Do you just eat it or send it back?

[KappaKittyCat]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

...what if I'm allergic to whatever I asked you not to put on? If you thought "Oh they can just pick it off, I'm not making that again" and I eat it without knowing you screwed up my order, that could be my life right there.

I have several friends with severe, life-threatening food allergies. When we go out to eat together, they are crystal clear with the servers: I will become incredibly ill or DIE if I have this. They do this because they know that if they don't, the server and/or chef will just think "oh, picky eater" and ignore their request. Most restaurants of any quality are paranoid about food allergies and will take extra good care of those who have them (provided basic standards of politeness and courtesy are met). I've encountered several places where the manager personally escorted our meal through the kitchen to make sure that offending ingredients stayed away from them. And we always tip a base of 25% to those servers who are good to our friends.

My point is that you're kind of comparing apples to pomegranates. There's a difference between being picky and having a medical condition. If you have an allergy, and you don't make it crystal clear that you're not just another annoying patron, and you get fed something you can't eat, then it's at least partially your fault.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by OOhsoflyDELTA#9

ummm maybe we're talking about different to go orders...I mean I'm home, I call where ever, I drive to get my food, pick it up from the bar, the hostess stand, have them bring it to the car..whatever the drill is for that place...I don't tip like I had the meal there in the resturant...if someone brings it to my car I will give them a couple of bucks...kinda like the pizza guy....why would I tip 15+% for that???

Originally Posted by SMUalphachi

At my casual chain restaurant when I'm working to-go orders, I'm also taking tables and they are suffering from limited service while I am also working on to-go... I'm still getting paid $2.13 an hour for this, so tipping on to-go is incredibly important - it can make or break a night for me.

That's why. And yes we're talking about the same carry out to go orders. THEY ARE STILL PREPARING YOUR ORDER. Just because you didn't sit there and run them around to serve you, they are still doing a service to you.

[AGDee]

Maybe it's the places I go to for take-out, but I've never seen a server involved at all. I'm presuming the cook puts the food in the take-out container and the cashier usually goes and gets it when I go to the cash register to pick it up so I'm missing where the server is involved. There is no bar service and no busser involved. Then again, the only take-out I usually get is Chinese or pizza. The place I go to for Chinese has the same old guy (pretty sure it's the owner) at the cash register and they don't have in-restaurant dining at all, so there are no servers. When I used UNOs curbside to go, I did tip, cuz they were bringing it out to my car and I assumed it was a server doing that. If I have pizza delivered, I definitely tip.

Another question.. since you have to "tip out" the bar, what if the patron doesn't get a drink? Does the bar still get a cut of your sales? Or do they just get a cut of the bar sales? Just curious.

[OOhsoflyDELTA#9]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

That's why. And yes we're talking about the same carry out to go orders. THEY ARE STILL PREPARING YOUR ORDER. Just because you didn't sit there and run them around to serve you, they are still doing a service to you.

Ummm no. We all have occupational hazards. I guess thats one. A "tip" is for service. Me picking up a to go box is not my idea of service. Oh well....

[jubilance1922]

Originally Posted by OOhsoflyDELTA#9

Ummm no. We all have occupational hazards. I guess thats one. A "tip" is for service. Me picking up a to go box is not my idea of service. Oh well....

I have to agree with you on that one.

If that's case, then why wouldn't you tip the Wendy's guy? Since he also put in the same amount of work in making sure that you're food got to you as the Applebee's to-go guy.

[texas*princess]

Originally Posted by OOhsoflyDELTA#9

Ummm no. We all have occupational hazards. I guess thats one. A "tip" is for service. Me picking up a to go box is not my idea of service. Oh well....

I honestly feel the same. "Service" to me, is when the server pays attention to me, makes sure the food is cooked right and tastes good by asking if it's all OK, brings drinks and refills them, makes suggestions if I'm torn and can't decide, etc.

I also tip delivery guys/gals when I order in, because to me, the delivery person is doing me a favor by bringing it to me so I don't have to go out and get it myself.

Me getting in my car, picking up a box, and going back home is not really service IMHO.... but I guess we all have different opinions on this one.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by KappaKittyCat

There's a difference between being picky and having a medical condition.

That was exactly the point. I would not send food back if it had something on it that I asked to be taken off because I'm not allergic to anything. But if someone with an allergy asks for something to be taken off and it's not, then that's perfect cause to send it back. Whether or not it was their fault for not making it clear they had a medical reason for not eating it is irrelevant--I was pointing out that they still had reason to send it back without being seen as rude.

Cheerful--Wendy's always puts onions on my sandwiches when I ask them not to, so I feel you! Arby's is 50/50 on that.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

That was exactly the point. I would not send food back if it had something on it that I asked to be taken off because I'm not allergic to anything. But if someone with an allergy asks for something to be taken off and it's not, then that's perfect cause to send it back. Whether or not it was their fault for not making it clear they had a medical reason for not eating it is irrelevant--I was pointing out that they still had reason to send it back without being seen as rude.

Cheerful--Wendy's always puts onions on my sandwiches when I ask them not to, so I feel you! Arby's is 50/50 on that.

My point was that people shouldn't have to tell every waiter in a restaurant about food allergies or medical conditions if according to the menu their dish is not supposed to have the food in question on it. I had no reason to think that red onion and jalepenos would be put all over the top of my pasta dish, so I never would've thought to tell the waiter to keep onions and jalepenos away. But I'm getting REALLY tired of having my order completely ignored and my food brought out NOT as I ordered it. It is gross and rude for me to pick apart my salad/sandwich/pasta/entree to remove the pieces I asked to NOT be included.

And when I tell a server to "hold the tomatoes" or whatever, I shouldn't have to tell them I have a food allergy in order to make it happen. If it's such a pain in the ass for that establishment, there are plenty of other places I can get a great meal and service.

[christiangirl]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

And when I tell a server to "hold the tomatoes" or whatever, I shouldn't have to tell them I have a food allergy in order to make it happen. If it's such a pain in the ass for that establishment, there are plenty of other places I can get a great meal and service.

I totally I agree, but what do you mean "your point?" I responded to Kappa Kitty or somebody, didn't I? I'm confused!

But you totally do have a point though, my family went out and we ordered water for the table, with all of them having lemon but 1. Sure enough, he brought 5 lemon waters and we had to tell him that my mom is allergic to citrus, go make hers without it like we asked the first time. Though that was something important, we shouldn't have had to say it to make him pay attention. If that had been something in her food that we asked to be taken out, granted we would have been much more clear about the fact that it is an allergy and that it's imperative that lemon be taken out of the dish. However, I feel that saying "hold the lemon" means what it means--no cook/chef/server should be so lazy that they have to be told "She'll die if she eats the lemon" before they do their job right.