Tipping at Sonic
 

Does anyone have any thoughts on tipping carhops at Sonic? I have no idea how much they get paid- is it the small amount that wait staff get at restaurants? What about when you pay by credit card at Sonic- do you still give a cash tip? Just curious as to what everyone else does.....

I usually give $1, because we usually get "To-Go". I figure that they have waitress aprons for a reason...

ETA: I would really like to hear from someone who worked there. Do they make waitress pay, or do they make regular min. wage +tips?

Everyone I knew who worked there in high school or college got minimum wage or higher. I never tip because all they do is bring food to my car. That doesn't merit extra money to me. As a former waitress in a real restaurant, it's sad how much people will tip them for carrying a bag; it can be the same as they'd give someone for taking care of them for an hour.

I was at Haagan-Daaz this weekend and their credit card machine has a tip place on it. I know they get paid at least minimum wage. I didn't think scooping two scoops into a cup merited any extra.

I think y'all should refuse to tip at Sonic until they stop advertising in states where there is not a franchise.

I have always tried to tip the people at Sonic back home and they always tell me they can't accept tips....so I dunno

what about when you do a call-in and pick-up at say pizza hut or chillis? i have given them tips before, but i dont think it was necessary since nothing was personally delivered.

Exactly - I'm with you on that one.

I don't tip anymore at Sonic. My friends and family like to do sometimes. I also noticed at McAlister's Deli they have a place for a tip when all they do is bring the food to your table. If they were actually waiting on me that would be different but they don't.


GeekyPenguin I have noticed lots of companies are doing that lately. Like I saw a Jack in the Box commerical last night and I was like, what the heck? We don't have those in Mississippi. I know that in my area we get Memphis, TN TV but this was a local MS station...weird. I also noticed that some other food chains do that and they are no where near in our area!

Not to completely hijack the thread, but they used to do that quite a bit in CT. We'd get Sonic commercials, Quizno's, and a bunch of other places that weren't in CT.

Back on the subject; I'm kind of a sucker for those tip cups, especially if they have something like "Help pay for tuition" written on them. Most times, I'll drop something in the cup, even if the person behind the counter isn't doing much more than scooping ice cream for me. I imagine I'd do the same thing at Sonic and probably give them a buck or two.

I'm the same way - especially when I see parents who have a gazoogle of kids in there screaming and yelling and changing their orders who don't even say thank you, let alone tip.

We get Sonic commercials in Wisconsin and Minnesota all the time - the nearest Sonics are in southern Illinois or Iowa. :mad:

I know that Sonic employees get paid at least minimum wage, some a lot more. A girl I knew in high school is an assistant manager type thing, and makes almost $7 an hour. I never thought I should tip them, but everyone around here does. And I'm the girl who tips everybody! I just don't think standing around, then bringing my food (like 10 steps), and most of the time being rude to me warrants a tip, especially when they make decent money anyway.

When its super-cold, I will tip a $1.

I always go through the drive through.

I could see tipping them if our Sonic waiters were on skates but at my sonic they don't even skate anymore. But they are really nice, next time I might think about tipping a dollar or two....I tried to tip the guy at Walmart once time because he had put my wiper blades on for me for no cost and he said they couldn't take tips!!!

They skate? Do they wear short shorts?

-Rudey

Or if they are all concentrated at the other end of your state, well over five hours away. Though in Southern Idaho they do have people on roller skates as car hops.

I never knew about tipping the folks at Sonic. As a waitress and knowing how little you make at those kinds of places, I try to tip as often as I can. I'll have to start tipping them now, since I love their food and the cherry-limeaides!

Our Sonic people rollerskate. My mom went when they had been open about a few months. My mom asked her carhop how long she had worked there and she said that she had been there about a month. My mom asked how many times she had fallen on her skates. She told my mom that she'd fallen twice. My mom said she was impressed that she had only fallen twice. Then the girl said "No, twice TODAY".

There is only one sonic in all of Orange County, and my friend use to work there. She rollerskated, and all that fun stuff, but I don't remember her wearing short shorts. Too bad, because she was really hot too. I only went to tha Sonics once though


I've been to Sonics in Texas, and the people don't rollerskate there. And they don't wear short shorts. I'm kind of glad, because they weren't too attractive.



oh and eta: we usually tip at Sonics. Just a buck or so like Alphafrog said

The thing is, they get paid a heck of a lot more than real waitresses. I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere, but in VA waitresses get $2.13/hour plus tips. It's not fair for people at Sonic to walk or skate to a car and hand over an order and get a few bucks on top of their $6-7 an hour.

We don't have Jack-in-the-Box in Memphis either! :p

Also, I pretty much always tip at Sonic. And I've only seen skaters there maybe twice.

I agree! I see those advertisements and I know I can't have any and it's just plain cruel :(

When I visited Memphis summer before last, I was so excited to see a real, live Sonic on the way from the airport I had to stop there. It was all I had hoped it would be.

A tip is supposed to be a reward for a job well done. It is not mandatory.

If people feel the Sonic girls are doing a good job, then by all means, tip them, even if they are only just bringing your order car. By the same token, if the girl who's a waitress at real restaurant is doing a lousy job, you don't have to tip her. If she's not making enough money waitressing, she should improve her performance or she should find another area of employment.

A tip is based on service, no matter what the service is.

I know it's not mandatory. I just think people nowadays expect tips for EVERYTHING. I hate that the people at Sonic wait around after walking 15 feet to carry my food to the car and expect a few bucks. Tipping for a job well done is one thing; carrying a bag of food is simple. ANYONE could do it. It's hard to mess that up. That doesn't deserve a tip in my book.

I usually give them $1 because I figure the food is cheap enough, and they're just high school kids trying to make a buck. And usually I ask for salt, and they don't have it in their apron, so they have to run in and get it. If they ever wore roller skates, I would give them $2.

I don't think I've ever run into a hot Sonic waitress with short shorts and roller skates. I hate to tell you Rudey, but I don't think they exist.

We think too damn alike somtimes......although the Austin hooters had some prime cowgirls...

My best friend and I worked at Sonic in high school, we wore roller skates, but weren't allowed to wear short shorts.

You don't HAVE to tip your carhop. It isn't expected, like with a true waitress, and they do get paid over minimum wage for the most part. However, I made BANK at Sonic, much more than my first restaurant job.

i do tip at sonic, simply because it's more than just sticking your arm out of the window! Now as for the hot girls employed by sonic; they DO exist! One of my friends in high school did it, and she was really pretty:P She even had the roller skates on (and shorts, but not super short ones:P hehe)

I tip depending on the weather-- if it's really cold or rainy, I always tip. I also base the tip on how much stuff they have to bring out-- food for 4, a couple of Route 44 cherry limeades will usually get a tip.

Unless I am at a restaurant with sit-down service, and where the server/s take/s care of my table, I don't tip. I used to wait tables in college, and there is a big difference between giving out breadsticks or asking someone if they want fries with that, and running food/refilling drinks/upselling specials and desserts. Mostly it's the difference between busting your butt for $2/hour vs. making an hourly wage and not having to do much thinking on your feet.

Food service aside, I do tip other service staff (hair stylist, car detail, concierge, dog groomer, etc.) where expected

This thread is giving me a craving for Sonic (although, I think if there was one around here, I wouldn't want it quite so much).

Are there fast food places in N/E that aren't elsewhere? I'm trying to remember from when I lived in Portland. We went to Friendley's a lot; is that strictly New England?

There is a Friendlys in Fairfax, VA...but I'm not sure if we're the tail end of the New England branch of Friendlys or not, I've never seen one anywhere else before.

I love Fribbles!


Friendly's is in the Northeast; they came to FL about 6 years ago (or more)... I've seen them in other places, but I can't remember where.

And that is why you tip if you want to or you don't. It's up to you.

Ditto. I want a Limeade BADLY.

Massachusetts has Kelley's Roast Beef (great roast beef sandwiches, clam rolls and onion rings); I thought Friendly's was just a northeast thing, but I could be wrong.

The Friendly's around here aren't nearly as good as they used to be; when I was a little kid my Grandma used to take me there all the time, and I loved it.

OK- thanks for your help and insights, everyone! I am glad to hear the carhops make more than servers at restaurants! That makes me not feel so bad when I don't tip. Usually when I pay in cash, I just tell them to keep the change (especially when it's cold outside, like a couple of you pointed out!). But now that I can pay by credit card right from the car, I don't tip.

I do feel quite sorry for those who live without Sonic in their daily lives.:) I just did a search on the Sonic web site and there are 10 Sonics within 10 miles of my house!!!! I swear someone in my house is going there at least once a day, if not twice.

You won't believe this- there are 69 Sonics within 25 miles of my house, according to the Sonic web site!

I can kind of feel your pain with the advertisements, though---- I wish there was a Boston Market where I live!

Oh and I used to always want a Krispy Kreme, but now that we actually have one, they kind of gross me out with all that sugary glaze. I can have about a half of one before I am comatose.

Thanks everyone for your input!

I can walk to a Boston Market. Let's figure out a way to send each other food.