Do you tip at Sonic?

no

Tip what? I know how to tip a cow.

Yes. I tip right around 20% everywhere I go. Good or bad service.

Person might be having a bad day.

III said:

What restaurant has cows for waiters?

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The strip clubs you frequent, I suppose.

We have commercials for Sonic, but I don't know that there's one anywhere near us. So, I guess no - I don't tip there.

III said:

Even fast food?

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Not if I go in or go through a drive through....but at Sonic they bring it to the car. I figure if they're delivering the food to a table or car I tip.

I choose "only if...." because I tipped the first time I went there -- she was on roller skates, for bleepin's sake! -- which was also the first week or so after they opened. After that, I felt kinda dumb if I tipped. The only other fast food we patronize is In N' Out, and who's to tip? It all goes by in a blur, can't tell one funny-hatter from the next. Plus, my understanding is that, at In N' Out, they actually pay the employees.

I'd tip, if I ever went to Sonic. I worked as a bartender in college and people would tip me just to draw a beer and hand it to them. So delivering food on rollerskates deserves a tip, IMO.

Yes. The 'car hops' at Sonic rely upon tips for their income. My daughters both did their time at Sonic in high school.

mscelina said:

Yes. The 'car hops' at Sonic rely upon tips for their income. My daughters both did their time at Sonic in high school.

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Curious -- do they get paid less than minimum wage?

Never been to a Sonic, but if I have to pay for food before I get it I don't tip.

jennontheisland said:

Never been to a Sonic, but if I have to pay for food before I get it I don't tip.

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Even if they bring you the food, fill up your water glasses, and clean your table after you're done?

I always tip if there's any kind of service. I used to be a waiter, so I know how every penny counts.

For those that do not understand why he is asking this....this last year Sonic started a system that you drive to a box...give your order and then drive on around and wait in line for a 'live' person to bring it to you. No window service like most places. I see they are doing that with all of their places....at least here in Arizona.

I think it is a rip off, but i do give a tip. Not sure what wages the kids are making, but figure it is not much. It use to be you ordered then drove up to the window and paid....no tip.

I hope the other fast food places do not start this.

III said:

That's what I always assumed too, but this weekend my sister mentioned that she always tips at Sonic, which had never even occurred to me. I have a feeling I need to make a trip to my local Sonic and start throwing money out the window to make up for years of not tipping.

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Or just accept that you're fracking cheap.

WendyNYC said:

Curious -- do they get paid less than minimum wage?

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Significantly less. They rely upon tips to make up the difference.

I had friends in high school (late 90s) who worked at Sonic, and they were getting somewhere in the low $2 per hour range.

We do. (And it works out -- we love their mints; it usually gets us a handful of extra mints rather than 1-2. )

We still have the window service, though, or did last time I was there.

I'm guessing this poll is not intended for me. I picked "What is Sonic?" because we don't have one in these here parts.

SPMiller said:

Significantly less. They rely upon tips to make up the difference.

I had friends in high school (late 90s) who worked at Sonic, and they were getting somewhere in the low $2 per hour range.

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That's about what I made as a bartender, but the tips made up the difference and then some (when were were busy--if there was a snowstorm, no).

WendyNYC said:

That's about what I made as a bartender, but the tips made up the difference and then some (when were were busy--if there was a snowstorm, no).

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Most people do know to tip bartenders. I hope. Isn't necessarily the case with Sonic.

For the benefit of those without access to the Sonic fast food chain:

I'm in the Dallas area, so things may be different elsewhere. I haven't been to Sonic in a few years, but last time I went, they still used the stall system where you pull into a parking spot with the menu and speaker and everything. You order as if at a drive-through. Then they carry the food out. Now, you can either pay with cash when they hand you the food, or you can pay immediately after you place the order via plastic.

As far as I know, the payment scheme for their carhops hasn't changed, but it could have...