Would you have tipped?

[Deleted]

My husband and I went out to a restaurant last night. We asked to get our leftovers wrapped up. The plates were whisked away, but then we were given a little ticket with a number on it instead of the bag. We were then to pick it up in the coat check area (which obviously isn't used very much at this time of year) on our way out.

Should we have tipped the hostess who retrieved it for us? My vote was for maybe, because it isn't so different from picking up a coat from coat check, but my husband's vote was for no, because nobody asked us if we wanted the food to go there.

Thoughts?

[atouchofklasse]

no

[vanillacourage]

No. I'm guessing a place that does that is pricey so I'd consider that part of the general service I was already paying/tipping for.

[Deleted]

Although I see your point, I would not have tipped. They could have easily brought the leftovers to your table, as most restaurants do.

[Deleted]

MAYBE $1-2, but I don't think it's necessary at all.

[Deleted]

Nah

[sarahbear]

No.

[Deleted]

Sept 8, 2012 8:14:19 GMT -5 vanillacourage said:

No. I'm guessing a place that does that is pricey so I'd consider that part of the general service I was already paying/tipping for.

See, I always think the fancier the place, the less that is considered included. Kind of like how a Courtyard by Marriott will include free wireless and breakfast and such but a Ritz Carlton will charge for those things because its customers will pay for them.

I think I felt pressured to tip in part because I felt bad that the hostesses don't get coat check tips at this time of year. But it was definitely a novel situation.

[bronxgirl]

I agree with your husband. I don't think you need to tip b/c it wasn't a service you chose. If you choose to check your coat you do so knowing that a tip will be expected. I wouldn't expect that asking for my leftovers to be wrapped up.

[Deleted]

Sept 8, 2012 10:58:44 GMT -5 v said:

I think I felt pressured to tip in part because I felt bad that the hostesses don't get coat check tips at this time of year. But it was definitely a novel situation.

I bet the hostesses get tipped out, though.

I wouldn't have tipped.

That is the weirdest setup I've ever heard of. Even at pretty fine dining places, my leftovers have always been boxed up and brought to me by my server.

[Deleted]

Sept 8, 2012 11:26:01 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

Sept 8, 2012 10:58:44 GMT -5 v said:

I think I felt pressured to tip in part because I felt bad that the hostesses don't get coat check tips at this time of year. But it was definitely a novel situation.

I bet the hostesses get tipped out, though.

I wouldn't have tipped.

That is the weirdest setup I've ever heard of. Even at pretty fine dining places, my leftovers have always been boxed up and brought to me by my server.

I agree that it was odd. I've never seen that before either. It was a nice restaurant, but in a young/trendy way -- definitely not fine dining. It is a Japanese restaurant with (apparently) more authentic food than most of the places here, so I don't know if maybe it is a Japanese thing? Or it could just be the restaurant's weirdness.

[6fsn]

Sounds like it would be an extra step for the customer so I wouldn't tip.

[ESF]

Sept 8, 2012 11:50:53 GMT -5 v said:

Sept 8, 2012 11:26:01 GMT -5 @angryharpy said:

I bet the hostesses get tipped out, though.

I wouldn't have tipped.

That is the weirdest setup I've ever heard of. Even at pretty fine dining places, my leftovers have always been boxed up and brought to me by my server.

I agree that it was odd. I've never seen that before either. It was a nice restaurant, but in a young/trendy way -- definitely not fine dining. It is a Japanese restaurant with (apparently) more authentic food than most of the places here, so I don't know if maybe it is a Japanese thing? Or it could just be the restaurant's weirdness.

I saw it for the first time last month. It was at Wayfare Tavern in SF, the American restaurant owned by Tyler Florence.

It's not really a fancy place. But they put my food at coat check. I'm not a fan of the system. We forgot about my food and got halfway down the block and had to turn around and go back to get it. I probably wouldn't have forgotten it if they just gave it to me.

We didn't even order dessert, so it wasn't like this huge gap between them taking away my food and us leaving.

I didn't tip. It didn't occur to me to do so.

[GailGoldie]

no, i wouldn't.

[dragonfly08]

Sept 8, 2012 11:13:19 GMT -5 bronxgirl said:

I agree with your husband. I don't think you need to tip b/c it wasn't a service you chose. If you choose to check your coat you do so knowing that a tip will be expected. I wouldn't expect that asking for my leftovers to be wrapped up.

This.

I was always taught that, in general, tipping is for services that we could provide for ourselves but choose not to. I could keep my coat at the table, cut my own hair (if I didn't care how I looked...but I could!), pick up my own pizza, do my own manis/pedis at home (which, in fact, I usually do come to think of it), etc. So I tip for those things. But in this case you had no choice other than to pick up your leftovers from the hostess. It's not like you could have carried it out to the front by yourself but chose to go the package pick up route instead.

And FWIW, I find that idea weird. I'd be with the poster who forget to stop and get them...half the time I leave the leftovers at the table when they've been handed to me. I'd definitely breeze right past the coatcheck on the way out and remember it only after I'd gotten halfway home!

[cherry1111]

I bet he didn't give you ranch dressing with your leftovers, so no tip!

[Deleted]

Sept 8, 2012 14:17:58 GMT -5 dragonfly08 said:

Sept 8, 2012 11:13:19 GMT -5 bronxgirl said:

I agree with your husband. I don't think you need to tip b/c it wasn't a service you chose. If you choose to check your coat you do so knowing that a tip will be expected. I wouldn't expect that asking for my leftovers to be wrapped up.

This.

I was always taught that, in general, tipping is for services that we could provide for ourselves but choose not to. I could keep my coat at the table, cut my own hair (if I didn't care how I looked...but I could!), pick up my own pizza, do my own manis/pedis at home (which, in fact, I usually do come to think of it), etc. So I tip for those things. But in this case you had no choice other than to pick up your leftovers from the hostess. It's not like you could have carried it out to the front by yourself but chose to go the package pick up route instead.

And FWIW, I find that idea weird. I'd be with the poster who forget to stop and get them...half the time I leave the leftovers at the table when they've been handed to me. I'd definitely breeze right past the coatcheck on the way out and remember it only after I'd gotten halfway home!

The "I didn't choose this service" was sort of my thinking at first, but then I thought of the coat check analogy, and really, in the winter you have to wear a coat to the restaurant, but a lot of nicer restaurants really don't want you to have the coats at your seats so you're kind of forced to partake in coat check anyway, and then you have to tip...

But at any rate, I agree with you guys and am glad that we appeared to not have been super rude.

I forget my leftover bags like 30% of the time (more like 70% of the time when you count when I ditch them/forget them after we head to a bar afterwards), so I think the uniqueness of the situation ,are it impossible for me to forget. But it was a very odd thing.

[ILikeSloths]

No

[pacificrules]

Definitely not.

[315bride]

I have never heard of this picking up leftovers at the coat check. What restaurant?

[Deleted]

Amy, we were at EN.

(It was very yummy BTW, if you're ever in the area)

[315bride]

Sept 9, 2012 10:22:26 GMT -5 v said:

Amy, we were at EN.

(It was very yummy BTW, if you're ever in the area)

What area?

[Deleted]

Sept 9, 2012 10:30:26 GMT -5 @315bride said:

Sept 9, 2012 10:22:26 GMT -5 v said:

Amy, we were at EN.

(It was very yummy BTW, if you're ever in the area)

What area?

It is at Hudson and Leroy -- West Village

[Deleted]

No

[315bride]

Sept 9, 2012 12:06:57 GMT -5 v said:

Sept 9, 2012 10:30:26 GMT -5 @315bride said:

What area?

It is at Hudson and Leroy -- West Village

Good to know.

And, FWIW, I would not have tipped either. I am still confused about why your server was unable to bring them to you at your table.

[steph96]

You don't tip the hostess that seats you, so I wouldn't tip the one that hands you your leftovers. I have never been to a place with a coat check, so it wouldn't even occur to me to tip the coat check person.

How did they track the leftovers? Did they write your name on the bag? Was it a claim ticket? I'd be so concerned about going home with someone else's food.

[Deleted]

Sept 9, 2012 12:26:06 GMT -5 steph96 said:

You don't tip the hostess that seats you, so I wouldn't tip the one that hands you your leftovers. I have never been to a place with a coat check, so it wouldn't even occur to me to tip the coat check person.

How did they track the leftovers? Did they write your name on the bag? Was it a claim ticket? I'd be so concerned about going home with someone else's food.

A little ticket was handed to us with a number on it, and that I guess matched up with what was on the bag. Just like coat check.

I'm guessing they did it so you wouldn't have to have the bag on your table during dessert? The bag definitely *was* huge (even though there wasn't all that much in it -- I think their bags are just huge generally).

[Deleted]

No. my guess is she gets tipped out at the end of the night like a hoestess or buser would.

[heightsyankee]

Sept 9, 2012 15:39:46 GMT -5 @kjewell said:

No. my guess is she gets tipped out at the end of the night like a hoestess or buser would.

I bet this is the case as well. However, if I had $1-2 in my purse I would have given it to her. Could have made her night while it really would have made no difference in mine.