joked (while he was on vacation here), "That was way too nice and far too easy. I demand to speak to a manager."

 

[unkadug]

I don't tip them, because locally, any sonic I've gone to, has the worst service on earth. 45 friggin minutes to get food? I think not.

If I find good service at a Sonic out of town, I'll tip... but none in Orlando have deserved it.

On another topic, has anyone done what I did yesterday at McDonalds. I waited for 20 minutes at the last drive thru window. I still hadn't received my food, so I asked the girl for a refund, since I was gonna leave. The girl said "no, this is McDonalds, we don't do that. I asked for her manager.. "I am the manager." I asked for contact information for the franchisee, and she asked me to leave. I said no, and I put my car in park, effectively shutting down their drive-thru, since this drive through has only one lane and a wall on the right side.

I stood there for another 30 minutes, and finally, she throws the money in my car and told me to get the "F" out of her store.

Since, I've found contact information for the franchisee, should I contact them still?

YES...what ever happened to the business mantra "The customer is always right"

I've never heard of a no returns policy at McDonalds.


BTW...15,000

 

[Gucci65]

I don't tip them, because locally, any sonic I've gone to, has the worst service on earth. 45 friggin minutes to get food? I think not.

If I find good service at a Sonic out of town, I'll tip... but none in Orlando have deserved it.

On another topic, has anyone done what I did yesterday at McDonalds. I waited for 20 minutes at the last drive thru window. I still hadn't received my food, so I asked the girl for a refund, since I was gonna leave. The girl said "no, this is McDonalds, we don't do that. I asked for her manager.. "I am the manager." I asked for contact information for the franchisee, and she asked me to leave. I said no, and I put my car in park, effectively shutting down their drive-thru, since this drive through has only one lane and a wall on the right side.

I stood there for another 30 minutes, and finally, she throws the money in my car and told me to get the "F" out of her store.

Since, I've found contact information for the franchisee, should I contact them still?

How did you keep from getting out of the car? 10 years ago I went thru the local drive thru at McD's to order my daughter a nugget happy meal. When I got the meal, I checked - it was a hamburger. I handed it back and said this is supposed to be nuggets. The girl in the window started yelling, saying you ordered a burger. I said my child doesn't eat burgers, I ordered nuggets. She then said F Off and slammed the window shut. I put my car in park in the drive-thru and went into the restaurant and demanded to see the mgr. I told the manager what happened and what the girl screamed. She was fired on the spot and I did not feel one ounce of pity. My DD was only about 4 at the time and really didn't need to hear or see that.

Oh, and I do tip the Sonic people here.

 

[tigsmom]

I don't tip them, because locally, any sonic I've gone to, has the worst service on earth. 45 friggin minutes to get food? I think not.

If I find good service at a Sonic out of town, I'll tip... but none in Orlando have deserved it.

On another topic, has anyone done what I did yesterday at McDonalds. I waited for 20 minutes at the last drive thru window. I still hadn't received my food, so I asked the girl for a refund, since I was gonna leave. The girl said "no, this is McDonalds, we don't do that. I asked for her manager.. "I am the manager." I asked for contact information for the franchisee, and she asked me to leave. I said no, and I put my car in park, effectively shutting down their drive-thru, since this drive through has only one lane and a wall on the right side.

I stood there for another 30 minutes, and finally, she throws the money in my car and told me to get the "F" out of her store.

Since, I've found contact information for the franchisee, should I contact them still?

Definitely! It is not corporate policy to not refund a customer's money and to have to wait that long and be treated like that, by the manager no less, is reprehensible! I would also request an apology and her termination (but I doubt anything would come of it). I would also send a note to corporate headquarters (as they keep track of the franchises and their reputations) giving as much deatil about the store as possible.

We all have bad days, but ...

 

[Tramp]

We don't have SONIC in my area, as far as I know. But we have visited during our yearly drive to Florida. As long as we got served in a reasonable time, I gave the girl $2 which was about 15% of the tab.

 

[mousermerf]

The Sonic near me doesn't have a drive through, apparently, other do, or don't - maybe, i dunno.

They make me wait for someone on skates to bring me a burger though and that seems wrong.. so i don't tip. Come to think of it, yes, I have seen one with a drive through, so no, I will never tip at the one near me.

 

[mkt]

The Sonic near me doesn't have a drive through, apparently, other do, or don't - maybe, i dunno.

They make me wait for someone on skates to bring me a burger though and that seems wrong.. so i don't tip. Come to think of it, yes, I have seen one with a drive through, so no, I will never tip at the one near me.

the Sonic in Wal-Mart?