Well dear neighbors, I do need your input on something that has vexed me this past week. I will occasionally grab a salad for lunch from the small cafe downstairs in my building. These are pre-made deals so I just go over, grab one out of the case and then head to the counter to pay. I noticed on the receipt is an area for adding a tip. Where no one is delivering me the salad, like say if I were at a sit down restaurant where an actual waiter/waitress were doing the serving, I usually don’t add a tip. However, there has been a nagging inside like I probably should add a tip. Someone did make this salad. Granted I was the one to do the serving . So, should I leave a tip in a situation like that or no? I haven’t exactly felt laser-like beams coming from the head cashier’s eyes as I’ve left the cafe, but I’m not sure if this is customary to not tip or if I’m coming off as a cheap skate. Back when I was actually eating more bread and ordering sandwiches, I would leave a tip because these were of course made to order. So….? What do you think? Do I tip in this situation or save that for the waitresses and waiters?
Life In The Sonoran Desert 
I don’t tip around here unless I’m be serve(based on service), or it’s a cafe like place and I get coffee or tea. I’ll tip my change if they are curtious and what I get is well made. We have made to order places around here that don’t even have tip jars, it’s what they get paid to do, and they go by rules…
Thanks Kira for your input. I will no longer feel guilty for not tipping. 🙂
Generally, if I’m picking up take-out that I called in to order, I’ll still tip, because someone who works very hard made that salad for me. But, in a sit-down restaurant, I’ll tip the customary 15%. Take-out, maybe half that, because no one will have to serve me or wash my dishes. When it’s a situation like yours, where you’re grabbing a pre-made meal out of the refrigerated case, I would just throw a few coins in the tip jar.
Hi Kim. Thanks for the input. There is a pizza place I visit and don’t tip either (take-out). Maybe in that situation I’ll start leaving a tip. Those guys do work very hard there. I can see straight into the kitchen when I’m there.
Generally no, unless there is some special service. Remember that tipping is discretionary. If you don’t think tipping is necessary in a particular circumstance, then don’t tip. Takeout – If you get good service, in other words, the waiter gets and packages the food, then at your choice you can tip $1-2.You are free to do so if you wish, but that’s beyond standard tipping practice in the US. 🙂
Hi Zoom. Thanks for the input. I will no longer feel guilty for not tipping when getting a salad. I keep forgetting that it is discretionary.
When I was younger I was with some friends at a restaurant. We didn’t have any money for a tip (we were teenagers) and we actually had the waiter come after us in the parking lot looking for his tip! We were dumbfounded (and embarrassed).
No… but then I’m from Australia where we don’t generally tip. I only tip if I get table service of some sort but if I just pick up a takeout or pre-made item I don’t.
Thanks Emjay. Thats sort of on the lines of what I was thinking, too.
Where I live like Emjay we only tip if we get table service so my answer is No 😉
Thanks Rima!